Exhumation: (n) the act of digging something out of the ground (especially a corpse) where it has been buried.
This interview was conducted 11/04
Talking With The Dead: 15 Questions with Peter M. Bracke
A lifelong enthusiast of the horror genre, Peter M. Bracke is the world’s foremost authority on the Friday the 13th series.
Over the past year and a half, he has interviewed over 175 alumni of the series, including cast members, writers, directors, producers and craftspeople. His writings on the series include a recent retrospective article on the original film for the 25th Anniversary Issue of Fangoria Magazine, as well as “Jason’s Journeys” for The Official Freddy Vs. Jason Movie Magazine and “Slashback” for Alternative Cinema.
Peter has also hosted audio commentaries for the overseas DVD release of the original Friday the 13th, available now in international territories from Warner Home Video, and the Friday the 13th Ultimate DVD Collection, which is currently available from Paramount Home Entertainment. Peter’s other recent appearances include “Jasons Unmasked” at the 2004 ComiCon in San Diego, as well as moderating a series of first-ever reunions of Friday the 13th alumni co-produced by Fangoria and Chiller Theatre Productions.
In addition to his work chronicling the exploits of Jason Voorhees, Peter is a leading entertainment journalist who has worked in the fields of film, video and DVD production for over ten years. He has recently completed the book Ultimate DVD, due for publication in August 2004 by The Penguin Group. This definitive primer is a collection of his best DVD reviews, filmmaker interviews and essays, and will be the most comprehensive guide to the format’s interactive capabilities and features yet published. Peter contributes daily entertainment coverage for Yahoo! Online, and his work has appeared in such diverse outlets as E! Online, Time Out, Premiere (UK), Electronic Gaming Monthly, Video Store Magazine and Total Film (UK). Some of the industry luminaries he has interviewed include: Michael Bay, Tim Burton, John Carpenter, Richard Donner, Jodie Foster, McG, Mel Gibson, Baz Luhrmann, George Lucas, Alan Parker, Robert Rodriguez, Ridley Scott, Bryan Singer and John Waters.
A graduate of the prestigious USC School of Cinema-Television, in 1998 Peter founded the highly influential website DVDFILE.com. In his capacity as Editor-in-Chief he has written and edited over 2,000 full-length feature stories, reviews, interviews, editorials and technical reports. Currently ranked the No. 1 independent DVD online resource in readership and reach by leading research firm Alexander & Associates, DVDFILE.com has also been cited as the best Internet DVD destination by such publications as E! Online, Shift Magazine, DVD Review UK and DVD World Report, and is currently listed by Yahoo! as one of the two most popular DVD sites on the web.
Outside of his work as an entertainment journalist, Peter has also written, directed and crewed on over a dozen short films and commercials. He currently lives in Los Angeles.*
1. Do the Friday the 13th films hold a special place in your heart, or did you just feel it was time for someone to give this series the retrospective look that it deserved?
Both. I grew up on the Friday films – they were better than Star Wars for me, better than E.T., better than Indiana Jones. I couldn’t wait until the next Friday flick came out, and there was so much mystery. Unlike today’s world with the Internet and surplus information on movie-making, back then it was almost magical. A new Friday would just appear out of thin air, its secrets intact. And I loved horror. It was and is still my favorite genre. So I was like a kid in the candy store in the 80’s -all these great franchises like Friday the 13th and Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. It was a great time to grow up, despite the bad fashions!
As for the book, it was a combination. I was at a point in my career when I wanted to move towards writing something more long form. I started on the Internet, doing reviews and interviews, but I was ready to take the next step and paint on a larger canvas. Not to be pretentious, but I wanted to look at something that had not been given much attention or regard and shine a light on it. Friday the 13th was like a big black hole. The series has always been a critical punching bag, and back when I started in late 2002, Freddy vs.Jason had not yet ignited and there wasn’t much interest in the series. Yet it remained the longest-running and most successful horror franchise in history. So it felt right. And it was something I knew well and loved. Perfect timing, I thought.
Since then, of course, FvJ brought the series back into the public eye, and now we have DVDs and websites and conventions and all this renewed excitement for the series. Also, the film’s 25th anniversary next year has of course piqued interest even more. I think nostalgia travels in cycles and now it is time for films of the era to be reassessed. The Friday films and those of its decade are now influential because kids who grew up in the 80’s are now taking over Hollywood. So it is coming full circle.
This, of course, meant all the elements were in place to do a book, and it just hit me and I committed. I didn’t expect it to take this long or grow so big – the book is now hardcover and filled with photos – but I am happy to be doing it and it is an experience I would not trade for anything.
2. How did it feel to have the tremendous amount knowledge about the series at your fingertips?
Fun,scary and humbling. It felt like just a little secret at first. Again, back in 2002 no one seemed to care that much and I figured it would sell a few copies and that would be it. Now, it seems Friday the 13th and slasher films are “hip” again, and not just in the Scream way. I really liked those movies, but some thought it and its ilk were ultimately derogatory. Flash-forward to 2004, and Friday the 13th and other franchises are being acknowledged as legitimate and influential. And with Freddy vs. Jason, a new generation of fans has turned Jason into an action icon. So I felt a sudden pressure that people were actually waiting for this.
Also adding to the pressure was that I never wanted to do a simple fact book, but something that made a genuine attempt to analyze the series and its impact, and also examined how the industry has changed over the past 25 years. FvJ was a big hit so my original theories had to adapt, smack in the middle of writing. In the 70’s, exploitation films were made, marketed and distributed totally differently than they are today. Now, major studios make monster movies, and much of the stigma has lifted. It is now hip to do a slasher or so-called “B” movie – it is almost a rite of passage for any young actor on the WB. This has turned the book into something more than just nostalgia – this formula has true resonance for a whole new generation, so how to document that and still do something fun and not heavy-handed?
But ultimately I just am very humbled. I can only marvel that I have been so lucky to get close to so many people. It is surreal to talk with filmmakers who inspired me – sitting down for lunch with Sean Cunningham, or hosting a convention panel, or moderating an audio commentary is still not something I can quite fathom. I feel very lucky, but am very aware that Friday fans have been really deprived. I know that if I were to do this, I really had to think of the fans and their needs first and foremost, not just fulfilling childhood dreams. Hopefully you, the fans, and all those who gave me their time for an interview, will feel I delivered.
3. Was there anything that you found in all of your research and interviews that you felt was an interesting nugget of knowledge that didn’t make it into the book?
Tough to say as the manuscript has not gone through final editing and proofing. I don’t expect any major story to slip by. I did an outline that I constantly revised – it had every major question I could think of that a fan would want to know, as well as being flexible enough so that I could weave in all the themes and human arcs I needed. More than just a compendium of facts and figures, I wanted to tell real stories – of the people who made the films, the cultural impact of the series, and why the character of Jason and the mythology has so impacted the psyche of its fans. Luckily, after much drama, the book will be large enough to accommodate all this stuff and still have room for many great photos. And it will certainly be heavy!
But as for really interesting stuff, I can say just as a fan my mouth dropped during some interviews. Many people opened up for the first time, so I think there are a few things that may shock fans. This won’t be a tabloid in the slightest, but movies often are difficult to make and people don’t always see eye to eye. There have been many controversies over the years, everything from lawsuits to recasting, to drug use to onset clashes. If anything, it won’t be boring!
4. After playing Jason in several of the last movies, were you as stunned as the rest of us when Kane Hodder was not cast in Freddy vs. Jason?
Yes. It didn’t make much sense to me. You had an actor the fans loved, who championed the series and who, from all accounts, was an utmost professional. So why replace something that is not broken? However -and this will be covered in full in the book – the creative team behind FvJ wanted to go in a different direction. Sometimes the reasons are really plain and simple, even if unpopular.
However, the fans seem to have accepted and embraced Ken Kirzinger, so that is a tough question I had to face in the book – just how much does the actor matter when it comes to a character like Jason? To say nothing of issues of studio loyalty and the power structure of today’s Hollywood. There are often many involved in every decision on every level, so it is hard to say in any definitive sense of who was right and who was wrong regarding the replacement of Kane. I will present the facts in the book and let the viewer decide.
5. With the success of the series and Freddy vs. Jason, do you see this as the “next wave”of Jason and Crystal Lake, or has the dynamic of the series changed so much that the old fans will wish to see the characters and places put to rest?
A very important question. I have to admit that I think we will never see a “classic” Friday film again, although such a thing is probably no longer possible anyway. You can’t go back and recreate the mood and atmosphere of the 80’s. It was its own time, and audiences obviously needed and reacted to slasher films like Friday the 13th and Halloween en masse. But now, the young audience has been raised on videogames and MTV and much more polished production values. Today’s horror movies must speak to that audience. So the question is not just should the Friday franchise try to bridge the gap between the two generations, but should it even have to?
I am personally shocked at how young the audience is for Jason today. I have seen so many very young kids -we’re talking six and seven year-olds -who love Jason and look at him like Spider-Man. He is an action hero and they don’t even seem scared by him at all. I would not be surprised to see a Saturday morning Jason cartoon be a big hit. So is it still possible to make such a character scary again? It will be interesting to see what happens to the franchise and the character. I think old Friday fans may have to accept that this is no longer their franchise-do kids today see Jason as something totally different? So who do you make future sequels for? Whatever the answer, expect the studio to exploit that to the fullest.
Personally, I am torn. There is that part of me that realizes that sometimes it is best to let something go and move on. How many sequels can you make? Yet there is still that deep desire to see Jason kick ass again. I think all horror fans want to sit in the theater and experience another hardcore Friday the 13th or Halloween film. And if the reaction to the new Texas Chainsaw remake is any indication, perhaps the answer is to give it a rest and just do a remake. Do a re-invention. But as long as that impulse is still there, to return to the horror movies that influenced us, my guess is that this will not be the end of Friday the 13th.
6. Paramount is releasing a 4 disc box set for the first 8 movies. Do you feel as I do that this is a complete slap in the face to fans as I do, seeing as how we all know that enough material exists to do the ultimate 8 disc set?
This is a complex situation. Having covered the DVD industry for the past six years, I can say that the hows and whys of a DVD are often just as convoluted as making a movie. The complaint from DVD producers is often the same as filmmakers- that marketing departments and executives with business degrees are making decisions, not those with creative backgrounds or artistic inclinations. So goes the complaints leveled at Paramount.
With Friday, I was told by Frank Mancuso, Jr., that he originally approached Paramount about a box set three years ago, and that it should be done right, with uncut versions of the films the “way he intended them to be.” What transpired since has many different sides, but Frank subsequently walked away and Paramount decided not to invest the money in restoring each film, which would entail not only finding the footage, but restoring, reediting and re-scoring each picture. And I also personally believe, and was told by two inside Paramount, that there were some executive concerns over presenting uncut versions of films that many find, if not offensive, than less-than-respectable.
However, at the end of the day, money is what determines the content on any DVD. The usual marketing formula is to look at a film’s previous theatrical and home video performance, gauge the audience and then set the budget. I know that was the case with Friday the 13th. What is a reasonable budget based on a property’s past popularity? Whether or not the budget allotted the Friday set was correct based on its cult following is up for debate. Another factor is that the studios usually hire vendors to create the extras, who have no control over the actual versions of the films that are released. I know that was the case with Friday and Toolbox, who were contracted to create the supplements. They were given a budget and had to cover eight films, and were only give a max of about 200 minutes. And again money dictates, so I know Toolbox would certainly have loved to interview everyone, but they have to make money as well, so it is all about creating the best one can within time and budget constraints.
I personally feel the box set could have been better. I know some materials, like a Part 8 gag reel, the Alice Cooper music video, etc.,were dropped due to legal reasons or because licensing fees were too high. But I am of a belief that the budget should have been higher because, although previous Friday films did not do all that well on video, they were released before video hit big, or in the case of the previous DVDs, also early on and with no fanfare or extras. So it is disappointing that the set is not more lavish. The lack of uncut versions just is not a selling point. I would have liked to have seen Frank Mancuso’s involvement, but can understand why he walked away. Most troubling are statements from Paramount that they may “revisit” the set if sales are strong of this release, which once again puts the onus on fans to spend there money, just to test the waters to see if the studio can then economically release the version they should have in the first place.
In the end, though, I don’t think it is a slap in the face, because the studios are made up of so many different people that decisions are made by committee, so you can’t blame or pinpoint it on one person. Everything is a compromise, and there definitely are people at the studio and at Toolbox that really wanted to deliver the best possible. I just am continually amazed that anything gets done at all within such a monolithic corporate structure. I was just happy to do the Part 3 commentary, because I could contribute what I could and having zero power over the release, at least something was better than nothing. But I understand arguments in favor of just boycotting the release until it is done right. In any case, I know I can just focus on the book and make that as best as it can be.
7. It seems that Paramount always seemed to have some kind of shame for this series, but could not turn away from making a profit on the films. Do you feel that somewhere deep down they continued to make these films campier and cut down on purpose as a way to kill off the series?
I don’t think so, at least based on my interviews. All of the Paramount Friday films were negative pickups, meaning they were produced independently on a bank loan, based on the guarantee that Paramount would then buy and distribute the films upon completion for a set amount of money. After Sean Cunningham departed the series after the original film, the three financiers of the first film – known by cast and crew as “the Boston backers” – were the main drivers of subsequent sequels. Frank Mancuso Jr. took over as producer, working with them and with Paramount.
I was able to talk with him at length about how the series evolved, and although Paramount obviously got plenty of flak from critics and parents groups and the like, and some higher executives did not wear their Friday banner with pride, ultimately it was a financial decision on behalf of the studio to continue to make money off the sequels. At least from what I have been told, Paramount took a creative hands-off approach and left it to the Frank, the Boston backers and the filmmakers on each installment to make the picture. Paramount may have been embarrassed privately, but they never issued any public statements to that effect and they certainly never stopped making more of ’em.
From everyone I talked to – Frank, the directors, producers, cast, etc. -things begin to splinter after The Final Chapter. Frank understandably wanted to make more than just the same movie over and over, so pulled away to become executive producer, hiring separate “line” producers(i.e., a producer that comes in and oversees the actual production and completion of the film, although does not make the main creative decisions such as director and script approval, casting, etc.) The approach became to bring in a young director who had energy to give it a vision. Frank and the backers felt that the formula had to be tweaked each time – what can be brought to the mix that is fresh and new? Hence, the “imposter” Jason, Jason resurrected, Jason vs. Carrie, Jason goes to the Big Apple, etc. Of course, whether or not these ideas worked are best left to the fans to decide.
Frank also started a company called Hometown Films in the second half of the 80s,which produced many films other than just the Friday flicks. So names familiar to fans like Barbara Sachs, etc., often took a more active role in seeing the later Friday films to completion. Also, the Boston backers took less of an involvement. Hence, most I talked to from that period felt that the “Friday family” on the earlier films had begun to lose interest, which coupled with the aging slasher formula and competition from the likes of the more fantastical and inventive Nightmare on Elm Street series, had the greatest effect on the diversity of the later Friday flicks. But all I spoke to say they made a sincere effort to do something commercial and successful with the later films. If anything, I would say that perhaps the series just needed a break after eight films – fatigue had set in more than a subversive plot to destroy the series. But conspiracy theories are more interesting than the simple fact that people just got tired of it and moved on.
8. Was there one interview that you did that really made you sit back and say “Wow! I am really talking with…”?
A few, actually. It was most acute in the beginning – I started by approaching the directors and a few main stars, people I felt that if I couldn’t interest than it would adversely affect the book and perhaps it was a sign I shouldn’t do it. Luckily, I was able to meet and interview people like Adrienne King and Amy Steel and eventually Sean Cunningham. That was really important to me – even if Sean, the creator of the series, was not interested in being involved, I at least wanted him to approve of what I was doing. So those early interviews were incredibly surreal – seeing Adrienne King walk in and then sit down for lunch was just bizarre. This was also before the recent conventions, DVDs and the like, so I had no idea what these people would look like or what their attitude would be. It was really exciting and scary.
Also, while I had done interviews before, I didn’t feel that secure in my skills so that added to the pressure. I felt quite queasy, for example, first meeting Sean Cunningham at “the house that Jason built.” Natural writer insecurities that you are going to just blabber on or make a fool of yourself. I also remember having dreams of the tape recorder suddenly dying or forgetting batteries – which I did on one occasion, and had to run across the street during an interview to buy more.
There have been a few since that were really exciting – the directors and people like Frank Mancuso, who took a long time to convince to do an interview. Also, getting help from New Line was great – they helped in my research with lots of EPK material and such, and also with hooking up with executives, who I didn’t think I would get to interview. It has also been exciting to talk to behind-the-scenes talent who have often gone on to big things – the Friday films have served as training ground for a great many successful editors, directors of photography, writers, etc., so that has become a key theme of the book – that these formula movies are of great importance as learning tools for young filmmakers.
But perhaps the most fun was digging through old boxes at Paramount finding photos, which had never been seen before. My mouth kept dropping and I felt like I was 10 years old again, getting that new issue of Fangoria with the latest on the new Friday film. I think fans will really love this stuff, so I can’t for the book to be out and see what everyone thinks. I hope fans are excited as I was to see this material.
9. Are there any old story lines that you got to look at that were never used, but you thought could have been really something cool to see?
There were always discarded ideas and concepts from each film that are interesting. I try to document it all in the book, and of course the most famous and convoluted is the myriad of Freddy vs. Jason script drafts, some of which are quite outlandish.
But for the early films, there are some fun things. The first film’s early drafts included these contractor characters that were on their way to the camp to meet Steve Christy – the end up finding Alice at the end of the film, with Mrs. Voorhees head in her lap! That was all eventually cut and never shot. Part 2 was originally called “Jason” and there was talk of a slightly different ending, with Paul fending off Jason, who runs off into the woods leaving him and Ginny to embrace. Part 3, of course, had two different and much-discussed endings. The first scripted ending had Chris finding all the bodies in the barn the next day after being rescued by police, and then she decapitates Jason with a sickle! But the first ending actually shot was an alternate dream sequence where she wakes up, sees an alive Rick in the cabin, but is then confronted by Jason who decapitates her. This ending probably still exists somewhere – wish it could be found. Also, there was another scene shot with the Abel character in Part 3, but that was also cut.
Final Chapter has a lot of material seen in the TV version, but the original ending was a Trish dream sequence where her mother pops out of the bathtub in death makeup, which was replaced by the current ending. Part 5 also had some dialogue and minor scene cuts with more character development. Fans also probably know that Jason Lives originally was to have Jason’s dad factor in the final scene, but that was never shot. New Blood is really interesting – the original script was called Jason’s Destroyer and was Jason at a condo development! This script was radically redone, but even the final had more stuff involving Tina’s dad that was shot but cut. Perhaps the most extensive was Jason Takes Manhattan, which according to Rob Hedden had about another 30 minutes of footage cut – subplots and more character scenes and the like. Jason Goes to Hell also had some additions, which you can see on the DVD, as did Jason X. Same with Freddy vs. Jason. That is what is so interesting about the DVDs – you can definitely see the difference between New Line’s DVD releases and Paramount’s.
10. What do you feel is the ultimate statement is these films, and which is your favorite?
I think for the ultimate statement, you have to go back to the first film, which, along with Halloween, forms the slasher template. What these films are really saying is very simple, and speaks most directly to a young audience just coming to grips with mortality: that the world can be a scary and dangerous place, and ultimately we will come to an end. But you can survive and thrive if you stay alert, resourceful and smart. I don’t believe the message is ultimately that moral – the whole sex equals death thing. I think that is just a cliche of the genre, and what teenagers do anyway – they experiment with sex and drugs and have fun. What are you going to do, have a camp full of counselors doing their math homework? But if you are a little more aware, you are like the “Final Girl” – it doesn’t mean you are a prude, just aware of the world around you and willing to deal with the reality, and that means evil exists. It really is just a modern teenage fairy tale; just instead of fairies and witches, it is a guy in a hockey mask. I’m sure in twenty or thirty years young audiences will need some other icon,but the story of making that passage into the adult world of death and decay will remain as timely as ever.
As for my favorite, that is a tough one. I like the no-nonsense, creepy vibe of the first two, but have such great memories of seeing the third one in the theater in 3-D! I still love watching it today. I also like that Jason is still just some nutty guy in a hockey mask in the Final Chapter. I also like the zombie Jason idea in six, and of course it is fun to watch Lar Park Lincoln whup Kane Hodder in New Blood. I like parts of Jason Takes Manhattan and can understand why some hate it and some love it. I also admire the filmmakers for trying something different with Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X, although to be honest I am not really a fan of the action horror genre a la Freddy Vs. Jason, but what is amazing is that it really connected with a new generation and probably represents the direction the series is gonna take for awhile, at least until Vs.movies stop making money.
And I may be the only one, but I would actually welcome a remake of the first film rather than more sequels. I think it would be interesting to take a break, refuel and go back and start again – that could be scary!
11. Giving Ken all the props he deserves for his role as Jason in Freddy vs. Jason, how much of a different feel do you think the film would have had if Kane had played the role?
Hmmmm, interesting question. I know Kane has always felt very close to the role, and especially on his later Friday performances, was very active with the directors, on what he felt Jason would and would not do. I also know he has stated that he objected to a few of the choices Ken made in Freddy vs. Jason. So I suspect that, aside from looking a bit different (Kane is a bit stockier than Ken, don’t you think?), we might have seen subtle differences in the performances.
That said, to be honest, I am not sure how major of an impact it would have had on the film. Largely because – and this is only my opinion – Jason was not really the star of the show and often served the plot more than developed the character. As a pawn for Freddy, he often just showed up,did a kill and disappeared. Of course, the ending was what fans paid to see, and there it did deliver. It would have been interesting to see Kane do it, though, because he was so hungry to do the film, I wonder how all-out he would have gotten during the climax? But we will never know, I suppose…
12. Would you consider doing a similar retrospective on the Halloween or Nightmare series of films?
Oh, boy. I am very flattered that a few have asked this already, but I don’t think so. I am a big fan of both series, but for a number of reasons I probably could not tackle such a big project again on a horror franchise. Many of the themes I really wanted to focus on in the book would cross over to the other series, so it would be hard to workup the same enthusiasm to do something so similar over again. Also, both the Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street series have, over the years, garnered more coverage and attention than Friday the 13th,which makes them less interesting from a writer’s standpoint. There have been so many DVDs of Halloween (especially the first) and the Nightmare series has already been the subject of a DVD box set and a book (two if I am not mistaken). So there would probably be less of a sense of discovery than I experienced with Friday the 13th.
That said, as a reader, I would love to see great books on these two series! It would be especially exciting to see someone tackle the sequels in each, as they tend not to be discussed as often. I would love to know how Halloween III was conceived, or more on Nightmares 2-7. But I have already received a couple of emails from two different writers who have expressed interest in doing books, and asked for advice. So hopefully they will pick up the trail of Michael and Freddy. As for me, I am committed to updating Crystal Lake Memories when Freddy vs. Jason 2 shows up, or any other future Friday properties, so I suppose one franchise is enough!
13. Would you like to see the series continue on in the CGI vein of effects like in Jason X and Freddy vs. Jason, or do you miss the days of Savini’s genius like in parts 1 and 4?
I am not a fan of CGI. It can be very effective in moderation, but because you can “do anything” with digital the creative art of tricking the audience has been lost. I think the magic of the early makeup effects – the latex monsters and gory deaths – was that filmmakers had to be clever and creative to try and fool you into thinking you saw more than you did. It was all live, in camera. Now, everything is just thrown up on the screen and there is no sense of reality to it. I saw Van Helsing and it was dreadful -never once did I believe I was watching real people in real time doing real things.
I think the future will be combining real, practical effects with CGI. There is still something about real objects in real space interacting with real actors that is truly magical. And there is also the psychological knowledge we have that CGI effects are not real. We know what we are seeing is all done in the computer, where as if you do it with practical effects, our minds can’t trick us.
I hope any new Friday films try and do as much as possible with practical effects. What is exciting is characters you care about deal with credible horrors, and all the CGI in the world can’t compete with a good, scary story, well told and well acted. I think we all just want Jason to be scary again, the kills to be creative and thematically relevant, and the actual method used to create the illusions not be the important thing.
14. Two part question: Is there something you would like to see from Jason that we have not seen yet, and on the flip side, is there anything that you don’t want to see from the character?
I would like to see Jason run! I must admit to being partial to the early Jason- when he really took off after his victims and didn’t mess around. I still think the Jason from 2, 3 and 4 is pretty scary because he just seems like some nutty guy in the woods. The zombified Jason is fun, but why can’t any of these counselors outrun him? He has a tendency to plod along in later entries, so it would be fun to see Jason start hauling ass again.
As for what I don’t want to see, I am not too sure about an extensive back story. What makes Jason interesting in some ways is that he doesn’t have much depth – the source of his evil is almost irrelevant. He just kills without reason. All these attempts to”explain” evil are usually pretty hokey. Sometimes what we don’t know is far more terrifying than rational explanations.
15. Other than the Friday the 13th series, can you give us a view of some of your other genre favorites that some of the younger generation may not know about?
I grew up on the horror films of the 70s. They had a very gritty, realistic tone and offered little reassurance that the world would be a better place. What was new was not just the increasing level of graphic violence, but also the shared belief that the old institutions we once trusted – government, religion, community – were falling apart. There was a very strong political undercurrent fueled by an anger and betrayal at Vietnam and Watergate. Even commercial films that were not overtly political – The Exorcist, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Night of the Living Dead – tested our beliefs and preconceived notions of faith.
One of the theories I approach in the book is that the 80’s became an ultimately regressive and reactionary time in horror. I am sure the Reagan years and the rise of “spectacle” cinema had something to do with it. The complexities of 70s cinema were hard for many moviegoers to embrace, so we saw the era of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Not that those are not great films, but people wanted reassurance and pastiche -everything old was new again. I feel in the mid-80’s we saw a return to horror that relied on easy explanations for evil. You can see it with the later Nightmare on Elm Street films and beginning with Jason Lives.There began to be a strong spiritual component, and it was no longer protagonists who had to survive purely on their wits, but instead rely on some sort of outside, quasi-religious force to save the day. Jason became supernatural, so it was now a battle between good versus evil,but the evil was no longer humanity, but the devil or the Necronomicon or whatever. I personally have serious doubts about the approach – I believe that “evil” is what we make it, and ultimately we are responsible for the horrors of the world, not Satan or some other evil force. But just as many would fiercely disagree with me.
So I welcome all horror that has a sense of depth and complexity, which I often find missing in most of today’s horror movies. Films I would call seminal for me are mostly from the 70’s and early 80’s. Not only those mentioned, but other harder-edged films like Last House on the Left, The Omen, The Shining, Carrie, Friday the 13th (of course) and films that are not strictly horror but have similar elements. Such thrillers as Klute, Deliverance, Coma, Straw Dogs. To be honest, though I’m not a huge fan of monsters or sci-fi stuff – I liked ALIEN and ALIENS, but find more outlandish stuff like Hellraiser kinda silly.
I also have a penchant for films that may not be all that great but dared to push boundaries. Many call something like Last House degrading and disgusting, but I felt it was a protest film – rubbing our noses in violence to illustrate how awful the loss of a life truly is. So I would argue that, even when these films may have gone too far, their willingness to make a statement, however unpopular or unpleasant, gives them a nobility and courage lacking in most horror. It is important to break taboos and rip open the envelope.
I also love a good ghost story. I’m a real sucker for spooky stuff, from classics like The Haunting, The Changeling, Burnt Offerings and Poltergeist to recent films like The Others. Give me a ghost, no matter how hokey, and I’m happy. I even love crap movies like The Watcher in the Woods or The Hearse – horror junk food, but it always tastes good!
As for undiscovered gems, what is so great about DVD these days is that all these “lost” films are reappearing and looking good. I would tell any kid today to just seek out a good horror guide and try and rent a flick every week or so. Then turn down the lights and get in the mood – a horror movie is only effective if you give in and let yourself be scared. So get busy, kids!
*Bio info courtesy of Peter M. Bracke
