Remember when movies didn`t come with numbers attached? That`s not to say that movie sequels are anything new, of course. Back in the `30s smart-talking detectives Nick and Nora Charles sailed through six ”Thin Man” adventures, while Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour took to the road seven times before throwing in the towel.
These days, however, VCR owners have their work cut out for them:
figuring out which teen got carved up-and how-in any one of the six ”Friday the 13th” pictures. What`s a viewer to do faced with ”A Nightmare on Elm Street 1, 2, and 3”? ”Jaws” or ”Rocky I, II, II and IV”? It`s confusing, not to mention downright scary, out there.
It`s also frustrating. What do you do when all your video store has left is ”Friday Part VI”-and you haven`t seen parts I-V! No need to panic. Truth is, many of these flicks can stand alone-if you`re one of the informed. Thus, what follows is a guide to the baffling sequel terrain.
Take the dead. Not the Grateful Dead, the walking dead. George Romero`s nihilisticly nasty ”Night of the Living Dead,” shot back in 1968 in grainy black and white, not only unleashed a hoard of cannibal zombies on a motley crew trapped in an isolated farmhouse, but you could say it was the originator of the term ”Ewww . . . gross.” One of the most successful independent horror films ever made, ”Night” really fed-if not fed-up-an audience looking for flagrant horror.
Eleven years later ”Night`s” first sequel appeared-1979`s ”Dawn of the Dead” featured zombies-in a tip of the decaying skull to consumer culture-besieging a shopping mall. Don`t miss the zombie nun, the zombie bride and the zombie Hari Krishna. In ”Day of the Dead” (1985), mad scientists and soldiers hole up in an underground bunker while the ravenous dead roam above. Three ”Night” alumni reraised the hungry dead in 1985 in an epic with a black comic twist, ”Return of the Living Dead.” Wailing ”More brains!” to a punk/hardcore soundtrack, the ghouls are back from the grave and ready to party. Cult pin-up Linnea Quigley`s nude resurrection is a highlight. This year`s ”Return of the Living Dead Part 2” brings the brain-munchers back for a lackluster encore.
The ”Friday the 13th” series is, of course, a legend in its own time.
”Friday” Fun Fact 1: Producer Sean S. Cunningham raised the $600,000 budget for the original film by placing an ad in Variety and selling off the rights before he had a picture, then parlayed the slice-and-dice result into a cool million-dollar distribution deal.
In the first ”Friday the 13th” (1980), a long-abandoned summer camp reopens. Fresh-faced teen employees arrive and, as the ad campaign promises, are doomed. The culprit: ever so mad Mrs. Voorhees, whose deformed, retarded son Jason drowned years before while inattentive counselors made out in the boathouse. Best scene: Kevin Bacon impaled on a spear.
”Friday” Fun Fact No. 2: Cunningham claims he thought it was stupid to build the series around Jason since everyone knew he was dead. Which must be why in 13th II (1981) we learn that Jason didn`t drown after all-he lives in the woods, and when the camp opens again he starts carving up fresh flesh, including the thrashing couple he ingeniously impales together as they make love.
”13th III” (1982) cashed in on the brief resurgence of interest in 3-D with flying eyeballs and harpoons galore. Plot: vacationing teens are slaughtered. Distinguishing detail: Jason acquires his now-famous hockey mask. ”Friday the 13th Part IV-The Final Chapter” (1984) isn`t. Apparently dead, Jason is taken to the morgue where he revives.
In ”13 V-A New Beginning” (1984), Tommy-grown now into a troubled young adult-is suspected when the murders start anew. Actually, it`s not him. The great twist: it`s not Jason either. Hah! In ”13 VI Jason Lives” (1986)-
resurrected by lightning.
”Friday” Fun Fact No. 3: For this episode, Jason was to have been pitted against wisecracking child murderer from ”Elm Street” Freddy Krueger, a heavyweight bout that never materialized because Freddy`s creators thought the better of it. Instead, Jason just kills more mere mortals.
”Friday VII” is the latest incarnation, and rumor has the series ending with ”Friday the 13th Part XIII,” which at the current rate of production, should hold us `til 1995.
Since the subject of Fred has been raised, let`s not forget ”A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984), where teen friends begin to have the same bizarre dream of a hideously scarred maniac with a razor-tipped glove. One by one they die gruesome deaths for the sins of their small-town parents, who burned Freddy to death years earlier when the law failed to punish him for molesting children.
”A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy`s Revenge” (1986), the dream ghoul gives an all-too-tangible piece of his mind to new-kid-on-the-block Jesse, who is soon dreaming with the best of `em.
”A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors” (1987), perks up. Here, that punster from Hell attacks a group of disturbed teens whose bad dreams provide the ultimate battleground. Nightmares to watch for: one victim is turned into a marionette with gory tendon strings (yuck); one victim is assaulted by Freddy with a hypodermic needle finger (ouch). Much new Freddy lore is revealed, including his bastard heritage-son of a nun raped by 100 maniacs in a lunatic asylum. Small wonder he grew up mad, bad and dangerous to know.
Who Freddy will torment next is hard to imagine-is Elm Street the longest residential block in America? Hey, how about if Rocky Balboa moved there? He and Freddy could go one-on-one. Sweet dreams and knockout films are made of this.
But first, back to the beginning of the series. In ”Rocky” (1976), a small-time boxer, destined to an inglorious career in penny-ante fights, gets his Big Chance: a match with heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) doesn`t win the fight-but he goes the distance, earning the right to a rematch in the sequel, as well as the Oscar that year for Best Picture.
”Rocky II” (1979) and ”Rocky III” are sterling examples of the beauty of cinematic formula. It`s the challenge, the set up, the Big Fight and in between Talia Shire cries. But for the record, in ”Rocky II” our guy takes on Apollo again, winning the decision that leads him to total sports and entertainment stardom in ”Rocky III” (1982). His challenger this time:
arrogant, vicious Clubber Lang (the bechained Mr. T, in his starmaking debut). He beats Rocky once but, with Apollo`s coaching, the Italian Stallion goes on to now inevitable victory.
Knowing that, pass ”Go,” collect $200 and proceed directly to ”Rocky IV” (1986) where the stakes skyrocket. The hard Rock must enter the squared circle against Soviet boxing machine Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren)-who has already killed Apollo in a glitzy exhibition match-as the fate of nations hangs in the balance.
Once upon a time, Peter Benchley wanted to write a really serious book about sharks. Advised to fictionalize the material, he came up with the best seller on which the movie ”Jaws” (1975) was based. And so we have a great white shark cruising into the waters of quiet coastal Amity and a local Sheriff Brody (Roy Scheider), an irascible sea captain (Robert Shaw) and a curious marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) setting out to make the waters safe again.
In ”Jaws 2” (1978), Brody is on his own when another shark begins to kill for thrills, and is abetted by venal realtors who don`t want to spoil the summer rentals market. Professional courtesy, and all. An electrical cable provides the shocking solution. Highlight: shark eats a helicopter.
The action in ”Jaws 3-D” (1983) moves to a high-tech marine park, where a second generation Brody (pre-”Big Easy” Dennis Quaid) is menaced by yet another toothy shark, this time in glorious 3-D (influenced, perhaps, by
”Friday the 13th Part III”). In ”Jaws The Revenge” (1987) the situation is desperate. Widow Ellen Brody-hubby apparently died between films from shark anxiety-flees to the sunny Bahamas, where her last remaining male relative is studying sea slugs. No sharks in the Bahamas? Think again!
