Fowler's Frights 2015: Friday the 13th Part 3

Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
Starring: Dana Kimmel, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker
Directed by: Steve Miner


When it came time to do Friday the 13th Part 3, there needed to be something to up the ante. To create a new dimension of terror, the filmmakers decided to release the film in 3D. In the '80s, that would be one of the best gimmicks you could slap on a horror film, but it only has a temporary effect on the film. The effect is a product of the time, so the film needs something else to make it stand the test of time. Having memorable characters is a plus. Having great death scenes is also a must. But the cherry on top, the greatest factor of the film, is that it's the first film where Jason Voorhees dons his famous hockey mask. And THAT is where I found this movie's edge. With how the casual moviegoer views this series and the character of Jason Voorhees, would that make Friday the 13th Part 3 the definitive introductory film in the series? Obviously, continuity wise, that's an incorrect statement to make. But with the overall aesthetic quality that comes with Jason, maybe there's a bit more to dig into there that makes this one of the most significant entries in the series.

Look at that beautiful man in all his glory. THAT'S the Jason Voorhees I've been sitting through two movies to see. Granted, he puts the mask on about half way through, but once he does, you feel like you've been fully immersed in the first official Friday the 13th film. This film sets the tone for what horror fans can come to expect through the sequels, reboots, and crossovers that Jason has appeared in. Maybe that's a little too deep for a machete wielding maniac, but horror is one of my favorite genres, so I have no problem being analytical to stuff like this.

For the first time in this series, I can honestly remember a good majority of the characters. We have the typical female lead, her boyfriend, a couple of stoners, and a prankster named Shelly who is responsible for Jason getting his hockey mask. Watching Shelly in this film, I swear he's like an earlier version of Seth Rogen. And I like Seth Rogen, so I like Shelly as a character. He's the first major standout character in this entire series for me because he's one of the ones I can relate to the most. He's socially awkward and uses humor and practical jokes as a defense mechanism. That's something much more relatable to a majority of the audience than the two teenagers drinking, smoking pot, and having sex. In a lot of these movies, those party actions define the characters. Here, Shelly is an actual character with personality traits that people would have and that people can relate to, and that's why he works so well. There I go getting analytical again.

The cheap 3D gimmick in Friday the 13th Part 3 has a certain charm to it. If you're watching the 2D version of it, everything is gonna be poking out at the camera, and you'll be sitting there going "What the heck is wrong with the camera?" Stuff like that honestly helps give the film an edge. It certainly utilized it better than Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, or most films that are released in 3D nowadays. It's that extra notch that makes this film one of the more entertaining installments in the entire series.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Memorable characters, iconic death scenes, and a fun gimmick right out of the '80s makes Friday the 13th Part 3 one of the best films in the franchise to watch. It'll never be a groundbreaking horror film, but it introduces us to hockey mask Jason, so for the causal moviegoer, this is the proper introduction to the Friday the 13th films.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Friday the 13th Part 3 and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures