FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)
Starring Thom Mathews and Jennifer Cooke
After disappointing the entire American high school population with the lackluster Part 5 in the series, producers finally got the "Friday" franchise back on track with this entry, which features rock music by Alice Cooper, a dramatic scene with Jason atop a moving truck and an entertaining resurrection-by-lightning sequence.
In general, the makers realized they needed to add value in some way with each entry. This one boasted a slicker look, better direction and decent effects. Matthews (last seen in "Return of the Living Dead") takes over the role of "Tommy", the troubled youth played by Corey Feldman from Part 4. After being released from a mental institution, Tommy decides to exorcise his demons once and for all by digging up Jason’s corpse. (Never mind that they said he was cremated in Part 5.) Conveniently, Tommy happens to bring a hockey mask with him. When lightning strikes a metal bar Tommy used to stab the badly decomposed corpse, Jason comes back to life, dons the mask, and you should know the rest.
With 18 killings, the film had the highest body count of any of the "Friday" films up to this point. Basically everything was an improvement in this entry, from the writing (handled by director McLoughlin) to the acting to the humorous James-Bond-gun-barrel-style logo (with Jason instead of Bond) during the opening credits. McLoughlin would go on to direct the very good Stephen King adaptation "Sometimes They Come Back.”
An absolute must-see, “Part 6” is one of the best of the entire “Friday” series. Unfortunately, the entry would only mark a temporary uptick in the series. Later entries would start to suck, beginning with the psychic-meets-Jason entry "Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood."