Jason Rising (2021)
You have some really talented young filmmakers out there who are just as good with like crowdfunded cash while big studios and old franchise vets (of the first film) refuse to get their act together. Just give fans what they want, for fuck sake. You have generations of fans who want movies. When passionate fans are forced to get out there, request funds from fans, and put together a film themselves because those with a lot of cash available can't get with the program, that says a hell of a lot. Vincente DiSanti and James Sweet, among others, put in the work. A lot of forces worked together to get "Jason Rising: A Friday the 13th Fan Film" -- which sees Pamela returning to put on her head and resurrect her son, pulling a chain dragging a locked coffin of Jason from his makeshift grave, located in an unflattering spot-- off the ground and on YouTube. Yes, that setup is ridiculous. I think even some serious Friday fans might be a bit "eh" about resurrected corpses resurrecting corpses. The issue of getting Pamela back into the franchise and Jason unearthed from his grave would be difficult without some serious leaps in logic. But this is a franchise where Jason was killing folks while you can see his spine and parts of skull...the leaps in logic for fans was asked of us in the second film, to be honest.
I hope to talk about continuity Saturday afternoon when I watch "Jason Lives" along with "Never Hike Alone" (I've seen DiSanti's "Never Hike in the Snow" but will hopefully have time to watch it Saturday), because after watching the first three Friday the 13th films, I understand why a whole bunch of folks (especially the franchise's harshest critics and those horror fans who are so fucking tired of hearing about Friday the 13th) gripe and grimace at the mere mention of anything remotely discussing Jason Voorhees.
The fan service of this short 45 minute film is off the charts. A lot of Friday fans don't want that. Maybe a little fan service here and there is fine, but "Jason Rising" lays it on thick. Personally, I say, "Give it to me." Service me. I'm one of those who just wants something of quality that loves its fans and isn't about fighting over financial incentives that hold off a film from being made for like ten fucking years now. Ten years, two guys who gave us one film, fighting over financial incentives. You see "Halloween" getting all that buzz while two guys who were responsible for ripping off the Carpenter film fighting in court when both could be making a lot of money. This is infuriating. Anyway, the "Jason Rising" fan film even gives us a little Amy Steele (as a doctor calling Alice...NICE) at the end, on the phone. But this gives you plenty of Jason, with all the favorite weapons. And a female deputy who kicks a lot of ass, escapes near death a hell of a lot of times, and remains very resilient and smart when a lot of colleagues are skewered, beat with their severed arm, sliced and diced, chainsawed, etc. You get a lot of chainsaw. And I'm down for that.
This is well photographed, gives us a lot of Camp Crystal Lake love, throws a lot of greatest hits graphic violence, Pamela talking to her son "in spirit", resurrected corpses seeking their pound of flesh, and a setting that looks great (maybe not New Jersey, but I'm not complaining). You could do worse. It isn't something that will blow the doors off Friday fans, but considering the fans are getting nothing but passionate filmmakers delivering films funded by them since those who could drop a studio produced big-budget product --and fail to do so because of some financial ego squabble dating back years and years-- won't, many of us will take it. I'll give "Jason Rising" a solid 3/5
One thing I thought of as the credits rolled was all those names on the Indie Go-Go campaign given a producer's credit. I kept saying, "Paying customer...paying customer...paying customer..." These are people just waiting to pay for a ticket if that damned lawsuit would be settled!
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