Friday the 13th: Jason Lives was almost Jason Uses A Machine Gun

The Friday the 13th series certainly has its ups and downs, but 1986’s Jason Lives is one of the better entries. But it almost hit the ground gunning…

Friday the 13th is a battleground….but I’m not sure about this.

According to Comicbook.com, Jason Voorhees almost added to his weapon arsenal. After the terribly received A New Beginning, Paramount hired Tom McLoughlin to breathe new life into the waning franchise. Writing and directing the sixth outing, McLoughlin delivered one of the better slasher films in history — but it almost featured a scene that would’ve hurt it’s place among the sequel elite.

Here’s what the director’s saying about almost including a truly misguided moment to Jason Lives on the YouTube show, Midnight’s Edge:

"“I turned [the initial treatment for Jason Lives] in, and it’s pretty much verbatim exactly what the movie is, in terms of the characters, the scenes. The only thing that is different that I wrote and then realized, ‘No, this is not a good idea’, was when Jason kills the paintballer that has all the weapons and stuff that he takes, you know with the utility belt and the machete and all that stuff. Originally these were not paintballers, they were hunters out there, and this guy was Mr. Macho with all that stuff and he had an Uzi. So when Jason ripped his arm off and gets the machete, the next time we see him, in front of the motorhome, he’s got an Uzi strapped to him.”"

Hear more from the writer/director on Midnight’s Edge.

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Yeah, I’m thinking McLoughlin made the right call three decades ago…

While Jason is a surreal killing machine, the monster using a killer Uzi is a stretch. Voorhees is known for being a dumb beast, even with the slight intelligence added in the Hodder years. Taking away from the character’s core, the thought of Voorhees having the forethought to use an Uzi is disastrous. Using a gun works for some, but with the Crystal Lake killer, it’s just not cutting it.

Hitting cinemas in August of ’86, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI is one of the best sequels in horror history. Satire infusing with splatter, the sixth slasher outing is better than most in the subgenre. Juggling its protagonist with the classic “final girl” troupe, the sequel plays better now than it did back then — especially without the Uzi.

So, do you think Jason Voorhees should be using an automatic weapon?

Next: Greg Nicotero to revive Creepshow for Shudder

Fan of the Friday the 13th franchise? Think Jason using a gun sounds like a terrible idea? Let the other camp counselors know what you think in the comment section below.