Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Rob Hedden

Writers (WGA):

Victor Miller (characters)
Rob Hedden (written by)

Release Date:

28 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

I LOVE NY [heart symbol in the shape of a bloodied ice hockey mask denotes love]

Plot:

A passing boat bound for New York pulls Jason along for the ride. Look out New York, here comes hell in a hockey mask.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Boat | Murder | Toxic Waste | Manhattan

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Todd Caldecott	...	Jim Miller (as Todd Shaffer)
Tiffany Paulsen	...	Suzi Donaldson
Tim Mirkovich	...	Young Jason (as Timothy Burr Mirkovich)
Kane Hodder	...	Jason Voorhees
Jensen Daggett	...	Rennie Wickham
Barbara Bingham	...	Miss Colleen Van Deusen
Alex Diakun	...	Deck hand
Peter Mark Richman	...	Charles McCulloch
Warren Munson	...	Adm. Robertson
Fred Henderson	...	Chief Engineer Jim Carlson
Scott Reeves	...	Sean Robertson
Gordon Currie	...	Miles Wolfe
Saffron Henderson	...	J.J. Jarrett
Martin Cummins	...	Wayne Webber
Vincent Craig Dupree	...	Julius Gaw (as V.C. Dupree)

Also Known As:

Ashes to Ashes (USA) (fake working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

UK:18 (cut) | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Germany:18 (re-release) (JK/SPIO) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2002) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:R | Norway:18 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Mexico:C | South Korea:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Horror Films

Trivia:

The film made $19,343,976 with a budget of $5,000,000

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rennie and Sean are on the sewer's ladder at the end, Rennie's position changes between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
DJ: [narration] It's like this... We live in claustrophobia, the land of steel & concrete. Trapped by dark waters. There is no escape. Nor do we want it. We've come to thrive on it and each other. You can't get the adrenaline pumpin' without the terror, good people... I love this town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Punk Rock Holocaust (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tamara's Bio Project

The Last True "Friday"

Renowned film critic Leonard Maltin calls "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan" the highlight of the series. Of course Maltin rated virtually every other "Friday" film a dud, so that's not saying much. In any event, he's wrong. But while this eighth installment is comparatively inferior to most that preceded it, it's not as bad as reputed outside Maltin circles.

"Jason Takes Manhattan" is one of those movies that's impossible to love unconditionally. There are simply too many flaws, from ridiculous plot elements (Jason can teleport???) and an uneven pace to a lack of chills and incompatible attempts at humor. Indeed this entry represents a bitter come-down after the absolutely stellar parts VI and VII.

In many ways, "Jason Takes Manhattan" doesn't feel like part of the franchise. The Jason here isn't scary like we know he can be. His deadly moves, be it the electric guitar impaler or decapitatingly powerful right hook, seem forced and contrived. Director Rob Hedden fell into the trap of gore for the sake of gore, but that's never been what "Friday the 13th" is all about. It's all in the buildup, and sometimes, even in low-budget '80s horror, less is more.

With all of that said, "Jason Takes Manhattan" isn't a total loss. The mere sight of the rapidly decaying villain storming through the mean streets of the Big Apple is worth at least four stars. Aside from the change of scenery, the film offers a fairly strong story and memorable special effects (who could forget Jason melting in that acid?). And the masked one does have his frightening moments, smashing through portholes and firing harpoons at horny teens. As usual, the fun climax -- this time a chase through the city and sewer -- is the highlight.

For better or for worse, "Jason Takes Manhattan" marks the last true "Friday the 13th." This was Paramount's last stab at things before selling the rights to New Line Cinema, which basically destroyed the series with absurd ideas like Jason switching bodies and rampaging through spaceships.