Friday Conversation: Time To Retire The Franchise?
Everyone knows how much I love this franchise. I write about it every single day. It is really part of my childhood and a huge reason for why I started watching movies and made movies my number one hobby. That being said, we live in a new age of horror. Our beloved franchise was created 30 years ago and some of the principles and rules that powered the movies through the 80’s may very well be outdated. Jason Goes To Hell and Jason X tried different stories and approaches to the formula that was created by the series and received luke warm results at the box office and by the fans.
Now, with a series reboot under our belt, it seems as though fans are still not satisfied. Many people want a specific type of Friday the 13th. However, studios and a writers in a new decade are looking to bring audiences a different kind of horror movie. Whatever that horror movie is, it is not what the fans seemingly are looking for. The second weekend record dropoff of box office receipts for the reboot was alarming and one reason the studios have not greenlit a sequel.
Is it possible that characters like Jason, Freddy and Michael Myers have passed their time? Are they characters that have passed their prime and should be retired for the time being? Perhaps they need time to rest so to be ressurected at a later time, maybe decades later when horror could quite possibly return to the way it was back in the 70’s and 80’s. Again, I don’t want Friday the 13th to disappear from the cinema as I wish the series could entertain me every year, but maybe another hiatus would be better for the franchise and the fans?
Good thoughts. I would just say that a 19 million dollar movie made nearly 100 million worldwide (plus cable, dvd sales, etc).
I was talking to a high school kid in my neighborhood a while ago…the reboot came up in the conversation. The high school kid liked the movie alot. That made them go back and discover the originals. That is key to the survival of the franchise.
I’m sure there will be another one sooner or later.
I get what you’re saying, but I think that all these filmmakers need to do is focus on making these movies truly scary and focus on the true essentials, not gimmicks or origin stories. Would it suck that bad to set “Part 13″ back at a revived Camp Crystal Lake with a new set of camp counselors who foolishly think Jason is long dead? If all they’re going to do is set it in the winter or tell Pamela Voorhees’ story, then maybe they should let it rest. As much as it would also suck, perhaps direct-to-DVD would allow them to make something more genuine and true to the spirit of the classic entries.
I liked the remake a lot. I really hope they make a sequel or two. I think it would be really cool if they would venture into another type of media. Video games would be my suggestion. I think an awesome F13 game would build the interest of newer and long time fans. Play the game as Jason!
I liked the Friday remake. It was far better than the Halloween one probably since Michael Bay was behind it. You would be surpried in my area some of the high schoolers don’t even know movies like this one, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre were all remakes. The you tell me about the originals hoping they’ll rent them.
People who consider themselves “true fans”, tend to complain about the smallest things when new versions come along, and in turn it causes a ripple effect, so when an average, or new fan comes along only to hear the “true fans” do nothing but complain about a new version, they tend to stay away, and then tell all of their friends it sucks.
We have to support our favorite franchise, show the younger generation these movies from the first one, otherwise the Siskel & Ebert dicks of the world will have won, and they will try to destroy it just like they’re trying to do with the Halloween holiday,or Heavy Metal music.
I say absolutely not… We can’t go by the fact that SOME people didn’t like the reboot or the new direction that the franchise was going, because there is ALWAYS going to be someone complaining… There is absolutely no way that any studio could satisfy every fan, and that is just a fact that people seem to overlook for some reason!! If you don’t like the movie, just don’t watch it!! It’s as simple as that, but some people feel the need to watch it anyways, and then talk trash after they have!! Why even bother?? I believe that the F13, Halloween, etc, have not passed their prime and should def keep pushing forward… I don’t understand why everyone complains about all the remakes/reboots etc these days anyways, because (besides a select few series…VERY FEW) anything that comes out that tries to be original just plain sucks… Or ends up being a complete rip-off!! So why not keep producing movies in a franchise that has already proven to be successful?? That’s the way I see it anyways!!
Definitly think the franchise should continue. I feel its on an ever changing path, and with this remake leading the helm of a new story path, I think we’re going to see some good Friday the 13th storylines and concepts coming along.
This is going to ramble, so stay with me: I am proud to say I have been with Jason since the very beginning. If anyone is a true fan of this franchise, it’s me. I’ve bought masks, action figures, every VHS and DVD Paramount and New Line have hit us with, posters, T-Shirts, and even snow globes. That being said, I loved the remake, and saw it a few times in the theater. It was great to see an actual living Jason, and to see the franchise revisit it’s roots. I don’t post on forums like this often, but it’s time F13 fans were honest with themselves about a few things:
1- Kane Hodder is not the definative Jason. None of the F13 films Kane Hodder was in after part 7 were up to par. No disrespect to Kane, but his interpretation of Jason was not as close as many of the modern fans would like to believe.
2- Friday the 13th, as much as we love it, jumped the shark as a series after The Final Chapter. Only two of the F13 films were anything more than a waste of time:Parts 6 & 7. These were great films, but the story of Jason had gotten so far away from the original story, it was barely recognizable.
3- The Remake was a good Friday the 13th film. Jason runs, but he always did. A return to the roots was essential for the series to survive. Who really wants to see sequels where Jason is either in space or part of a multi-icon cluster-mess. Not me.
That being said, NO WAY SHOULD FRIDAY THE 13th END. It’s time to re-establish Jason, not pack away the machete and mask in bubble wrap. Jason, like Dracula and Frankenstein before him, is forever. Time to strike while the iron’s hot. Was the remake perfect? No, but it is a perfect setup. Let’s send Jason well into the 2024’s!
I’ve been thinking for a while now that Jay’s been off his rocker, and its finally confirmed with this post!
I feel a coup de etat is in order.
Maybe another movie or 9 before we call it quits. Maybe a remake of JGTH!
BTW: When I said 6&7 were the only good films, I meant after The Final Chapter. Sorry about that!
I’m also going to disagree and say:
Kane Hodder IS the definitive Jason. His performance in part 9 (while he was on screen at least) is one of the best. Its not his fault the movies that he appeared in aren’t the best of the series.
I thought parts 6,7,8 and 9 were quite enjoyable. Even X has its bright spots.
I also liked the remake. A lot actually. I do agree that what we DONT need is a multi-icon mess. At least the guys who own the rights to michael myers have kept him away from such garbage.
Its interesting how we all see the series in different lights. Kind of fun.
Kane left his mark on the series, I just feel like Ted White & Richard Brooker did the best job out of everyone. Kane made the characterhis, but he was also more of a stereotypical movie monster than Jason was in previous films. He was great in The New Blood, and I remember being very excited when I found out he was reprising the role in part 8 (I’m very old!). He just wasn’t as scary the other times around. I don’t blame him much, though: I think alot of that was direction and script. For that reason, however, I cannot say he was the best. He really got messed over with FvJ, though: He deserved to be in that one!
Not the first time I have been accused of being off the rocker.
Boy, I hope I never create a sense that a coup is in order. Yikes!
It can definitely be said that this franchise has been milked for for decades now, but as with the 2024 movie I think I welcome new approaches to the character. Batman is no horror character but he comes to mind as character who has had many different people shape him differently. From a simple campy and child friendly perspective, to a down right crazy loner who mirrors the villains he fights and the stories explore strange personality disorders. There has been varying success but also very interesting and classic approaches.
If they are to continue making Friday the 13th films I encourage taking risks and I like the idea of getting to see Jason from a different perspective.
Why retire something that is in demand? That doesn’t make sense at all. What does make sense is putting out a quality product that fans can enjoy…
nope. jason must return to old glorious days. if u wait u risk to ruin the possibilities to make money.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAMMIT
Retire and Jason should NEVER be said in the same sentence
i think the remake should be a trilogy, then quit…. then maybe 20 years from now remake it again like they keep doing with james bond for a newer generations to come
I completely agree with Blayze5150. For my money, Parts 1-4 and 6-7 were the best in the series, and the reason for this is that they all stuck to the winning formula: a group of friends at Crystal Lake, with Jason picking them off one-by-one. That’s what I want to see when I watch a Friday the 13th film, and it probably explains why I enjoyed the reboot. The continuity between films, despite some glaring inconsistencies, added another layer of interest (I enjoy trying to find ways of making the films fit together).
I don’t think the franchise needs to be shelved any time soon — the tried and trusted blueprint for a Friday film still works well. Sure, times change (I’m not hugely keen on the overproduced look of today’s horror films; I prefer the raw, honest look of the 70s/80s), but these are still “fun”, low-budget movies that end up turning a profit. I say they should give the “reboot” series at least a few more entries before packing it up for another 20 year break.
I think classic horror movies never die. And a new F13TH project needs to be made “in a classic way”. Classic scary stories are old as mankind is… the problem are the bad movies (as F13th reboot was), bad movies are made to be forgotten, they never pass the test of time… but if you make a good movie, in the sense of “a classic F13TH movie”… I’m sure that a sequel for it would have been given many time ago.
Bad film making is outdated, not Jason.
It’s mostly about how good the supporting characters are. Then add the creative brutal kills. A person coming after you trying to end your life is always going to be scary, so if that can be conveyed realistically and painfully the movie will always work. Like Joe Zito said to Barney Cohen, “make the kids real, and whatever we do to them will be horrifying”. or some sh*t
I haven’t read all the posts yet to see if this was brought up, but maybe what the series needs is better marketing. Better penetration into other forms of media such as video games, more books, webisodes ala The Office, Some form of fanzine (maybe you guys could look into putting one out), and maybe even cross-promotions. I’m not saying there should be Jason Happy Meals, but promotional things like his image on a Nascar, or more mainstream toys, more in the vein of GI Joe than Movie Maniacs. The studios need to keep a large presence of the Friday franchise in the public eye to keep an awareness out there that the series is still alive and well. Dropping a movie into cinemas every so often with a few commercials to advertise it doesn’t do enough anymore. I think the showing of the trailer at the Scream Awards that year for the reboot really helped build that awareness and helped the box office some. In an age of Saws and Hostels Jason IS long in the tooth, so the producers need to find more, BETTER, inventive ways to show that their product is out there. If a Grand Theft Auto can sell like crazy for a game that has characters having sex with prostitutes, drive bys, and running over pedestrians than Friday the 13th can share shelf space next to it and Resident Evil in the video game isle at the local Toys R Us.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Until then, I remain…
It’s an in-demand product and all this studio pussyfooting around is ridiculous. If we can have several back to back to back SAW movies on a yearly basis then I don’t see why proven successful characters can’t get that same type of exposure.
I never thought I’d say this but I say make one more friday the 13th movie. then retire it. this franchise has done very good for itself and made some great movies that i really love. i love all of them actually. especially part 7: the new blood. anyways, i hate to say it but the franchise feels tired and weak at this point.
Hollywood has seemingly been ‘creatively’ bankrupt for some considerable time now – as evidenced by the slew of remakes & movies based on tv shows in recent years. Why is this..?? Well, because there just don’t seem to be the same quality of writer out there any more. There may be ’some’ decent story developers / script writers around, but would they want to put their name to a F13 movie…??
I see no reason atall why there cannot be another couple of F13 flicks, providing a good writer comes to the fore. The key to selling the next F13 is a decent script!
Agreed! This is one possible reason they have not moved forward on the new movie. I don’t think Warner and Paramount are sold on the script. Times have changed. Back when the series was in its infancy, script and quality of acting was a non concern. It was all about getting the formula on the screen and making the money at the box office. Now, not what it is all about.
I loved the reboot and this is someone that grew up with the original series and owns several copies of each film.
Being an old school fan myself, I do not want my favorite character to die and would love to see many more Friday the 13th films.
I really thinks some of the complaints against the reboot were unwarranted. Having seen the new NOES remake, and not being 100% happy with the results, I think the makers of the Friday the 13th got so much right. They gave us characters we cared about, a good story and an awesome Jason in Derek Mears.
I still say the second week drop off was normal for the franchise. The film opened huge and made is money back the first day. NOES is pulling in similar numbers and no one is analyzing how much it made at a certain time. Why does it matter that Friday grossed the most it’s first weekend? It made money, period.
Sometimes it’s good to take chances on a fledgling script-writer if that individual has a heart for horror films. Nowadays everyone’s looking for the next Coen or Kubrick, though someone of Kubrick’s caliber would be great for a Friday film.
I remember reading that Paramount treated the Fridays as their dirty little secret that they were ashamed of until the profits come in. I’m sure the studios don’t want to pony-up the money for an established screenwriter(of high caliber) so we have to settle for the Shannons an Swifts. They are good screenwriters, but their heart doesn’t seem like it’s in horror, or at least slasher films. Whatever happened to Victor Miller, Ron Kurz, and Barney Cohen(I can’t believe I actually can rattle off three of the Friday writers)?
Also, writers of the horror genre are going to write to the tastes of the audience. Like I said in an earlier post, it’s the Saws and Hostels that draw the audiences now, though Hostel didn’t really have big box office. Extreme horror or torture porn is the current trend and you really can’t put a Jason, Freddy, or Michael Myers in that story enviornment because the personalities of those characters remain of the old school mentality in public consciousness and would not do well. They are quick, stalk-and-kill, whereas Jigsaws draw their kills out in what I think is an excuse to use up screen time.
I don’t think shelving the Friday series for a time to bring it back a decade or two later would benefit anyone. the formula would still be essentially the same and the films would be put out when the audience’s tastes have moved onto something else. As much as I would love to see a rennaisance of the 70s and 80s horror in theatres I also believe that won’t happen again. CGI and 3D are profit makers and marketing tools, traditional stalk and slash using corn syrup for blood just doesn’t appeal to most anymore.
The stories are not the problem. You could put Jason in space, antartica, or whatever. As long as the movie is filmed well, with a good vision, good music, and good sacres. All the right components have to be there. It’s a problem with lack of talent. I’m not sure if its on the filmmakers’ behalf, or part of the studio hierarchy. But, ultimately, I believe the latest few did poorly because of lack of talent involved.
I don’t think (while good thoughts) they are outdated or have ran there race. I think writters and scripts are to blame. I mean Rob Zombie wasn’t the greatest choice and I think it was his name that got him the job. I think Adam Green in my opinion would be a great director for a Friday or Halloween film and even maybe a writter(s) for the films. I think Jason, Freddy, and Michael are just as popular and wanted it’s the presentation that needs work.
The talent was there. The writer’s just lacked the imagination to come up with more creative kills. Up until Jason X the kills were varied and different. Jason X onward relied too much on the machete. Story is just as important a component to a Friday film as any other movie. Though lopsided the stories are the writers still need to be able to create a flow within the story. Directors change on the fly as they are filming but don’t they still require the writers to incorporate those changes into the working script?
The story of a film is the backbone of the film. Without a story then actors have no situations to react to. The movie will be of people wandering around aimlessly until they get offed, as in the abismal Blair Witch Project.
Brandon read my earlier post. I agree with you whole heartedly.
@JasonsFury:
Well the series is only 30 years old and the law clearly states that you have to be 62 to retire.
So if Jason is planning on collecting Social Security, he needs to pick up that pitchfork and get back to work!
Steve
mWd
I have had the same feelings for a while now. Adam Green would be perfect as he would treat the material with nostalgia in mind and his name would resonate with the fans. He would knock a sequel out of the park!
Well, then you tell him to get back to work!
Hey I hope I don’t come across douchie with my posts. I’m bored at work and eager for something to do so I keep posting here. Come on 4pm!
As much as I love this franchise I haven’t found it scary for over twenty years, and crap like Freddy vs. Jason hasn’t helped. Maybe it should be laid to rest before Platinum Dunes really drags it through the dirt, but as long as they make money studios will keep pumping them out, regardless of quality.
I wonder if they got all the principles back together from the originals to make a new one if it would still be scary? We’ve been de-sensitised by the media over time so that the older films don’t have the fright factor they once had.
Friday the 13th must go on forever or at least end it with one more, thus the 13th film. With time directors trailed away from the classic recipe of what made these films work in the first place. Thank god for Platinium Dunes, who brought back the series essentials elements that we had not seen in a while. I am 30 years old and an avid horror fan, who grew up with the 80’s low budget films, and I have to say I loved almost every film PD has put out. JASON ROCKS !
I haven’t read the scripts, but I am sure that they might have been okay. What I see when I watch the film, is so much concentration on dispatching victims, and that’s it. Whether or not writers lacked imagination, or people could not coordinate well enough to get things strait, i do not know. I do not think story is as important as music, direction, characters, and cinematography. That’s the great thing about these movies. You do not need a creative story for them to be entertaining. With the script, all they need is a basic story, then good dialog and plot structure to go with it.
Everyone talks about the kills. I think too much of it is partly to blame for the lackluster performance of the rescent ones. If kills were so important, why is it that most prefer the early ones? They were scary, not because of the amount of carnage, for me, it was because I was not desensitized to the violence early on. The film’s took there time, with only a couple of deaths in the first hour, before laying the groundwork for the demise of the central characters. You only need about so many deaths, as long as they stick to the right structure, and do not force feed us victims. I’d be happy with a friday with no more than eight to ten deaths.
They need to play with our minds. Give us an interesting score… leaves us hang on the side of suspence… And make the deaths semi-realistic. I’m more scared seeing someone getting their throat slashed or an axe in their head, than I am of seeing someone get folded up in a mattress. One last note, maybe we don’t need to see full frame shots of Jason all the time. I know there is no mystery left, but still… I think seeing the old-school shots of just the heavy boots walking wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Retire? RETIRE??? Its never going to happen. Jason is like James Bond and Batman. And how long have those 2 been around? Way longer than Jason. The remake was awesome. Its the first FT13th film with New Line attatched that I actually respect. It went back to the old days where Jason was more scary and very pissed off. And the reason it crashed the 2nd week was because some big jerkoff romantic comedy came out. Same with the Nightmare On Elm Street remake (which kicked ass, screw the bad reviews) The first week it was number 1, but as we all know Iron Man 2 came out the next week. Thats why horror always gets the shaft in sales. Dont get me wrong I love comics, and some of these comic movies even though Iron Man 1 was weak. But anyway back to Jason. I want a sequal to the remake, and I want Derek Mears to reprise his role as Jason. He may have lost the grudgematch to Ted White, but White is Dereks favorite actor to play Jason. All thats needed is a good story, maybe all us Jason fans here can come up with something. And not the damm snow, this isnt The Thing here people. One idea I had was bringing the old lady back from the remake that told Clay She wanted to be left alone and so does He. Why is She the only one aware of Jasons presence? Why does She know where to walk, and that outsiders bring trouble? But meanwhile the cops are clueless, as well as the other residents of Crystal lake like the barn guy with the weed. Maybe Shes Granny Voorhees or Auntie Voorhees. I just think that would be awesome. But anyway, Jason will never retire, hell just change actors like Bond or Batman.
A movie without a storyline is like chicken soup without chicken. It’s bland, pointless, and lacking flavor. However thin the stories are the Fridays did have them. Dialog comes from scripting for these films. I’m sorry but none of the actors in these films are talented enough to rattle off dialog, making it up as they go along. And the kills in the earlier ones were also creative and imaginative. Remember the hammer to the back of the sherrif’s head? The hot poker in the woman’s chest? The corkscrew?
Anyone who watches this series in its entirety cannot say the earlier films were simple stalk-and-slash fare like its copiers. It baffles me that people just watch these for the kills. These films are much more than that. I liken these films to the Back To The Future movies in that I find something new about them almost every time I watch them. That’s decent storytelling in that there’s something new in there for repeat viewings. Watch part V and listen to the dialog between Reggie and his grandfather. There’s story there left unexplored for the viewer to wonder what the deal is with the grandfather not wanting his grandson to see his brother, more than the “he’s a thug and not a good role model” argument. You can’t watch these movies if there wasn’t a storyline. Again as stated in an earlier post the movies would be characters wandering aimlessly and getting slaughtered without the viewer becoming involved with the character. If the viewer cannot like or hate the characters for whatever reason then they are just cattle lining up to be slaughetered. Go watch that and save your money on movies if story doesn’t matter and just the killings do.
I just wanted to say that everyone that has contributed today has expressed some great thoughts and ideas. Thanks so much!
One thing I wanted to mention about the series is that the creators of the original film were able to make the movie they wanted to make. Outside of budget limitations, everything they filmed was put into the movie. There was no studio interference, or marketing worries or secret sets using a different movie title. It was just this little film that was made a special way and exploded into a phenomenon.
My point about possibly retiring the series was more of an idea to let things rest a while, possibly letting the franchise go the way of Independant movie making. Look at some of the films that have been released as Independant films of late and those are the movies that have heart and a real sense of terror. Maybe it is time to take Friday the 13th back to its roots, and I mean all the way back to its roots?
WHOA WHOA WHOA! No way retire the franchise. If anything it needs a break. The remake wasn’t a way to restart the franchise. I think it need to lay dormant for a while and then someone with a real vision should be given a shot at bringing it back.
The franchise will keep going as long as the movies make money. The last few movies prove that it really doesnt matter who plays Jason..as long as he plays the Jason from the 1st 4 movies. The remake was better then Parts 8, JGTH and Jason X. I still think Freddy vs Jason was the best since The Final Chapter. I agree that we dont need pre-jason movies where we find out what was going on inside Pamela’s head between 1958 and 1979. They did that with Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and that movie was horrendous. I think we should go ahead with a sequal to the remake….but this time bring back some of the alumni from previous films so we can get a taste of how it was. Seeing the heroins from the first deveral movies would bring in shitload of money on name rcognition alone with the fans. The bonus would actually be a good, suspenseful movie.
I tend to lean towards the argument that Friday the 13th is an iconic mythology, and that Jason Voorhees is in about as much danger of vanishing permanently as Dracula or Snoopy. As the series ages, the gaps between new movies will probably get longer, and the films might start breaking from formula (maybe even radically), but I wouldn’t be surprised to jump in a time machine and visit the future to find the Morlocks watching Friday the 13th Part Googol.
But giving it a break? Sure, I’m (reluctantly) willing to wait longer for a truly worthy sequel.
My point about possibly retiring the series was more of an idea to let things rest a while, possibly letting the franchise go the way of Independant movie making.
I wanna expand on that a little, Jasonsfury. I’m not sure how far I may or not be off by what you were saying, but The Independant/Low Budget look helped the earlier films (1-4 especially) a great deal in my opinion. They look anything but polished, very unlike what Hollywood shoves out today. They had a grittiness to them that you don’t see too much today. The look matched the tone of those films. I just love that grimy, down and dirty look and feel to not just the earlier Friday flicks, but of horror movies made in that era.
Jasonfury-
You have any contact information for Sean Cunningham and Adam Green?
The franchise is in the hands of Sean Cunningham, who has to sign off on anything Friday the 13th, right?
He likes money and wants to continue the series, Im sure.
Lets get some kind of petition campaign to get his butt in gear and hook up with Adam Green to put together another movie! Only if it has Harry Manfredini and Derek Mears!
Jasonsfury I totally agree with your point that F13 should come out of the major studios and get reinvented by indie filmmakers. The 2024 horror flick “The House of the Devil” was a great stripped-down throwback to 70’s horror films, and I think approaching Jason in a similar fashion (and with a comparably small budget) could someday produce a great, raw horror movie. It doesn’t have to be a clearly defined remake, a re-imagining or a sequel, just a Friday the 13th film.
I am a die hard fan of the first 5 movies made but they went south after that. I can resite word for word all 5 scripts, I am a loser I know!lol went through 3 dvd sets and upgraded to bluray and 2 vhs sets before that. I really hated the reboot. #1 The great thing about the old ones was no cell phones, ipods!! Things were more simple in those days. #2 The writers of the new horror films arent really die hard fines, so they write weak scripts that are unoriginal and think that the fans miss the characters so much they will pay to go see the new films, which is usually the case the first two weekends. #3 What ever happened to the characters actually likeing each other and you actually caring about them! Gosh I loved Alice, Ginny, Paul, Stu, Mark, Sandra, Jeff, Trish, Tommy, Chris, Shelly, and so on. In the remake they tried to add a group of people who couldnt have beeen anymore different and throw them into a house. I wanted to walk out of the movie. I grew up in the 80’s and just dont think that most of the younger generations know what good horror movies are because that havent got to experience the masterpieces. They think computer and sound effects make a great movie, but I think the more simple things make it scary #4 To make these movies work keep it in the 80’s or the time period they first appeared! Again cell phones just take the magic away. Thats what helped make the Texas Chainsaw remakes scary. I mean does anyone agree??
I’d rather the F13 films to end so more time can be focused on researching deleted footage from the original films. The extras on many of the so-called “Deluxe Editions” (like part 2) were disappointing – and I was hoping we’d get some deleted footage from part 2.
Call Steve Miner and Harry Manfredini and make another F13th movie picking up right after The Final Chapter. Bring back Jason and the Tommy Jarvis storyline (bring back Corey Feldman!) and make the whole film “the old school way”. Are you telling me people would not go to the theathers again and again?
Of course they would!
Ok, here’s my point.
The whole tendetion to make horror movies real is quite the feature of our time. This is what Platinum Dunes, Lions Gate and some other studios do right now. I think sometimes it works, sometimes not. For our franchise this approach brought some cool moments that wasn’t ther before, e.g. intensity, ‘realism’(as much as it could be about the guy in the hockey mask, killing teens to revenge his mother), and some depth of the Jason character. My point – it was a solid good movie, one of the best in the franchise. But! A big part of what it’s intended to be (originally) was lost. I’m talking about parts 2-4. These are corner stones that couldn’t be replaced and will always serve as inspiration source for whoever makes the new Friday movies.
In fact I think that classic horror and so original Friday will come back, as it’s meant to be. Not as it’s tried to interpret nowadays. Because real horror is about supernatural things that we humans didn’t understand, didn’t know how to fight and kill it for good. That what the original Jason Voorhees was – some mysterious creature (I’d say a demon) that you only think of as just mean mongoloid. Jason is wider, and greater. And we need a new movie with this superhuman Jason again. That what we all fans cry for. The only thing that’s being a problem is that trend for realism. Some day it will pass away. Then maybe we will get the ultimate Friday movie.
Again, I don’t think Friday needs to take a rest. It’s doing well like never before. Just the trends of a modern day won’t allow it to walk tall. Temporary, I’m sure.
Rusty,
No offense, but so far you have taken everything I have said and misconstrued it. I agree with you that the kills were creative; all I said was, they do not need so many or unrealistic ones. It takes away from creating fear and tension. And I agree that all films need a plot, however, it does not have to be a complicated plot. Much more time could be spent on enhansing the other elements of the films that make them great. Now, when you said “save your money and go watch that” were you using “your” meaning me, or “your” in a general sense? because I never said that I watch them for the kills. Also (Jeez, did you even read my post or just pick out bits and pieces?), I said you need a basic story and good dialog, but albeit, maybe I should have said good characters. You said none of them are talented enough to rattle off good dialoge. So are you calling, Kevin Bacon, Crispin Glover, and Corey Feldman bad actors? If you watch the first four films and even some of the others, you’ll see a lot of good acting, for what they are working with. It’s not Citizen Kane, but I think most of them do a decent job bringing the characters to life. Just listen to the dialog in the first few movies. Not without fail, but for the most part the actors manage to provide good enough performances. Again, no offense. I appreciate your opinions, but please try to make sure you’ve got my words in the right context, because for the most part, you are debating me on things that we do not disagree on.
I agree with you, Jasonsfury. Ultimatley, the films should go back to being independent. That would be the best way to get a great Friday again.
Rusty,
My apologies. I re-read your post, and I think I realized that it was going off of what I said, not rubuttling what I said. Again, my apologies for the long post. I am very embarrassed. Sorry.
Sincerely,
Tommyboi
I think part of the problem with modern horror in general(Especially alot of the remake/reboots) is the audience that the movie is being made for. The need to dumb everything down, to spell everything out for the audience. There’s not much left for your imagination. That’s why the original was so effective, your imagination is all over the place, considering you didn’t see the killer until the finale. I don’t need to see Jason checking himself out in the mirror
tommy boi no harm on my end either. It’s good to know there are so many Friday fans out there who care this much about the franchise. No appologies necessary. Hopefully the producers look at these pages and see how much people care enough about the movies to maybe give us something special in the next installment. Spirited conversations are good.
maybe they should wait 10 years!
its been done before(jason goes to hell-freddy Vs jason),and look what it did.it bought jason back… (for awhile!)
I love the series and always have! Like you JF, I also grew up with these movies and have enjoyed every single one of them even the crappy ones! Jason holds a dear place in my heart over any of the other slashers. Personally, I loved the reboot. It was the most fun at a movie theater I have had in ages. I think they should get to work on a sequel quick because I know it will make money in 3-D or not!
We atleast need a 13th installment before retirement
The franchise doesn’t need to retire. Out of all the reboots, and I’m not just saying, “Friday” 2024 was a good intro. to a truely dying series(With the latter films) JV was the scariest launch for modern day reboots. He was more relentless then RZ Myers (copied from Jason), More deadly in the woods then TCM2003, and had more of an element then even JEH’s mono-tone Freddy. Keep them coming people!
No i do not thing its time for the series to retire at all, i believe there will be more than a 13th installment.
I strongly agree with Blayze and Matt. I too like Blayze have been there from the begining & I have an incredible amount of F13th merchandise. There will always be a market for Jason, Freddy, & Michael Myers. They’re horror icons! It’s no different from Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, etc. Look at all the movies that have been made with those characters and still are being made. The trouble is that the regular average movie goers don’t care for horror films the way we all do. Most folks are not open to them. I’m a die hard horror fan and yet I still keep an open mind to other types of movies. I like Comedies, action, SciFi, and fantasy as well. I usually don’t watch dramas or chick flicks but I have seen them to compromise with my wife when we go to the movies and I keep an open mind. I beleive that is fair and I strongly feel that horror does not receive enough of that same respect IMO. Sorry, I rambled. Bottom line is that there is a strong enough fan base to keep F13th going strong.
I think it is key to point out that this is the nature of all long running Franchises and that time off won’t help. It stems from a generational gap. As you hit on, movies aren’t made now the way they were in the 80s. Not saying that can’t be, or could never be again. But, right now, that aren’t. Star Wars struggles with this, as did Bond, Batman, Godzilla, so on.
The original fans want the style that defines the first five films which is the pre-MTV Generation, pre-fast cuts, pre-movie being a giant music video type of movie. Part 6 marked a very specific shift in production methodology that has defined the Franchise to this day. We have yet to see the feel of the first five films.
It’s really just a matter of pushing forward and keeping on and we’ll eventually get back on the horse fully.
I think Platinum Dunes should hold a F13 script writing contest for the die hard f13 fans, pick 3 and let us vote on which one should be made. Also let us have a say in the director. Or even better than that, we all write what the new film should be on this blog, vote on the best story lines and material, then move on until we have a script. I think we would all be better off attempting to fill in the holes of the first four installments better than some jackass writers in hollywood can. Because the writers of the F13th reboot and the new nightmare on elm street couldnt even write a script for a porno without making it stupid.
As much as I hate remakes and desperately want to see a part 13, I’d rather see scores of remake sequels and more friday reboots (with Jason, Pamela) than to see a future without that loveable burlap sack mask/Hockey Mask wearing machete wielding, aspiring homocidal artist pyschopath Jason Voorhees. FRIDAY THE 13TH FOREVER!!!!!!
No, I want many more Friday the 13th’s!!!
The franchise SHOULD continu!! It is just too good to put on the back burner!! Anyway life without friday 13th?? NOT THINKABLE!!!!!!!
The franchise simply makes too much money for every studio that owns the rights to it. As long as that happens, we will see a new film every few years or so…just as we have been.
I kinda agree with Kiah Graham. I read alot of great ideas for future installments on this site. Since it is the fans who gave this franchise its longevity shouldn’t it be that the producers give weight to fans’ ideas?
I agree with Kiah & TheRustyMachete.
I’m sick of the fans being shunned with these reimaginings. Take Zombie’s Halloween…after making the first one, he decided that the fans will hate it and bitch no matter what he does, so he deliberately made something further from we wanted. It was a stupid assumption because many of us hadn’t completely written him off and went into the second movie with high hopes.
I don’t get why it is impossible for these filmmakers to make what the fans want…when we are so vocal and so specific about it. I fully support giving them the freedom to do their own thing, but with a long-standing cult classic series that is fueled by the old school fans, it’s just bad business and it’s what leads these series’s to constantly be at a stand-still.
There’s this mentality that they just CAN’T give us what we want, so why bother? That’s absurd. The originals gave us what we wanted and they cost next to nothing to make. Fuck what Hollywood WANTS to make, because in the end, we’re still the buyers.
What needs to change is the studios need to consider for once hiring people with a true passion for the series rather than the same cronies that make all of their half-assed, sloppy, uninspired movies. There are millions of people that would kill for these jobs, yet they give them to people who are wishy-washy on it or just aim to poke fun at it.
I am totally with tommyblah. Films like these need writers who know the material and have a love for horror. It seems as though in the post Scream era we’re still getting cookie-cutter cinema. Formulaic is ok, since most of the Fridays adhere to that type of filmmaking, but please do so with the “classic” form, not knocking off Scream.
JasonsFury, this is one of your best topics for discussion. Here it is three days later and we’re still talking about it. Keep it up! Which of your articles has had the highest number of responses?
Thanks, I appreciate that and am glad so many people are expressing their opinions.
There have been a handful of blogs that have reached into the 100’s with comments and most have to do with the state of the franchise, the reboot that came out last year or sequel informaton.
This has proven to be a hot topic.However shame on you jasonsfury to even suggest retiring the J man.As long as theirs teens to be slayed and inferior directors (along with abysmal screenwriters) for Hollywood to employ then their will always be Friday The 13th.It’s the franchise that will never die………KI,KI,KI,MA,MA,MA.
With as often as I’ve visited this website today I think I\m gonna watch a couple of Fridays this evening.
@ Hevymentl13 & JC Legion, I completely agree with you. Not sure why everyone keeps talking about the drop off. I loved it and that’s not gonna change my mind. Almost every movie pretty much drops the second weekend, whether it’s a little or a lot. But I really don’t care, it’s made it’s money back and so much more. I really want a sequel. PD has yet to let me down.
I don’t see a need to retire the series. I didn’t like the remake but they’re are people that did so if anything the new set of films ( if they make a sequel to the remake) will be for them. I have no interest in seeing any more of the remakes. I’ve come to realize that the friday the 13th, Elm street and Halloween series of films are done for me. I can always go back to the old films and enjoy them or pick up any of the comics or books that come out based on these series. In the end the remakes of each of these series have been unimpressive to say the least and haven’t made me hopeful for the future of each series