By Stephen Pytak 

     The key to the success of the "Friday the 13th"  
franchise was, and still is, clever reinvention.
     Unlike "Star Wars" or "The Lord of the Rings," 
the "Friday" series wasn't plot driven. What the 
audience paid to see over and over again was more 
of the same. But to work, each new entry had to 
somehow attempt to be better than the last.
     In terms of reinvention, none of the "Friday" 
sequels can top "Part III."
     First, "Jason" had a new look. He shaved off his 
hair and eyebrows, ditched that one-eyed sack and 
put on a hockey mask. It was the look that made him 
a horror icon. 'Nuff said.
     Second, the scene had changed, from the cabins 
of Crystal Lake to a ranch in the area called Higgins 
Haven, where there was a large house, a barn and an 
outhouse. It was interesting at the time to see a 
"Friday" film take place in a different locale.
     Third, this baby was filmed in 3-D. And the titles, 
poles and eyeballs that popped out of the silver 
screen in 1982 looked pretty damn good.
     On top of all that, there's the incredible theme song 
by Harry Manfredini. It's different. It's  dramatic. It's 
disco. That's right. You could dance to it. It had your 
foot tapping, yet it tingled your nerves, invited new 
expectations and made it clear this film wasn't going 
to be a rehash of "Part I" or "Part II."
     While the filmmakers were pushing to make the 
film new and interesting, I think Director Steve Miner 
attempted to keep the roots of the series firmly 
established.
     Mrs. Voorhees, or her ghost perhaps, makes an 
appearance in the last reel. This is also the last time 
we see her character in the series.
     The film has a number of memorable scenes, 
thanks to actors and characters who are likable.
     Brooker's "Jason" is bigger and stronger than the 
one in "Part II," and perhaps more of a strategist.
     One revealing moment shows Jason hiding out in 
the barn in the shadows in the morning as the van 
arrives and the kids unload. He's just standing there, 
arms folded, watching.
     It's curious. Is he just hiding out. Or waiting until 
nightfall. We don't know. But it's interesting. It's not 
often we see a killer in a "Friday" film contemplate 
anything first.
     If he was debating whether to kill or not to kill, 
he made a swift decision when the bikers arrived.
     Who can forget Nick Savage as "Ali," Gloria 
Charles as "Fox" and Kevin O'Brien as "Loco." 
They're our favorite bad asses. They like to rough 
up people for no reason, smile then smash out their 
windows with chains. They smoke when they 
syphon gas. And they talk jive. What's not to like?
     They also have the best lines in the show.
     "Make a wish…If you want something, you ask, 
nice…What you guys doin' up there? Hear-me-talkin'-
to-you!" 
     Looking for trouble at Higgins Haven, they find it 
in the barn where Jason dishes it out with a pitchfork 
and a wrench.
     The last reel is interesting to watch first time out. 
When I first saw it, I wasn't sure how it was going to 
end. I thought maybe the filmmakers were going to 
do something they hadn't done before. At one point, 
I didn't think "Chris (Kimmell)" was going to make it.
     She does her  best to fight off Jason. She stabs 
him, hits him with books, whacks him with a log, tries 
to run him over, hits him with a shovel, then hangs 
him with the hay pulley.
     But he never stays down. And our heroine loses 
all hope.
     Nobody will ever forget the look on Chris' face 
when Jason unleashes himself from that noose. 
Kimmell really brought a reality to that scene. She 
was one of the better heroines of the series because 
she looked completely terrified. As she trembles to 
the floor of the barn, laughing, crying, screaming, 
you can feel her walls of sanity break down.
     While I really like the ending of "Part III," I found 
out through Internet sites and magazines there was 
another shot where Jason takes off Chris' head with 
a machete. To see a still of that scene, check 
Fangoria No. 38.
     The filmmakers took audiences into "a new 
dimension of terror" with "Part III." But by ditching 
what would have been the darkest ending of all, they 
obviously decided not to reinvent the "Friday" 
formula.  
     I guess everyone has their limits.