This article contains descriptions of graphic onscreen violence.
Corridor Crew VFX artists break down Jason Voorhees' iconic liquid nitrogen kill in the infamous 2002sequel,Jason X.The 10th installment in theFriday the 13thfranchisepictures Jason in a futuristic world. Having been frozen in 2008, he is later discovered in the year 2455 and taken to space. Directed by Jim Isaac and written by Todd Farmer, the infamous sci-fi slasher film stars Kane Hodder reprising the role of hockey mask-wearing serial killer Jason Voorhees for the fourth and final time along with Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, and Chuck Campbell.
Sam Gorski, Niko Pueringer, and Wren Weichmano ofThe Corridor Crewwere blown away by the special effects used in Jason’s liquid nitrogen kill, where he pushes a girl’s face into liquid nitrogen, it freezes, then he smashes it on a counter. They suspect that the film eitherutilized “a morph” or “a frame blend” combined with motion-tracking and “a lot of great details,“especially the bubbles, becauseit’s “very simple” but very “effective.“They explained the face smash has “the perfect composition” with two separate clips. Read their full comments below:
Yeah, I think that’s just a morph or like a frame blend, so yeah, cuz you watch it and you’re like, wait, what the heck, how the heck did you do that? Cuz they dip her face in there, and that’s her, and then, oh, that’s a good effect. Right there, it’s very good. Top left her curl of hair, you may kind of see there like it’s been very groomed. It’s still from her element, transition here, whoop, to the dummy.
There’s a lot of great details, so I’m watching the bubbles, and first off, they’re pushing bubbles out of the dummy’s nose, which is a good touch, cuz the character is screaming, and you’re seeing bubbles coming out of her nose and mouth as she’s doing it.
So they are coming out of her mouth as a morph to the dummy’s face in front of her, and she’s still breathing out bubbles, so now they’re coming out from beneath the picture of the dummy’s face.
Isn’t that clever though? It’s like it’s very simple, and it is very effective. They obviously filmed the plate of her face going into the water, and then they probably just got a separate video plate of the dummy that’s frozen over, but they had to frame that up so closely and then still have the morph go through. I think it’s motion track to her still frame of the dummy is still motion track to her face, and you kinda feel like it’s masked out a little bit too. It’s really well done shot, really well done.
What they fill that head with do you think? Is that candy? Yeah, it could be like red beads and candy glass or something like that, but it’s like the perfect composition. It’s either two separate clips with the hair mush and then a scatter of red and white jelly things, or it’s already there, and he smacks it and it breaks. It would be tough to have all that stuff in the hand, so to speak, and have it slammed on and perfectly spill out, so I can definitely imagine you putting something there ahead of time. You got to play it perfectly, spilling out and then smashing the dummy into it, having it combined, it’s so intense.
What Their Comments Mean For Jason X
Jason Xisn’t the best offering fromFriday the 13thfranchise. With mixed reviews and disappointing box office results,the film is generally considered one of the weaker entries in the franchisewith one of the more outlandish ideas. While it may not live up to the same expectations as some of its predecessors, some scenes nevertheless may strike viewers as surprisingly good. The Corridor Crew’s comments shed light on the excellent visual effect in the liquid nitrogen scene, which is widely regarded as one of thebest Jason killsin the franchise.
OnScreen Rant’s own list of the best Jason Voorhees kills, the liquid nitrogen kill is listed as the fifth best, behind kills including a teenager’s head being punched off inJason Takes Manhattanand a character being ripped in half inJason Goes to Hell.
It seems that even thoughthe sci-fi slasher filmis considered mediocre,some elements still hold up more than 20 years later.This has been proven by the Corridor Crew revealing how unexpectedly effective the visual effects in the liquid nitrogen scene are. While the exact technique that made it happen may be simple, the transition is so seamless that it even proved somewhat difficult for the crew to break down, showcasing how immersive and effective the moment truly was.
Jason X’s Negative Reception Explained
The Movie Helped End The Franchise’s Original Run
Although only one of theFriday the 13thmovieshas ever received a Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes,Jason Xis stillthe fifth worst-rated of the 12 movies with a dismal 20% Rotten Tomatoes score. The movie also earned just $17.1 million at the box office, the third-worst in the series behind the previous two installments. Additionally, at the time, its $14 million budget made it the most expensive entry in the series. This prevented it from turning a profit in theaters, as it likely would have had to earn more than $35 million just to break even.
TheFriday the 13thFranchise on Rotten Tomatoes
Friday the 13th(1980)
66%
Friday the 13th Part 2(1981)
33%
11%
22%
18%
53%
16%
20%
41%
Friday the 13th(2009)
26%
Ultimately,Jason Xwould prove to bethe final “proper” installment in the franchise. Despite having one of the best-regardedFriday the 13thkills, its overall reception proved that the IP had hit diminishing returns, thoughFreddy vs. Jason, the 2003 crossover with theNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise, proved to be a box office hit, earning $116.6 million against a $30 million budget. Nevertheless, the franchise went dormant afterward until it was rebooted in 2009 with a refreshed Jason backstory and Derek Mears behind the hockey mask.
Our Take on Jason X
It Has Surprises
Jason Xwon’t be for everyone. Those who enjoy the more traditional flavor ofFriday the 13thmight not enjoy the sci-fi elements of the film. On the other hand,many do find the film a delightful and entertaining exploration of the iconic slasher.The last film in the main series before theFreddy vs. Jasoncrossover and the 2009 remake broke new ground, taking Jason far outside his home territory of Crystal Lake. After going to Manhattan and Hell in the past two movies, space was about the only new place Jason could go.
Jason Xthrives on the element of surprise. Just like the liquid nitrogen scene, other elements are likely to surprise viewers, including a meta moment where Jason is distracted by a hologram of his former stomping grounds and set up perfectly to execute a double sleeping bag kill that is reminiscent of another fan-favorite moment, fromPart VII: The New Blood. However, it also a film with uneven performances. While certain places can be exceedingly good without effort, other places might be less engaging, resulting in the movie being an acquired taste, though still a fun watch for some.
