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.

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.

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.

'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!

"Voorhees" Final Indiegogo Campaign is Live

The second and final phase of the Voorhees campaign is underway. You can see the new teaser, along with the perks being offered to funders by following this link.

I contributed $30 because I absolutely NEED that t-shirt with the mask and the house. Among other things, they're offering DVD and Blue Ray discs and posters and even the full film script.

Teaser is really short, concise, and tightly edited. Score is also NICE. Check it out.

This will get Cody and team through the (very expensive) post-production process, including paying the composer and sound engineer to do the final mix. This is a vital part of the process to make the film feel more Hollywood-level and less like a bunch of kids running around with cameras.

No word yet on when the final cut is expected to go live, but you never want to rush a great product.

Having seen a tiny sliver of the footage, I can say it really looks interesting. There are some great battles and FX shots and with some of it I was thinking "how the hell did they do this without a budget?"

I think this film might stand as a great example of what you can achieve without big bucks... like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the Blair Witch Project. You can tell a story with tensions, lighting, good camerawork and a great score without all the extras. Drone shots don't hurt either.

After the film has been released, keep an eye on this blog for some additional behind-the-scenes stories, photos and video of the four days I spent on set in 2018 and 2019. I have some photos I've been DYING to release but I'm going to wait until most fans have seen the film at some point next year.

"Voorhees" Indigogo Round 2 Launching Tomorrow

New teaser being launched tomorrow for the second round of the Voorhees campaign. This second round is going to pay for all the finishing touches on what should be a very remarkable film.

Snapshot of the Mask from "Voorhees"

Just a quick cell phone shot of the mask being used in Voorhees taken while I was on set about a year ago. Cody Faulk noted recently that he's done cutting 60 minutes worth of footage, so its progressing nicely.

Notes From the Set of "Voorhees"

Last Friday night I was once again on the set of "Voorhees" as it wrapped up the final scene of major shooting. I'm told that aside from a few pickup shots, the film is done being shot. Cody Faulk reported recently on Facebook earlier today that he is done editing the first act, so despite some setbacks, progress remains solid.

Shooting ran from around 8 PM until 2 AM in the middle of nowhere and the location is ultra-creepy: remote, rural and eerily quiet, with some very dense forest. Last time I was on set we heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance, although this time the insects were a bigger aggravation. The guy playing Jason (whose identity will be secret until the final credits roll) is very large--roughly Derek Mears sized-- and when he first gets into costume its slightly terrifying, even to an old fan like myself.

The shoot I witnessed and participated in leads me to believe this will probably be the most brutal of the Jason Voorhees fan films currently being produced. I don't want to reveal too much, but I will say "Voorhees" could be the film John Carl Buechler wanted Part 7 to be.

After the movie goes live on YouTube, I'll be writing here a bit more about my role in the film, and why I've been invited to shoots--until then, I hope you're as excited as I am.

Voorhees Trailer: Part 2 Drops

"People go crossing into his grounds... they're gone for good."

Sounds about right.

The second "Voorhees" trailer dropped an explosion of gore on Youtube today with less dialogue, tighter shots, and a greater focus on action than the first one. This trailer also just feels more epic. Almost operatic in its grandeur. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

Cody Faulk's Jason is as vicious as he is imposing so judging by this trailer, fans looking for Hatchet-like levels of blood aren't going to be disappointed by this film.

We are in the midst of a Friday the 13tht fan film golden age and this movie--with its unique genre-bending plot and high kill count--has the potential to be a crowning achievement. Fan films like this make me wish the major studios would stay away from Friday the 13th forever and let indie filmmakers explore the franchise from here on out. The fans have the imagination and the technology. And they even made a (vastly) better video game.

At the very least, maybe Hollywood could start hiring indie filmmakers with good scripts and forgo some of the more absurd adventures they took Jason on.

In any case, I'm really looking forward to this film coming out. I've been in semi-regular touch with the director, so I can say he has some great ideas in store that aren't even hinted at in the trailer that I think fans are going to love. But I won't spoil them for you! Just mark your calendar for Friday, September 13, 2019.

"Voorhees" Trailer Promises Return to Brutal Realism

See this yet? If not why aren't you watching it now instead of reading this bullshit? See it now? GOOD. Are you FUCKING EXCITED LIKE I AM EXCITED???

Haha. Seriously, this project is impressive. After more than two decades of squabbling between Hollywood studios and screenwriters over a seemingly endless variety of scripts (Jason in space? Really?) fans are getting bored with delays and excuses year after year as the Friday the 13th franchise drops to an extremely low priority for major studios.

So, perhaps rightfully so, the real ideas are coming not from Hollywood screenwriters, but the fans themselves. Last year we were blessed with the one-two punch of Friday the 13th: The Game and the outstanding fan film Never Hike Alone. But the brutal, grindhouse-style gore of "Voorhees" has the potential to raise the bar for fan-made films. Besides being the first feature-length Jason film, it is one of the most well funded, at around $18,000.

The film revolves around a gang of thieves who, after committing a heist, kidnap a couple of young girls and retreat to their hideout in... you guessed it... the long-abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. You can imagine the fun that will ensue.

The magic formula struck on here by writers Cody Faulk and Chris Plaushin is something Hollywood seems to have missed: you don't need to do repeat the same pattern of Jason killing horny teens, or break so far away from the pattern that he's in FUCKING SPACE. You can insert him into legitimately interesting plots and complex character dynamics common in other genres, like crime drama.

So if Friday the 13th Part 4 feels something like "Jason vs. the Breakfast Club", Voorhees is more like "Jason vs. Reservoir Dogs." You have a real plot with believable, dynamic characters that function independently of horror tropes. Then you insert Jason, a force of nature that fucks everything up, forcing them all to improvise, testing their relationships, their character, and their ability to survive a situation they can't fully comprehend.

Why this hasn't been done before mystifies me. But I'm glad Cody Faulk is doing it now. If Voorhees ends up being as good as I think it will be, this film will likely put the 2009 remake to shame in all but the most technical respects. It may even top most of the Paramount films. And it could lead to a revolution in fan films inserting Jason into meatier plots: Jason vs. doomsday survivalists? Jason vs. satanic cult? If you can make it in the woods, you can insert Jason (and why wouldn't you?). The possibilities are endless.

It's worth a moment to comment here on the endurance this character has had over the last thirty-eight years. He's literally a man who just cuts people to ribbons and never says a word. And yet he's beloved around the world as a sort of vigilante, a manifestation of the dark side in all of us that would love to just take a machete to all the injustice in life. That Jason has the freedom to do that makes him the perfect foil for all kinds of villains in a lot of different situations way beyond camp counselors and vacationers.

I've said for years that Hollywood ruined Friday the 13th. Someone has long needed the courage to take Jason Voorhees back to his indie roots and make a real film that freshens up the genre and tells his story a new way, while remaining respectful to his mythology. Never Hike Alone certainly nailed that. But Voorhees just feels so much bigger. If the finished film kicks half as much ass as this trailer, its going to be talked about for years to come.

The Mask Used in "Voorhees"

NOTE: This post was originally written in May 2018 but updated in December 2020.

So as a small note that I am very proud of, an old hockey mask I painted over a decade ago was used in the Friday the 13th fan film Voorhees.

In addition to being the only mask seen on screen (as far as I can tell), it features prominently in advertising materials as well.

This was a NECA resin mask I painted back in December 2009 and sold to Cody back in early 2011.

Here it what it looked like when I bought it on eBay. In those days we didn't have the JDF or Frightstuff blanks yet so we just repainted the NECAs:

If I recall correctly, it had a basecoat of Krylon almond with raw umber washes over it. I even used a tiny bit of vaseline in the weathering to try to get a sort of greasy, soiled look. Here it was during the weathering stage:

And as it was finished at the time:

As an interesting aside, famed mask masker Lars10 once told me this mask inspired him to paint his legendary remake masks, some of the most accurate (and expensive) you can find.

Here's a side by side with a shot from the upcoming film. The original grime is still there, albeit partially buried under new paint:

Left: 2018, right after the mask was broken during a shoot. Right: 2009.

2020 update: And here's a photo I took of it when I was onset. Another artist has done a lot of additional weathering, probably to break up the sheen caused by the clear coat (which I think was Krylon matte clear):

2020 update: Here it is right before the premier in Virginia in October 2020: