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Reviews
Visitors (2003)
Average boat trip
"Visitors" has got a strong and likable lead. Being a fan of `Pitch Black' I decided to check this one out at the Fantasy Filmfest. The premise is promising and the atmosphere on the isolated sailing boat comes across nicely. At the theatre the surround sound is very effective because mysterious noises come from different directions. The film isn't boring but it isn't new and original either. The ending is disappointing so my rating is a solid 5. I expected a tense psycho thriller, but it isn't very exciting. You've seen everything in other and better films before.
Jason X (2001)
Jason at his best
I felt really lucky to be able to see JASON X in Stuttgart on the closing night of the Fantasy Filmfest. It was my first chance to see a Jason film on the big screen as the series went direct to video in Germany a long time ago. So standing in line for a sold-out showing of a Jason sequel in Germany used to be quite impossible to imagine.
I should add that I'm a big fan of 80s slashers and the FRIDAY THE 13TH-series. My favourite Jason films so far were PART 2 as it's the scariest and Part 6: JASON LIVES that started to celebrate Jason as the unrivalled hero of the series. I had high expectations for JASON X but it still had to live up to an entire series of films I really enjoy.
I can tell you it did. First of all the special effects looked really good. This isn't THE MATRIX but considering the quite low budget the space sequences looked fine. Of course, space is not what the film's about. Unsurprisingly, I was pretty sceptical when I first heard about the space setting. But this film is still about Jason and the makers aren't afraid to admit it. It really shows that both director James Isaac and screenwriter Todd Farmer are fans of the series. While Michael Myers didn't play enough of a role in HALLOWEEN: H20 for my taste, Jason is at the centre of this one. And there's no tendency to make him less evil or violent, either. There is some humour in JASON X, but that has always been part of the series. This isn't a self-ironic sell-out to audiences that are used to bad and boring films like VALENTINE and URBAN LEGENDS being called horror. JASON X is basically an 80s slasher flick with a higher budget. So if someone has a problem with the concept of a superhuman, unstoppable killing machine being the hero of a franchise, JASON X probably won't win them over. But if you like slasher flicks and therefore don't expect this to win Academy Awards I can hardly imagine anyone being disappointed. You've got your masked psychopath, a supply of pointy objects, gory and surprisingly creative kills (in particular Jason's first one aboard the space ship) and of course lots of potential victims that have no idea what they're up against. On the other hand there could have been more suspense. In that respect JASON X is similar to JASON LIVES which is fun and spectacular but doesn't really try to scare the audience too much.
While two thirds of the film are good without necessarily presenting anything new, the last half hour actually has a few unexpected surprises including one of the most nostalgic and funny sequences in horror film history. I don't want to give it away but once the score from Part 1 starts playing and Jason finds himself in a familiar place fans of the series are in for a real treat. I also liked the ending very much that once again pays tribute to the series. I definitely left with a smile on my face.
In conclusion I can say JASON X is the best new slasher / horror film I have seen in a long time. It has some modern elements, but it stays true to the series. I definitely recommend it!