Category: Horror

Synopsis

After accidentally drowning her father as a child, young psychic Tina (Lar Park-Lincoln) returns to her childhood home. Her mother, Amanda (Susan Blu), and her psychiatrist, Dr. Crews (Terry Kiser), accompany her as part of the treatment. That night, Tina goes to the lake, hoping to bring her father back, but accidentally revives Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder). Meanwhile, a group of teens are preparing a surprise birthday party, not knowing that their friend meets Jason. Soon, Jason shows up and starts picking off the teens one by one while Tina struggles with her psychic powers. While trying to survive, Tina discovers Dr. Crews intends to exploit her abilities and never meant to help her. After finding her mother dead, Tina decides to use her powers to confront Jason once and for all. Will Tina succeed in sending Jason back to the lake or end up on the chopping block?

Review

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is an entry I enjoy and dislike for various reasons. Admittedly, my reasons for disliking this installment are more what happened to the movie versus the movie itself. By that, I mean the numerous edits made to appease the MPAA and secure an R-rating, which neutered the film. While the filmmakers clashed with the ratings board in the past, this film suffered the most cuts. So many death scenes are cut down to where they lack the impact they should have. For instance, Terry Kiser's death is over and done within a few seconds, with Jason's blade barely touching him. Sadly, much of the cut footage no longer exists, so an uncut version will never be released. Unfortunately, a significant issue with the film isn't the fault of the filmmakers but an oppressive ratings board.

As for the positive aspects, the principal cast all do a fantastic job playing some of the series' best characters. Lar Park-Lincoln is great as Tina, showing plenty of vulnerability and eventually stepping up to confront Jason. This film marked Kane Hodder's first time donning the hockey mask, and he breathed new life into the character. On top of the incredibly rotted look, Hodder gives off an imposing presence not seen in previous Jason actors. Susan Blu is great as Tina's supporting mother, and Terry Kiser is delightfully hateful as Tina's manipulative psychiatrist. Kevin Spirtas is decent as Tina's love interest Nick, while Susan Jennifer Sullivan is fun as the needlessly bitchy Melissa. Unfortunately, the rest of the supporting players aren't as memorable and come off more as disposable cannon fodder. Although, Elizabeth Kaitain is in the cast, and she makes anything better.

Despite how neutered the kills are, you can tell there were some brutal deaths, and some weren't too tampered with. One noteworthy kill involves Jason picking up a girl in a sleeping bag and whacking her against a tree. Initially, Jason whacked her several times, but in the final edit, he hits her once, which is more effective. Also, the finale, with Tina using her psychic powers to battle Jason, is another highlight in terms of spectacle. Jason gets electrocuted, a roof dropped on him, hung, stabbed, and set ablaze, none of which can bring him down. It's the closest anyone's come to defeating Jason, and it's easily one of the best moments in the franchise. Though this film has flaws, you can tell there are good elements despite being edited to appease the MPAA. Overall, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is neither great nor terrible.

Buy Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DgWJZm.

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