View source for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives



{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Friday the 13th Part<br>VI: Jason Lives
| image          = Friday the 13th Part VI - Jason Lives (1986) theatrical poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Tom McLoughlin]]
| producer       = Don Behrns
| writer         = Tom McLoughlin
| based_on       = {{basedon|Characters|[[Victor Miller (writer)|Victor Miller]]}}
| starring      = {{Plainlist|
* [[Thom Mathews]]
* [[Jennifer Cooke]]
* [[David Kagen]]
* [[Renée Jones]]
* [[Kerry Noonan]]
* [[Darcy DeMoss]]
* Tom Fridley
}}
| music          = [[Harry Manfredini]]
| cinematography = Jon Kranhouse
| editing        = [[Bruce Green]]
| studio         = Terror, Inc.
| distributor    = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1986|8|1}}
| runtime        = 86 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $3 million<ref name=numbers>{{cite web|url=https://the-numbers.com/movie/Friday-the-13th-Part-VI-Jason-Lives#tab=summary|title=Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=2015-07-10|archive-date=2015-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708075246/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Friday-the-13th-Part-VI-Jason-Lives#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross          = $19.5 million<ref>{{Cite web |title=Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0091080/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>
}}
'''''Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives''''' (stylized onscreen as '''''Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI''''') is a 1986 American [[slasher film]] written and directed by [[Tom McLoughlin]], and starring [[Thom Mathews]], [[Jennifer Cooke]], [[David Kagen]], and [[C.J. Graham]]. It is a sequel to ''[[Friday the 13th: A New Beginning]]'' (1985) and the sixth installment in the [[Friday the 13th (franchise)|''Friday the 13th'' franchise]]. It was the final film to feature [[Tommy Jarvis]] (Mathews) as the [[protagonist]] and marked [[Tony Goldwyn]]'s film debut. Continuing from the events of the previous film, the plot follows Tommy after he accidentally resurrects mass murderer [[Jason Voorhees]] (Graham) while attempting to destroy his body to ensure that he will not return. While Jason returns to Crystal Lake for another killing spree, Tommy must overcome his fear of the masked killer that has haunted him for years and find a way to stop him once and for all.

The original storyline had Tommy become the series' new antagonist, but after the poor reception of ''A New Beginning'', the producers instead brought Jason Voorhees back.<ref name = "ZitoInterview">{{cite web|url = http://www.pitofhorror.com/main/zito.html|title = Joseph Zito Interviewed by Royce Freeman|publisher = Pit of Horror|access-date = 2009-08-14|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130111080111/http://www.pitofhorror.com/main/zito.html|archive-date = 2013-01-11|url-status = usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|pages = 146–148|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref> In resurrecting Jason, McLoughlin made him an explicitly [[supernatural]] force for the first time in the series. This version of Jason, an [[undead]] and more powerful [[superhuman]], would become the standard depiction for the rest of the series. The film also introduced [[Self-referential humor|metahumor]], [[Gothic fiction]], and [[action film]] elements, including shootouts and car chases, into the series.<ref name="Bracke 147–148;149">{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|pages = 147–148;149|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref>

''Jason Lives'' was the first and only film in the series to receive generally positive reviews from critics. In the years since its release, its self-referential humor and numerous instances of [[fourth wall|breaking the fourth wall]] have been praised for prefiguring [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]]'s [[Scream (franchise)|''Scream'' film series]].<ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|pages = 166–167|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Dominguez |first=Noah |date=27 February 2022 |title=How Friday the 13th Part VI Paved the Way for Scream |url=https://www.cbr.com/friday-13th-part-6-paved-way-scream/ |website=[[CBR-FM|CBR]]}}</ref> ''Jason Lives'' is considered a fan favorite of the series, in addition to receiving positive notice from horror film historians.<ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|page = 166|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref> It grossed $19.5 million at the U.S. [[box office]] on a budget of $3 million. The film was followed by ''[[Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood]]'' in 1988.

==Plot==
One year after attempting to kill Pam Roberts,{{efn|As depicted in ''[[Friday the 13th: A New Beginning]]'' (1985)}} [[Tommy Jarvis]] is released from the local [[Psychiatric hospital|Hospital for the Criminally Insane]]. He still suffers from flashbacks of the mass murderer [[Jason Voorhees]], whom he killed six years ago.{{efn|As depicted in ''[[Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter]]'' (1984)}} Tommy returns to Crystal Lake, renamed Forest Green, to confront his fears, along with his friend Allen Hawes. The pair visit Jason's grave during a thunderstorm, intending to cremate the killer's body and finally end Tommy's nightmares. After digging up Jason's corpse, Tommy experiences another flashback of his last encounter with Jason. As he impales Jason's body with a metal fence post, two lightning bolts strike the post; this restores Jason as a [[revenant]] with [[superhuman strength]].

After killing Hawes, Jason dons a hockey mask (which Tommy has brought). Tommy flees to the sheriff's office, where he attempts to warn the police of Jason's return. Instead, Tommy is arrested and jailed by Sheriff Mike Garris, who is aware of Tommy's institutionalization. Sheriff Garris presumes that Tommy is hallucinating Jason's return. On the road, camp counselors Darren and Lizbeth get lost looking for Camp Forest Green. They discover Jason, who murders them both.

The following morning, Garris' daughter Megan arrives at his station, along with her friends Sissy, Cort, and Lizbeth's sister Paula. The four teenagers report Darren and Lizbeth missing. Tommy warns them about Jason, who is now considered an [[urban legend]]. Despite her prompt attraction to him, Megan is unsure whether to believe Tommy. In the woods, Jason happens upon a corporate [[paintball]] game; he crushes the player Burt's face into a tree, decapitates three other players, and dismembers Roy, the final player. He also commandeers a machete from the players.

As children arrive at Camp Forest Green, the teen counselors do their best to run the camp. They keep wondering what has happened to Darren and Lizbeth. Meanwhile, Garris opts to transfer Tommy out of his jurisdiction to prevent anyone else from hearing his rants about Jason's return. On the way out of town, Tommy makes a run for Jason's grave, which Martin, the caretaker, has covered up to deny responsibility for the grave being robbed. Hawes' body is buried in Jason's place. A handcuffed Tommy is escorted out of town by Garris, who threatens him if he ever returns.

That night, Jason butchers Martin, along with a nearby couple who happen to witness the murder. Meanwhile, Cort meets with a girl named Nikki. Jason stalks Cort and Nikki in their RV and lures them outside but the teen couple drives away. Jason pulls Nikki into the RV's bathroom and kills her. Jason then kills Cort which flips the RV, before Jason walks out. When Garris' men find Nikki's and Cort's bodies, Garris promptly implicates Tommy in the double murder. Garris is convinced that Tommy's "delusions" regarding Jason have driven him berserk.

Tommy contacts Megan for help luring Jason back to Crystal Lake, and she agrees. Meanwhile, Jason makes his way to the camp. He kills both Sissy and Paula but refrains from harming the children. Elsewhere, Garris pulls Tommy and Megan over. She points out that Tommy has been with her for the past few hours; therefore, he could not have killed Cort and Nikki.

Nonetheless, Garris locks Tommy up and tells Megan he will decide what to do with her later. Garris and two of his deputies Thornton and Pappas head out for the camp to arrest Tommy's (nonexistent) "accomplice". Jason attacks all three lawmen, forcing Garris to accept that Tommy is right all along. Megan breaks Tommy out of jail, and they rush to the camp. Garris is killed by Jason while trying to protect Megan.

Jason is about to kill Megan when Tommy calls to him from a boat out on the lake; remembering his killer, Jason goes after Tommy instead. Tommy chains a boulder around Jason's neck, trapping him underwater, but Jason demolishes the boat and drags him beneath the lake's surface. When Megan dives in to rescue Tommy, Jason grabs her leg; she pushes Jason off using the boat's outboard motor, sending him to the bottom of Crystal Lake. Megan swims Tommy back to shore and revives him via [[CPR]]. Tommy says that Jason is finally home. The final shot shows Jason underwater, still alive, but powerless to free himself.

==Cast==
{{main|List of Friday the 13th characters}}
{{colbegin}}
* [[Thom Mathews]] as [[Tommy Jarvis]]
* [[Jennifer Cooke]] as [[List of Friday the 13th characters#Megan Garris|Megan Garris]]
* [[David Kagen]] as Sheriff Mike Garris
* [[Renee Jones]] as Sissy Baker
* [[Kerry Noonan]] as Paula Mott
* [[Darcy DeMoss]] as Nikki Parsley
* Tom Fridley as Cort Andrews
* [[Alan Blumenfeld]] as Larry 
* Matthew Faison as Stan
* [[Ann Ryerson]] as Katie
* [[Tony Goldwyn]] as Darren Robinson
* Nancy McLoughlin as Lizbeth Mott
* [[Ron Palillo]] as Allen Hawes
* [[C. J. Graham]] as [[Jason Voorhees]]
* [[Vincent Guastaferro]] as Deputy Rick Cologne
* [[Michael Swan]] as Officer Pappas
* Courtney Vickery as Nancy
* [[Whitney Rydbeck]] as Roy 
* Bob Larkin as Martin
* Wallace Merck as Burt
* Tommy Nowell as Tyen
* Justin Nowell as Billy
* Temi Epstein as Little Girl
* [[Michael Nomad]] as Officer Thornton
* [[Roger Rose]] as Steven Halavex
* Cynthia Kania as Annette Edwards

{{colend}}

While C.J. Graham is credited as Jason Voorhees, [[Dan Bradley]] appears uncredited as Jason in the paintball scene.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wickedhorror.com/features/interviews/exclusive-interview-c-j-graham-talks-playing-jason-part-vi/ | title=Exclusive Interview: C.J. Graham Talks Playing Jason in Friday the 13th: Part VI | date=10 November 2017 | access-date=10 September 2023 | archive-date=19 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919141417/https://wickedhorror.com/features/interviews/exclusive-interview-c-j-graham-talks-playing-jason-part-vi/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ashleymanning.com/2022/08/16/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives/ | title=Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives | date=16 August 2022 | access-date=10 September 2023 | archive-date=19 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919141416/https://ashleymanning.com/2022/08/16/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Production==

===Pre-production and writing===
Although the previous film in the series, ''[[Friday the 13th: A New Beginning]]'', had been a financial success, it had disappointed the ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'' series' fans and received some of the worst reviews of any film in the series. In order to prevent further alienating the fans (and thus potentially endangering the series), the producers decided to take the series in a new direction, moving it away from what producer [[Frank Mancuso Jr.]] called the "coarse" nature of ''A New Beginning''.<ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|pages = 148–149|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref>

To this end, Mancuso hired [[Tom McLoughlin]], who had directed the successful horror film ''[[One Dark Night]]'' but was also known around Hollywood for shopping around various comedy scripts he had written, a dichotomy that appealed to Mancuso. McLoughlin was given free rein on how he would present the story, with the only condition being that he bring back [[Jason Voorhees]] and make him the film's villain.<ref>{{cite web |title=#5 - 35th Anniversary of Jason Lives w/ CJ Graham & Tom McLoughlin |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/7BdYXMij2It448KfmNR01E?si=SMEZwWEDRFOhvwTdZDEtQg |website=High On Horror |access-date=15 October 2022 |language=en |date=26 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|page = 148|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref>

McLoughlin decided to take the film in the direction of an old [[Universal Monsters]] movie, specifically the 1931 version of ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]'', which portrayed [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein's Monster]] ([[Boris Karloff]]) as a lumbering killer brought to life by electricity. McLoughlin also drew from [[vampire]] lore in order to give Jason a weakness, namely being returned to his "home soil"; to achieve this, McLoughlin disregarded the idea presented in ''[[Friday the 13th Part 2|Part 2]]'' that Jason had survived his drowning, instead presenting the idea that Jason has always been some sort of supernatural force.<ref name="Commentary">Jason Lives Director's Commentary</ref> He also decided to [[Retroactive continuity|retcon]] the ending of the fifth film, where [[Tommy Jarvis]] ([[John Shepherd (actor)|John Shepherd]]) was a serial killer. In fact, Pam Roberts ([[Melanie Kinnaman]])'s truck from the fifth film can be seen indicating she is alive. In the "Tommy Tapes" for ''[[Friday the 13th: The Game]]'' (2017) written by [[Adam Green (filmmaker)|Adam Green]], it's explained that the ending of the fifth film was Tommy's dream.<ref>{{cite AV media|url-status = dead|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9txxxBO1RIo|title = YouTube, a Google company|website = [[YouTube]]|access-date = 2018-01-08|archive-date = 2017-11-06|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171106102843/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9txxxBO1RIo&gl=US&hl=en}}</ref>

McLoughlin further decided to expand the series' thematic scope, incorporating [[action film]] elements and [[Postmodernism|postmodern]] [[Meta-joke|metahumor]]; when Jason is first encountered in the woods near Crystal Lake, the character Lizbeth Mott (Nancy McLoughlin) comments that she and Darren Robinson ([[Tony Goldwyn]]) should flee because she knows about proper conduct to survive a horror film. McLoughlin would further satirize the series itself, as Martin the gravedigger (Bob Larkin) comments on Jason's exhumation, "Why'd they have to go and dig up Jason?" before breaking the fourth wall and addressing the camera with the observation, "Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment." In addition to ''Frankenstein'', McLoughlin also cited as inspiration his love of [[Gothic fiction|Gothic horror]], particularly the works of [[Edgar Allan Poe]], and his [[Catholic]] upbringing; ''Jason Lives'' features the series' only explicit references to [[God]], and during the climax Nancy Perry (Courtney Vickery), a praying girl, is spared by Jason ([[C. J. Graham]]). A similar scene, in which Nancy prays for Tommy ([[Thom Mathews]]) while Megan Garris ([[Jennifer Cooke]]) performs CPR, then mouths "Thank you" while looking skyward was deleted from the final cut of the movie, apparently against McLoughlin's wishes; he recalled in the 2009 DVD's director's commentary, "Somehow it didn't stay in... probably too much sentiment".<ref>{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|page = 149|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/37576/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives-deluxe-edition/ |title=DVD Talk: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives |access-date=2019-11-15 |archive-date=2019-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115055903/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/37576/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives-deluxe-edition/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Casting===
The decision to retcon the events of ''Part V'' resulted in many members of that film's cast—whose characters had survived—having their contracts to return for a sequel terminated. At one point in time when ''Jason Lives'' was being considered as a direct sequel to ''A New Beginning'' rather than to ''[[Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter]]'', the surviving characters Pam and Reggie Winter ([[Shavar Ross]]) from ''A New Beginning'' were to have died in the film's opening moments.<ref name="Bracke 151">{{cite book|last = Bracke|first = Peter|title = Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th|publisher = Titan Books|date = 2006-10-11|page = 151|isbn = 1-84576-343-2}}</ref>

Although Mancuso retained control over the film's casting, he deferred to McLoughlin's judgment; the only caveat was that the [[final girl]] had to be a "very attractive blonde".<ref name="Bracke 151"/> To fulfill this requirement, McLoughlin chose Jennifer Cooke, based on her performance in the television series ''[[V (1984 TV series)|V]]''. The role of Allen Hawes, Tommy's would-be sidekick who dies within the first five minutes of the movie, was given to another television veteran, [[Ron Palillo]], famous for the role of Arnold Horshack on ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]''.

John Shepherd was asked to reprise his role as Tommy Jarvis from the previous film. Shepherd, an [[Evangelicalism|evangelical Christian]] who had reservations about returning to the series based on the atmosphere surrounding ''A New Beginning'', was attracted to ''Jason Lives'' based on the scene in which the praying Nancy is spared by Jason. He ultimately decided to film ''Caught'' and shortly thereafter retired from acting to go to [[seminary]]. Thom Mathews, who would take over the mantel of Tommy Jarvis, was chosen for his work in the horror comedy ''[[The Return of the Living Dead|Return of the Living Dead]]'', although McLoughlin himself was unaware of Matthews' horror credentials until after shooting began.<ref name=Commentary/> Other cast members were actors who McLoughlin had directed before (such as David Kagen, who was also an acting teacher for female lead Jennifer Cooke) and McLoughlin's own family—Jason's first female victim in the film, Lizbeth, was played by McLoughlin's wife, Nancy. In keeping with the series' tradition, the role of Jason was given to a stuntman, [[Dan Bradley]]. Bradley, however, was replaced shortly thereafter by C. J. Graham. Bradley's involvement during the paintball scene is kept.

===Filming===
After the first day of filming, Mancuso decided that he disliked Bradley's appearance onscreen as Jason. Although the scenes that Bradley filmed—in which Jason kills the paintball playing executives—were kept in the completed picture, the rest of Jason's scenes were performed by C. J. Graham, an area restaurant manager and former soldier. As part of a stage show put on at a restaurant, a magician would hypnotize audience members and place them in a scenario during which they encountered Jason Voorhees; Graham, who stood 6'3 and weighed 250&nbsp;lbs, was asked to play Jason for the scenario. ''Jason Lives''{{'}} special effects coordinator, Martin Becker, was in the audience for one such show, and recommended Graham to Mancuso and McLoughlin. Both men were impressed with Graham's presence, and he was hired to film the remainder of Jason's scenes.

''Jason Lives'' is the only film in the franchise to contain no nudity; the characters in the film's sole sex scene are both fully clothed, a conscious move on McLoughlin's part to distance the ''Friday the 13th'' films from their perception as morality tales in which premarital sex is punished by death. McLoughlin was pressured by the film's producers to have [[Darcy DeMoss]] remove her shirt during the RV sex scene, but he only suggested the idea to Demoss, who refused.

''Jason Lives'' was filmed in [[Covington, Georgia]], an area close to [[Atlanta]]. The scenes involving the police department and town were filmed in Covington, while the camp scenes were filmed at Camp Daniel Morgan outside the city limits of Covington. In the film, Camp Crystal Lake has been renamed Lake Forest Green. Surrounding Camp Daniel Morgan are [[Smokey Bear]] signs asking everyone to "Keep the Forests Green".

Some of the climactic moments in the lake were actually filmed in the swimming pool of McLoughlin's father. McLoughlin ruined the pool's filter in the process (it was jammed by gore churned into the water when Jason is hit with the boat propeller).<ref name=Commentary/>

===Post-production===
McLoughlin's attempt to deliver a "different" kind of ''Friday the 13th'' film were met with skepticism from the producers. In contrast to the series' other entries, which had to be edited for violence in order to avoid an "X" rating, the film's producers requested that McLoughlin add more gore, violence, and murders to the film. The original cut of the film contained 13 killings as an in-joke; in order to appease the studio, McLoughlin had to add an additional three killings, bringing the total up to 16.<ref name=Commentary/> These were the killings of Martin the gravedigger, and the recently engaged couple Steven Halavex ([[Roger Rose]]) and Annette Edwards (Cynthia Kania) on a nighttime picnic. McLoughlin later said he felt the shot in which the picnicking man Steven realizes that he's been spotted by Jason to be the film's scariest moment.<ref name=Commentary/>

Additionally, McLoughlin was made to extend Sissy Baker ([[Renée Jones]])'s death, adding the shots of Jason dragging her to the ground and twisting her head off; as originally filmed, Sissy was simply pulled out of the cabin window, and wasn't seen again until Megan finds her head in the squad car.<ref name=Commentary/>

McLoughlin also found himself in contention with the producers over how the film should end. In the original script, the movie was supposed to have concluded in the graveyard, with Martin the gravedigger meeting Jason's father, Elias—a heretofore unseen character in the series—with the implication that Elias knows Jason has been resurrected and has come looking for him. The studio balked at the scene, as they did not want the responsibility of having to introduce Elias' backstory in the next installment. Additionally, the added murder of Martin made the scene a continuity error. This ending would have tied up a continuity error from ''A New Beginning'', when it is mentioned that Jason was cremated. A deleted scene from ''Jason Lives'' had Tommy asking Sheriff Mike Garris (Kagen) why Jason wasn't cremated, as had been planned, at which point Garris informs him that someone paid the city to bury Jason; Elias' handing Martin a wad of money would have indicated that he was the man who paid for Jason's burial. The scene was later storyboarded for inclusion on the film's "Deluxe Edition" DVD release, with Bob Larkin reprising his role as Martin to provide voiceover. Elias, like Jason, was scripted to be completely silent.<ref name=Commentary/><ref>Meeting Mr. Voorhees. Special feature on Jason Lives DVD</ref>

McLoughlin ultimately shot three endings, two of which were not included on the film's DVD release. In one ending, Jason's mask floats to the surface of Crystal Lake, having become detached during his struggle with Megan. In another, Deputy Rick Cologne ([[Vincent Guastaferro]]) tries to reach the jail cell keys after having been locked in by Tommy and Megan; the door to the police station opens and the film abruptly ends, indicating that Jason managed to get free. The producers disliked both of these endings, as each one left Jason's survival ambiguous, and wanted it explicitly shown onscreen that he was still capable of returning for a sequel. As a result, McLoughlin shot the film's used ending, showing a closeup of Jason's open, twitching eye.<ref name=Commentary/>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
| type       = Soundtrack
| artist     = [[Harry Manfredini]]
| cover      = 
| alt        =
| released   = January 13, 2012 (La-La Land)
| recorded   = 1986
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Film score]]
| length     = {{duration|h=1|s=12}}
| label      = La-La Land
| producer   =
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}

The film's music was composed by [[Harry Manfredini]], who composed the scores to all of the series' previous installments. In addition to the original score, the soundtrack also featured:
* "[[He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)]]" by [[Alice Cooper]], from his album ''[[Constrictor (album)|Constrictor]]''
* "I'm No Animal" by [[Felony (band)|Felony]], from their album ''Vigilante''
* "[[Teenage Frankenstein]]" by Alice Cooper, from his album ''Constrictor''
* "Hard Rock Summer" by Alice Cooper, from the box set ''[[The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper]]''

"He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" had an accompanying music video, combining clips from the film with new footage featuring Cooper.

On January 13, 2012, La-La Land Records released a limited edition 6-CD boxset containing Manfredini's scores from the first six ''Friday the 13th'' films. Unlike Parts 1–5, which used the films sound stems as a source for the music, Manfredini had the original master tapes in his possession and it was this source that was used to remaster the audio.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=Jason |title=Full Details And Pic For Soundtrack Set Revealed |url=http://www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2012/01/full-details-and-pic-for-soundtrack-set.html?m=1 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Friday The 13th: The Franchise}}</ref> It sold out in less than 24 hours, with this disc being reissued on September 13, 2019, using the same 2012 master.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lalalandrecords.com/F13.html|title=La-La Land Records: Friday the 13th|publisher=La-La Land Records|access-date=2012-01-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115052539/http://www.lalalandrecords.com/F13.html|archive-date=2012-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FRIDAY THE 13th PART VI: JASON LIVES |url=https://lalalandrecords.com/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=La-La Land Records |language=en}}</ref> On June 27, 2025, La-La Land Records released an expanded edition titled "''The Ultimate Cut''", remastered from the original source tapes and featuring cues not heard or used in the final film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Friday the 13th Part VI - Jason Lives: The Ultimate Cut Soundtrack (1986) |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives-the-ultimate-cut/ |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=www.soundtrack.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI – JASON LIVES: THE ULTIMATE CUT |url=https://lalalandrecords.com/friday-the-13th-part-vi-jason-lives-the-ultimate-cut/ |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=La-La Land Records |language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==

===Box office===
''Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' opened on August 1, 1986, in 1,610 theaters and grossed $6.7 million in its opening weekend, ranking number two at the US box office. Ultimately, it would go on to gross a total of $19.4 million, ranking at number 46 on the list of the year's top earners, though still a financial success, its 5,248,533 admissions were the lowest number of tickets sold of any ''Friday the 13th'' film up to that point.<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=friday13th6.htm|title=Friday the 13th Part VI|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2015-07-10|archive-date=2015-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906100432/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=friday13th6.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=numbers/>

===Critical response===
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' holds an approval rating of 58% based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "''Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives'' indeed brings back ol' Voorhees, along with a sense of serviceable braindead fun."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/friday_the_13th_part_6_jason_lives/|title=Friday the 13th, Part VI - Jason Lives (1986)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2025-05-20|archive-date=2024-08-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831064358/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/friday_the_13th_part_6_jason_lives|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a [[weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average score]] of 30 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title= Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI Reviews |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/jason-lives-friday-the-13th-part-vi |website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= November 1, 2020 |archive-date= June 17, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200617210110/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/jason-lives-friday-the-13th-part-vi |url-status= live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Friday the 13th" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=November 1, 2020}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' described the film as predictable but "reasonably slick".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/jason-lives-friday-the-13th-part-vi-1200426895/|title=Review: 'Jason Lives – Friday the 13th Part VI'|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|year=1986|access-date=2016-06-05|archive-date=2018-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612135953/https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/jason-lives-friday-the-13th-part-vi-1200426895/|url-status=live}}</ref> Caryn James of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a gory waste of time", citing numerous logic problems and stating that McLoughlin's injecting humor into the series, while successful, was not enough to liven up the predictability of the story.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DEED61038F931A3575BC0A960948260 |title=The Screen: Jason Lives in 'Friday the 13th, Part VI'|last=James|first=Caryn|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1986-08-02|access-date=2016-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109125233/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DEED61038F931A3575BC0A960948260 |archive-date=November 9, 2015}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' similarly judged that while the film's self-referential humor was good enough to make it the best film in the series, it was not enough to take away from the story being essentially the same as in the previous five installments. He gave it 1 1/2 stars.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/08/flick-of-week-vagabond-one-of-finest-films-in-years/|title=Flick Of Week: 'Vagabond' One Of Finest Films In Years|last=Siskel|first=Gene|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=1986-08-08|access-date=2016-06-05|archive-date=2017-12-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206211032/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-08/entertainment/8602270452_1_flicks-film-ditch/2|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2012 retrospective review, Ken Hanke of ''[[Mountain Xpress]]'' wrote that it "may not be exactly a good movie in the strict sense, but it's easily the best in the series", noting that he had seen all ten installments which had been released at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mountainx.com/movies/reviews/jason_lives_friday_the_13th_part_vi/|title=Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI|last=Hanke|first=Ken|work=[[Mountain Xpress]]|date=2012-05-01|access-date=2016-06-05|archive-date=2017-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204202402/https://mountainx.com/movies/reviews/jason_lives_friday_the_13th_part_vi/|url-status=live}}</ref> David Nusair said the film has "probably the most effective pre-credits sequence in the entire franchise ... just the sort of appreciatively ludicrous interlude that's generally been sorely missing from this pervasively dull series". However, he felt the bulk of the film, while an improvement over the previous two installments, suffered from tedious pacing and a lack of gore. He gave it two out of four stars, the same rating he gave to six out of the series' ten installments.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nusair |first=David |title=The Friday the 13th Series |url=https://reelfilm.com/fri13th.htm#6 |website=Reel Film Reviews |access-date=10 August 2020 |date=April 4, 2015 |archive-date=17 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617205806/https://reelfilm.com/fri13th.htm#6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Novelization==
A novelization of ''Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' was written by [[Simon Hawke]] in 1986; notably, the novelization features an appearance by a Mr. Voorhees, Jason's father who was originally meant to appear in the film but was cut. The book also includes various flashbacks to Jason's childhood and the backstories of characters such as Tommy and Sheriff Garris are also expanded.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

* {{IMDb title|0091080}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|friday_the_13th_part_6_jason_lives}}
* {{mojo title|friday13th6}}
* [http://www.campcrystallake.com/thefilms/part6.htm Film page at the ''Camp Crystal Lake'' web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051130232816/http://www.campcrystallake.com/thefilms/part6.htm |date=2005-11-30 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170626201906/http://fridaythe13thfilms.com/films/friday6.html Film page at Fridaythe13thfilms.com]

{{Friday the 13th}}
{{Tom McLoughlin}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives}}
[[Category:1986 American films]]
[[Category:1986 English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s slasher films|Friday Part 6]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:1986 horror films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:American slasher films]]
[[Category:Films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:Films about summer camps]]
[[Category:Films directed by Tom McLoughlin]]
[[Category:Films scored by Harry Manfredini]]
[[Category:Films set in 1990]]
[[Category:Films set in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Tom McLoughlin]]
[[Category:Friday the 13th (franchise) films|Jason Lives]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]
[[Category:Postmodern films]]
[[Category:Films about resurrection]]
[[Category:Supernatural slasher films]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives|access_date=2026-03-03}}