Friday the 13th 7: A New Beginning (1987)

Well, you sorta (and I do mean "sorta") have to give director John Carl Buechler a little bit of credit for really trying something new with the series, even if it doesn't "really" work. Often cited as the "Jason vs Carrie" entry, The New Blood combines the standard old cliche's found throughout the series with a unique twist, in which Jason finally comes across someone that gives his zombie ass a challenge, and I think it shocks old Jason most of all. This entry was one, next to part three, that I remember watching the most as a kid, and since it's been a good decade since I've gave it a watch, let's see what we have.

As a child, young Tina (Lar Park Lincoln) caused her abusive father to drown in Crystal Lake by causing the dock he was standing on to fall apart, thanks to her psychic powers. Seems whenever her emotions get all worked up she can move shit with her mind, which I bet makes her loads of fun to be around during PMS. Now all grown up, Tina, along with her mom and shrink, decide to venture back to Crystal Lake to confront her guilt of causing her fathers death all those years ago. Getting herself all worked up during one of her "sessions", Tina runs out to the lake and tries to bring back her dad from his watery grave. Never mind that the police usually retrieve bodies that have drowned ten feet from the shore, and even if he was down there, what the fuck would he look like after all these years Tina? Anyway, since Jason's been down at the bottom of the lake since the end of part six, guess who comes "back to life" instead. Here's a hint: it ain't Daddy Dearest. Oh, and look...seems like a group of teeny bop cardboard characters have moved into the cabin next door for a "party" of sorts. Jason, you came to life just in time old pal.

The New Blood is really your standard Friday adventure with, really, two decent things going for it. While the concept of Tina, with her "Carrie" like abilities might seem corny at first, it actually is sorta fun and adds a rather unique angle to the proceedings. Typically Jason's big showdowns with the surviving "good girl' is your typical run of the mill confrontation. Good girl runs and screams, get's a few shots in here and there, Jason keeps coming no matter what, and "somehow" said good girl survives. Here, once Tina gets full control of her powers, it really is a joy to see these two go at it. It's sorta funny to see Jason's reaction to the shit Tina throws at him, from nails shot to his noggin, roofs brought down on his head and back again, old Jason is clearly confused as to what the fuck is going on. He's probably thinking to himself, "what's all this shit being thrown at me by this bitch, all the others just ran and screamed and kicked at me!" Lar Park Lincoln is cute and does a decent job as a our overstressed heroin, and I found her to be one of the better leading ladies in the series.

While it's not my favorite portrayal of Jason, that would be part three's version, as all fans of the franchise can attest, stuntman Kane Hodder's version is a perennial fan favorite. Hodder's Jason is much more animated and just super intense in general . He's sorta like "Super Jason" or Jason on steroids, and it's no wonder Hodder would go on to play Jason for a total of four times. Appearance wise, Jason is pretty bad ass, he's all rotten and fucked from being under Crystal Lake for years, and his appearance can definitely attest to his stay. His spine shows through his back, his knees are all rotted out, and all in all, he's one ugly motherfucker. While he may not be the best director around, give director Buechler, who also handled the FX, credit where credit is due. Buechler's Jason is typically regarded as the best looking in the series, and I agree. While the MPAA gutted the gore as usual, there are some pretty nifty kills here, including the infamous "sleeping bag" sequence, party favors to the eye, a rather bad ass axe whacking, as well as the typical head smashings, stabbings, etc. My personal favorite however, is Jason with some sort of high powered buzz saw contraption that just has you going "fuck yeah!" as he starts it up and tears into Tina's shifty shrink. On a side note, you will definitely cheer the man on as these are some of the dumbest, most annoying characters to grace the franchise yet. Kill em' Jason, kill em'!

Besides the "Carrie vs Jason" angle, and a rather inspired Jason portrayal by Kane Hodder, it's all rather flat and boring by now. Hardcore fans were probably pleased just to see another adventure at Crystal Lake, but honestly, enough is enough. With the Elm Street series haven taken over the reign as king of the slashers, the Friday series was all down hill from here. Since all following sequels aside from the 2009 remake would put Jason on a boat/New York, send him to hell, and even fucking outer space, it's evident that those in charge of the series knew that they couldn't stick to the same old same old to bring in the $.