TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 of 2026 (No. 2050) by Leroy Douresseaux
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Running time: 86 minutes
Rating: MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Tom McLoughlin
WRITER: Tom McLoughlin (based on characters created by Victor Miller)
PRODUCER: Don Behrns
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Kranhouse (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Bruce Green
COMPOSER: Harry Manfredini
HORROR
Starring: Thom Matthews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen, Renee Jones, Kerry Noonan, Tom Fridley, Vincent Guastaferro, Tony Goldwyn, Nancy McLoughlin, Darcy DeMoss, Ron Palillo, and C.J. Graham
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is a 1986 slasher horror film from writer-director Tom McLoughlin. It is a sequel to the 1985 film, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, and is the sixth movie in the Friday the 13th movie franchise. In Jason Lives, a former victim decides to cremate the corpse of Jason Voorhees only to inadvertently bring him back to life instead.
Following the events of the last film, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives focuses on Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews). As a 12-year-old, Tommy killed Jason Voorhees (as seen in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter). With his friend, Allen Hawes (Ron Palillo), adult Tommy travels to Forest Green County and arrives at Eternal Peace Cemetery where Jason is buried.
Tommy plans to cremate Jason's remains, in order to free himself of the misery that Jason brought into his life. Through a series of unfortunate events, however, Tommy inadvertently brings Jason back to life as a kind of revenant or undead monster with super-human powers.
Tommy flees to Forest Green County Sheriff's Office, where he attempts to warn Sheriff Michael Garris (David Kagen) that Jason is alive. However, the mean-spirited Garris is aware that Tommy is institutionalized and presumes that Tommy is hallucinating that Jason has returned from the grave.
Meanwhile, Camp Crystal Lake (a.k.a. “Camp Blood”) has been remade as “Camp Forest Green,” a camp for middle-school age children – boys and girls. The new camp's teen counselors don't know that Jason is already murdering his way towards them, but Tommy does. Only the Sheriff's daughter, Megan Garris (Jennifer Cooke), believes Tommy's warnings about Jason's return. She is willing to help him stop Jason from turning Camp Forest Green into “Camp Blood,” again, but will that be enough?
In the wake of the box office failure of Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Jason Voorhees returns as the series' villain in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. It may be my favorite film in the series, if not my favorite.
There are so many scenes and set pieces that I find likable, exciting, or even endearing. I won't spoil the film for those of you, dear readers, who have never seen it by mentioning these moments. However, I will say that I think the idea of making Camp Crystal Lake, with its history of brutal murders in and around the area, a camp for middle-school children, is both charming and crazy. Also, the scene of the first of the camp counselors to be Jason's victims is one of my favorite Friday the 13th moments.
I really like actors, Thom Matthews and Jennifer Cooke, as the heroic duo of Tommy and Megan. At the time, Matthews had recently been one of the main characters in 1985's cult, rock 'n' roll horror movie, Return of the Living Dead. Also, I always enjoy seeing now former actress, Renee Jones (as Sissy Baker), in film or television.
Let's give credit where credit is due. Writer-director Tom McLoughlin delivers one of this series' most unique offerings with its humor and self-referential elements. I consider Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives to be a must-see in the Friday the 13th film series.
6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars
Thursday, February 12, 2026
The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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