Countdown to Halloween: “Freddy vs. Jason” and “The Lost Boys”

The Dietrich Theater’s Spooky Fest is now in full swing and there’s a lot of good scares and fun with the films that the theater has chosen for this small festival! For this particular review, I took a look at a couple Spooky Fest selections that are still popular with horror fans today - the 2003 horror crossover “Freddy vs. Jason” and the 1987 cult classic “The Lost Boys.”

Two horror icons face off in “Freddy vs. Jason”! Disfigured serial killer Freddy Krueger, who attacks his victims in their dreams, has lost much of his power since citizens of his town have become less afraid of him.

Enlisting the help of fellow violent killer Jason Voorhees, Freddy orchestrates a new killing spree. However, when the hockey mask-wearing psychopath won’t stop chopping up Freddy’s intended victims, the two ghouls start to battle each other.

Even though the 2003 horror crossover “Freddy vs. Jason” isn’t the best horror movie and is flawed at times, it’s still a fun watch! The 2003 movie features some highly entertaining moments that fans of the genre would enjoy, including many fights between the horror icons. And the final big fight between them is really brutal and is the major stand-out moment of the entire movie.

Despite its flaws and sometimes illogical plot, “Freddy vs. Jason” is the highest-grossing entry in both the “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchises. Only time will tell when we’ll see these horror icons on the big screen again.

MPA: Rated R for pervasive strong horror violence/gore, gruesome images, sexuality, drug use and language   (runtime 97 minutes) (available on HBO Max)

In the still popular 1987 vampire flick “The Lost Boys,” teenage brothers Michael and

Sam move with their mother to a small town in California. While the younger Sam meets a pair of kindred spirits in geeky comic book nerds, the Frog brothers, the angst-ridden Michael soon falls for Star, who turns out to be in thrall to David, leader of a local gang of vampires.

Sam and his friends must save Michael and Star from the undead.

“The Lost Boys” is now considered to be a truly iconic cult classic that blends horror, comedy and a definitive 80s aesthetic. Even though some of its elements can be a little dated, this 80s classic is still regarded as a fun cult classic that is extremely entertaining and has a really iconic soundtrack.

This movie’s mix of genuine scares and humor is effectively balanced. Sure, there are a few moments that may have a campy feel, but The Lost Boys is still a really fun watch. This movie also features quite a few memorable moments, such as the bridge scene when David challenges Michael to jump from the train trestle, culminating in a dangerous ride over a foggy cliff, which is one of the many stand out moments of the movie.

“The Lost Boys” also features some hilarious moments, especially from the Frog brothers (who steals the show quite a few times) and the grandfather character who has some really dry wit that can really make you chuckle a few times.

“The Lost Boys” is now celebrated as a “time capsule” of 1980s youth culture and lifestyle. Fans have embraced the movie’s blend of horror and comedy, with many appreciating that it’s scary without being overly gory. For those who grew up watching it, “The Lost Boys” is a source of intense nostalgia and can be rewatched several times and still have a good time watching it!

MPA: Rated R   (runtime 97 minutes) (available on some rental PVOD services)

Make sure to check the Dietrich Theater’s website for the show dates and times for these movies during Spooky Fest!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUn-5EJuw3k

• According to Robert Englund, his Freddy make-up was so thick that he couldn't tell how hot it was from the fires during filming. When he got in to have his make-up removed, it had bonded itself to his face.

• As of 2024 the final film in which Robert Englund plays the role of Freddy Krueger.

• James Wan was originally going to direct this film, but was already commited to directing SAW (2004) and was too busy with other film projects.

• This film marks Robert Englund's last official on-screen appearance as Freddy, though he would occasionally appear as the character at conventions and events. In 2014, Englund officially "retired" from the role, after appearing in full costume and make-up at an event marketed as his final portrayal of the character.

• A sequel was planned, but never materialized. Wildstorm published a six issue comic series in late 2007 and early 2008. This added The Evil Dead (1981)'s Ash Williams to the mix.

• Kane Hodder, who had portrayed Jason in the previous four films featuring the character, was keen on reprising the role and had even been given a copy of the final script. However, Jason was subsequently re-cast, with Hodder claiming he had been kept out of the loop as to why. This decision caused backlash from some "Friday the 13th/Jason" fans. Ronny Yu explained that while Hodder was fantastic in the role, he chose Ken Kirzinger for the part, as Kirzinger was slightly taller and broader than Hodder (thus giving more contrast with the much shorter Robert Englund as Freddy), and because he wanted a slightly different take on the character. He felt that Hodder was somewhat too "aggressive," whereas he wanted Jason to be slower, smoother, and more deliberate in how he was portrayed. Yu would later claim that it was a studio decision and that he would have cast Hodder if New Line had wanted Hodder. Though Hodder was disappointed and angry with the decision, he holds no grudge against Kirzinger, who had worked with him on the eighth film as a stunt double.

• Veteran Friday the 13th actor Kane Hodder, who played the part of Jason Voorhees in the last two "Friday the 13th" movies and the next two "Jason" movies, offered to reprise the role for this film, but was turned down for the part because New Line Cinema envisioned Jason to be tall and large, so they could create a David and Goliath sort of visual imagery between Freddy and Jason. New Line Cinema felt that Hodder was too short and bulky to be Jason, and went with Ken Kirzinger, who is three inches taller. Hodder later pointed out that he still managed to make an brief appearance in the movie: in the asylum sequence, a screen is showing Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), and that is Hodder playing Leatherface in that scene (as he was a stunt double on that movie).

• During the film's long gestation period, at least seventeen scripts were submitted, most of which dealt with cults that were attempting to resurrect Freddy and Jason to come back and fight. These were eventually turned into one script that the producers decided for some time to go ahead with, but they eventually changed their minds, as they could not agree on the ideas proposed. Eventually in 2001, Damian Shannon and Mark Swift came in to pitch their ideas without restrictions while they were working on another project for New Line Cinema. The two noted that most previous writers had ignored the mythology and history of the characters, so their approach was to basically "keep it all intact. Make it all count. Don't discount the other movies. And the fans will love you for it." The producers felt that their script was indeed much closer to the Freddy and Jason backstories.

• During test and advance screenings, the ending was not added to the film. Instead, the following text appeared: "On August 15th, 2003 see the final sixty seconds and see who has survived...and what is left of them." This is a direct reference to the tagline for the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which is "Who will survive and what will be left of them?"

• Chronologically, the film is set after the events of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), but before Jason X (2001), which was released beforehand, as this movie spent so long in development hell.

• Rob Zombie was offered to direct, but turned it down to work on his pet project House of 1000 Corpses (2003). He would later make Halloween (2007), a remake of Halloween (1978), which was the third big horror franchise in the 1980 aside from Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th.

• New Line Cinema first attempted to make this film several times in the late 1980s, as early as 1987 when they tried to team up with Paramount Pictures by pitting Jason against Freddy Krueger in the seventh Friday the 13th movie. However, they couldn't reach an agreement, so Paramount made Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988) by having Jason fight a telepathic teenage girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q786UsnOcsY

• Santa Cruz, standing in for the fictional town of Santa Carla, was once plagued with the reputation of being "The Murder Capital Of The World" because of a series of very brutal murders by three different very disturbed men in the early 1970's. Because of John Linley Frazier, Herbert Mullin and Ed Kemper, Santa Cruz endured 28 murders over a 30 month period between 1970 and 1973.

• The new location of the Atlantis Fantasyworld comic book store, which was featured in the film, is owned by Joe Ferrara II, who still carries the original #1 issue of 'Vampires Everywhere' that Sam reads in the film. The comic was created only for the film, and its opening page is signed by all of the cast members from the movie. The owner Joe Ferrara II allows any shopper to hold it and take a photo with it free of charge.

• This was Corey Haim and Corey Feldman's first film together, which marked the start of a popular 1980s trend "The Two Coreys," in which Feldman and Haim starred together in a number of teenage films.

• Every year at the landmark Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, this film is screened as part of the park's free summer movie series. Beach goers may bring outdoor furniture and supplies to watch after sunset. Many features of the town shown can still be recognized, most notably the rides and games of the Boardwalk itself.

• Gerard McMahon wrote the theme song "Cry Little Sister" after reading the script, but without seeing the film.

• Corey Feldman (who played Edgar Frog) almost wasn't in the movie. At the time Corey struggled with drug abuse at a young age and showed up to work coming down from a cocaine binge. Director Joel Schumacher was very upset that Corey kept dozing off and was unable to continue filming, so he fired him, but hired him back the next day after Corey apologized and swore to come to work prepared from then on, which he did.

• The film is titled after the companions of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, who remained forever young.

• Executive producer Richard Donner originally intended to direct the movie himself, but as production languished, he moved onto Lethal Weapon (1987) and eventually hired Joel Schumacher for the job.

• This is the second film that Corey Feldman starred in with Kiefer Sutherland, where Feldman was the hero and Sutherland was the villain. The first film is Stand by Me (1986). These films were filmed back to back in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

• In the scene where Sam and the Frog Brothers stake Marco while he sleeps they are pursued by the rest of the vampire gang as they try to escape back into the daylight. David grabs Sam's leg but Sam manages to drag David's hand into the sunlight where it catches fire. A tear then slides down David's face as he clutches his hand in agony. Apparently, the tear running down his face was actually caused by Kiefer Sutherland's contact lenses which were stinging terribly, but they decided to keep it in as it looked really good and was in context.