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Editorial Review Start spreadin' the news... Jason Voorhees, the cleaver-hoisting man in the hockey mask, has finally left Crystal Lake behind and taken his vagabond shoes to the Big Apple. Actually, Jason spends most of his time on a cruise ship bound for Manhattan, carving up the unluckiest high school graduation party ever. You'd think the change of scenery might breathe new life, or death, into the series, but chapter 8 is standard stalk 'em and slash 'em fare, albeit with a nautical slant. The title hints at a comic tone, but except for the one-joke idea that Jason fits right into the menacing urban scene, forget it. (The comedy would wait until the surprisingly entertaining Read more
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Reviews (229) 
While Jason takes Manhattan, the fans leave it..............
I consider myself a pretty big Horror fan.I can enjoy many different kinds of Horror movies and usually find one or two things in a movie to make it worth watching.Sometimes it's an actor, sometimes it's just one gory scene, sometimes it's the atmosphere.Like I said, I usually find something to enjoy in a Horror movie no matter how bad it is.Sadly, I can't say the same for my friends or for the other Horror "fans" that I've met.Most of the time they're typical Horror fans who hate anything that isn't serious.Personally I think it's a self image thing for most people.They're afriad that someone might mistake them for being "mainstream" or corny when it comes down to their Horror opinion.If you judge a Horror movie on weather or not it scared the crap out of you, most of the time your going to be left high and dry.Horror movies come in many styles, the key is to understand that and just enjoy the ride.Friday the 13th part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan is one of those few 1980's gems that I hold close to my heart.It's a classic example of how dark and gritty the 80's Horror scene was back then.Jason Take Manhattan is chop full of dirty, brooding scenes of the city and it really helps set the stage for Jason to do what he does best!Chop, hack and stab his young victems!Looking for a plot?You won't find one here!This is your basic big hair, bad acting, 1980's slasher fest!Nothing about the movie is corny, back when they made the film is was thought of in a serious perspective.Times change and ideas change.Sure it might be outdated but it's a classic in my book.Long live Jason Voorhees!
Has Some Redeeming Points But...
Giving you a brief rundown where I stand, I thought Part 1 was pretty good; part 2 had some interesting things about it; I didn't much like Part 3; part 4 started to pick up the pace again; part 5 was surprisingly good; I think Part 6 was arguably the best; I didn't like part 7. This 8th chapter was a little better than part 7, but that is not saying much. The story begins with Jason being brought back to life with the help of electricity. (This reuses the technique from Part 6, but it doesn't bring back the same impact.) Jason claims his 1st 2 victims and then makes his way to a boat full of teenagers heading towards New York. Here, the story starts to lose credibility. At least Part 6 made sense when he headed back to Crystal Lake: "Jason will return to the area that's familiar to him. No matter what you call it, it's still Camp Crystal Lake to him." (So, in this 8th chapter, why does Jason go out of his way to board a ship heading for New York?) I know some people thought it was interesting to see Jason aboard a ship, and that it added something to see Jason's potential victims trapped on a ship. I admit this is a valid defense for the movie, but my question is: "Why did Jason go out of his way to board this ship in the first place?" Moving on, one of Jason's possible victims is a fairly well developed character (Rennie) who has a tragic past with water, and has hallucinations of Jason. Alright, I admit this is one interesting thing. Rennie's uncle Charles is not exactly the nicest person. (But unlike Dr. Cruise from Part 7, at least Charles has some redeeming features. At times, his concern for Rennie seems genuine; when Sean's father is killed, Charles takes a moment to offer a bit of sympathy; and at times, he is concerned over the safety of others.) Another interesting character is Sean (the son of the captain). He wants to please his father, but feels he will be unable to become the captain that his father is. However, becoming the captain his father wants him to may be the only way to save at least a few of the people on the ship. Alright. Another redeeming feature. Moving on, there is the typical high body count, but 5 people manage to escape to New York City. Unfortunately, they run into 2 thugs who rob them and run off with Rennie. (Another redeeming moment for Charles is at least he shows discretion in trying to rescue Rennie.) Naturally, it isn't long before Jason arrives in New York City. Another problem I have with this movie is: "Why does Jason go out of his way to hunt down these 5 people in a whole city?" At least the previous movies made sense. Early in Part 2 we learn that Jason will take revenge on anyone who enters his territory again. And in Parts 2, 3, 4, 6, and even 7, at least Jason was staying in his own domain attacking anyone who happened to be there. To be sure, in Part 6, Jason did attack some people away from the camp grounds, but at least he was on his way back to the area that was familiar to him. Moving on, there was one other element I had to admit was somewhat redeeming. We all know Jason is a brutal killer, but in one scene he is portrayed as almost heroic when he unwittingly saves Rennie from the two thugs that kidnapped her and were trying to rape her. (Interesting twist I admit.) I'll admit it was comical when 2 of the last 5 people screamed for help because they were being chased by a murderer, and a waitress could only say: "Welcome to New York." And of course, in a typical Friday the 13th fashion, 2 people manage to survive the massacre and come out alive. I'll admit this isn't the worst Friday the 13th. (That honor is shared between Parts 3 and 7.) I'll conclude by saying that this 8th chapter does have some redeeming moments, and you may find it to be an interesting twist. But you have to be willing to swallow some things that aren't consistent with the rest of the series. If you're willing to do this, then you will probably will enjoy it more than I did.
Friday the 13th Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan
Friday the 13th Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan~ Rob Hedden is a mediocre sequell in the friday the 13th franchise. The major problem with this movie is the awfull music. The acting is somewhat better then part seven yet is on a mediocre level. The script is alright but some of the scenes do not make sense at all and some could have been so much more developed. Jensen Daggett is one hot chick and to me she is like a number 10. With its 100 minutes it is easily the longest friday the 13th movie yet it does not feel as long as the terrible 5th movie which seemed to last en eternity and was like 10 minutes shorter. Not enough time is spent in NY but I suppose it was a question of budget and being the 8th movie in a series the budget was therefore nowhere close to a major motion picture. The special effects are better then your average friday the 13th movie, but the music like I wrote before is downright awfull. I love the tacky 80's hairdoes, the even worst cheap looking clothes and the at times awfull dialogue. Recommended for die hard fans only, otherwise to be avoided.
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Subjects: 1. Horror
2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy
3. Movie
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