Written by Peter M. Bracke, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th, is an absolutely complete look at a film series that changed cinema, written by the foremost authority on the franchise. No one is saying it's Citizen Kane, but wasn't meant to be; in fact, no one associated thought it would go anywhere. On a budget of $500,000, it has gone on to make nearly a billion dollars. Looking pretty tame now, there had been nothing like it at the time, and it spawned a massive and continuing genre. With over 300 pages, 600 photos and 200 interviews including each cast, this covers the series like no other book.
In 1979, director Sean S. Cunningham pulled together a group of young filmmakers and New York actors to make a low budget movie based on a title alone and not a script - the easiest way to get audiences into seats, make a horror film like the recent hit Halloween. A cheap option: film it and house the cast and crew at a remote camp in the off season. Bracke covers every angle of the production, casting, filming and premiere of the first Friday the 13th film, including many of the innovative tricks by make-up master Tom Savini. The original cast included a young Kevin Bacon, and Betsy Russell, a once popular actress known for her sweet housewife persona - at the time she was in need of a car, told her agent she needed $10,000, and when he suggested the juicy role of Jason's mother for exactly that amount, she thought it was a quick pay check for a film no one would ever see. It became one of the most iconic horror film roles.
He continues in-depth coverage right through every film of the series. I was mainly interested in the first film, and gave the sequels a cursory read: indeed, everyone associated with the first film would tell you - Jason was not a killer, he died many years before the story, and continuing storylines are re-diculous. But it's all here in detail if you are a fan.
If you are interested in horror films, or moviemaking, this is book to seek out. I had a hard time finding it, but it is available online.
A documentary based on this book is available on YouTube
2005 / Tradeback / 319 pages
Comments