Posted in: Horror, Movies | Tagged: film, Friday the 13th, horror

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Writer Talks Jason's Death

There are several films, comics, and even a series about Friday the 13th because the franchise is one of the most prevalent names in horror. The franchise has witnessed several alterations and creative choices, but none have quite replicated the magic that Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (Part 4).

The film gave us a strong scream queen, a younger protagonist than the franchise was used to, and some of the best overall scenes both in the script and on-screen. The film has gone one to be considered one of the best (my personal favorite), and even all these years later, it is often regarded as a strong chapter in a franchise that has had major highs and a few head-scratching lows.

Recently, the film's writer Barney Cohen spoke to Dread Central, where the Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter scribed reflected on the franchise and discussed Jason's intended demise. Barney tells the publication, "He's not a real person. He's a figment of our imaginations, but he can kill. I had this one conversation with Joe, and it had to do with taking his mask off. I said, 'Joe, with his mask on, he's a figment of the imagination. He's just this crazy thing. But if you can get his mask off, then he's human, and then you can kill him.' Now, I had been told in the beginning this was really gonna be the final chapter. That's why it was called The Final Chapter! And it would have been the final chapter if it hadn't have grossed so well. It did incredibly well at the box office. So I was told to find a way to kill him that he's really dead. I said, 'take his mask off, and then you can kill him.' So we did, and we killed him, but then the grosses went through the roof, and they had to make ten more of them."

Obviously, because of that major craving for Jason, the franchise doubled its installments over the next several years, with epic crossovers like Freddy vs. Jason or even a fan-funded video game across various consoles. Friday the 13th does have something that other horror titles lack, so thanks to installments like Cohen's fourth entry, the characters and films have been able to live on a lot longer than the typical life of an indie-horror title. 

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