Review of Friday the 13th Part VII - The New Blood (1988) by Steve D — 12 Jun 2014

Jason Lives was a great example of how to bring a fresh approach to the series, while also keeping the elements fans have come to expect. Unfortunately, The New Blood makes the mistake of once again playing it straight with a mixed bag of results.

The filmmakers knew they needed some kind of a hook to keep the audience coming back, so the movie is essentially Jason Vs. Carrie. Kane Hodder makes his first appearance as Jason (the only actor to play the role multiple times) and we're treated to some truly spectacular and horrific makeup for the character.

Rotting flesh, exposed bones and a ramped-up brutality that manage to keep Jason imposing after six sequels. The telekinetic Tina makes a great advisory for the undead slasher, but every other character is forgettable and all logic is thrown out the window.

This was also one of the most brutally censored entries in the series, making it all rather tame. There's still enough for fans of the series to enjoy, but this was the beginning of the end for Jason.