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Freddy vs Jason: The Uphill Battle of the 2003 Slasher

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For many years a Freddy vs Jason movie has always been in the works.  It has taken many forms with various different plotlines, not to mention many, many re-writes.  Would it take place in Freddy’s world or Jason’s?  Would it be like the classic monster movies of the black and white days, or more of a blood bath reminiscent of the 1980’s when these villains rose to fame?  Perhaps the biggest question of all; how do we pull these two big bads together in one film while still staying true to their history, and even more importantly; staying true to the fans?

The obvious snag that prevented these two villains from duking it out for so long dealt with the production companies.  It is nearly impossible to make a film when the two movies you want to combine are owned by different production and distribution companies.

In this case Friday the 13th 1-8 were all distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is why you see these eight movies packaged together on the sales shelf.  Unlike Friday, the Elm Street series has always found its home at New Line Cinema.  It wasn’t until Friday the 13th part 9 when the distribution company changed from Paramount to New Line Cinema, and this is when a real opportunity arose for these two horror titans to come together on the silver screen.

This journey to the final movie released in 2003 was not an easy one.  Supposedly New Like spent 6.8 million dollars in more than a dozen screenwriters and eighteen different scripts over the course of ten years!  Talk about development hell!

Finally a director was assigned to the project; Bride of Chucky director Ronny Yu.  This was the first inkling of what type of direction the movie would take, and fans weren’t impressed.  With a director who took the scary out of Chucky and substituted it with cheesy one liners and a hokey concept of the infamous killer doll finding love, fans were skeptical where Yu would take two of the most beloved horror icons.  If you were to finally bring these villains together they wanted to see Wes Craven or Sean Cunningham at the helm.

Robert Englund, Ronny Yu,, and Ken Kirzinger,

While fans began to speculate in what direction the film would take and who would ultimately win, a shockwave of true horror rocked the internet.  Legendary actor and stuntman Kane Hodder who donned the hockey mask in Friday 7, 8, 9, and Jason X would not be redeeming his role as the machete wielding Jason Voorhees.  Even now, fourteen years later, no one really knows why Kane was canned, not even Hodder himself.  The most popular reason circulating the interwebs, whether true or not, is because the powers that be were looking for a Jason with more “expressive eyes,” which is a complete crock of shit because Jason only has one eye!

Another reason circulating the rumor mill was because Yu wanted someone taller and more imposing when standing toe to toe with Freddy.  This is also completely bogus since the actor and stuntman who replaced Hodder, Ken Kirzinger, is only one inch taller than Kane!  Whatever the reason for Kane not being able to redeem the role he has claimed to be so near and dear to his sadistic heart, fans were livid.  Like any horror loving fan would do, they hit the internet to let anyone who would listen know their extreme disappointment in this casting choice.

Unfortunately the opinions from the fans fell upon deaf ears and production moved forward.  To try and drum up support New Line hit the advertising hard, spending a whopping $25 million on advertising the movie alone!  That is more than the advertising budget for ALL of the Friday the 13th films combined!  Watch their Las Vegas promotional event here.

Despite the skepticism from fans this was still the battle they had been clamoring for since the 1980’s and ‘90s.  Upon its opening weekend Freddy vs Jason brought in a record breaking 36.4 million dollars.  At the time this was the largest sum any slasher movie had ever made during its premiere weekend.  However, with the money spent on production and advertisement this achievement did not make much of a profit from opening weekend sales.

Now that more than a decade has passed Freddy vs Jason hasn’t exactly found its place among the cult classics of its predecessors that have come before it.  While the line has been set for die-hard fans of the franchise, most of whom fall among the popular opinion of not liking the film, there has been a movement over the years from the younger crowd who find the film entertaining and acceptable when quenching their blood thirst.

What do you think?  Did you enjoy the clash of the horror titans in Freddy vs Jason?  Let us know in the comments!

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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