Lay down, relax, close your eyes and take yourself to a peaceful place in the woods, a place where a killer name Jason Voorhees resides. Reach way back into your mind and find that special memory – the memory that defines who you are as a horror fan and why you love the Friday the 13th (exclusive set visit preview) franchise so much. We asked the cast and the crew of the upcoming remake to tell us about their earliest Jason/FRIDAY memories, all of which can be found by reading on. Then proceed to share your own stories!
POST YOUR FIRST MEMORIES OF JASON VOORHEES AND FRIDAY THE 13TH HERE

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to be the first press member to visit the set of FRIDAY THE 13TH, Platinum Dunes’ remake hitting theaters February 13, 2009. While I was chatting with the cast and crew on a brutal night shoot, one theme continued to show it’s head – everyone has a special place in their heart for the franchise, and it’s leading man Jason Voorhees.

Derek Mears is the latest to play Jason in the twelve entry in the nearly 30-year-old franchise, and when he was a child he used to have nightmares from watching the films that he shouldn’t be watching.

“I’m probably dating myself (laughs), but my earliest memory is when you first were able to rent VHS’. We rented a VCR [and] I was like, `Holy crap! You can watch movies at home! It’s like the future, we’re CRAZY!’ I forget how old I was, but I got to choose two films, and they were FRIDAY THE 13TH part one and part two. I went home and I’m watching it and I’m like, `I’m not supposed to be watching this, I don’t think I’m old enough for this. Oh my God, this is so crazy.’ I was scared to death and just had so many nightmares after that. I remember going camping and I was in my cabin and having dreams like Jason coming up to the window and breathing all heavy.”

One reason for fans to be excited about the return of FRIDAY THE 13TH is that it’s in good hands, very good hands. Co-writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift are hardcore fans of the franchise and have put their hear and soul into making this everything they remember it to be.

“I remember when I saw FRIDAY THE 13TH for the first time. I think I was 11 or 12 years old and I was at my friend Rob’s house and we were watching it on video,” Shannon explains. “It terrified me, I had never seen a movie like that! I was actually too young to see that movie and should not have been watching the sex scenes, and the violence.”

“Yes, you should have…” Swift jokes.

Shannon continues, “But the biggest thing, like everybody that remembers this film, was that ending. Where he [Jason Voorhees] jumps out of the lake and pulls that girl down…” The end result? “I squirted in my pants.”

Swift had a similar experience to Shannon, but his stemmed from the old-school bootlegging that helped turn these films into legend.

“I remember – it’s similar to Damian – is passing it around… when everyone had that sort of bootleg tape when we were just children. And as you get older, you see the movies… and I don’t know, he [Jason Voorhees] was just always one of my favorites.”

Platinum Dunes producer Brad Fuller sits in the same boat as he remembers watching them on VHS and being scared sh*tless.

“I grew up in the `70s and the `80s, so with my friends, we would all go to either see these movies or get them on VHS,” Full tells Bloody-Disgusting. “I was too young to go out and drink or smoke when I watched them, but I just remember being terrified because it could happen to anybody.”

Full also explains that he used to go to camp where there was a massive lake and it would bring instant thoughts of the iconic character.

“Unbearably, at least where I grew up, everyone went to camp and there was always a lake, seeing someone with a hockey mask running around is pretty incongruent for that type of setting. It just always freaked me out. I always wanted to be a part of Jason Voorhees, however I did it, that character is just so iconic and just to have the opportunity to work with it, it’s a privilege.”

Not everyone grew up watching these films, Danielle Panabaker – who plays Jenna in the film – grew up in a very conservative family. She has a little catching up to do…

“I grew up in a very conservative family, very sheltered. So, to this day I’ve probably seen very few rated R movies,” she continues, “horror movies were never really up high on my list. Actually when I got the offer I had to run home and I had to buy the DVD and I had my boyfriend come over and watch it with me and I made sure it was light outside because I knew it was going to be scary. I have the second one in my trailer to watch.”

Out of the entire cast, star Jared Padalecki – who plays Clay in the film – was the most enthusiastic about the franchise and sounded like it was a badge of honor to take on the infamous Jason Voorhees.

“I have a buddy named Eric, he lived near a park named Camanche Park. This is my earliest vivid memory, I know I had watched it before, but I must have been 10 years old and I was over at his house and we were having a sleepover. And he was like `Hey lets go into Camanche Park.’ And I was like `Alright.’ We were trying to scare each other going through and to scare each other we were going `Kill, Kill. Kill, Ma, Ma, Ma.’ I remember that very, very, very vividly that must have been at least 15 years ago.”

Julianna Guill, who plays Bree, was also very animated when asked about her earliest Jason memory. Unlike the other stories, Julianna’s older sister and her friend tormented her to tears!

“You know what? I have an older sister and she played a joke on me and my friend Caroline when I was in the sixth grade. She scared us so badly that I’ve never been so terrified. That was my earliest memory of the mask; this thing that we all recognize and we all know that hockey mask. I saw it in the window and I started balling, crying [and] then we ran and hid in the kitchen, under the table,” she continues. “My sister was with us so we thought she was the only person there, but it was her friend. It was so cruel.”

But this is just the beginning of all of the great stories! If you check out THIS THREAD you can not only read B-D member’s earliest memories, but you can share your own! It’s time to reach deep down and pull out all of those great stories!

FRIDAY THE 13TH hits theaters February 13, 2009.