Friday the 13th from Betsy Palmer to Michael Bay
The Evolution of Jason Voorhees and the Friday Horror Film Franchise
Feb 10, 2009
"Friday the 13th" was not the first slasher film; among those credited with that horror subgenre's origins are Bob Clark's "Black Christmas" and the film that many consider to be the ultimate slasher, John Carpenter's "Halloween". However, the "Friday" films may be the most mimicked in terms of style and content.
The First Friday
1980's "Friday the 13th" centered on the story of Mrs. Voorhees (memorably played by Betsy Palmer), her young son Jason, and a group of counsellors at Camp Crystal Lake. Among the acting luminaries of the film is a young Kevin Bacon in one of his first onscreen appearances, as a victim of Mrs. Voorhees, and the special effects of monster movie mayhem artist Tom Savini. The gory, jump scare driven film was hated by critics upon it's release, but the story captured the imagination of horror fans (and perhaps more importantly, was a financial success), and a legacy was born.
Jason Voorhees appears only as a young child, albeit with a celebrated sequence near the end of the film. Despite this, the filmmakers did not hesitate to capitalize on their initial success with a sequel featuring Jason as a grown man, this time directed by first time director Steve Miner.
Friday's Sequels and Box Office Appeal
"Friday the 13th Part 2" and "Friday the 13th Part 3" (released in 3D and also directed by Miner) were released to the delight of the fans, the dismay of the critics, and like the original film, huge profits at the box office. In Part 3, Jason Voorhees added the most iconic and instantly recognizable piece to the "Friday" series, donning the famous hockey mask and wreaking havoc on Camp Crystal Lake. The series was still only just beginning.
In all, 10 sequels came out between 1981 and 2003, including the blackly comedic "Jason X" (Jason in space) and the horror team-up many fans had clamored for since Paramount sold some of the rights to the series to the home of Freddy Krueger: New Line Cinema. "Freddy vs. Jason" renewed interest in the Friday films, with it's blend of dark imagery, tongue-in-cheek humor, and various references to the earlier films of both franchises.
The first eleven "Friday the 13th" films cashed in to the tune of almost $600 million in box office receipts, making the Friday series the most profitable of all horror franchises to date, and along the way cemented the fact that Jason Voorhees was destined to stalk cinemas yet again. And again. And again.
Michael Bay and the New Friday
In 2007, Michael Bay announced that his production company, Platinum Dunes, along wih producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, would be producing a re-imagining of the Friday films with a remake of "Friday the 13th". The film was shot in 2008, directed by Marcus Nispel, who previously directed the 2003 remake "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
The 2009 film features a combination of elements from the first three original Friday films along with new material. Set once again in the wooded areas of the infamous Crystal Lake, Jason Voorhees and his ever-present machete are back to terrorize a whole new generation of theater goers. Judging from the box office takes of the opening weekend, audiences approve of the new direction, or have at least been curious enough to give it a look.
Also in 2009, newly remastered, "deluxe" versions of the first three films were released, remastered and with new special features. The original film was released on Blu-ray as well, and features footage previously cut from other DVD offerings of the film.
An in-depth new documentary, "His Name Was Jason", is also available on DVD.
Friday in Media and Merchandise
Since the inception of the first film, the Friday legacy has grown to include other forms of creative media as well as throngs of Jason-inspired toys, posters, and other memorabilia. There has been a television series (beloved by many genre fans), many different comic books, dolls, and conventions that celebrate the series and sell many of the listed items and more.
Many conventions include appearances by the actors who have portrayed Jason onscreen, among them fan favorite Kane Hodder. Jason was immortalized by artist Todd McFarlane as part of an action figure series, and with the continued popularity and new film, there will be many more new additions to the merchandise and media endeavors. Producer Cunningham has reportedly even talked about the possibility of bringing the "Friday the 13th" mythos back to television, in a series proposal called "Crystal Lake Chronicles".
With the new developments featuring the "Friday the 13th" franchise, Jason, as always, is back.
Sources
- Crystal Lake Memories by Peter Bracke
- Making Friday the 13th by David Grove
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