drconcerts

So many of these comments are apparently written by Jason fanboys, all of which trumpet the usual it's-not-a-FRIDAY-THE-13TH-because-it-don't-have-Jason-and-I-wanna-see-JASON!.

Never mind the fact that the killer looks like Jason, acts like Jason, and displays the same anti-social tendancies as Jason. Never mind the fact that the original FRIDAY THE 13TH (which remains the most successful film in the series) wasn't about Jason. Go figure...

Is A NEW BEGINNING a bad movie. Well, yes, but no more so than any of the other FRIDAY films after PART 2. The acting is typically corny, the music gratingly effective, and the slasher formula is followed to a tee. As for the characters, they are presented as mental patients preparing to re-enter society. But aside from one character stuttering, I'm hard pressed to figure out what differentiates these kids from any others.

I do give credit to the creators for trying something original. For many of us, Jason had grown stale by 1985, and the idea of another whodunnit (a la the original) was intriguing. Unfortunately, they botched it, as only a moron wouldn't know who the killer is after the first ten minutes.

Actually, A NEW BEGINNING probably delivers the most of what these films are known for, gratuitous T&A and plenty of grue (implied or graphic). Throw in the highest body count of any FRIDAY and you've got a cheesy, fun slasher flick.

So it doens't have Jason. Big Deal. If you have any imagination at all and can think outside the hallowed Jason box for 90 minutes, A NEW BEGINNING isn't a bad choice. Sure, you can do better, but you could also do a lot worse....

I must admit that I never fail to get a kick out of these so-called "true HALLOWEEN fans" who blow their silly little circuits over the fact that this second sequel to John Carpenter's classic HALLOWEEN has nothing to do with the previous two films.

Even more astonishing are the number of people who discover this only after buying or renting the film!

I'll make it simple: If you know anything at all about the HALLOWEEN series, then you would KNOW that HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH was not about Myers! It was never SUPPOSED to be about Myers! Slamming this film because it doesn't have Myers is just as asinine as slamming a movie like TITANIC for not having Myers.

I'm apparently one of the few who would have enjoyed seeing Carpenter's vision for the series come to fruition. An annual or bi-annual horror film, released under the banner HALLOWEEN, but with new and different characters and stories based on the lore of the holiday. Had this been the case, and had the American moviegoing public exhibited a little more imagination, then perhaps the HALLOWEEN series would have gone down in history as something unique and special. Instead it will be remembered as just another by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter, connect-the-dots-moviemaking slasher franchise.

Sad, sad....

Spielberg's first major effort remains one of his best. I remember seeing this film as an ABC Movie Of The Week back in 1971 (I was five or six years old), and it scared the c**p out of me. Since then, I have always looked with DEEP respect at the big rigs which share our highways.

DUEL is a cut above your average made-for-TV fare. The only distractions are some of the voice overs and the school bus scene which becomes laughable when it should be tense. I remember reading that Spielberg originally wanted NO dialog at all in this film, but was overruled by ABC execs. It would have been most interesting to see DUEL presented using only visuals and sound effects.

Definitely one of Spielberg's top five efforts, and certainly better than most of what he's done since E.T. (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN excepted). DUEL gives us an early glimpse into his great talent and imagination, as well as foreshadowing what he would do in the suspense genre just four years later with JAWS.

By all means, see DUEL.....