About Friday The 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Friday The 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is the eighth installment in the popular "Friday The 13th" franchise. Directed by Rob Hedden, this horror movie takes the notorious killer Jason Voorhees out of Camp Crystal Lake and into New York City. After being mistakenly resurrected, Jason follows a group of high school graduates on a ship trip to Manhattan where he continues his killing spree.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Paramount Pictures and was directed by Rob Hedden. Despite its title, most of the movie was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, to save costs. Only some finale scenes were shot in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City.

Actors

• Jensen Daggett as Rennie Wickham - Daggett plays the heroine Rennie, a high school graduate with a dark secret connected to Jason, delivering a performance full of suspense and vulnerability.
• Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees - Hodder reprises his role as the iconic killer Jason Voorhees. His brutal and intense portrayal made Jason even more menacing.
• Scott Reeves as Sean Robertson - Reeves portrays Rennie's love interest, Sean, who stands by her side as they battle against Jason.
• Barbara Bingham as Colleen Van Deusen - Bingham’s role as the teacher Colleen Van Deusen added a bit of calmness and rationality to the otherwise chaotic situation.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• It was the last film in the series to be distributed by Paramount in the 20th century.
• The movie was filmed mostly in Vancouver due to budget restriction, despite its title of Jason taking Manhattan.
• The movie has the lowest box office gross of the entire series.

Quotes

• "Some folks have a strange idea of entertainment." - Deck Hand
• "Jason Voorhees is dead! His body was cremated. He's not coming back!" - McCulloch
• "You don't understand, there is a maniac trying to kill us." - Rennie

Music, Soundtrack

• The film's original score was composed by Fred Mollin, who had worked on the previous installment.
• "Darkest Side of the Night" written by Fred Mollin and Stan Meissner, performed by Metropolis is the film's theme song.
• "The Best Times" composed by Fred Mollin and Stan Meissner, performed by the Canadian band Sequal, is also featured in the film.

Note: The film didn't receive any significant awards but remains a part of the franchise's cult following.