For a horror fan, there is no escaping Jason Voorhees or Friday the 13th. Even if you have never seen a single movie (for shame!), you know who he is, what he does, and what he looks like. But that's from my perspective. I grew up in the 80s, played the video game on a system known simply as Nintendo (now referred to as "The 8 Bit"), and suffered the indignity of that comic where he fought a talking Leatherface.
But what about those who grew up in the Jason-starved 90s? The only Jason films they might remember in theaters are the ones where he fights Freddy or goes off into space. The remake may be their first real introduction to the hockey masked behemoth that stalks teenagers at a place known as Crystal Lake. So for them, Bloody Disgusting and Horror Movie A Day would like to present this retrospective series: 13 Days Of Jason. Each day leading up to the remake's theatrical release, BC will be showcasing one of the original films, with trivia, factoids, thoughts, and his own full blown review.
Bloody will also be presenting a few other articles that highlight some of the series' traditions, such as the lovesick nerd character and Jason's habit of using unique weapons. Because even if you don't agree with BC's assessment of each film, there's one thing we can all agree on: Jason fucking rules.
AKA: "The one with the potato sack"
RELEASE: April 30, 1981 (1,350 theaters)
GROSS: $21,722,776
PLOT: After dispatching Alice in the longest pre-credits sequence in history (until part 3), Jason returns to Crystal Lake and takes on a new group of counselors, ostensibly in tribute to his mother’s head. Amy Steel puts aside her goddess-ness for a few minutes in order to don Mrs. Voorhees’ sweater (did he strip it off her body?), distracting Jason long enough to momentarily take him out. His confusion then becomes ours as the final 3 minutes eschew any sort of narrative sense.
THOUGHTS: One of my favorite entries, thanks to some wonderfully odd lines and moments, and my beloved Amy Steel taking on Jason back when he was still pretty scary. It’s more or less a remake of the original, and the makeup isn’t as good, but it’s fun, and inched the series closer toward its ultimate goal - Jason the unstoppable hockey mask killer. Also: Terri’s ass.
(Read BC's review at
Horror Movie A Day!)
BEST KILL: Crazy Ralph's is pretty great, but it makes no damn sense at all. Ditto the guy in the wheelchair (why doesn't he see Jason standing in front of him on the porch?). So I gotta award the prize to Alice, who gets an ice pick through the temple. Not only is it a cool kill, but also pretty shocking - this was long before the days of "the opening scene has a surprising death", which became the rule after
Scream.
MOST "HUH?" MOMENT: I never quite got the part where Jeff and Sandra find what is obviously the remains of Muffin the dog in the woods, because later the cute little bastard is shown to be alive and well. I call shenanigans.
FUTURE STARS: Amy Steel went on to appear in large roles in other high profile movies, including
April Fool's Day and
Walk Like A Man. It’s worth noting that she is the only "Jason Heroine" to have any semblance of a real career afterwards (quick: name the other Dana Kimmell or Melanie Kinnaman movies!)
TRIVIA: The original title was simply "Jason", which 12 years later would become the actual moniker for the series. Also, Jason's look was partially inspired by a real life serial killer in Texas, who was immortalized in the rather silly
Town That Dreaded Sundown.
Check back tomorrow for
Friday the 13th Part 3: 3D!
Click here to keep up with all of our 13 Days of Friday the 13th coverage!
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