“Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment.”
Martin-Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Writer/Director Jay Burleson had a very novel idea. What if there were a beloved slasher horror series that was lost except for the first and fifth entries? It’s hard not to appreciate someone self-driven enough to get a movie made, let alone two. That doesn’t mean the films are good, but amazingly, they exist.
The prequel to The Third Saturday in October Part V is a much more straightforward slasher film than I expected. Burleson asks viewers to watch Part V first. Why? I have no clue. It doesn’t add anything to either film’s story or viewing experience.
The Third Saturday in October takes place in 1979. Serial killer Jack Harding is being put to death for his crimes. The unthinkable happens on the way to the cemetery, and Harding returns to life. His reanimated corpse stumbles on a football party and starts slaughtering.
The main issue with this film is that the slaughtering doesn’t start until the last 20 minutes. Both of these films take a lot of time building to action. Fortunately, this film has much better acting and more interesting characters, so the pacing was less of an issue. The gore is toned down in this, too, which is detrimental to the film. The only thing Part V had going for it was the silly gore.
Jack Harding as a Jasonesque killer isn’t menacing at all. He’s primarily maskless in this film, and we spend no time with him outside of his brief encounters with his victims. When he finally dons a mask, it has no meaning or weight. The kills in this film aren’t nearly as extreme or inventive as Part V.
The Third Saturday in October is a much more coherent film than Part V, but it lacks the pizazz. The story, actors, and script are all better, but the kills are much more mundane. As a director, I think Jay Burleson has some talent. There are a few nice shots, and the cinematography is excellent. It’s truly miraculous that these films were able to be made, and I give Burleson credit for making this happen. That, of course, doesn’t mean it’s good because it’s most certainly not.
Rating: 4/10
