Jason Lives is the Best Friday the 13th For the Halloween Season

"I've seen enough horror movies to know a weirdo in a mask is never friendly." There's almost never a bad time to indulge in a slasher movie when Halloween rolls around. The likes of Freddy Krueger ("A Nightmare on Elm Street"), Michael Myers ("Halloween") and Art the Clown ("Terrifier 2") are the kind of iconic boogeymen whose creative slayings would make the perfect entertainment for the season. Today, however, we're here to talk about Jason Voorhees. You may be asking yourself, "Wait, isn't 'Friday the 13th' a summer horror franchise?" Well, you'd largely be correct. The central location for most of these movies take place in and/or around the cursed Camp Crystal Lake (otherwise known as Camp Blood), with the lumbering hockey-masked killer killing those who dare come across his path. Of the 12 movies in the franchise, however, "Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives" is a uniquely singular installment that not only happens to be my favorite but oddly fits the fall mood like a glove. "Friday the 13th: Part V: A New Beginning" took the slasher franchise in a bit of a different direction in the wake of "The Final Chapter," with the killer ending up being a copycat Jason. The bizarre interim has its fans but was largely a disappointment from folks who simply wanted the big guy back, and what a triumphant return he gets with "Jason Lives." It's technically the third and final installment in the Tommy Jarvis trilogy, which sees how a kid who encountered (and ultimately killed) Jason becomes increasingly more traumatized over the years. It all comes to a head in "Part VI" where Tommy (played by Tom Mathews) seeks to get rid of the masked killer once and for all, only to give him a second life straight out of the classic Universal Monsters movies. Upon digging up his grave, Tommy stabs Jason's maggot-infested corpse with a metal rod. But a chance strike of lightning on a cold and stormy night performs a resurrection straight out of James Whale's "Frankenstein." As the title infers, Jason returns to the world of the living in a reanimated state, but not before he rips out a heart, puts on his iconic mask and then performs a James Bond-style gun barrel sequence with a machete. Yes, this really happens, and it's kind of awesome. This fantastically moody opening set piece hits the ground running for a slasher movie that's unlike any other "Friday the 13th" movie. This time, Jason's headed for Camp Crystal Lake, which is now going by Camp Forest Green to cover up the locations' sordid past. For the first (and surprisingly only) time in the series' history, there are actual children at the camp among the counselor fodder, which really raises the stakes. Predating the wave of metatextual horror movies of the late '90s by over a decade, writer-director Tom McLoughlin gets a head start by employing a sharp and satirical edge to the series. "Jason Lives" was ahead of its time in regard to lampooning the tried-and-true tropes that dominated most slashers around this time without sacrificing the bare necessities of a "Friday the 13th" movie. It's certainly nowhere near as gory as previous entries with effects wizard Tom Savini at the helm. But what it lacks in gore, it makes up for with fun characters, clever match cuts and memorably comical deaths. In one especially funny sequence, Jason kills a bunch of corporate employees playing paintball out in the woods, with their bandanas saying "dead" in all caps. McLoughlin's screenplay is cheeky, but never condescending, and that makes all the difference. Let's talk about the man himself. Kane Hodder is often considered the best actor to play Jason, as he took the zombified killer to new territory with "The New Blood," "Jason Takes Manhattan," "Jason Goes to Hell" and "Jason X." But "Jason Lives" gives C.J. Graham the opportunity to put his own stamp on the character. It's all in the physical performance. Now that he can't be hurt through normal means, Graham's Jason moves with a quiet ferocity that especially comes across whenever he's in the vicinity of the children. An especially creepy moment takes place when a young girl says her Hail Marys in bed, with Jason leaning in closer and closer. "Jason Lives" is a lot of different horror movies that never feel like they're clashing with one another. Every kill gets Jason one step closer to returning home, which makes Tommy's mission that much more urgent. It's a lot like a '50s creature feature where a dangerous being has been let loose upon the town, but local law enforcement doesn't want to believe the ramblings until people start dying. If you aren't already sold, this film features an original '80s pop song from Alice Cooper called "The Man Behind the Mask," and it's kind of a bop. Entering a franchise that's already five movies deep would make any newcomer feel like they're missing something. And while I do recommend checking the previous ones out if you haven't already, "Jason Lives" is truly singular. You can very much hop into this one without having seen any "Friday the 13th" movie prior. I hope everyone has a safe, fun and, most importantly, spooky Halloween. Be sure to watch lots of scary movies! "Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives" is currently streaming on Paramount+.