Tag: Friday the 13th

‘Friday The 13th’ Creator Is Working On A Series Called ‘Crystal Lake Chronicles,’ Thinks It Would Be Perfect For Netflix

First off, let’s get this clear right up front. As far as we know, Netflix has no plans to put out a Friday the 13th series. However, Sean Cunningham, the creator of the franchise (he directed the first film, and has held producer credits on each of the four latest installments), has apparently expressed interest.

FearNet posted a new interview with Cunningham today, which sees him talking about a new film, which is expected to go into production next year, and the development of a series called Crystal Lake Chronicles.

Cunningham is quoted as saying, “I think there will also be Friday the 13th: Crystal Lake Chronicles, which is sort of a Smallville. We’ve been on-again off-again with that for years and there are a bunch of great stories to be told, but I think the way that it’s finally going to get delivered is not through a conventional television network, but through the Internet. I can’t tell you who the delivery people will be, but it won’t be the traditional route. There’s also the possibility of webisodes, and I think we even have an idea for a terrific Friday the 13th video game.”

FearNet interviewer Scott Neumyer suggested that the series “sounds like something tailor-made for someone like Netflix.”

Cunningham’s response to that was, “Yeah, it does. It’s also more than just me saying, ‘You know, Friday the 13th would be a great series!’ We’ve got a couple of really good writers that have been working and writing. It can’t be just Jason killing someone new every week. That’s not going to make it.”

First of all, I don’t know. That concept doesn’t sound too bad. These films usually go south once they try too hard to implement a bigger story. The classic formula from the early entries in the film series work. They don’t try to be anything they’re not.

As far as the prospect of this series coming to Netflix goes, it doesn’t seem like something that would be outside of the realm of possibility.

For one, Netflix’s chief content officer just said that the company intends to double its budget for original content, and it’s hard to imagine a Friday the 13th series taking too big a chunk out of that. Such a series would also fit nicely within the strategy Netflix has laid out so far. Not only does it already have a Horror-themed series in Hemlock Grove, but Netflix takes shots on things that have built-in audiences (Arrested Development, Mako Mermaids). If anything has a built-in audience, it’s the Friday the 13th franchise. Netflix doesn’t need every one of its shows to have critical acclaim. It just needs them to have audiences.

Until recently, you could stream a number of the Friday the 13th films on Netflix, so it could also use the viewer data from that to factor into such a decision. I’m not sure what the fact that they’re not on there anymore says about popularity, but on the other hand, we’re just getting to the real time of year when they should be peaking in user interest.

Crystal Lake Chronicles wouldn’t be the first series to come with the Friday the 13th name, but it would presumably be the first one that is directly related to Crystal Lake and iconic slasher Jason Voorhees.

Come on, Netflix. You know you want in on some of that action. Just don’t pull a Freddy’s Nightmares.

Image: Netflix

September 13, 2013
Friday The 13th: This Is What The NES Game Should Have Been

If you’ve ever played the Friday the 13th NES game, there is a good chance you were disappointed. That goes especially for fans of the film franchise. Dr. Terror’s Hacktivision has imagined what a truly legit Friday the 13th NES game could have entailed (of course, you have to take into account that some of what is depicted comes from films that were not yet around during the Nintendo Entertainment System’s heyday).

As Dr. Terror explains:

Hacktivision is a project that creates fake video game trailers from the 8-Bit graphic imagery of Frank Browning, the soundscape and glitch renditions of Sean O’Connor and the gameplay and editing stylings of Dr. TERROR.

What they’ve come up with for this Friday the 13th is truly something special for fans of the movies. It imagines an 8-bit game in which you can play through each installment in the franchise, complete with a real film-inspired soundtrack. Better yet, it incorporates elements of Zelda, Castlevania and Duck Hunt, among other classic titles.

Somebody really needs to make this exist.

Dr. Terror has even one so far as to create a thorough playing manual for the game, which you can see here.

Images: Dr. Jimmy Terror (YouTube)

[via fridaythe13thfranchise.com]

September 13, 2013
Friday the 13th Superstitions; There’s an App for That!

Did you know that this is your first chance at a Friday the 13th in 2013? We will have two this year, the next in December. Last year the odds were in the infamous day’s favor, with three occurrences landing in 2012.

Your Smartphone has you covered though for all the apps you might require on this most fearful of days.

The Superstitions app will feed you all the superstitions you could desire just by clicking, “Another Superstition!” It is Free for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.

After brushing up on your superstition knowledge, grab the Superstitions & Magic Trivia Quiz and answer multiple-choice questions either solo or with your friends (or your favorite Great Aunt who is always warning you about tingling ears or itchy palms). It is $0.99 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.

And to make sure Friday the 13th doesn’t sneak up on you again, there’s the irreplaceable (except by your calendar) Friday 13th app, which promises to count you down until the next. If your calendar needs a backup, this one is $0.99 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.

My favorite find however is the Touche du bois! app—that is French for “Knock on Wood,” extract minds from gutters. Though the app seems to only be available in French, you can pick which wood you would like to knock on and it saves you from carrying around that pesky block of pine in your purse. It is Free for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.

So what is it about this day that makes us so wary? According to a National Geographic feature, it is deep-seated in Western culture. And, the experts say, once the seeds are planted in a culture, or even in a family, “we tend to honor them… You feel like if you are going to ignore it, you are tempting fate,” explains Thomas Gilovich, a professor of psychology at Cornell University.

The feature ties many of the traditions around the day Friday—the day on which Jesus Christ is said to have been crucified, previously known as hangman’s day—and the numeral 13—the number of guests at the Last Supper, Judas having been called the 13th guest—to the Bible. But, the feature further explains that other cultures tend to adopt these taboo dates because of the principle that if an object resembles something with a negative connotation, that object—for example, the numeral 13—and those objects associated with it are considered related and therefore adopt the negative traits of the original. Example: 13 attendees at the Last Supper renders 13 unlucky in any case.

For those of us who would imagine a little superstition about an occasional date has little impact on our daily lives, consider this statistic from Donald Dossey, a folklore historian and founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. He says, “It’s been estimated that [US] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they normally would do.”

If you are willing to trade centuries of tradition for optimum airplane seating, then Friday the 13th might be your day to fly. I’ll bring my Touch du bois! app.

[Image via iTunes.]

September 13, 2013
Jason Voorhees Illustrates Why Netflix Profiles Are Long Overdue

Netflix, as you may know by now, announced the launch of user profiles today. The feature will be available in all countries where Netflix itself is available over the course of the next few days as it rolls out. Those using Netflix on the web, iOS, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or some smart TVs or Blu-ray players will be able to use the feature. It will come to Android and Wii in the near future.

Netflix posted this image to its Facebook page this afternoon, summing up exactly why this feature is long overdue.

Netflix2 hours ago

Introducing Netflix Profiles! Make #Netflix even more personal with separate recommendations, instant queues, and recently watched for everyone in your household. Learn more: http://nflx.it/19zMlGt

Powered by socialditto 1,000+ likes · 681 comments

Thanks, Netflix. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The beauty of the new profiles is that it allows you to separate your instant queue and recommendations from those of your kids. No more seeing Curious George recommended alongside Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter or Surf Nazis Must Die. No more having to keep Hellbound: Hellraiser II in your queue next to Barney’s Great Adventure: The Movie.

Now, Jason, Pinhead and all of your favorite gory B-movies from the 80s can sit comfortably among one another without having to be interrupted by cartoons and singing puppets, and your kids can consume all the wholesome entertainment they want without you having to worry about them accidentally being warped by seeing the cover of Child’s Play 2, where Chucky is cutting the head off a jack-in-the-box with a pair of scissors.

You won’t have to worry about your kids seeing “Because you watched Screwballs 2: Loose Screws” showing up underneath “Because you watched Strawberry Shortcake“.

You get the idea.

Netflix is doing a lot more to appeal to families this year, as we discussed here, and this is perhaps the most significant upgrade in that regard.

August 1, 2013
Friday the 13th: Jason Voorhees’ Best Kills

I love horror movies. My friends don’t get it, for the most part, mostly because they are endlessly frustrated with the silly girls in them who get themselves into stupid situations (“Power’s out? No problem, I’ll just go down to the basement in platform heels armed with a candle and check it out”). But something about the horror genre appeals to me, and always has. The hubs and I especially love 80’s slasher flicks, and “Friday the 13th” is way up on the list. We have a literal ton of stuff around the house bearing Jason’s face: artwork (some of which was done by me), memorabilia, posters, films, etc. And every time a Friday falls on the 13th of the month, we have ourselves a movie marathon after the kiddo goes to bed.

I think part of the reason Jason is so beloved is that he is a character you can feel sorry for. He may be a cold-blooded killer, but he started out as a mama’s boy with a below-average I.Q. who picked the wrong day to drown. For the record, I’d probably be pretty pissed, too, if negligent camp counselors let me die and then beheaded my mother.

So here’s to you, Jason: 5 of the best kills of your murderous career. Hint: don’t scroll down if you don’t want to see gross stuff.

The Crotch Shot

This guy thought walking on his hands would endear him to his girlfriend. Jason put a stop to that with a swift chop between the legs and disemboweled him. The lesson? You might get off the hook if you’re a virgin, but 80’s killers don’t take kindly to showoffs.

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The Ol’ Sleeping Bag Against A Tree

Although I’m not a big fan of “Jason X”, this kill was creative and yet so simple I’m surprised he hadn’t done it before he was shot into space.

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The Frozen Face Trick

Again, “Jason X” isn’t the strongest film in the series by a wide margin, but I couldn’t leave this kill out. Pretty inventive use of liquid nitrogen for a mentally handicapped guy. He makes good use of a metal table to smash her frozen face on afterwards, too.

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Two Birds With One Stone

Jason got creative here, finding a way to kill two counselors with one spear while they were engaged in amorous activity. I think Sondra’s face says it all here.

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Jason Uses Water Weaponry

Part III, which was in 3D, had several good kills, but this one stands out because of how the director got the speargun shot: he had it rigged on a wire across the water, so when Jason shot it at Vera, it zipped down the line to its target…the camera.

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It should be noted that I’d give Mrs. Voorhees an honorable mention for her very memorable kills in part 1 (including Kevin Bacon!).

July 13, 2012
Friday The 13th: Jason Voorhees Still Slays Me

Because it’s Friday the 13th, I couldn’t pass up a chance to talk about one of my favorite film characters of all time: Jason Voorhees.

Since the first Friday the 13th film in 1980, horror fans have been in love with a big, machete-wielding, child-like brute named Jason. Filmed on a shoestring budget, it went on to spawn nine sequels (although the last two don’t have “Friday the 13th” in their title because of a change in production companies), a fun little tag-team-turned rivalry called “Freddy Vs. Jason“, and a remake.

As a horror fan, Jason appeals to me on many levels. First off, he’s not a serial-killing mastermind; he’s just a mama’s boy with the mind of a child who died as the result of some negligent horny teenagers. That tugs at the old heartstrings even if he does like to chop people in half crotch-first.

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Secondly, he doesn’t seem to have a preference when it comes to victims, although his choices are limited to new generations of horny teenagers who foolishly go back to Camp Crystal Lake, his home turf (except in “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan“, which is probably my least favorite in the series). I kind of like that he doesn’t have an agenda. He started off trying to avenge his mother’s murder (wearing a potato sack over his head, no less)–and got his revenge in the sequel–but after that he enjoyed it so much it became a hobby.

This is where I have to point out that I am the least violent person you’ll ever meet and don’t condone it in any way in real life; I just happen to enjoy watching this big silly dude in a hockey mask decimate pot-smoking teens. It tickles me, what can I say?

Actually, it’s not the creative killing I enjoy so much as the sheer amount of goofball humor included in these films. Cheesy jokes are just the tip of the iceberg. And the characters, including Tommy Jarvis–played in two of the films by Corey Feldman–are just written to a genius level of cringe-worthy cornball. (Look up “Jarvis sandwich” on Google. Do it. Now.)

Of course, I still remember being a child and seeing that hockey mask for the first time; it scared the ever-loving shite out of me. And while Jason has become less threatening to me over the years, I’ll always remember that rush of adrenaline he brought out just by walking that slow, lumbering gait through the woods. Though some of the sequels went more than a little astray with the plot line, the first five will always be in my favorite films list, and every Friday the 13th I’ll curl up on the couch to watch one of them in honor of my favorite maniac.

April 13, 2012
Why Friday the 13th is Considered Unlucky

Why are there so many superstitions around Friday the 13th? This is the question that I will attempt to answer in this article.

To begin with, numerologists considered the number 13 to be irregular. Friday was named for the Norse fertility goddess, Frigga, who was later branded as a witch by the Christians.

According to legend, Frigga would get together on Fridays with 11 other witches plus the devil. That makes the total number of people in the group 13. The satanic coven would plot evil twists for the week.

Another legend involves the Knights Templar who protected Christian pilgrims through the crusades but were rounded up and falsely accused of heresy on Friday the 13th in 1307. Dozens of Templars burned at the stake in Paris.

According to the following YouTube video, Urban legend experts at Snopes.com think the 13th is perceived as unlucky for the following reasons:

Our ancestors feared the number 13 because they didn’t have enough fingers and feet to count that high.

Friday is seen as unlucky because it is at the end of the week.

According to a 1993 study from the British Medical Journal, the day could be bad for your health because hospital visits for accidents go up to 52% on Friday the 13th.

Thirteenth floor is a designation of a level of a multi-level building that is often omitted in countries where the number 13 is considered unlucky. Many buildings in NYC lack a 13th floor.

April 13, 2012
“The Cabin in The Woods”: Plays on Genre Stereotypes

Judging from the trailer this is just one more carbon copy of a horror movie: The teenagers are hot, restless, sexually charged, wrangled into a winnebago, and accompanied by a joint rolling geek. Oh, and before I forget, they stop at some grungy gas station and talk to a tobacco chewing weirdo. How original!

But maybe the movie is deeper than it looks. Lewis Wallace, writer for Underwire, says “The Cabin in the Woods takes one of Hollywood’s most mundane setups and turns it into a smart sendup of horror movies and mythology.” He added that it is “far more Evil Dead than Saw.”

Joss Whedon produced the film and says the potential cult classic explodes and celebrates the horror genre. Whedon is best known as the creator of the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997–2003), “Angel” (1999–2004), “Firefly” (2002) and “Dollhouse” (2009–2010). He says that he had a blast writing with Drew Goddard as they infused the script with their collective brand of comedy.

When asked what his favorite movie twist of all time was he said it was The Sixth Sense because he didn’t get to see any spoilers.

The movie is currently rated on the TOMATOMETER at 93% by critics and 81% by the audience.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

April 13, 2012
Friday The 13th, Through The Eyes of Twitter

While it’s doubtful most people know the origins of the Friday the 13th legend — guilty — there’s no denying the fact that when a Friday falls on the 13th, there’s the slightest sense of dread in the air, as if people are expecting something unfortunate to occur. Over at Twitter, the worldwide trending topics reflect the playful popularity of the day with both “Friday13th” and “viernes13” appearing.

For those who aren’t sure, Viernes 13 is the Spanish version of Friday the 13th. The top tweets for the English version do a nice job of keeping the spirit of the day alive quite well:

The @Lord_Voldemort7 tweet, linking to a TwitPic post, is just fantastic as it mashes up two icons, Jason Voorhees and Rebecca Black. Incidentally, the @Lord_Voldemort7 account has absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter franchise. It’s actually a blogger who goes by LV7, and yet, the Twitter account has over 1 million followers. Tweets from this account often show up as a “Top Tweet.” As for what all this means, well, that’s anyone’s guess. Popularity is a fickle beast.

As an example, an account for someone masquerading as Jason Voorhees, which also appears as a “who to follow” account when searching for the “Friday13th” trending term, only has 104 followers. Perhaps being more prolific with such a potentially valuable account is a better strategy. Twitter popularity aside, here’s the image referred to in the above paragraph. It captures the mood of the day quite well:

What kind of Friday the 13th celebration is complete without the infamous theme music appearing somewhere? Not one:

If you’re concerned about how the true legend of Friday the 13th started, start with Wikipedia and work outward.

May 13, 2011