Friday The 13th

Horror films are particularly successful as a franchise and the Friday the 13th series has been one of the most popular. Released in 1980, the independently produced movie popularized the slasher film and it spawned many imitations. It gained word of mouth recommendation and became one of the biggest hits at the box office for a film of its kind.

The original story involves a group of teenagers who want to re-open a campsite that has been abandoned because of its sinister reputation. Murders have occurred at the Camp Crystal Lake when it operated as a summer camp, years previously. A boy named Jason Voorhees drowned in a nearby river. It is the character Jason who will go on to dominate the plot of the sequels, when he returns as a man to stalk subsequent generations. Ari Lehman played Jason and Kevin Bacon had an early role as Jack Burrell. Pamela Voorhees was acted by Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King and Harry Crosby also starred. The original Friday the 13th paved the way for eleven sequels.

These films are genuinely scary and will delight horror fans. The franchise is still popular and a remake movie is currently in production, scheduled for a 2009 release. This time, the story centers on attempts to re-open Camp Crystal Lake for children with special needs. Derek Mears plays Jason Voorhees and it also features Jared Padalecki and Odette Yustman. The most recent incarnation of the series was Freddie v Jason, which came out in 2003. This brought Jason into conflict with another iconic horror character, Freddie Kruger from the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

In addition to the movies, there are other ways to get to know the characters. There are three video games and also, comic books. Some of the sequel movies have been adapted as novels. As with any popular franchise, merchandise items are in high demand by the fans. More than 100 licensed products are on the market, including model kits of characters that fans build up themselves. Other items include action figures, dolls and statuettes. The Friday the 13th films can be relived on DVD, as separate titles or as a box set with commentaries and interviews with the crew and cast members. Jason is one of the most disturbing characters ever created for a horror movie. He is also one of the most recognizable, having worn a hockey mask from the third movie. Friday the 13th continues to fascinate and influence the horror genre.

Summary: What is it about Friday The 13th we love so much? The gruesome murders, the suspense, the allure of evil that will never go away? Horror fans have loved every sequel of this movie, and there have been eleven of them with another one in the works for 2009. Jason is the most recognizable bad guy in horror films, although Freddy hangs right up there. They starred together in 2003 for Freddy Versus Jason.

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