Friday the 13th Part III ** (1982, Dana Kimmell, Tracie Savage, Richard Brooker) – Classic Movie Review 8265

A group of co-ed youngsters enjoy a weekend in the area where Jason Voorhees (now played by Richard Brooker) has rampaged at Camp Crystal in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981). Don’t these kids read the papers or watch the TV news? Jason (‘No! You can’t be alive!’) is alive after surviving his shoulder wound from his own machete and is back for revenge on everyone who visits his woods.

Director Steve Miner’s grim and gruesome 1982 Friday the 13th Part III offers no noticeable improvement in the script, acting or direction departments from the first two films, but a tendency to go for scares instead of overt blood is welcome. Bikers appear as an interesting new element, but the ending is once again the now ritual clash between Jason and the sole woman survivor.

Friday the 13th Part III is made in 3D, which is busily and inventively used and does help a little.

The main cast are Dana Kimmel, Richard Brooker, Catherine Parks, Paul Kratka, Tracie Savage, Jeffrey Rogers, Larry Zerner, Rachel Howard, David Katima and Nick Savage. Steve Miner provides the voice of the newscaster (uncredited).

Brooker takes over from Warrington Gillette as Jason.

The Jason hockey mask appears for the first time.

The screenplay is by Martin Kitrosser and Carol Watson.

Friday the 13th Part III runs 96 minutes, is made by Jason Productions, Paramount Pictures and Georgetown Productions Inc, is released by Paramount, is written by Martin Kitrosser and Carol Watson, based on the Victor Miller characters, shot by Gerald Feil, is produced by Frank Mancuso Jr, and is scored by Harry Manfredini.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, directed by Joseph Zito, followed in 1984.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8265

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