Customer Reviews

Friday the 13th 5 [VHS]

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(48)
2 star:		(45)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

This review refers to the Paramount DVD edition of the film.

THE WHO'S WHO: Starring Melanie Kinnaman, John Shepherd, Shavar Ross, Richard Young, Marco St. John, Juliette Cummins, Carol Locatell, Vernon Washington, John Robert Dixon, Jerry Pavlon, Caskey Swaim, Mark Venturini, Anthony Barrile, Dominick Brascia, Tiffany Helm, Richard Lineback, Corey Feldman, Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Score Composed By Harry Manfredini. Screenplay Co-Written and Directed By Danny Steinmann. (R) For Violence, Gore, Profanity, Drug Use, Nudity and Suggested Sex; 92m.; 1985.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?: Another film has come and gone with the absence of any camp counselors. That's not necessarily a bad thing. By putting the Jason Voorhees character in minute variations of his slaughtering ground, the filmmakers have kept the films interesting. This time, the central focus is a group of mentally and emotionally challenged teens staying at the Pinehurst Youth Development Center run by Matthew Letter (Richard Young) and his assistant Pam (Melanie Kinnaman). However, there's more on their minds than learning how to readjust to society when Jason starts carving his way through them. Once again, the directorial reins of the series have been handed over, on this occasion to lightweight upstart Danny Steinmann who shows an amazingly adept skill considering he hasn't directed anything since. One problem that has plagued this series since its inception lies in the character development. However, like most of the other entries, this is a prime example of generic characters being filled by skillful actors who take their roles to a higher level than they should deservedly reach. There's sexually charged couple Eddie (John Robert Dixon) and Tina (Debisue Voorhees), sweet orphan Joey (Dominick Brascia), violently repressed Victor (Mark Venturini), prototypical punk rock fan Violet (Tiffany Helm), shy stutterer Jake (Jerry Pavlon) and innocently cute Robin (Juliette Cummins). John Shepherd is the best of this new bunch, replacing Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis. Another welcome addition to the cast is Miguel A. Nunez Jr. who plays Reggie's (Shavar Ross) brother Demon. Nunez would be the only cast member to move on to bigger and better projects, turning in standout supporting roles for films such as "Return of the Living Dead", "Street Fighter" and "Scooby-Doo". Outside of the characters, the script is elevated by a strong second half. The filmmakers tried to emulate the spectacular finale of "Part 2" by including their own twenty minute chase and showdown sequence. While it lacks some of the eminent suspense featured in that prior "Friday" finale, it still grips the viewer and refuses to let go. When all is said and done, there's an intriguing epilogue to the film which promised a new direction to the long running series (hinted at in the title of the movie) that was regrettably never followed up on. Trivia buffs take note: this is the first "Friday" film to actually feature a Voorhees (Debisue as Tina) in its cast. This film also proves that small town mayors, in this case Mayor Cobb (Ric Mancini), aren't always the most well informed people. In his meeting with Sheriff Tucker (Marco St. John), Mayor Cobb says that Jason Voorhees was cremated. Obviously that would prove false in "Friday the 13th Part VI" when Jason's grave would be exhumed. Overall, this film delivers a solid show and ranks right alongside "Part 3" of the franchise. Some of the death scenes seem a bit friable, but there's an absorbing cast, a great score by series veteran Harry Manfredini and some staunch, tense edginess that fills the festivities, placing this a cut above other mid-eighties horror movies.

THEY SAY THEY'RE SPECIAL BUT...: The 1.85:1 widescreen transfer for this film is a good one. Colors seem a little dark from time to time, but there's very little grain or distortion when compared to its four predecessors. Although I do have a question for the other "Friday V" viewers out there. When using a high definition monitor (such as a computer), does anybody else see that annoying vertical blue line running down the right hand side of the screen? The accompanying 2.0 mono is a drastic step up from the disappointing "Final Chapter". Dialogue is even and realistic while sound effects blend nicely into the presentation. The lightning storms are particularly strong for a mono audio track. A French mono track is also available for the film as well as English subtitles which are an easy to read yellow color and have been placed within the frame of the film. I'm particularly torn by the front cover of this DVD release. For the first time since Paramount started releasing this series on DVD, they've changed the cover. The original video release cover wasn't that hot, but it's still the version most people were accustomed to. However, this new front cover isn't entirely without merit. Having the hockey mask lying on the ground with red-hued trees rising above it is a fairly ingenious design. The back cover also marks the first time Paramount has created a strikingly proficient backing for one of the "Friday" films. The one sheet insert for "A New Beginning" also fits the grand scheme of the case and displays the fourteen chapter stops for this ninety minute movie. The disc itself is painted, another first for the "Friday" DVD series, with a hockey mask lying in the dirt. Sadly, this reasonable packaging doesn't carry over to the special features section as the only extra, yet again, is the original theatrical trailer (1:57). The trailer is a 1.85:1 widescreen affair and it's a little too revealing towards the end. It's also not as significant as past trailers.

THE YOLK'S ON YOU: Paramount has never been known for plying their releases with additional footage, let alone hiding anything on the disc. You're more likely to make it out of a trailer park bathroom stall alive (sorry, couldn't resist) than you are of finding hidden easter eggs on this one.

THE LEWD AND NUDE ALERT: Scurrilous viewers get to see a brief glimpse of the gorgeous Lana's (Rebecca Wood-Sharkey) bountiful breasts as she changes out of her waitress uniform. Tina (Debisue Voorhees) shows off almost every inch of her lovesome body after a romp in the woods with her boyfriend Eddie (John Robert Dixon). Later in the film, libertine viewers have a great opportunity to see Robin's (Juliette Cummins) tiny but succulent breasts as she gets ready for bed. Some viewers may be upset (and rightfully so) by the fact that Violet (Tiffany Helm) is the only female Pinehurst resident to stay clothed throughout the film. Even Pinehurst assistant Pam (Melanie Kinnaman) gets an honorable mention as she spends much of the finale running around in an almost see-through, rain-soaked white shirt.

THE GORE REPORT: Bloodhounds who follow Hollywood's sticky red trail will find a few satisfying moments in this fourth sequel, beginning when one of Pinehurst's members is hacked up in the early scenes of the film. While the viewer isn't treated to the actual slicing and dicing of the segment, the aftermath is displayed in all its gory glory when one of the medics lifts the sheet to see the carnage beneath. One unlucky lady has an exorbitant display of gore after having her eyeballs gouged out by a pair of hedge clippers. There's also a very bloody close-up of one victim with a gash across the length of his face.

SAY AGAIN: "And the forecast is cloudy in the mountains, sunny in the valleys, and snow flurries up your nose." - Billy (Bob De Simone) just before beginning his "party".

THE FINAL SAY: Yes, I recommend buying this DVD. Some hardcore fans doubtlessly will feel cheated by the revelation made in this movie, but true "Friday" devotees understand the necessity of this transitional piece. This is not the seminal magnum opus the original was, or even as transcendent as the initial sequel, but it has enough good qualities to sustain repeated viewings and give Voorhees fans the killer carnage they've been craving.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM: "His Eyes" Performed By Pseudo Echo. "His Eyes" Can Be Found on Pseudo Echo's Self-Titled Debut Available on EMI America Records.

Although most fans of this series say that this is the worst of the series, I whole-heartedly disagree. There are much worse installments of the franchise. The reason why people dislike this movie is mainly because of the fact that Jason Voorhees is not the killer of the movie. That's the beauty of it. It shows the fact that an average joe (or Roy in this case) can mentally snap and go off on a horrific killing spree. Let us not forget that this how Mrs. Pam Voorhees started.

The acting by the cast is horrible and the script wasn't thought out all that well. There are however some hilarious comedic moments now and then in the movie. It's one reedeming quality is the acting portrayed by John Shepherd as Tommy Jarvis. The portrayal of Tommy as a seriously disturbed young man after his encounter w/Jason is very realistic for it shows the constant fear, anger, sadness and paranoia of surviving that horrific night from F13thIV.

This movie had a lot of potential but fell short in what could have been the best in the series since the original.

Don't take my word for it: see it for yourself...if you dare.

I'm a big Friday fan, so I pretty much knew I would love this before I saw it. But I don't just love it, I ADORE it. Oooh Jason isn't here!! So what? It's scarier because the deaths are very gruesome, and the fact that the killer is an 'average joe' shows that you don't have to be a 'mutant' to be pure evil. It also marks a new beginning in the series--where each addition isn't a continuation of it's predecessors as much.

Tommy Jarvis has never looked better. In the Final Chapter he's a normal kid, in Jason Lives he's just a former crazy who's all better. In this one, he's quiet and you can tell by the look on his face through most of the movie he's one push away from snapping. The scene where he confronts "Jason" in the barn is the best--it gives me goosebumps all over!! Tommy is also a character you can both pity and cheer. In this one he really shows that.

The girls are hot and have well-developed bodies, the murder scenes are the most disgusting I've seen in a while, and the LANGUAGE! Good god, I needed to wash my TV speakers out with soap after watching it!

Jason is the man, don't get me wrong, but this addition gives you a little break from all that stuff you're more than used to. What's more, the ending--when combined with how Part 6 begins--leaves you with much to think about. Give it a chance. Jason would want you to.

In this fifth chapter, Jason Voorhees is taking a rest after his death in Part 4. As we all know he eventually comes back to wreak furthor havoc in Part 6. And he's currently working on Jason X and Freddy Vs. Jason. Well lets go to the review. I'm not a big fan of Roy, the killer in this one. But I give this flick 5 stars because, all of these movies are pure horror classics. The story starts off with Tommy Jarvis (from Part 4) having a day dream about everyone's favorite hockey-masked killer, Jason, returning from the dead. He wakes up, and we sees he's in a van, taking him to a house for mentally-troubled teens. When he gets there he starts hallucinating Jason. Soon after, a killer starts hacking up nearby citizens. It's not Jason though. During the film, we get the standard classic stuff : Nudity, endless harware and plenty of gore! This is just non-stop entertainment! A lot of my fellow-fans of the F13 series, hate this installment for being Jason-less. And I dis-like it for that one element. But everything else is more than a horror fan could want!

The scares and seriousness are starting to wear off with Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and instead we have something a little more comical, a little more campy and a little more entertaining. Now none of these films have ever been high art or considered serious horror. However it is obvious with this film the writing is weaker, the performances are weaker and the effects are weaker. Yet it still manages to be fun and watchable. The killer's identity (using Jason's mask and machette) is predictable. The script could have been better if it were re-worked and more red-herrings had been thrown our way to keep us guessing. The Tommy Jarvis character from the previous installment Final Chapter is presented here all grown up, still trying to battle his inner demons from the horror he experienced when he was younger. The setting is a home in the woods where the mentally-challenged try to get back to living a normal life. Another problem was that some of the characters were not developed near enough. They were basically just there for the kills. And in films, characters need to be created and developed properly in order for the audience to identify with and care about them. Otherwise, the impact isn't as great. For example, I liked the Violet character yet we didn't find out anything about her. The most overused cliche's are also present here. The broken down cars, the cat jumping out, the heroine falling down when being chased by the killer, etc. Some pluses were the settings they used which were used effectively. The infamous rain storm, the woods, the barn and the final chase scene near the end are all on nice display here. The lead heroine Pam, played by Melanie Kinnaman is very likeable and good-looking. As mentioned in other reviews, the actress who plays the "Ethel" character who lives near the mental home with her over-grown, dim-witted son was over-the-top and definitely the scene-stealer. Despite the flaws, I found enough to enjoy this film. Hopefully people are not giving this a poor rating due to the fact that the killer wasn't really Jason. I always give credit to the producers from trying something new (and yes, I'm one of the few who like Halloween III: Season of the Witch). Many fans complain that the sequels become to redundant and dull yet when something new is tried, they complain even more. Take this one as a stand-alone film with little inspired touches from the previous films and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here are the details for the new Deluxe Edition...

Audio commentary by director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann with cast and crew
* New Beginnings: The Making of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING
* Lost Tales from Camp Blood--Part V
* The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited--Part II
* Original theatrical trailer

Wow! Wait until you see the gazangas on the chick that gets hedge-clippers through the eyes. She'd got the biggest coconuts you ever seen on a teenage nymphomaniac. Plus check out the weird little punk blonde with the black tips. If she ever gets her head out from between those headphones you could have a grat conversation about the Sex Pistols. The hot blonde counselor ain't bad either.

Funniest Kill - The Michael Jackson wannabe (named Demon, Soul-Glo and all) who lives in a van, gets killed in the homemade porta-potty.

Actually, I give this movie 3 1/2 stars. A lot of people were upset that Jason was not the killer in this movie. But a little openess to new things does not hurt. (Consider this.) Tommy killed Jason in Part 4. Yet, he is still facing the aftermath trauma of Jason. We have seen Jason kill in previous movies, but what about the damage a survivor can be wounded with? Tommy is so tormented by his fears of Jason that he actually starts to have hallucinations of Jason. (Excellent! Up to now, we have seen blood horror, but what about psychological horror?) Another excellent thing in this movie is that we know Jason is dead, but all the evidence points to him. (Excellent suspense!) The scene where the mayor and sheriff argue is short but well done. Where the real killer is concerned, the event is plausible. A medic finds his own son slaughtered, is driven insane, and goes on a killing spree. (Even in his short role he is handled well.) Since he is a medic, we know that he was a good man who wanted to help people. By a trauma he followed the same pattern as Pam (Jason's mother) from Part 1. Unlike Part 3, the blood and effects are not overdone. Even the title a New Beginning fits well. Tommy is feeling the horrible aftermath of Jason and a new killer comes in.

Friday part5 is still interesting enough that it kind of reminds me of Halloween 3 in that it is not Jason. Another good note is the styles of killings here some are quite different compared to the others. Worth a look. After this film the sequels turned for the worst. As i said in my part 4 review. This wasn't a neccesaary sequel but it works. The ending reminds me a little of part 3 with the barn and all. Check it out.

I like this movie for real it when a copy cat jason voorhees is on the prowl for revenge of this son that was axed by another wanted to be jason voorhees in a way.

I thought Jason was finished after the fourth installment of this series for two reasons; 1. The fourth installment was named "The Final Chapter" and 2. Nobody wakes up after Corey Feldman hits you that hard in the head with your own machete. Nobody!

But, alas, I was wrong...

Jason is unstoppable in Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning. You would think that after losing all that brain matter from head blows with an axe (Part 3) and a machete (Part 4) that he would forget how to kill altogether. But, no, he remembers everything about his previous experiences and he even remembers the instrument of his demise in the previous film, Tommy Jarvis! Jason is more methodical in this film because he realizes that once Tommy gets a sense of his motives, we essentially get a game of cat and mouse that unusual in the Friday the 13th series.

The film plays out a lot like the Cohen Brother's "No Country for Old Men" (thanks, in part, to the superb direction of Danny Steinmann). Even though Jason still wears a hockey mask here, he has had a face-lift to further conceal his identity from Tommy, who is now a cop working undercover at a mental institution to solve a case about the murder of an obese teenager who was committed to the nut house. Jason hitches his was to the institution where he soon learns that Tommy has begun a secret romance with one of the institutions inhabitants, the lovely and mysterious "Violet." Jason soon realizes that if he can't get to Tommy himself, then maybe he can get to him through her. What follows is one of the most tense experiences I've ever had in cinema. Is this the end of Jason? of Tommy? Don't wait to find out! Go see Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning! You won't be disappointed.