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Film1982

Friday the 13th Part III

Directed by Steve Miner

  • horror

The story

An idyllic summer turns into a nightmare of unspeakable terror for yet another group of naïve friends. Ignoring Camp Crystal Lake's bloody legacy, one by one they fall victim to the maniacal Jason, who stalks them at every turn...

What it’s like

Hazy afternoon sun over a lake and a dusty lakeside cabin, with the wooded shoreline going dark fast once evening comes, so that most of the dread lives in the tree line and the flicker of a single lamp. Director Steve Miner keeps the camera fairly plain and workmanlike, with lots of wide, flat shots of campgrounds, docks and open roads, then tightens into slasher-standard close-ups and quick cuts when the killing starts. The sound is what sticks: a bright, cheap synth pulse, rattling screen doors, and long stretches of crickets and lake water that make every snap of a twig feel loud. Pacing is loose and episodic, with a long setup of teenage banter, pranks and a jump-scare-heavy final act. The tone is cheesy, goofy and mean-spirited at once, with a faint nostalgic summer-camp glow. Violence is frequent and graphic, with stabbings, impalements and a few gory kills, plus some nudity and crude sex-and-drinking humour, so it is far from gentle. It suits a late-night, half-ironic horror binge with friends, or a 1980s slasher nostalgia watch, for viewers who enjoy schlock and don't need subtlety.

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