Review: His Name Was Jason
Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 9, 2009
Kicking off a full week of Friday the 13th coverage, we chose not to start at the beginning, but rather with a retrospective. New on DVD from Anchor Bay is the awesome and timely His Name Was Jason documentary, which covers the entire span of all 12 films, up to and including the 2009 reboot of the franchise. Any fan of the series should put this down in his absolutely must own column, though if you’re just looking for a little insight to the series or the evolution of the slasher genre, there is no better place to start.
His Name Was Jason is a 90 minute trip through the entire franchise, narrated by horror icon Tom Savini as he navigates the very cool looking Camp Crystal Lake set that was built as a theme house by Universal Studios (in Hollywood and Orlando) for their Universal’s Hollywood Horror Nights. It’s nice to see a documentary that presents itself in a new and different way – Tom walks through what is basically a live Camp Crystal Lake set, complete with actresses, dead bodies, and even a gratuitous boob shot. Score. The main thrust of the documentary comes in with interviews from just about anyone you can think of – well, except Corey Feldman, that bitch. (Sorry Frog, you don’t show up for this – you are a bitch) There are interviews with plenty of Jason’s victims and even with the rare selection of people who survived his machete. Also being interviewed are a great collection of directors, writers, producers, and the men behind the masks. Kane Hodder, who many consider the main man behind the mask (he did work in 4 films), is there, so is Derek Mears, the new Jason, and even Ari Lehman, who played little Jason in the first Friday the 13th film.
The documentary is effective in breaking down what makes the franchise successful and looking at all of those aspects, while also serving as a fantastic introduction to the film for people who aren’t Jason-ophiles like all the other cool kids. Everyone involved is clearly deeply in love with and thankful for their part in the franchise, it’s really nothing short of amazing to see how ingrained this film has become in the lives of fans and those who took part in its creation.
Of course with so much to draw upon, 90 minutes is not nearly enough so the disc is packed with more than 4 hours of bonus materials. Want extended interviews with Kane Hodder? You got it. Want to hear Todd Farmer talk Jason X? Done. How about cast, crew, and critics giving you a handy Camp Crystal Lake Survival Guide – because it’s there. There are also fan films and members of the cast and crew revisiting iconic Friday the 13th shooting locations.
It can be hard to believe that a series that was once called an amoral and reprehensible piece of trash by none other than Roger Ebert has gone on to make over $500 million worldwide while only being released in more than 2,000 theaters once (Freddy vs Jason). That is, it can be hard to believe if you’re a stuck up nanny who’s never watched one of these films. His Name Was Jason is an intelligent, fun, and in-depth journey into every aspect of the franchise that you’d want hear, some of it unexpected, some of it utterly hilarious. This is a documentary that any fan of horror should have, any fan of Jason needs, and anyone interested in film can appreciate. I recommend it.
Check out the trailer for His Name Was Jason below:
Click Here to Buy His Name Was Jason
What’s your favorite Friday the 13th moment – or kill?
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