Back on the Soapbox

Time to time, I do a little Ichii the Killer/masochist thing and read the Brad Fuller blog on Bloody Disgusting. In his most recent post concerning the Friday the 13th remake, Mr. Fuller states that he wants the "haters" to "hate after you've had a chance to see the movie - not before." He goes on to pose the question, "If you are really a fan of horror films and Friday 13th specifically wouldn't you at least want to see Jason again?" Fair question.

I actually would like to see a new, amped-up Friday the 13th film, and I refuse to say that the film is going to be awful before seeing it. On those points, I completely agree with Mr. Fuller. My issue is with the creators of this remake having a less-than-enviable track record amongst the same horror fans that Platinum Dunes claims to be courting with this movie. Director Marcus Nispel helmed the superficial remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a film that got the beats right, but left out the heart of the film, the things that made the original a classic. Where was the subtext? While Tobe Hooper hinted at the meat grinder that was the Vietnam War, Nispel and screenwriter Scott Kosar ignore the possibility to update not just the look of the film, but the sensibility, as well. The Iraq War seems to be on a lot of folks' minds, it turns out, and, despite the '70s setting, that can be addressed in an effective way.

Screenwriter Kosar went on to remake The Amityville Horror, and enough said about that. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift have replaced Kosar on this project, previously known for writing Freddy vs. Jason. Although that movie had a sense of fun about it, it's still a long way from being the reboot the franchise needed. The "haters" Mr. Fuller refers to are many of the die-hard fans who aren't knee-jerk responding to the idea of a Friday the 13th remake, many are responding to the who and why of the remake. If you told me that Quentin Tarantino was doing it, or, more realistically, a duo like Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, I would be thrilled. I just don't believe Nispel understands fully the genre he is working within. Neither do I believe that Mr. Fuller or Michael Bay understand that a slasher can represent something else, and not simply be boobs and blood.

Ultimately, I could be horribly wrong about the creative team behind this movie. This may be the first Platinum Dunes production that races out of the gate and kicks ass for ninety minutes. I hope so. I really do. But I look at every other movie put out under this shingle, and my hopes dwindle. If only Mr. Fuller could criticize the critics in the same breath that he acknowledges the cinematic sins of the past, the argument would be far more believable. Still, opening night, I'll be in the theater, crossing my fingers that the hype is worth it, that Nispel can actually deliver an honest-to-god horror movie and not another well-marketed reminder of how awful a remake can be. But, my doubts are based on the history of the production comany and not the optimism of a producer. The final result will be a topic of discussion either way. I only hope that the joke isn't on the fans again, as it has been so often with Platinum Dunes.