Classsssssic? Not so fast.

As I may have mentioned before, I'm in love with podcasts now. I can barely get any reading done because I am always listening to podcasts now. There are many geeky horror fans out there who like to hear themselves pontificate on the virtues of horror, so geeky horror fans who like to listen to other geeks have lots to choose from. And a lot of them are Canadian or at least 3 of the ones I like have at least one Canadian involved. Midwesterners are represented as well and then there are the boys of Bloody Good Horror who reign from all over, but seem to largely reside on the East Coast.

Anyway, yesterday, I listened to Drunken Zombie's Friday the 13th episode and the guys brought up something that got me to thinking. One of them asked his fellow podcasters if they had seen any of the Fridays (not to be confused with unfunny Ice Cube vehicles) in the theater. None of them (I believe there are 4) could remember doing so and when I thought about it neither could I. Outside of Freddy vs. Jason, I don't believe I saw any of the Fridays on the big screen and I only saw that because it was free (thanks, D! sometimes I miss your job at Shinder's). While I rushed to the theater to see the latest Michael Myers vehicle--including Rob Zombie's shit stain of a film--and I saw all of the Elm Streets up to 4 at the little cinema on 66th & Broadway just outside of Gary, Indiana, Jason just never made me anxious to see his next flick. I'm old and my memory fails me at times, so I may be mis-remembering but I'm pretty sure of my facts. Jason hasn't ever held the appeal for me that Michael or Freddy have. I mean, I paid good money--we're talking ticket, popcorn, Cherry Coke, probably some Twizzlers) to see Halloween: Resurrection! Yet I could barely make it through a Netflix of Jason X. Glad that DVD had a 'jump to kill' special feature. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the frozen face smash.

Then today, I listened to Splattercast 36 in which two of the guys debated whether the original Friday the 13th (the one with SPOILER!!! Betsy Palmer doing the killing) is a classic horror film. It's a rather interesting argument, even if it's largely subjective. I mean, who determines what a classic is? What sort of criteria defines a classic? For that matter, how do you define horror? Does Silence of the Lambs count? What about Jaws? The Sixth Sense? That's a whole nother debate.

So anyway, Jeff was saying it is a classic because it sets up everything that eventually comes in the later sequels with the Jason (his brief appearance at the end), the counselors, Camp Crystal Lake, promiscuity = death, etc. Matt is saying that the first film wasn't very good, but has gained revered status based largely on the popularity and iconography of Jason Voorhees and the later sequels. I have to say I kind of agree with Matt on this. While I enjoy, Friday the 13th, like most people I immediately think of Jason (and because he was my first, I think of Jason from Pt. 2 with the burlap sack on his head), not Pamela Vorhees and her woolie sweater. Likewise, when I think of an awesome Final Girl, I think of Pt. 2's smart, resourceful, ass-kicker Jenny (she even tops Laurie Strode in my book), not Alice. Maybe that's because Alice had to fight an old lady while Jenny was fighting a crazy, hillbilly dude. Alice put up the good fight, but Jenny not only physically fought, but used her wit and intelligence to battle her tormentor.

So I think Friday the 13th is indeed a classic series. Even most non-horror fans know about the series and can identify Jason Vorhees in a line-up (if he isn't wearing the sack that is), but the original by itself might likely have disappeared into oblivion had it not been for the sequels that followed. Or maybe not since it does contain Kevin Bacon no matter how hard he tries to ignore it.

Rant: Suck it up, Bacon! You think Johnny Depp is ashamed of A Nightmare on Elm Street? He even had the balls to come back in one of the crappier sequels. That's a real man. We know you are a fine actor, but if you can be unembarrassed enough to do a commentary track for freakin' Footloose (which I own so I know that you did indeed do that), then you can at least answer one or two interviewer questions about your tiny role in a little horror film. It isn't the most shameful thing on your acting resume Mr. She's Having a Baby.