Friday (the 13th) Terror Tracks (2012 comedy song)

So, it's time to resurrect an old article type from the early days of my site.  It's Wolfgang's old creation, Terror Tracks!  And while he usually posted his TT articles on Tuesdays, it's way too fitting to bring it up today, Friday the 13th.  So sit back, relax, and I'll be bringing you a recent favorite of mine, originally posted on the FuMP on Friday, January 13th, 2012, Devo Spice's Friday (the 13th).

This is actually my second music review, my first being a small Terror Tracks article reviewing Jonathan Coulton's RE: Your Brains.  However, I've been wanting to review this one, as well as several other horror related songs from the FuMP (aka The Funny Music Project), so I figured there'd be no time like the present.  So, what do we have in store for you this time?

The song is a parody of Rebecca Black's much-reviled Friday.  The song is by Devo Spice, formerly Sudden Death, who does a rap as Jason near the end, but most of the song is sung by ShiSho, a group from Ohio.  It's from the POV of a traditional survivor girl as she makes her way through a typical Friday the 13th movie.  The supplied screams are from many of Devo Spice's fans, along with a Wilhelm thrown in for good measure.

I have to admit, I haven't heard the original it's based off of, but I do really enjoy this parody.  It does really capture the feeling of the films, in a humorous way.  ShiSho pulls off the lyrics wonderfully, and the Jason rap near the end works pretty well as an inner monologue.  I highly recommend this one!

For more information about ShiSho, including a listen to their album The Sisters, you can find them here: http://shisho.bandcamp.com/  For Devo Spice's FuMP page, you can find it here: http://www.thefump.com/artist.php?id=32

And so, for your listening pleasure, here's the song! 

And so, for now, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Friday the 13th (1980 film)

Did Christy ever tell you 'bout the two kids murdered in '58? Boy drowning in '57? Buncha fires. Nobody knows who did any of 'em. In 1962, they was gonna open up... the water was bad. Christy'll end up just like his folks, crazy and broke. - Enos, the Truck Driver

Here we have the second of our Big Three.  It's kind of funny that I post these in reverse to when they came out, but it wouldn't do to have my review of Halloween two days before!  While it's true that Halloween set up a bunch of the conventions to slasher films, I think that Friday the 13th refined the process a bit.  It ups the ante on the amount of kills in the film, it adds a "Prophet of Doom" in Crazy Ralph (possibly the first Prophet character ever), and it hides the identity of the killer throughout all of the film, until the very end.  The "through the killers eyes" camera does well making you wonder if we're just seeing a regular shot like in any normal film, or if we're seeing what the killer sees.  There have been times in the film where I wondered, myself.

The film opens on Camp Crystal Lake in 1958.  After a gathering of the campers to sing, two of the counselors, Barry and Claudette, sneak off to have an intimate moment together.  Heading up the stairs in an equipment shed, they're making out when they hear a stair creak.  They get up and turn to the stairs and see someone watching them (we see this through the unseen person's eyes).  Barry starts to explain himself when he receives a stab to the gut.  Claudette panics and heads to the back of the loft, trying to keep something between her and the unseen assailant, but to no avail.  After this opening sequence, and the credits, we head to the present day (as present as 1980 is, at least), with Annie, the newly hired cook for the about-to-be-reopened Camp Crystal Lake.  When she asks directions in the local diner, all eyes turn to her like she said something foul.  Once given a ride (and encountering Crazy Ralph, who warns her that she's doomed if she goes up there), she heads for the camp...

Getting to see this again was fun, though the experience was slighly marred from watching it during the day.  Lots of shadows do not really lend themselves to daytime viewing, especially when all you see is a flashlight beam!  I did enjoy the film, as I said it was an interesting viewing.  Tom Savini worked on the special effects and make-up for this film, and even did a little stuntwork.  The only scene I really have a problem with is where the counselors kill a snake in a cabin.  Other than that, a great watch and a great piece of slasher film history.

Adrienne King played Alice, who's talked into staying at the camp for the summer to help out in restoring it.  She almost didn't take the part, but later decided to, and she also reprised her role in the sequel.  Following her appearance in these, she had some issues with a stalker, and so she dropped out of filmmaking for a number of years.  In 2008, she was at first offered a role in the Friday the 13th remake, but then was told they weren't going to have any previous actors appearing in the film.  She did go on to play parts in Walking Distance and Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming.  Kevin Bacon plays counselor Jack who's brought in to help restore the camp, as well.  He's had a long and storied career, with appearances in Animal House, Footloose, Flatliners, Tremors, The River Wild, Hollow Man and the TV series The Following.  Betsy Palmer played Mrs. Voorhees, a role she reprised for the second film.  She also was a regular panelist on I've Got a Secret, and has starred in The Fear: Resurrection and Bell Witch: The Movie.

Altogether, a true classic that still is as effective today as it was when it first came out.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Tune in tomorrow for the last of the Big Three... it's Halloween on Halloween!  As always, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Burning (1981 film)

Right now he's out there. Watching. Waiting. So don't look; he'll see you. Don't breathe; he'll hear you. Don't move; you're dead! - Camp counselor

Tonight, I bring you a movie that I'd never seen before, and never even heard of before reading Horror Hound Magazine.  That movie: The Burning.  I can't believe I'd never seen or heard of this film before.  I know I normally reserve the post summary paragraph for this, but I have to say, I really enjoyed this one, and can highly recommend it.  On to the summary!

The film starts with a group of five kids at Camp Blackfoot plotting vengeance against the camp caretaker, Cropsy.  It seems that Mr. Cropsy has been terrorizing the kids at the camp for years and these five decide to pull a prank on him to get even and make themselves legends.  Unfortunately, the prank goes wrong and Cropsy and his cabin go up in flames, Cropsy himself running out more or less a fireball, landing himself in the water.  Five years later, Cropsy's released from the hospital... and ready for a little revenge of his own.  Him and his garden clippers.

As I said above, I loved this film.  It's been a while since I've seen a good, new (to me) slasher film, and this one had quite a bit going for it.  First, it had a unique killer in Cropsy.  This film was written before Friday the 13th Part 2, so the idea of a deformed killer stalking a summer camp was pretty unique, plus I can guarantee I've never seen a killer use garden shears as a weapon exclusively.  Second, it had a phenomenal cast of characters, with four or five current well-known actors getting their start here.  Third, Tom Savini did a phenomenal job on the effects and makeup.  And fourth (and this is my own humble opinion), this is a highly underrated film that's fallen into the cracks of larger (and just as good) franchises.

Brian Backer played the somewhat creepy peeping tom character Alfred in the film.  He went on to play in Fast Times at Ridgmont High, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, and most recently 2012's Vamps.  Larry Joshua played the bully, Glazer, who terrorized Alfred for spying on his girl so much.  He's had a long career, since 1978, with appearances in Dances with Wolves, The Shadow and Spider-Man.  Jason Alexander played Dave, the camper who can get you anything you want, and was pretty funny in the film.  The Burning was his first film.  He's also been in Pretty Woman, Jacob's Ladder, Coneheads and was one of the main actors on the sitcom Seinfeld.  Fisher Stevens played Woodstock, one of Alfred and Dave's group of friends.  This was his first film, as well.  He went on to play in the two Short Circuit films, the series Early Edition, Awake and a few episodes of Lost.  Holly Hunter also holds The Burning as her first film.  She went on to play in Raising Arizona, The Incredibles, Always and she won an Oscar for The Piano.

Really, I cannot recommend this movie enough.  If you've seen it before, then get reacquainted with it.  If you haven't, and this style of movie is up your alley, then I think you'll be in for a treat.  I give it a very well-deserved 5 out of 5.  Tomorrow marks the end of our 1981 Week with another overlooked film of that year: Ghost Story.  Until then, stay safe, and this is Red Hawk signing out!