The Fall of Camp Blood

Updated: Oct 13, 2023

Happy Friday the 13th! Not only is this the 13th day of this year's Mr. Pat's 31 Days of Halloween, it is also the 13th year I've been doing this. I mean, I think I'd be arrested if I didn't do something Jason-related. With that said, let's talk about...

The Fall of Camp Blood (2022)

I'll bet you thought I was talking about Never Hike Alone 2! So did I at first! Unfortunately, it's not getting released until 10:00 PM. I'm not sure how long the movie is going to be and I don't want to rush something out just to beat the deadline. But, I couldn't let today go without doing some type of Jason movie.

We pick up the Jason saga shortly after the events of Friday the 13th Part IV. While cleaning up the mess from that bloody night, the sheriff is a bit vexed to learn that Jason has a slight pulse. While EMTs are loading him into the ambulance he assigns one of his deputies to make sure Jason never makes it to the hospital. Unfortunately for our friends, Jason wakes up and goes right back to murdering. We then fast forward a year and the town has moved on. They pinned all the murders on Tommy Jarvis and stuck a tombstone somewhere in Camp Crystal Lake to make people think Jason is dead and just some urban legend. Then wanting to further bury the legend, the town decides to bulldoze the camp or something. The problem is, Jason doesn't stay buried. That's where our band of heroes comes in. They own a cabin on the lake and decide to have one last celebration before gathering their stuff and leaving. But, Jason is still out there and we all know how feels about parties he wasn't invited to.

If you're new to my page you may not be familiar with my love of Jason Voorhees. There's just something about the character that's so cool. I think a big part of it is the mask. It's just a simple hockey mask but it's become one of the most iconic images in horror. To think that it happened just because someone on the crew happened to have a Detroit Red Wings goalie mask while they were trying to figure out what he should wear in Part III. As a character, there isn't much to Jason, he's rage-personified and kills people creatively, but he's so fun to watch stalk around his camp.

You may be wondering why I'm reviewing a fan film. Well, I've watched and reviewed quite a few of these movies. That damn lawsuit has prevented Jason from returning to the big screen so these fan films are the only thing keeping Jason alive. I like them because they're labors of love. The filmmakers can use copyrighted material because they're not making a profit, you can watch them all on YouTube for free. So these people aren't making money, they're doing it because they love the franchise. Another fun thing is you never know what you're going to get when you watch one. The first one I saw was Never Hike Alone and I was blown away by it. I haven't come close to finding one of that quality yet, but even the bad ones, there is usually something enjoyable in them.

OK, let's talk about the movie. I keep trying to think of the word to describe it and the one that I keep coming up with is "fine." Let's talk about things I liked. The kills are pretty good and I enjoyed the different ways they attempted to show them off while hiding the lack of budget. There was one character I liked and it's another member of the doomed Dier family from parts 3 and 4. Rob and Sandra's brother James wants to take down Jason. He knows the sheriff's office didn't take care of Jason and they're sweeping everything under the rug. James is the one who dug up the grave, so he knows Jason is back. He was my favorite character because he stuck out like a sore thumb. He's bald, has a big beard and is built like a fridge. The entire time watching I kept trying to figure out where I knew him from. Turns out he's played different characters in several of these fan films. He was a prisoner in Friday the 13th: Vengeance and the evil general in Roseblood. The entire time he looks like a stubbed toe away from murdering everyone, but he's willing to risk his life for these strangers.

I also liked how this movie used human Jason. Out of all the fan films I've watched, this is the only one to not use zombie Jason. (He's actually a revenant, but Zombie Jason has become shorthand for the character.) I enjoy it because you have to be more creative in how you deal with him. When he's Zombie Jason you can do whatever you want to him and he'll always get back up. When you place some limits on his abilities, you have to keep the damage to him within reason otherwise it can get silly. Finally, it's a little more than 50 minutes so once it gets started it hums right along until the final credits. It's better than the majority of the fan films I've watched and it will scratch that Jason itch, but I'm not sure how I feel about any potential follow-ups. They could have kept continuity if Jason was buried but they'll need another movie if they want to match up with Part VI.

If you miss watching Jason's wacky adventures it's worth a watch. I liked it but wouldn't sing its praises from the rooftops like I often do with Never Hike Alone.