Fuel the Fear

Review Written By: Gaius Bolling

Release Date: February 13th, 2009

DVD Release Date: June 16th, 2009

The folks at Platinum Dunes certainly have their hands full with horror remakes. After the success they had with the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake, they went on to remake "The Amityville Horror", "The Hitcher", and they made a prequel to their take on the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" called "Texas Chainsaw Massacre : The Beginning". Already in production is their remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and rumor has it that they want to tackle Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds", as well.

Somewhere in this mix they decided to remake the 1980 film, "Friday the 13th". Now, when Rob Zombie decided to remake "Halloween" I was throughly against it and when the film was released, my fears were realized when the film turned out to be an abysmal mess. "Halloween" is a classic you just don't touch. Period. End of story.

"Friday the 13th" on the other hand is an entirely different beast. I find the original to be a solid piece of entertainment and it certainly paved the way for slasher films that would follow its same mold, but it's no classic. It's full of numerous cliches, cardboard cutout characters, and you can sense the tension coming from a mile away. It's interesting that "Friday the 13th" tries to copy the style of "Halloween" but it comes up short on nearly every level. It's a great form of genre entertainment, but nothing more, in my opinion.

With these feelings in place about "Friday the 13th" I must say I was open to them remaking the film. I figured they could possibly improve on some of the flaws and add a fresh spin to the proceedings. They hired Marcus Nispel to direct, who did a fine job bringing the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre to a new generation, so my interest was peaked even further.

Imagine my surprise after watching the 2009 reboot of "Friday the 13th", I began to appreciate the original much more than I ever had. The filmmakers have tried to make an 80's slahser film in 2009 but it misses the mark in a big way. This new version may by technically well made on all accounts, but it lacks a certain authenticity that the original film possesses.

This time around, our victims-in-waiting are a group of post-college men and women who have driven up to a summer home situated on the shores of Crystal Lake, not that far from the infamous "Camp Blood." (In a nod to the original, the location is still in Sussex County, New Jersey. However, unlike the original, it wasn't actually filmed there.) The seven vacationers are Trent (Travis Van Winkle), a stuck-up prick who screams like a girl; his girlfriend, Jenna (Danielle Panabaker); Bree (Julianna Guill) and Chelsea (Willa Ford), the hot girls who are guaranteed to get naked; Lawrence (Arlen Escarpeta), the token black; Chewie (Aaron Yoo), the token Asian; and the utterly forgettable Nolan (Ryan Hansen). Also in the mix are Whitney (Amanda Righetti), who is being held captive by mass killer Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears), and her brother, Clay (Jared Padalecki), who is searching the woods for her.

Lets start with the positives, the opening 25 minutes are expertly done. In fact, we don't even get the "Friday the 13th" title card until after this sequence. The opening is filled with tension and had the film maintained this level of suspense, they maybe things would've been a lot better. Jason is actually scary during these opening moments, mostly because he's kept relatively hidden and pounces on his victims with stealth like precision. Fans will also be treated to some very expertly done kills (a victim trapped in a sleeping bag while hung over the camp fire was a personal favorite) and there is plenty of gore to keep the blood fiends happy.

The problems arise when the main story kicks in. Here, we are introduced to several forgettable and unlikeable characters that we want to die within five minutes of meeting them. Perhaps the writers felt we shouldn't really care about them anyway since we only want to see them die but it's very difficult to watch annoying stereotypes for an hour and a half. The token black guy is given token black guy dialogue (on several occasions he utters the words "Just because I'm black doesn't mean...") and of course if best friend in the group is the other token minority in the cast. Can you guess what happens to these two? Then you have the stuck up douche bag who doesn't try to be likable from the first frame we meet him. I guess the only positive thing about his character is that when he does get what's coming to him, it's done so in such a violent manner that i couldn't help but cheer when they finally did him in. Then we have 2 interchangeable blonde slutty characters (one played by pop star Willa Ford who sang the song "I Wanna Be Bad"). You can tell from the moment these two are introduced is that they will find a way to be naked (not a bad thing) and that they won't make it to the end. The only likable character outside of the Clay and Whitney story, is Jenna. The whole time you just want her to ditch her dead beat friends and run off with Whitney and Clay. Watching most of these people interact is enough to make the 2nd act drag considerably. The film becomes truly by the numbers. One or two of them wanders off alone and then they day. Take this formula, rinse and repeat. The film doesn't try to break any new ground. It's simply complacent sticking to the formula.

Oddly enough another one of the films strengths is also its weakness. The film looks great. Marcus Nispel uses a similar visual style he used for the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake and it makes for a wonderful looking horror film. This style is especially present during the opening, with Nispel framing his various shots with both style and substance. The problem is, the film looks so nice, that it pushes it further away from the original source material. This might've been intentional but the more it distances itself from the 1980's style of the original, the more inferior the film feels and looks. The grittiness of the 70's and 80's horror films can't seem to be duplicated now, no matter how hard they try. Nispel came close with the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" but he doesn't quite succeed with this film. It merely looks like a modern horror film masquerading as "Friday the 13th".

Most of the actors aren't worth mentioning since they merely play caricatures rather than characters but Jared Padalecki and Amanda Righetti (who play the brother and sister duo, Clay & Whitney) are actually better than the material deserves. They won't be winning awards but they also don't embarrass themselves either. Danielle Panabaker, who plays Jenna, is also worth a mention since she's the soul likable character amongst her circle of friends in the film. Then there is Derek Mears, who plays Jason. He is certainly a force to be reckoned with and even though many people have played Jason, I think his portrayal will stand out.

In the end, the filmmakers had a big chance to approve upon the flaws of the 1980 original film but instead it just serves as an example of how effective the original film actually is. Neither is a work of art but at least the original was made with some heart. I honestly think fans weren't as impressed as the filmmakers have made it out to be. Sure the film opened to a huge $42 million opening but it tumbled to $7.8 million in its second weekend before limping to a $64 million final gross. This will be spun as a success since it passed its budget but that opening and that gross indicates poor word of mouth in my eyes. My verdict, stick to the original, it turns out it's way more effective than I ever realized.

Trivia:

The first film in the series released by both New Line Cinema and Paramount Pictures. Originally, Paramount owned the rights to the series after the original was released in 1980 but sold the rights to New Line Cinema in the early 1990's after poor box office returns of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989). New Line bought the rights to the characters of Jason Voorhees and Pamela Voorhees, the Crystal Lake name, and the trademark for the title "Friday the 13th". All footage from the first eight films and the remake rights for the first film remained the property of Paramount. New Line Cinema released Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Jason X (2001) and Freddy Vs. Jason (2003). When Platinum Dunes came aboard to develop the new film, they wanted the freedom to use scenarios and characters from the films still owned by Paramount. After a legal dispute, the companies decided to co-produce the 2009 film.

Tommy Jarvis, a character that appeared in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) was at one point confirmed by producers Bradley Fuller and Andrew Form of Platinum Dunes to be returning as Jason's nemesis.
Jonathan Liebesman, director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), which was also produced by Platinum Dunes, was once in negotiations to direct the film. Rather, Dunes decided to bring back Marcus Nispel who directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003).
In this movie Jason wears both the legendary hockey mask and the burlap sac, although neither of those appeared in the original Friday the 13th (1980). The burlap sac was the first mask worn by Jason in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) and the hockey mask did not appear until Friday the 13th Part III(1982).

Scout-Taylor Compton, who played Laurie in the Halloween remake, auditioned for the role of 'Jenna' which eventually went to Danielle Panabaker.
Aaron Yoo actually won the role of "Chewie" very close to shooting. Up until then, one of the top choices to play him was David Blue.
Principal photography wrapped on Friday, June 13, 2008. Additionally, the American theatrical release date was Friday, February 13, 2009.
Warner Bros. (through its New Line Cinema label) is distributing this film in North America while Paramount will distribute the film in most all other territories. Ironically (and coincidentally), the 1980 original was distributed by Paramount in North America, with international distribution being handled by Warner Bros.
The title card of the movie isn't displayed until the end of the opening segment, nearly 25 minutes into the film.
With $42.2 mil, had the biggest opening weekend of any movie in the "Friday the 13th" series.
With $42.2 mil, had the biggest opening weekend of a horror-remake beating out former record holder The Grudge (2004) ($39.1 mil).
The character of Sheriff Bracke, played by Richard Burgi, is named after author Peter Bracke, who wrote the book "Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th".
The first time Paramount has any association with the "Friday the 13th" series since 1989.
Although it's only been regarded as a remake of Friday the 13th (1980), it also combines story elements from Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) and Friday the 13th Part III (1982), along with several references to Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), and Jason X (2001).
Despite the title, the date the events supposedly take place on, Friday the 13th, is never once mentioned in the film.
Clay and Whitney's last name is Miller. This is a reference to Victor Miller, the creator of the Friday the 13th (1980) series.
According to co-writer Damian Shannon, the character of Jason Voorhees was re-envisioned as more territorial, like a hunter, someone who doesn't kill people at random but will defend his territory from anyone invading it, and this in the most horrible manner. Director Marcus Nispell similarly claims the film shows new aspects of Jason's personality. Derek Mears says his portrayal of Jason as a survivalist defending his territory is partially inspired by the character of John Rambo in First Blood (1982).
This is director Marcus Nispel's second remake of a classic horror film in a resume of only four features. The first was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), which was also produced by the company Platinum Dunes.
Whereas this film was shot in Texas (mostly Austin), the original Friday the 13th (1980) was filmed in New Jersey (mostly Blairstown and Hope).
Derek Mears is the eighth actor to portray the adult Jason Voorhees in the series, following Steve Dash, Warrington Gillete, Richard Brooker, Ted White, C.J. Graham, Kane Hodder and Ken Kirzinger. As of this movie, Hodder is the only actor to have portrayed the character more than once, with four films under his belt from 1988 to 2001. This also makes Hodder the only actor to have portrayed the character more than once in the first series, as this film is the start of a new series.
Interestingly, co-writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift were involved with both the conclusion of the old Friday The 13th series and the start of the new one. Indeed, their first produced script (this is their second) was that of Freddy Vs. Jason (2003), the last installment in both the original Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street series (even though Jason X (2001) takes place later).

When approaching the film, one of the main questions director Marcus Nispel asked himself was what aspects of the Friday The 13th mythology would moviegoers want to see again and again. He was also concerned about giving the audience what they wanted, but not what they were expecting.
The film was released on Friday, February 13, 2009. It just so happens that February, March, and November all have a Friday the 13th in 2009.
Producer Michael Bay walked out in the movie premiere, stating that the movie featured too much sex.

On its opening day, Friday the 13th grossed $19,293,446, and immediately surpassed the total individual box office grosses for Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes to Hell (1993), and Jason X (2002), which earned $14,343,976, $15,935,068, and $13,121,555, respectively. From February 14 - 16, Friday the 13th took in an additional $14,290,686, $6,986,233, and $3,015,084, respectively, to round out its 4-day President's Day weekend with $43,585,449. By the end of its 3-day weekend it was already the second highest grossing Friday film in the series with $40,570,365, and just barely beat out The Grudge (2004) for the best 3-day weekend opening for any horror film. When comparing the 2009 film's opening weekend to that of its 1980 counterpart, in adjusted US dollars, the original Friday the 13th only brought in $17,251,975. But although the 2009 film made more money, when factoring in the number of theaters each film was released in, the 1980 film earned more money per theater with $15,683 compared to the 2009 film's $13,066.

Following its first week at the box office, Friday the 13th saw a significant drop in attendance in its second weekend. On the first Friday after its opening weekend the film took in $2,802,977, which is an 85.5% decrease from its opening day. By the end of its second weekend, the film brought in $7,942,472, an 80.4% overall decrease from the previous weekend. As a result, the film went from first place in its opening weekend to sixth place in its second weekend at the box office. By its third weekend, Friday the 13th had dropped out of the top ten, earning an estimated $3,689,156, which is an approximate 53.6% decrease from its second weekend. The film has earned an estimated $65 million at the US box office, but has failed to regain a top ten spot since its third weekend.

Thanks to its opening weekend take, Friday the 13th currently sits in fourth place for all time President's Day weekends, just behind Ghost Rider (2007) with $52,022,908, 50 Frist Dates (2004) with $45,107,871, and Daredevil (2003) with $45,033,454. It is currently sixth in highest grossing weekends in the month of February, as well as sixth in highest grossing weekend for the winter season, which is defined by the first day after the New Year weekend through the first Thursday of the month of March.

It is the seventeenth highest opening for an R-rated film in North American history,^] and is currently the fourth highest grossing R-rated film of 2009, just behind The Hangover ($222,442,000),Watchmen ($107,509,799) and I Love You, Man ($71,210,782). Because of the significant decrease in box office take in its second weekend, the film currently sits in sixth place for the largest second weekend drop; it is the seventh largest drop for a film that opened as the #1 film in the US.^[49] With its $60 million in domestic box office, Friday the 13th is the highest grossing film among the recent slasher remakes, which consist of When a Stranger Calls (2006), Halloween (2007), Prom Night (2008) and My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009). Friday the 13th is also ranked seventh overall when comparing it to all of the horror remakes, as well as seventh place for all slasher films in general, in unadjusted dollars.

Comments

Posted By: MartyMcFly (375 days ago)

Send A Message

I loved it.

Posted By: Patrick (401 days ago)

I really liked this remake, I found it very good. i really liked how
they tore through the first 3 films in 20 minutes. yes the money
plummeted, but it was much better than alot of horror films of late.
I think that timing of the release was the biggest issue. Movies like
this need to come out closer to Halloween.

Review: Friday the 13th (2009)