Jason in Indianapolis: A Friday the 13th Tribute – 2024

Jason in Indianapolis is a fan-made film about, you guessed it, if Jason Voorhees showed up in Indianapolis. I guess that if he was slaying in Manhattan and even went to space, why can’t he appear in Indianapolis? Obviously a fan-made film doesn’t have the same budget as a film produced by some major studio, but that’s precisely the point. You don’t need a truckload of money to make an entertaining film. What you need is deep dedication and the joy of creation. 

The first thing I noticed about it was the use of music. That simply must be an original song at the beginning; it’s great! I really love that touch! There are also a couple of hip-hop songs later on that seem very specific. Now, hip-hop isn’t really my thing så I’m not sure what to make of it. But if it mentions Crystal Lake, it must be great, right?

But I think the main asset as far as music is concerned is the way it is used to make it suspenseful and exciting. I think you can go a very long way with almost any kind of footage if you have the right music to accompany it. Of course, the trick is to know what is suspenseful under which circumstances, but I think it works very well here. I really think this is the strongest aspect of the movie, and it’s very effective.

The film also uses clever footage, filters, and editing to make it very interesting. It almost feels like a music video at times. In particular when those specific songs are being played. The acting is surprisingly good even though most of the kill scenes leave something to be desired. I like the idea of using news reports to tell the story of Jason being on the loose in Indianapolis. It somehow makes it more legit. People are also stupid, but they are in regular horror films too. Some are cheering for Jason and think it’s “cool” to have him near, just like any fan of the series would think. Some are scared and are going to stay inside until it’s over.

But overall, no one, except for some exceptions, seems even remotely scared when a masked man holding a machete walks up to them among the houses or even when they encounter him in the woods. This, of course, gives Jason more room to make his kills, as no one really tries to get away.

So, how do you rate something like this? Is it fair to be compared with the real movies? Of course not! My take has always been to approach assessment on its own terms, with attention to intent, structure, and context. Therefore, Jason in Indianapolis compensates for the lack of technical quality with devoted enthusiasm. It might not be perfect, but it still manages to be very entertaining. And just the fact that CJ Graham is in it playing a survivor from Crystal Lake is worth extra credit. It’s a hilarious thought.