The Origin of the Mrs. Voorhees Head Used in "Voorhees"

At this point pretty much all the backers of the fan film Voorhees have seen the film, released this past Halloween night, so I think with nearly 400,000 views tallied up its a good time to reveal a little "easter egg" of sorts that connects this film to its big-budget predecessors.

Some fans seem to have noticed the head used in Voorhees bore a strong resemblance to the head used in Friday the 13th Part 2. That's because its the same head.

Well, almost. The head used in Voorhees was actually a 3D print of the original head used in Friday the 13th Part 2 back in 1981.

As regular readers of this blog already know, I bought the original head straight off of Lloyd Albin, who owned the camp that they filmed Part 2 at back in 1980. The head had been left in a net suspended from a tree branch after the cast and crew's wrap party, and Lloyd found it and kept it for 35 years. I bought the head off him in 2015 and had it restored by Tom Spina, owning it for about two years before selling it to another collector in November 2017. You can read the full story here.

Before I sold it, I had it 3D scanned and had an SLS print made. A silicone mold was made from that and resin copies produced. The copy we used in Voorhees was my urethane prototype, and the only copy I painted using the screen-used original head as a direct reference.

I'm very proud of the final result. Check out the photo below. On the left is the head used in Voorhees. On the right is the original screen-used head from Friday the 13th Part 2. The copy is propped up with a barbell because I didn't have a finished stand yet. You can see the old strips of wig tape on the back of the original head used to hold the wig in place.

I had the head on set in Centerville, Virginia for two nights in November 2018 and a third night of re-shoots in July 2019. We filmed Blaine discovering the shrine, getting stabbed by Elena, crawling to his gun and his original death in November, and his re-shot death the following July. Cody basically let me have free reign to set up the shrine so it was almost entirely put together with old junk that we found in the stable (an easier place to shoot than the crumbling house the scene actually takes place in). Producer Chris Plaushin bought the candles, sweater and the sheets used to hide the shrine from the camera during the approach and I destroyed everything and ran it through the mud to make it as disgusting as possible.

Initially I had suggested getting a dim overhead light on the head to get it lit like the original film, but the raw candle light was so compelling we ended up going with that. I took a few photos on set you can see below. The first set here was taken with my Sony mirrorless on the second night; below that the more reddish photos were cell phone shots taken the first night. When it was all set up the first night I had a whopping 17 candles lit but the glare was so intense on-camera we had to remove a few.

For the eight months between shoots, most of the set was left in the stable--the candles, the sweater, the shrine (an old wooden door laid across an oil drum), everything but the head itself, so when we returned in July we just re-lit the same candles and started rolling. Between the three nights I think we were out there almost twenty hours (about 6 PM to 2 AM each night if I remember right). The abandoned farm where we were shooting was unbelievably spooky and we heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance on the first night.

Usually, back in the '80s when Hollywood made a prop it was used for a day or two and thrown out. Having anything survive from that far back is a small miracle in itself. But I think its great that this old prop got a second life nearly forty years later in a new film. Especially since its the most iconic version of what is probably the most famous severed head in movie history.

The Voorhees head is still a part of my private collection. I am very proud to have been able to use the head to integrate this fan film into Friday the 13th history and working on the film for a few days and setting up this shot was an awesome experience I will always cherish.

An Analysis of the Coffin Dummy Replicas

Back in 1987, special effects artist Chris Swift, who did some makeup work on Friday the 13th part 6, molded a well-worn latex copy of the coffin dummy used in the film. 

In partnership with horror memorabilia collector David Lady, he sold a handful of copies to collectors. Photos of these copies are known to exist. They include, in no particular order:

Copy number 1. This belonged to a member of the Halloween Mask Association. The teeth on this copy are entirely unique, and probably acrylic inserts. Gorgeous copy. Photo from Marshall Bean.

Copy number 2. The Yakan Nabe copy (this belongs to a Japanese horror collector).

Copy number 3, which also has a distinct set of teeth.

Copy number 4, and by far the most well-known: The Billy Kirkus copy.

About a decade ago, we started to see second-generation copies of these pieces appear. A company called Dimensional Designs molded one of these copies and produced a limited run of 13 pieces for $600 in 2008-2009. They modified the teeth and added dirt and worm FX as well as a mask that appears to be a NECA remake repainted to look like a part 6. They also included a framed copy of the piece as it looked in the film. Nice touch!

In May 2011, Billy Kirkus partnered with the late Sam McCain of Horror Sanctum Studios to produce a limited run of 20 copies of his own coffin dummy for $500 a piece. You can see my copy at left, Billy's original at right. There is a considerable size difference with these copies and evidently cheap latex was used, but the piece is otherwise a faithful reproduction.

A few weeks ago, Billy molded his copy again and released a fiberglass resin version intended to give collectors a better version than the HSS. This new version is noticeably larger and the details are more crisp. The head is also a different shape, more closely resembling the original Chris Swift copies. Below is the new version (left) and the HSS coffin dummy (right).

Doing some photo analysis on the history of this piece, I noticed a few interesting things.

The Chris Swift 1st generation copies and the new Kirkus fiberglass version have a number of features in common, including a very oddly shaped head, depressed right temple (as you look at it), and some depressions just in front of the seam line that runs laterally across the cranium, and a left eye that is oddly close to the nose. The HSS coffin dummy that I own has a rounder head with more anatomical cranial dimensions and a left eye that appears to be in a more balanced position with respect to the rest of the face. The new copies also have a small bit of compression to the right side of the neck and the back of the neck is partially collapsed into the shoulders, an unfortunate but minor side effect of the weight of the silicone mold.

You can see many of the same "defects" in the Dimensional Designs version, which was molded from a sister copy of Billy's piece, as you can see in this video review from October 2009. The DD copies had an additional compression of the cranium on the upper right side behind the axe cut, and notably have the same "collapse" of the back of the neck present in Billy's new copies but oddly enough not in my HSS copy:

These peculiarities left me puzzled: which version is more accurate to the piece used in the film? You'd think it would be the earlier version. Maybe the HSS coffin dummy's rounder head and anatomically-correct eye placement is an accident caused by foam filling, especially since Billy's 1st gen copy more closely resembles the new ones he's released than the old HSS bust I have.

But if you compare photos carefully, it really looks like the HSS coffin dummy more closely resembles the actual dummy used in the film. The head is rounder and less lumpy and the eye placement is not so close to the nose.

 

It's probably hard to see from these photos, but if you have any of these in person, take a look, particularly at the way the cranium dips in a straight line right from the seam. Seems unlikely to have been a design decision. You can see the same effect in this video of another HSS coffin dummy, so apparently they don't all have the foamed-out cranium like mine:

However, Sam's prototype, seen in this video, looks like my HSS, with the very rounded cranium and even face:

I think the best explanation is that this above prototype HSS coffin dummy best represents how the movie piece was originally sculpted; the newer fiberglass copies are more size-accurate, but retain the "defects" of the Swift 1st gen copies. This is probably because when Chris Swift molded his original piece he didn't stuff it well, and there was some compression caused by the weight of the molding material. Picky collectors like myself have a choice to make--go with a version that may be more accurate to the film, or one that is more accurate to the earliest movie mold copies? I might actually keep both of my copies.

Voorhees is Live on Youtube: Watch it Here

This is easily my favorite Jason Voorhees fan film. Its brutal, gory, intense, well-shot, beautifully scored and all around impressive. Give it a watch on Youtube!

ALSO: Keep an eye on this blog for exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and photos from the set.

The Late Steve Dash with a Pam Head

Steve at one of his last convention appearances with one of the 3D prints of the original movie head from part 2 I produced a couple of years ago. Can't remember where I found this. Happy Halloween!

Voorhees: An Epic Gorefest Coming Soon To Youtube

Last night I attended the world premier of the fan film Voorhees at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. This project has been a long time coming, and the fans, some of whom traveled from as far away as New Hampshire and Arizona, were eagerly anticipating this premier after three long years of waiting.

Voorhees is a solid 90-minute film shot entirely on location with about a dozen actors, which is no small achievement on a shoe string budget (about $20,000 as I'm told, not even enough money to pay the gaffer on a studio film). A look through the ending credits of Never Hike Alone and you'll see a fairly large list of crew members--Voorhees was photographed, directed and edited entirely by Cody Faulk, with a few other assorted cast members, advisors and FX artists filling additional roles as needed over the course of a grueling three-year shoot. This austere approach to film-making is risky and labor intensive, and in this case resulted in several delays. Fans in attendance at the premier were certainly not disappointed by the end result, and rewarded the efforts of the filmmakers with a standing ovation. 

As the rest of the world will see in a few days when it goes live on Youtube, the wait will be worth it. This film is absolutely BRUTAL. It is completely uninhibited in the display of violence and gore sought by most Friday the 13th fans. Faulk and producer/co-writer Chris Plaushin went for the jugular in displaying Jason's homicidal rage in vivid detail. In a sense, this is the gorefest John Buechler wanted part 7 to be, albeit with a smaller budget. Unlike the more meandering Vengeance, Voorhees wastes none of the viewer's time, even dispensing with opening credits so the audience can jump right into this relentless hell ride into the depths of human depravity as Jason reduces a cast of rogues, drunks and cops to hamburger. One particularly gut-wrenching kill in the last third of the film might be one of my favorites in the franchise.

When making a feature length film on a five-figure budget, some very careful decisions have to be made to approximate a studio production as closely as possible. What you can't achieve without a big FX budget or a professional set designer, you have to achieve the old fashioned way with good writing, location scouting, camera-work and editing. In most of the ways this film could have succeeded on so tight a budget, Voorhees really nails it. The writing here is probably better than most of the actual Paramount films. The plot is succinct and well-paced and character motivations are well-articulated without being overly expositional. The dialogue follows the "less is more" school and was artfully edited down for impact. Faulk makes skillful use of inexpensive cinematic tricks like tight shots and dramatic lighting to heighten the tension as the characters realize they are being hunted by an unseen predator. The editing in Voorhees is air-tight and keeps the tension high from the first scene to the last.

To his credit, Faulk also spent a massive portion of his Indiegogo budget on the music (composed by Canadian Adrian Emond). It definitely shows. Rather than using cookie cutter sound effects or stealing Harry Manfredini's gnawing violins, the film took an entirely new musical route independent of previous Friday the 13th films. The score enhances the drama so effectively that the viewer can be forgiven for forgetting he is watching a fan film as Jason stomps towards his prey to the thunder of drums timed to his footsteps with a precision that was never attempted during the Paramount days. Anyone who has seen the un-scored early drafts of Friday the 13th Part 7 can attest to the central importance of music in the franchise, and the lush soundtrack in Voorhees helps to elevate this film to something that feels nearly professional during some of its more dramatic moments.

The actors made great use of the aforementioned tight shots, and Voorhees is full of intense gazes from its many villains, giving this movie a more character-driven feel than your average Friday the 13th. Of course, being a fan film, there are some flubs. There are also a few shaky and out-of-focus moments throughout the film that in some instances diminish the impact of an otherwise great shot. But the film's strengths tend to cover well for its weaknesses. While not as polished as Never Hike Alone, Voorhees exceeds it in some respects--the crumbling structures of the shoot location lends an eerie authenticity to the setting that Never Hike Alone didn't quite achieve; the ultra-brutal kills are more daring and visceral; and the plot is meatier, combining elements of Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs with stylistic nods to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and '70s grindhouse cinema.

In the sense of being feature-length, Voorhees is more ambitious than Never Hike Alone, yet manages to remain more focused than Vengeance. Having a smaller budget than both films, it sets a high bar for what can be achieved with very little money if the director, producer, cast and crew are dedicated to creating a film that will, for lack of a better term, stick to your ribs (and your hair, clothing, and everything else). This film brings Jason back to his indie roots and tells a unique, well-crafted story through sharp writing and editing. Everyone involved should be proud of what they achieved. Voorhees will sit comfortably with Never Hike Alone and Vengeance as a testament to the passion and resourcefulness of amateur filmmakers in the slasher space. One can only hope it will inspire further experimentation by fan filmmakers, or at the very least, shame Jason's owners into writing him into better films.

Check out Voorhees when it drops this Halloween night at the Wet Paint Pictures Youtube channel.

CJ Graham Releases Rare Photos

There were a few BTS photos he uploaded to Facebook, but this one is my favorite--shows two of the original masks, both now owned by Mario Kirner. You can see the bullet damage on the right.
 

NEW Coffin Dummy Available!

Billy has done it again--offering a new mold of his coffin dummy, this time in fiberglass resin. These things are huge, exactly sized to his original pull (unlike the very shrunk HSS castings) and boast razor sharp detail.

For the uninitiated, these copies are cast directly from a movie mold dummy bust--the very one that was sculpted for production of Friday the 13th Part 6 and used in the opening sequence.

Scream Factory Box Set to Feature LOST FOOTAGE

Oh my God. Carl Fullerton apparently had a VHS tape dated April 24, 1981 (before the movie even came out) with all the un-cut deaths from part 2 and its being RELEASED WITH THE BOX SET. I just found this out yesterday. Apparently the footage has survived in pretty high quality, although I don't doubt they touched it up digitally. Alice apparently had a longer death than the split second we see an ice pick rammed into her temple, and of course we know from stills that the double-impaling was considerably more gruesome.

Now if someone can just find a better copy of that part 7 footage.

Pre-order the box set here.

'Voorhees' Release Date Confirmed

We won't be getting 'Halloween Kills' this year, but slasher fans will have something else to look forward to: Jason Voorhees is coming back on Halloween night 2020, and he's going to be ripping through a group of criminals and their unfortunate captives.

This film has been a long time coming, having been launched back in early 2017, and fortunately was 99% finished when coronavirus struck, delaying some voice recording a few months. Recording is now completed, and the movie is basically ready for release. I was on set in Virginia for a few night shots back in October 2018 and July 2019 and was impressed by the creepy atmosphere and pretty intense brutality of the shoot. I won't spoil it, but after the film receives broad release, I'll go into some more "behind the scenes" detail on this blog with a few photos and one gory-ass video.

While the film has been delayed a couple times from its original release date, it was the right thing to do. We saw what happens when a fan film is rushed to release when 'Vengeance' came out before it was done and had to be re-cut and re-released. Director Cody Faulk is going for perfection here, so I'm eager to see what he comes up with.

Check out the trailer. It gets straight to the point: we want to see Jason. Here he is!

Highly-Detailed Part 7 Bust For Sale

Sculpted by Marshall Bean. Easily the best fan sculpt of this design I've ever seen. Also comes with its own hockey mask. Resin blanks available now for $350. Contact the seller on Facebook or comment below with your email!

Original Movie Mold Jason Hands For Sale

Take a look at the photos below. The pair of brown hands at left are the last surviving pair of original latex hands made for the production of Friday the 13th Part 7. I recently purchased them from Brad Hardin, who obtained them from the late John Carl Buechler many years ago. No one else has both hands from the film, though Mario Kirner does have a single hand that was painted and used during production.

The pair of black hands on the right are a perfect replica molded straight off these hands. Cast in a lightweight resin, they are exactly the same size and perfectly capture every detail of the hands at left. My business partner recently did a small run of these for our friends and fellow collectors.

Here's the good news: out of a run of twenty, there are five pair still available. If you want one of these last five pair, contact Marcos Medina on Facebook, or look him up on Yourprops (user: Barcode500). I expect they're going to go fast, so don't wait too long!

If you want to buy the original latex hands, leave a comment with your email address here or contact me on Facebook.

Here's some extra shots of the movie hands for reference.