Jason Voorhees
Horror Under The Hockey Mask
Jason Voorhees first frightened viewers in 1980 when the slasher film, Friday The 13th was made.
Jason is the son of a camp-cook who turned into a killer. Jason is first seen as a deformed young boy.
The mask is a 1950s Jacques Plante goalie mask.
Though Jason's mask is as clearly known as the character, the mask didn't actually become a prop for Jason's persona until the 3rd Friday The 13th movie was made!
If You Love Jason and Friday The 13th
Not a Favourite With Critics
Jason Voorhees, the original Friday The 13th Film, and the resulting series, have never been favoured or rated well by critics - however - Jason has survived to excite and please fans for over twenty years!
Here's a list of the films:
Friday The 13th, Friday The 13th Part II, Friday The 13th Part III, Friday The 13th" The Final Chapter, (obviously NOT!), Friday The 13th: A New Beginning, Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, (again, obviously NOT!), Jason X.
The first film was made in 1980.
There was also a film titled, "Freddie vs Jason" which saw the hockey-masked Jason pitted against Nightmare on Elm Street's maniacal Freddy Kruger.
A 2009 version of Friday The 13th is in the works. Rumour has it that this film may address questions like:
What is the story behind the location of "Crystal Lake"? In more depth, why do the killings start? Where is Jason (the Voorhees family?) from?
Though an explanation for the 'hockey mask' is present in the third movie, Friday The 13th Part III, film makers working on the 2009 version want to address this topic in the 2009 version, and likely, the story behind the mask will differ from the earlier Part III version.
Tidbits About The Original Film
Independent Horror/Slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham
Written by Victor Miller
Billed as cast in the first flyers and ads: Betty Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby and Kevin Bacon.
Estimated Budget: $555, 000
Grossed around $37+ million at the box office, though poorly received by critics
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Musical Score: Harry Manfredini - Manfredini was impressed by the sound and music cues during the film "Jaws" (1975) because the shark was mostly not seen in the movie, yet the sound and music cued the audience to the presence of the shark. Since Jason is not seen 'til the end scenes of Friday The 13th, Manfredini let his instincts prevail, developing sounds and music to represent a mostly absent Jason. The tell-tale sounds of Jason are not "ch-ch-ch-ch" or 'cha cha cha cha cha" as so often recounted. Manfredini made the sounds himself, using a reverberation machine and his own voice, saying, "Ki-ki-ki-ki" and in parts, "ki-ki-ki-ki-ma-ma-ma-ma." Listen closetly when you view the original next time.
Opening Scene of the Film: The year, 1958 at Camp Crystal Lake
Jason's Mask
Terrible Things Happen At Crystal Lake
The film opens, showing Camp Crystal Lake in the year 1958. Two summer camp counsellors sneak away from the rest of the group who are converged around the campfire, having a sing-a-long.
The couple find an area so they can be alone and have sex, but before any sex can occur - even before they can disrobe, an unseen assailant attacks and murders them both.
From this scenario, the story jumps to 'present day' (assume it's a time within the late 1970s or early 1980s since the film was actually made in 1980).
Camp Crystal Lake has been reopened after quite a long time, and residents of a nearby town are reacting very negatively and strangely to the news. Annie stops by a diner to ask for directions to Camp Crystal Lake, but the responses she receives are not straightforward and cheery!
One of the locals, and elderly man named Ralph, uses the word 'doomed' upon hearing of Camp Crystal Lake re-opening, but a truck driver named Enos offers to let her catch a ride with him, partway to camp. During the drive, Enos tells Annie that, in 1957, a young boy drowned in the lake, just one year before the double murder at Camp Crystal Lake.........
After Enos has taken Annie as far as he can, he lets her out, partway along the road to Camp Crystal Lake....
