The Many Faces of Jason Voorhees

Retro Review: Friday the 13th

This week brings a very special Retro Review, as I had the distinct honor and privilege tonight of watching the original Friday the 13th with the lovely Pamela Voorhees herself, Ms. Betsy Palmer. It all went down at the Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, and it's not an evening I'm soon to forgot. It was freezing cold tonight in CT, complete with unseasonable sleet and driving wind. Yet so completely worth that 18-mile drive down I-95...

Betsy was completely disarming, glowing at age 82 in her Japanese blouse (which, she admitted, was a poor replacement for her classic cable-knit sweater). She was exceedingly patient with her adoring fans, and took the time out to provide us all with great insights and opinions on her part in horror movie history.

She informed us, for instance, that she thought Victor Miller's script was "a piece of shit" (sorry Victor!), but agreed to do the film because the $10,000 paycheck was exactly the price of the new car she wanted to buy. Horror movies have never been her cup of tea, and she has never even seen any of the myriad F13 sequels. And yet she remains humbled and pleased by the tremendous success the movie has enjoyed (although as she also informed us, it has not brought her dime one in residuals).

But by far, Ms. Palmer's most fascinating insight involved her telling us all, in great detail, of the involved backstory she created for Pamela Voorhees in preparation to play the character. The audience sat in rapt attention as she told us of Jason's mom, as she pictured her: A pregnant teenager in the 1940s, disowned by her family, rejected by her deadbeat boyfriend, forced to live in a home for unwed mothers, who eventually comes to Camp Crystal Lake as a way to make some money over the summer and provide a safe, happy environment for her young, troubled son.

What happens to the boy at that camp, she explained, gives Pamela all the justification she needs to do such horrible things. She never wants what happened to her to happen to another young mother and child. And even though Ms. Voorhees clearly has "a few screws loose", as Betsy explained, she felt the need to give her all this "justification" in order to do the role justice.

And honestly, it all shows on the screen. I have to say, I never imagined it, but I found myself getting emotional during that one moment when Ms. Voorhees flashes back to her handicapped son drowning in the lake as he calls out to her. Pretty crazy. And yet Betsy is that good in the movie, in what is admittedly a smaller role than I remembered. She literally brings the movie to another level when she sppears on screen, and is head and shoulders above the rest of the cast.

That's not to say the rest are no good. In fact, far from it; even though Halloween is a far superior film, it's not from an acting point of view. This crew of young people outshines the porno-level acting of most of the young cast in John Carpenter's movie.

Although I will say that one thing that bothers me is what often bothers me about a lot of slashers--the sloppy characterizations. I know it might be a bit pretentious of me to look for character development in slasher flicks, but sometimes the writing can be frustrating. Why, for example, introduce the concept of Steve and Alice's prior relationship, and how Steve is trying to win her back, if it will never be referenced again, nor pay off in any way? Why do we learn about Brenda's bizarre childhood dream, and get to know her and Jack as a couple, only for them to be killed off in the next scene with no rhyme or reason?

Sometimes this stuff can feel like filler, leading up to the "good stuff". But hey, maybe I'm asking too much. This will never be a film on the level of Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, as far as I'm concerned, but it is a damn fine little slasher flick. And certainly far better than any of the crap that followed it in the series. In fact, watching this movie again makes me wish that big guy in the hockey mask never existed. This is Friday the 13th as it should be remembered, and yet this is probably the most overshadowed original movie of any franchise in existence.

The movie manages to both build real suspense, and deliver on the gore--a balance rarely seen in '80s slashers. Tom Savini, fresh off Dawn of the Dead, is at the height of his powers, giving us opened throats, axes to the face, and of course the very famous arrow through Kevin Bacon's neck. Then there's that amazing beheading of Ms. Voorhess in slow motion--complete with the grasping hands of the headless corpse as it collapses to the ground. Nice touch.

And yet Sean Cunnungham does seem to know how to create some serious tension. In particular, the scene in which Adrienne King is making coffee alone in the cabin, not realizing she is the only survivor left. It's an understated, taut little moment unlike anything we'd get in any of the hamfisted sequels.

Plus, a large amount of the tension can also be attributed to one hell of a score by Harry Manfredini, one which doesn't get nearly enough credit beyond the whole "ch-ch-ch-ha-ha-ha" thing. There's a strong influence of the Bernard Hermann Psycho score here, almost bordering on rip-off, but it works.

It was great fun watching this movie on a big screen with a live audience. Listening to the screams at all the right moments. There was a surprising amount of people who had never seen this movie before, and I think they were a little surprised at what they saw. It certainly has one of the most unconventional killers of any movie of its kind. The fight at the end, in particular, is very physical, and very real.

Ironically, it's reality that sets this movie apart from most of its successors. There is no unstoppable killing machine here. And when Ms. Voorhees struggles to kill Alice at the end, it's down and dirty stuff. For the most part, this movie is actually plausible--this all could happen. Betsy Palmer is so believable, in her infamous blue sweater (worn, she explained, to make her look more bulky so her feats of strength would be more believable), creepily intoning those words, "Kill her mommy..."

I got to hear Betsy utter those exact words to a live audience tonight. That alone made it worth the drive through all that sleet and wind. I also got to be in the audience with her as she watched it for only the fourth time. And she came away for the first time realizing what a truly scary movie it is. I'm glad I could be a part of that. Thank you, Betsy Palmer.

TRAILER TRASH: Friday the 13th Edition!

Kane Hodder Speaks!

I advise you to head on over to Shock Till You Drop, where you'll find an exclusive interview with the legendary Kane Hodder, the big lug most closely associated with Jason Voorhees on the big screen. Hodder played the masked behemoth more times than any other actor, but right now he's promoting his newest flick, BTK, in which he plays serial killer Dennis Rader.

Hodder talks a bit about BTK, of course, but he also has a lot to say about other aspects of his career, including shenanigans on the set of Hatchet, acting vs. stunt work, and most interestingly of all, his opinions on the recent Friday the 13th remake, which he was infamously not asked to take part in. Here's a snippet:

"I haven't seen it yet, but I intend too because I'm a horror fan. I definitely have to see how Derek [Mears] did, because Derek's a friend. Even though I think I should be wearing the mask, I still want to see how he did and he wants me to give him my thoughts because it's not an easy part to play as people have found out. They think 'Oh, you just need a big guy and he has to do some violent things,' but it's not as easy as it sounds because most guys overact. You can tell by the way they're standing that they're trying to look scary, and that totally ruins it for me. So I want to see if Derek looks more natural than the other guys."

Hodder even gets into the whole "running Jason" controversy. Check out the interview in its entirety here.

Ever Wonder What Jason Does the Rest of the Year?

It's entirely possible that Robot Chicken could be the most brilliant fifteen minutes on television today. Plus, it also helps that Seth Green and the gang seem to be some pretty knowledgeable horror fans. Here's an inspired clip they put together depicting Jason Voorhee's preparations for his favorite night of the year. Had to share this. The puzzle, robe and hot cocoa at the end clinched it:

Special thanks to the one and only BJ-C of Day of the Woman for pointing this gem out to me!

Jason Breaks Character, Stalks Children

The Hollister Free Lance News reported yesterday that two schools in Hollister, California were shut down for a half hour due to a report of a man wandering the area wearing a hockey mask and carrying a knife.

San Benito High School and R.O. Hardin Elementary School were locked down at 11:45 a.m. and remained so until local police thoroughly checked the situation out.

No word on whether or not police actually apprehended the Jason wannabe. The incidents marks a surprising departure from his usual m.o.--since we all know that Jason's always gone out of his way to avoid threatening kids, right? This guy should have done his homework a little better.

One More Reason to Like Judah Friedlander

Not only is he one of the people that make 30 Rock such a hilarious show, but Judah Friedlander is also one of us! Check out the shirt he wore yesterday to the Opie & Anthony Show on Sirius XM...


Yes folks, you heard it here first: Friedlander digs the F13. Picture was posted yesterday on Twitter by O&A co-host Jim Norton.

Female Partier Turns Tables, Attacks Jason

Some strange news today related to the release of the new Friday the 13th. The New York Post's Page Six, that bastion of idealistic journalism, reports that Warrington Gillette, the first actor to portray Jason Voorhees the killer, wound up in the hospital after being wounded with an axe.

Gillette was on hand at a Hollywood party celebrating the new movie, dressed up like the murderous character he played 18 years ago in Friday the 13th Part II. Unfortunately, he also saw fit to wield a real axe in order to make the costume that much more convincing, and a woman at the party seems to have taken his performance a bit too seriously.

According to Page Six, the woman jumped the hockey-masked actor (you'd think he'd at least have had on the burlap sack for accuracy's sake) and tried to wrestle the axe away from him, in the process accidentally slashing his hand.

"It was straight out of a horror movie," a source told Page Six. "Lingerie-clad models were running and screaming, as a blood-soaked Jason ran off the runway to get to a hospital."

VAULT EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Victor Miller, Writer of Friday the 13th

I had the distinct pleasure on Monday of speaking with the man largely responsible for one of the most famous and influential horror movies (hell, movies period) of all time. As a result, I bring to you my very first Vaultcast.

In 1979, at the behest of friend/associate/fellow Connecticut resident Sean Cunningham, Yale graduate Victor Miller would write the screenplay for a movie called Friday the 13th. Having never written a horror script before, Miller had no way of knowing that the film would literally alter the course of horror history, introducing the iconic Jason Voorhees along the way (although not as he originally intended).

I invite you to take a listen below to the half-hour discussion I had with Mr. Miller. In it, he touches on subjects that would be of interest to many fans of the genre, such as:

• Why he won't watch any of the sequels
• His falling out with Sean Cunningham
• The "mother issues" that led to the creation of Mrs. Voorhees
• Ripping off Halloween
• His debt to Hitchcock
• His thoughts on the remake (the script of which he's already read)
• How to interpret Friday's infamous "stinger" ending
• And much more...

If you prefer, you can also visit the official Vaultcast page, where you can download the file in its entirety to listen to at your leisure. Special thanks to Tracy MacMath for making this interview possible.

**UPDATE** Thanks to the incredible efforts of diligent Vault-Dweller Gord, you can now download a transcript of the entire interview in Microsoft Word, if you so choose. My humblest gratitude to you Gord, for painstakingly transcribing the entire bloody thing!!

Will We See More Than Jason's Sack?

The answer to the above question would appear to be "Yes". According to IESB.net, Jason Voorhees will wear both the potato sack and famous hockey mask over the course of the Friday the 13th reboot, set to release on February 13, 2009.

Producer Brad Fuller told IESB that the new film will condense the first three movies of the original series. I'm not sure if this means that Jason's mother Pamela will make an appearance at the beginning, but it does mean that Jason will start out his killing spree wearing the sack (from Part 2), and then transition to the mask (from Part 3) at a key moment in the film.

Rumor has it that the crucial mask-donning scene has been shot both from behind and from the front, and that the decision will be made during the editing process whether to show Jason's face.

Hail to the Kings of Horror, Baby!

Disappointed that the tantalizing Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash movie looks like it will never happen? Well, don't worry, because DC Comics has you covered. Capitalizing on the enormous grassroots popularity of the concept among fanboys, DC has taken the initiative and launched a six-part limited series that picks up right where Freddy vs. Jason left off, and throws everyone's favorite chainsaw-toting sales clerk in for good measure.

Here's the synopsis from DCcomics.com:

In the bloody wake of the hit movie Freddy vs. Jason, Freddy Krueger finds himself clinging to the last shred of fear that allows him to exist…inside the demented mind of Jason Voorhees. Unwillingly bonded together, the murderous pair must seek out the Necronomicon, the only solution to their mutual torment. Nothing can stop this unholy alliance -- except the wisecracking, chainsaw-wielding Ash, aimed at destroying the Book of the Dead once and for all!

Written by James Kuhoric, with art by Jason Craig and covers by J. Scott Campbell (no relation to Bruce), the series is put out by DC's Wildstorm imprint. Issue #1 came out a month ago, and issue #2 just hit last week. Here are the street dates for the remaining four:

• #3: December 26
• #4: January 23
• #5: February 27
• #6: April 3

SPOILER ALERT: Opening Scene of Friday the 13th Remake Revealed!

In case you've been under a rock, Friday the 13th has, in fact, been added to the parade of horror remakes. And yesterday, CHUD.com landed quite a juicy scoop--namely, a description of the opening scene:

The new Friday the 13th is going to open with Jason as a legend in the Crystal Lake area. Five kids out in the woods looking for a bunch of weed they planted and stumble upon the deserted Camp Crystal Lake. Sitting around the fire that night, the dweeby one (there's always a dweeby one) tells the legend of Jason Voorhees. After that the Survivor Girl and her boyfriend wander off into the woods, where they find a shitty old cabin. Inside are some clues, like a bed with the name Jason carved in it. An old picture of a girl who looks just like Survivor Girl. And Mama Voorhees' head. Cue Jason. He murderizes the other four kids, and as he grabs Survivor Girl... slam into the opening credits.

Sounds like this is definitely not a direct continuation, nor a straight-up reboot. You will remember that in the original Friday, Jason isn't even the killer. Rather, it seems to be a streamlined, out-of-continuity take on the franchise. For the comic book fans out there, think of it as "Ultimate Jason".
I have never very much cared for the Friday flicks, nor the '80s slasher genre in general. It will take a little more than this tidbit to get me excited to watch more pot-smoking teens get impaled on garden tools.
Shooting on the New Line/Paramount project begins in February, for a scheduled 2009 release.