Tina vs. Jason: Telekinesis and a Whole Lotta Camp (aka F13 Part VII)

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. I'd heard so much about it, mainly because of the whole Carrie-esque telekinetic angle. And I gotta say, it's...something alright. The premise is pretty simple: angsty teen Tina, haunted by accidentally killing her dad with her powers, brings Jason back from the bottom of Crystal Lake. Chaos ensues, obvs. What I found interesting was the initial set up. Tina's therapist, Dr. Crews, is clearly exploiting her, and the movie plays with the idea of her powers being a curse and maybe, just maybe, a tool for good. The scene where she's trying to bring her dad back, then BAM, Jason emerges? Pretty effective. I also kinda liked the final girl, Tina (Lar Park Lincoln). She's not a super strong character, but she uses her powers in creative ways to fight Jason, like throwing rocks and setting him on fire. Although, let's be honest, the special effects are hilariously dated. Jason looks like he's wearing a rubber suit most of the time. Which doesn't add that much to the scary factor. The kills are pretty standard Friday the 13th fare – inventive, gory, and over-the-top. But honestly, the whole thing feels kinda...campy? Like, it knows it's ridiculous. I think it's a fun watch if you're already a fan of the franchise, but I wouldn't exactly put it at the top of the rankings. Is it scary? Not really, even by 80's slasher standards. But it's got enough goofy charm and telekinetic showdowns to make it worth a viewing, in my opinion – especially if you want to chuckle and cringe at the same time. Good for a bad movie night!