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 that's a documentary"
RELEASE: February 3, 2009 (DVD release)
GROSS: N/A, but a screening damn near sold out the New Beverly the other night.
PLOT: As a companion piece to the phenomenal "Crystal Lake Memories" by Peter Bracke, Dan Farrands (who edited Bracke's book) directs this 90 minute love letter to the franchise, featuring cast and crew from all 12 movies (everyone from Sean Cunningham to the banana-eating hitchhiking from
Final Chapter shows up), as well as notable filmmaker fans such as Adam Green, and horror journalists like our own Mr. Disgusting. And the guy from
Psych for some reason.
THOUGHTS: I wish it was more than a 90 minute "I Love The 80s" episode focusing solely on Jason, and some glaring personnel omissions are distracting (Steve Miner apparently couldn’t take a break from making shitty movies to talk about the ones people like), but it's still a nostalgic and fun look back at this unending and awesome franchise. Nothing is left unmentioned (even the NES game gets its due), and it's great to see how well some of these ladies have aged (
Final Chapter's Judie Aronson is even hotter now, if you ask me)
(Read BC's full review at
Horror Movie A Day)
BEST KILL: Yes, there are kills. Tom Savini sort of hosts the movie, stumbling upon fresh corpses (and finishing off one or two himself), but before he steps out, we follow the adventures of a typically hysterical girl who Jason is pursuing. And at the end... he kills her! No Final Girl bullshit here, this Jason can take on a 5 foot girl (and Savini as well!).
MOST "HUH?" MOMENT: The combined screentime of Sean Cunningham, Kane Hodder, and Harry Manfredini - arguably the most celebrated
Friday folk - do not match that of James Roday, aka "the guy from
Psych", whose presence is never explained. Runner up: New Line’s inexplicable refusal to provide clips from their entries (save one brief scene from
Jason X).
FUTURE STARS: Well it's too new to tell, but now that we know Danny Steinmann is still alive, can we get this dude another movie, please?
TRIVIA: The 2nd disc is actually better than the film itself: longer interviews with the writers, directors, and Jasons; a few fan films, hilarious deleted scenes (a critique of Dana Kimmell's monologue from 3 is a particular highlight), and... Shelly lives?
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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