Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

Let it be said that anyone who considers himself a fan of the FRIDAY THE 13TH film franchise absolutely must own Peter M. Bracke’s CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH. Hey, even if you’re a Jason Voorhees nut who can’t read, at least you can admire the big, shiny pictures.

Although I had seen about half of the FRIDAY flicks here and there, in no particular order, I never really gained any sort of appreciation for them until I watched the first eight back to back in the FROM CRYSTAL LAKE TO MANHATTAN box set, with the separate JASON GOES TO HELL, JASON X and FREDDY VS. JASON to follow. By then, I was mildly obsessed with the slasher series, fatal flaws and all.

That admiration only grew with every turn of the page of Bracke’s handsome hardcover history from inception to the present (only the upcoming FRIDAY THE 13TH remake is absent). Initially, I worried that the book would simply be a high-dollar special issue of FANGORIA, but that fear was soon allayed.

Each chapter is devoted in depth — and I mean in depth — to one film in the series, with Bracke providing a brief introduction before letting comprehensive interviews tell the rest, in the oral history format. Normally, I find the Q&A approach in long form to smack of laziness, but it’s the best way to do it here. The comments of all involve come across as honest and unfiltered, whereas quoting and paraphrasing involves a pick-and-choose process that may leave part of the story untold.

No such thing here, as cast and crew members are starkly open about their experience shooting, whether good or bad — and there are plenty on both sides. As expected, behind-the-scenes shenanigans among the actors often entailed illegal drugs and illicit sex. But it’s their dealings with the directors that provides the most juice.

For example, Joseph Zito was far from beloved in his helming of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER, although many find the result to be among the franchise’s very best. But he’s a saint compared to A NEW BEGINNING‘s Danny Steinmann, whose past career in porn comes to light during a sex scene in which he encourages his stars to go further, much to the embarrassment of everyone present.

Tom McLouglin and Rob Hedden — directors of PART VI: JASON LIVES and PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, respectively — emerge virtually unscathed, whereas Adam Marcus and James Isaac — the guys behind latter-day efforts JASON GOES TO HELL and JASON X — clash creatively with producer Sean S. Cunningham, who started it all back in 1980.

Bracke doesn’t stop with just the shooting of the movies, but also their releases, their reception, their soundtracks, their merchandising and their legacy. Even television’s in-name-only FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES is covered; despite being a ratings success, the syndicated show was killed by right-wing religious nuts who never even saw it, and put pressure on the sponsors. (Donald E. Wildmon, you square.)

Needless to say, this thing is positively packed with photos, both stills from the films and behind-the-scenes candids, not to mention shots of excised gore and original poster art. It earns the COMPLETE tag in its subhead … at least until the remake hits theaters in February. —Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• FRIDAY THE 13TH: BOOK ONE by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Adam Archer
• FRIDAY THE 13TH: CARNIVAL OF MANIACS by Stephen Hand
• JASON X: TO THE THIRD POWER by Nancy Kilpatrick
• MAKING FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE LEGEND OF CAMP BLOOD by David Grove

Related posts:

1. Making Friday the 13th: The Legend of Camp Blood
2. Friday the 13th: Carnival of Maniacs
3. Dark Friday
4. Fiasco: A History of Hollywood’s Iconic Flops
5. King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson