FRIDAY THE 13th PART 3
US, 1982, 95 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Steve Miner.
Friday the 13th Part 3 resembles the original and continues where Part 2 left off. There is connecting material between Parts 2 and 3. Director of Parts 2 and 3 is the same - Steve Miner.
Friday the 13th., in the tradition of Halloween, spawned a myriad imitators in the late 70s and early 80s: mysterious lake and farmhouse, demented axe murderer, group of youngsters isolated and gradually being killed. This formula is repeated here. The link between the three parts is the axe wielding Jason and his seeming indestructibility. (The way was left open for Part Four - if commercially necessary).
The novelty of Part 3 is that it was filmed in the 3-D process - with the consequence of yo-yos, television antennae and more horrifying objects being projected towards the audience. This is especially the case with the murders - though not as excessively as many non-3-D films. There are 11 murders - done for the exercise in the horror genre and novelty rather than as gruesome exploitation. In fact, early in the piece one of the characters plays a prank and indicates how make-up can provide for horrible effects. The production seems to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. There is more characterisation of the youngsters in this film than in many of the imitators. There is also a group of ultimately rather innocuous bikies who are also murdered, as well as a gross middle-aged couple at the beginning of the film. Once the process of elimination starts, there is an atmosphere of suspense as well as shock and an ultimately terrified heroine who has a rather prolonged encounter with Jason. There is a mystery at the end rather similar to the first part.
These films are an example of a mood in film-making in the late 70s and early 80s, contemporary version of traditional horror film and grand guignol. This film is above average when compared with many of the others - which is not saying a great deal. The 3-D is very well done - including some literally eye-popping sequences!
