NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
When it comes to fear and horror, so much is based on superstition. These “unlucky” coincidences and mishaps have deep roots in horror, as it was once believed that they were the results of witchcraft. One of the biggest superstitions many have bought into is Friday the 13th. So, where does the superstition come from? There are a few instances that show up where this day could be deemed unlucky.
- Christianity: In Christianity, Friday is associated with the crucifixion of Jesus, and the number 13 is associated with Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest at the Last Supper who betrayed Jesus.
- Norse mythology: In Norse mythology, Loki, the 13th god, is associated with chaos and death. In one story, Loki crashes a banquet and kills Balder, the god of light.
- The Knights Templar: The Knights Templar were mass arrested on Friday, October 13, 1307.
What does this have to do with the movie franchise? Well, everything. What better day for a murderous slasher to be born than on Friday the 13th, which is synonymous with so many terrible events? Thus, the legend of Jason Voorhees was born June 13th, 1947, in the movies, of course.
Friday the 13th is a legend and staple throughout the horror genre and gave way to the fear of hockey mask-wearing psychopaths. You know the story. Jason was born deformed and picked on heavily at summer camp at Crystal Lake. It was said he drowned due to the neglect of the councilors, too busy getting into their mischievous activities to notice.
Like many horror icons before him, Jason Voorhees appeared in many sequels, video games, comic books, and television shows. Not bad for a slasher film whose main message was don’t fornicate or a serial killer might come get you. It’s almost a tale your parents would tell you around a campfire to scare you out of having sex before you were ready.
Yet, Friday the 13th found 11 sequels to the 1980 slasher and twelve movies in total. Despite the overall concept, it was the lore of Jason Voorhees that stood the test of time. The hockey mask and machete being consistently reinvented and the depth of his backstory brought to life this iconic franchise. The Jason mask is said to be one of the most recognizable images in horror pop culture.
While the franchise wasn’t universally loved by critics, it still stood the test of time with a low budget of just over 80 million dollars; it made just over $468 million in its 29-year run. That might not seem that impressive, with movies making over $1 billion at the box office to be considered successful these days. However, a franchise that only had four movies play overseas, making almost 8x of their initial budgets, has to be considered a success.
So this Halloween, put on your hockey masks, break out the fake machete, and live the glory days (or, more accurately, gory days) of this horror icon. Jason Voorhees is a Halloween staple that will never go out of style.
