THE MOVIE PAGES presents in FRIDAY THE 13TH fridaythe13th.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"As far as re-imaginings go, this was a good relaunch. Fans of the series won't be disappointed, if you don't like horror or Jason then this movie isn't for you. It knows it's audience and plays to it."
Michelle Alexandria ECLIPSE MAGAZINE
"One for horror fans that everyone else can happily avoid."
Allan Hunter DAILY EXPRESS
"The franchise needed this. A 21st century FRIDAY THE 13th with the best Jason ever."
Devin Faraci CHUD
"Friday the 13th has a sexy cast, lots of blood 'n guts and nudity."
Avi Offer NYC MOVIE GURU
"The acting is always good, but when it's not, you can always expect that character to flash her boobs, so who's complaining?"
Mike Sage PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK
"Delivering exactly what the world has come to expect from a Friday the 13th film."
Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES
"The film, an endless succession of strippings, slashings and skewerings, looks as if the production team had learnt their art doing work experience under the influence of drugs at an abattoir next door to a nudist camp."
Philip French UK OBSERVER

"Noisy neighbor revenge, a robotic kill for mom masked maniac chopaholic wielding sharp implements, and horny cookie cutter party animal bare breasted babes and boozers."
Prairie Miller NEWSBLAZE
"In addition to being awesome, it all just feels kind of celebratory, even reverent, like a tribute to what teen slasher films are all about."
Cammila Albertson TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE
"Nispel's Friday is terrific looking, capably acted and it has a sense of humor, three things that separate it from the original."
Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER EXPRESS
"While the latest installment feels more like a really dark and vicious sequel, it is still a welcome return for America's favorite hockey mask donning slasher killer."
JimmyO JO BLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM
"The undying Friday the 13th franchise gets a surprisingly decent reboot in this stylish, playful example of the decapitated hottie genre."
Nathan Lee NEW YORK TIMES
"Only just about as good as it absolutely has to be. Which is admittedly better than most of the densest sequels in the original run of films could claim."
Tim Brayton ANTAGONY & ECSTASY

The Inside Story "What you do when you make a movie like this is ask yourself, 'What is it about the mythology that makes people want to watch it over and over again?' Then you make sure you give them what they want, but not exactly what they expect. That’s what makes it fun," says director Marcus Nispel ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" 2003). "Jason Voorhees, Darth Vader, Freddy Krueger: there are a few villains that just stick with you," notes Jared Padalecki, who has played Sam Winchester in eighty two episodes of "Supernatural". "You’re interested in what they’ll do next, what other havoc can they wreak. Even if you haven’t seen the movies, you’ve heard of them, you’ve heard of 'Friday the 13th'. It’s all about Jason." After the success of 2003’s "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", Platinum Dunes producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller reunited with Nispel to bring a new "Friday the 13th" to the screen. "Because 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' was so successful," notes Fuller, "Michael and Drew and I sat down and said, 'Are there any other titles that we loved when we were growing up?' That’s when 'Friday the 13th' came into our minds." "We all felt it would be great to take the character of Jason Voorhees and bring him back to the screen," Form says. "We are horror fans first and producers second and we all grew up with and loved the 'Friday the 13th' films," Fuller revealed. "They were fantastic and a lot of fun in their own way. They really created a subgenre within the horror genre that struck a cord with audiences. So when you are presented with the opportunity to make a movie like this, it’s impossible to say no if you truly are a fan. The greatest thing about the films was the experience of sitting in a theater with other people and being scared out of my mind. I went to a summer camp in Maine and one of the big reasons most people get so scared watching the films is because so many of us have had a summer camp experience or have gone camping." The 'Friday the 13th' legacy is across generations of filmgoing horror fans. Friday, June 13, 1958. Two Camp Crystal Lake counselors slip away from the campfire gathering of friends for an illicit rendezvous, where they are discovered and murdered by an unseen assailant. More than two decades later, the refurbished camp is preparing to reopen. The town loon warns that "Camp Blood", as he calls it, has a death curse, but the caretaker and his young counselors ignore the mysterious lore, only to be gruesomely murdered by Pamela Voorhees (played by Betsy Palmer), a woman whose young son, Jason, drowned in 1957. Only one counselor would survive to tell the tale of their twenty four hour nightmare of terror that shocked and horrified audiences in the 1980 film "Friday the 13th". The stark, in your face violence of the movie broke the mold as one of the forerunners of a new and different age of horror film and quickly became an instant classic as well as a box office sensation. The subsequent franchise, one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time, expanded beyond the big screen to include a television show, novels, comic books, video games and more. The film’s iconic villain and the visage of his trademark hockey mask became part of modern pop culture. The Platinum Dunes producing partners felt the franchise was ripe for revamping. It was time for a re-imaging of the film which had terrified audiences and eventually led to it's main character Jason Voorhees taking on Freddy Kruger in the 2003 film, "Freddy vs Jason".

"Friday the 13th" is the producing team’s seventh title to date and, with all the horror genre success under their banner, Fuller and Form felt it was critical to find writers who were really connected to the franchise. "We were very lucky that writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who had written "Freddy vs Jason", were excited to take the ride," says Fuller ("The Horsemen" & "The Unborn"). "We knew they cared as much about Jason and his legacy as we did and were confident that they would deliver a script that took all of the best elements of the first few films and combined them with some fresh, inventive stuff. They really nailed it. When the script came in, I loved it," Nispel ("Pathfinder: The Legend of the Ghost Warrior") recalls. "It’s still the same terrifying Jason, only they reveal aspects that hadn’t been shown so far." For screenwriters Shannon and Swift, revamping one of the most recognizable horror villains ever meant going back to the franchise’s roots. "We felt it was important to go back to the basics and put Jason back in the woods again," Swift revealed. "Our idea was to make the story much grittier than in recent years, with a fast and loose Jason like never seen before," Shannon added. "We wanted to make him someone who was actually in the woods surviving off the land like a real human being would. We wanted the character to be territorial, like a hunter. It’s not like he’s just going around killing people randomly. If you invade his territory, he’s going to protect his turf and you’re going to pay an awful price." Nispel appreciated the writers respectful take. "They would never refer to Jason as the monster or the villain. He is the anti-hero. And that is what draws me to these kinds of characters. I’m not generally that interested in supernatural characters. What’s scary for me is that somebody like Leatherface or Jason could be my neighbor." For Shannon and Swift, as well as the filmmakers, one of the biggest challenges in writing and developing the screenplay was deciding where to start the film and what to include from the 11 previous films. "It’s a lot of pressure to re-launch a franchise like this because you really have two different audiences to please." says Fuller. "There are the fans who already know the stories and are going to come to see it because of the curiosity factor. Then you have to try to also capture those who weren’t necessarily fans of the title, but who love a good horror film. We felt that a way to serve both those audiences was to give them something they haven’t seen before, but also tie it in with iconic moments from the original films." Once the script was in place, the filmmakers focused on casting a young ensemble of actors to play the college kids who unwittingly enter into the realm of a murderer. The first character the filmmakers had to cast was Clay Miller. The role went to Jared Padalecki ("Flight of the Phoenix" & "House Of Wax"). "Jared Padalecki was the first person cast in the film and it really set the tone," says Fuller. It turns out out the three producers were already fans of the twenty six year old co-star "Supernatural" of the hit TV series "Supernatural" (2005-2009). "He’s really talented and hardworking, plus he’s a big guy, so we knew we had someone who could probably give the villain a run for his money," Fuller said. "I was in middle school when I saw the original "Friday The 13th" and I remember it scaring the life out of me," says Padalecki. "When I found out they were remaking the movie, I was very excited about getting involved."

Danielle Panabaker ("Sky High" & "Mr Brooks") was cast as Jena, a young girlwho is on a weekend getaway with her friends at Crystal Lake. "The character of Jenna is a little bit complicated. We need the viewer to like her, even though she goes to the lake house with one guy and ditches him for a different guy," Nispel explained. "There’s an incredible innocence to Danielle," Form notes. "She’s not naļve; she just has a wide-eyed view of the world, which was needed for Jenna. The character had to be likeable so audiences understand why she makes the choice that she does and love her for doing it." Jenna is ambiguously dating Trent, whose parents own a big cabin that she and several other friends go to for the weekend. She and Trent have not hooked up and she’s not sure if it’s something she wants to pursue. She’s just there to have fun and hang out at a beautiful house by the lake," says Panabaker. Travis Van Winkle ("Transformers") was cast as Jenna’s would-be suitor, Trent. When it came to assessing the merit of Van Winkle's character, Nipsel was blunt: "Trent is a jerk. He is arrogant, but he has to be likeable at the same time, if such a thing exists." "Trent is really trying to score," says Van Winkle ("Accepted") so he figures if he brings a bunch of friends up to his parents’ lake house for a big blowout, he will be able to finally hook up with this particular girl." But it doesn't work out. Travis is killed, much to the actors delight. "It’s Jason! The hockey mask! All I wanted was to have an awesome death scene." Amanda Righetti, who plays Grace Van Pelt in the hit TV show "The Mentalist" was cast as Clay’s missing sister, Whitney. "I was quite young when the first films came out, but I remember the character of Jason very well," says Righetti ("Role Models"). "When I auditioned for the role, they didn’t let me read the script, so it really was a leap of faith. After I got the part and read it, I was really excited because I thought Whitney had an unusual character arc that I didn’t expect. The script was innovative and fresh and you don’t really know who is going to live and who is going to die, which will keep the audience guessing." "Amanda’s a tough girl and has the guts and the gumption to get up and go when the time comes," notes Form. "She takes it very seriously and brings a level of commitment to the character that I love." While Nispel and the filmmakers were busy assembling the cast of characters who find themselves at the mercy of a psychotic killer, they also had to decide who would brandish the machete and slip on the iconic hockey mask, effectively becoming the new Jason Voorhees. During the almost thirty year history of the franchise, there have been several actors who have played the character, including: Ari Lehman (1980); C.J. Graham (1986); Kane Hodder (1993) and Ken Kirzinger (2003). The filmmakers chose actor and stuntman Derek Mears to portray the genre’s recognizable villain. "When we talked about who would play Jason, we all agreed we wanted an imposing actor," says Nispel. "We had already hired Jared Padalecki, who is six foot four, so we knew we needed a very big actor as well as a stunt double to do the stunts for the actor playing Jason." Form remembers, "When Derek stood in the room and you could see exactly how he’s built and how he moves, we knew he was Jason." Casting our films is something that is very personal for me," Fuller admits. "Each one of the actors we have cast has a piece of themselves in the character that they’re playing." Synopsis

Welcome back to Crystal Lake for a chilling re-imagining of the classic horror film "Friday the 13th". Searching for his missing sister Whitney, Clay Miller heads up to the eerie woods of Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And that’s not the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has in the search for his missing sister, Whitney, with the help of Jenna, a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are all about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history: the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete. Sex, drugs, music and bloodied bodies.

The Verdict "Anyone who has seen the 1980 and the 1982 'Fridays' will relate to that old movie saying: nothing beats the thrill of an original. Unless of course, you weren't born when the original(s) came out in cinemas. As this version is R rated (both here in Australia and the USA), it comes as no surprise that a big slice of the film-makers target audience for this re-imaging of the original "Friday the 13th Part 2", wouldn't have been around prior to 1991. Of course, having made that point, "Friday the 13th" doesn't preclude older fans of the horror genre or those who have a fascination for the insatiable monster who beat the hell out of Freddy Kruger in 2003's "Freddy vs Jason". It's hard to define whether this re-imaging is once again aimed at younger adults or whether it's what we expect these days from the genre. My belief is that "Friday the 13th" concentrates on what we've come to expect from most films in this genre today: sex, drugs, scatter-brained dope-fiends, plenty of breast exposure and thankfully, a retarded killer who many would be suggesting should be applauded for ridding society of these waste of space (and in the main, highly unlikeable) characters in the most brutal fashion. "Friday the 13th" ensures audiences will (despite many sensing what is about to happen), be on the edge of their seats. There's a feeling of dread and a distinctly uneasy foreboding that once Jason gets hold of a hapless victim, their blood will spurt freely from the painfully, mortal wounds he inflicts. Unless of course, they cop one in the head. When that happens, you expect the worse. Thankfully we're all intelligent adults who realize it's only make-believe: horrible, stomach churning, want to scream your lungs out, make-believe. Chilling, thrilling, macabre fun. 3 1/2 STAR." Who Plays Who?

Jared Padalecki
Danielle Panabaker
Amanda Righetti
Travis Van Winkle
Aaron Yoo
Derek Mears
Jonathan Sadowski
Julianna Guill
Ben Feldman
Arlen Escarpeta
Ryan Hansen
Willa Ford
Nick Mennell
America Olivo
Kyle Davis
Richard Burgi
Chris Coppola
Rosemary Knower
Bob King
Nana Visitor
Stephanie Rhodes
Caleb Guss
Travis Davis

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Clay Miller
Jenna
Whitney Miller
Trent
Chewie
Jason Voorhees
Wade
Bree
Richie
Lawrence
Nolan
Chelsea
Mike
Amanda
Donnie
Officer Bracke
Gas Station Attendant
Old Lady
Old Caretaker
Pamela Voorhees
Camp Counselor
Young Jason Voorhees
Officer Lund

The Production Team

Director
Screenplay
Story
Characters
Producers
Original Music
Director of photography
Film Editor
Casting
Production Design
Art Direction
Set Decoration
Costume Design

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Marcus Nispel
Damian Shannon & Mark Swift
Damian Shannon/Mark Swift/Mark Wheaton
Victor Miller
Michael Bay/Andrew Form/Brad Fuller
Steve Jablonsky
Daniel C Pearl
Ken Blackwell
Lisa Fields
Jeremy Conway
John Frick
Randy Smith Huke
Mari-An Ceo