PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When the fight for the rights for Friday The 13th began between Sean Cunningham and Victor Miller, Friday fans like myself feared the worst. Namely, that we didn’t know when we would see a new Friday the 13th movie. Then something began to happen, indy directors who were Friday fans begun to make their own fan films. The attitude seemed to be if the studios can’t make a new Friday the 13th, then we the fans will make our own fan films.
Several came out, and they were good, but when Vincente Disanti’s Never Hike Alone came out, it changed the game completely. Seemingly overnight, Never Hike Alone won over the Friday fans’ hearts.
Fans have even considered Never Hike Alone as a part of Friday canon. Maybe the fight over the rights has been a blessing in disguise after all. The overwhelming success of Never Hike Alone is a good thing, and has pushed other directors to make even better fan films.
Several weeks ago in September on Friday the 13th, another fan film was released on YouTube. Jeremy W. Brown and Dustin Montierth’s Friday the 13th: Vengeance had gained interest and high expectations through the trailer they released. There was even more excitement when it was announced Friday alumni C.J. Graham, Steve Dash, and Jason Lives director Tom McLoughlin were going to be involved with Vengeance. What made fans most excited though, was that C.J. Graham would be playing Jason’s father Elias Voorhees. Briefly mentioned in Jason Goes To Hell, Friday fans have wanted to see him on screen. If your a diehard Jason Lives fan, then chances are you will love Vengeance.
The Plot Of Vengeance
The overall plot of Vengeance is centered around Tom McLoughlin’s deleted scene in Jason Lives. Longtime Friday fans will know what deleted scene I’m talking about. It will please devotees to Jason Lives, to finally see this deleted scene on screen. The rest of the movie happens as a result of how Elias Voorhees resurrects his son Jason.
Jason comes back and begins his ritual of murder and mayhem. Facing off against Jason is another fan theory I’ve heard before. Some time ago, I heard rumors that they were going to make a new Friday the 13th movie. Survivors throughout the franchise were going to team up together, and take out Jason one last time.
In Vengeance, instead of having Ginny, Chris, and Tommy Jarvis teaming up, we have their sons and daughters teaming up. Without revealing too much, I will say that a certain book that you might have seen in another popular horror franchise is used to resurrect Jason. Which, yet again, is another fan theory I’ve heard. This is my only problem with the plot of Vengeance, at times I feel that they have tried to fit too many fan theories into the plot. As a result, the plot feels overcrowded and messy. I think if they would have left out a few things, the story would feel more cohesive.
The Look Of Vengeance
The look of the film looks professional and smooth. The directors of Vengeance knew what they were doing, and did a great job of making a low budget fan film look like a professionally made film. The locations they used in Vengeance were good, and several locations were beautiful on-screen like the location of Crystal Lake.
The Acting In Vengeance
The acting is decent, though I never watch low budget films for the acting. There were a few actors you could tell had no acting experience, but they did as well as can be expected. There were other actors who I thought really did a great job like Steve Dash as Sheriff Jason. It’s ok to laugh, I did as well. C.J. Graham did a great job as well as Elias Voorhees. He gave a great performance and was pretty creepy at times. Overall, the cast did a great job, and you could really tell everyone was doing their best.
Jason Brooks’ Great Performance As Jason
What impressed me most about Vengeance, was Jason Brooks’ performance as Jason Voorhees. Brooks had Jason down and reminded me of C.J. Graham’s performance in Jason Lives. His stiff movement, and how he would swing a machete, was Jason Voorhees through and through. Having the most pivotal role in Vengeance, Brooks came through and elevated the film with his performance.
The Kill Scenes In Vengeance
There are several good kill scenes in Vengeance. Though most of the kills are either off-screen, or you don’t get the full brunt of the kill. The lack of on-screen kills doesn’t take away from the film, but I would have liked to see more gore and fuller kill scenes. The kills that they do show (and probably the best kill in the film is when Jason grabs a man’s neck and rips it off his shoulders) are well done, and the special effects are impressive.
It seems that every Friday the 13th fan film that gets made, they just keep getting better and better. Vengeance is no exception. If you love Friday the 13th, and if Jason Lives is your favorite Friday film, then Vengeance will no doubt feel like it was made just for you, because it was.
I give Vengeance… 3 and a quarter stars!
