Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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^•K&ygC- -v X'.-' '-a-' ■: ' T\-,-.o/'.x v.-v*.' € .: <iaahfcHv,:,‘;',«.v.a?ii^iiiBi'ay• .. ■ • iriiTi rittifiii»—n-r •' ~ " . il^TvTTmB^rTr^.,. jj> , BY GABRIELLE COOKE THE (iAMECOCK In a clash of horror-industry ti tans, a reign of terror stretching over two decades has come to a carnage-filled climax on the big screen. After championing their genre with a combined total of more than 15 films, Freddy and Jason, two tenacious and seem ingly undefeatable villains, have iinany come together to face one an other in the ul- ■ timate horror film show down. Ladies and Gentlemen, in the right cor ner, weighing in at 160 pounds with a record toQ ter rifying to mention, from Springwood, Ohio, we have dream terror ist Freddy Krueger. And in the left corner, weighing in at a hefty 250 pounds with a histo ry of slaughtering sexually driv en teens, from Camp Crystal Lake, NJ, sits “Friday the 13th’s” silent but deadly stalker, Jason Voorhees. Such an introduction is just one of the many images moviego ers have envisioned since New Line Cinema began advertising its new horror film “Freddy vs. Jason” a few months ago. But for thousands of horror fans out there, this match was likely imag ined even before the first hint that these two might collide was re vealed in 1993. In “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday,” Freddy’s signature glove reaches up and pulls Jason’s mask down to hell. Since that fated moment, fans have ea “Freddy vs. Jason” pairs two horror film iconoclasts in a battle to end all nightmarish battles. USC professor Bill Cooke, who teaches “100 Years of the Horror Film,” illuminates such films and the history of the genre for the bravest of movie fans across campus in his popular course. gerly waited for such a-film, yet the road to its debut has been paved with countless rumors and false hopes. The film was delayed by many factors, namely the fact that the horror icons were owned by two different studios. New Line Cinema held the rights . to Freddy, while Paramount Pictures laid claim to Jason. “Freddy vs. Jason” might have maienanzeu a lot sooner if the two stu dios could have come to an agree ment when “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” was made. The film was originally in tended to in clude the long-awaited match-up. In 1992, New Line bought the rights to Jason and promptly made “Jason Goes to Hell,” where it slipped in a glimpse of what was to come. In 1997, New Line officially pro posed the idea, but the project was shelved for various reasons. After the release of “Jason X” in 2002, Bob Shaye, the president of New Line, confirmed that he had found the right script, written by David S. Goyer, and that filming would begin September 2002. The film was originally planned to be re leased oh June 13, 2003, a Friday the 13th, but was pushed back to Aug. 15. And so now, after all the hype, the anticipation, the fan frustra tion — is the film worth it? To some, yes. But before you hand over your $5.50, be aware that this film is not going to win any prestigious Hollywood awards. If PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Robert Englund, left, has played Freddy Krueger for over 20 years, including in Friday’s release “Freddy vs. Jason." The film topped the weekend box office. Ken Krzinger, right, plays the role of Jason. you waltz into the theater ex pecting to be “moved,” besides the sudden jump in your seat, ex pect to be disappointed. One thing that should satisfy most moviegoers is the amount of blood and gore. Seemingly, there is not a single orifice of Freddy’s or Jason’s that does not ooze blood in this film. The most popular question is, of course: Who is going to win, Freddy or Jason? And who else better to ask than the horror genre guru himself, USC profes sor Bill Cooke, who teaches the class 100 Years of the Horror Film. “Fans of both Freddy and Jason are liable to come after me with finger blades and machetes if I don’t pick their favorite,” Cooke said. “While I always preferred the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ series to the ‘Friday the 13th’ series, I found myself pulling for the un derdog Jason.” And in the end, is Jason the vic tor? “I won’t give away the ending of‘Freddy vs. Jason,’ but they found a way to satisfy both camps,” Cooke said. If you are a horror fan and “Freddy vs. Jason” leaves you wanting more, you might want to sign up for Cooke’s class next spring. “My goal is to present as com plete a picture of the horror genre as I can — to cover, in roughly chronological order, the trends and the talent behind and in front of the cameras,” Cooke said. The course was also offered last semester and became a student fa vorite. In addition to teaching film studies courses, Cooke has writ ten and directed two feature length movies, “Campfire Tales” (1991) and “Freakshow” (1995). Both are available on DVD. Also, he is a regular contributing writ er to “Video Watchdog,” the per fectionist’s guide to fantastic video. Hopefully, “Freddy vs. Jason” will not be the last film for the feared duo we have all grown to love. Cultural icons like these two tend to slowly fade from the silver screen only to reappear when you think they are down and out for the count. And so the rumors and the waiting begin again. Maybe this time we wonJJ have to wait so long for roui^i two. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.cOff1 Join Air Force ROTC at the University of South Carolina GREAT careers Pilot Nurse Engineer Lawyer Navigator More GREAT benefits Travel Full Medical & Dental Care Build Leadership & Management Skills Starting Salary & Allowances: $35,000 30 Days Vacation with Pay Tuition Assistance for Graduate Degrees Job Security ... and you may be eligible for one of our scholarships! For more information, call 777-3450 or visit the Air Force ROTC web site www.afrotc.com Twenty Years of Terror Jason’s History: Friday the 13th (1980) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Friday the 13th Part 3:3D (1982) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) Jason X (2001) Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) Freddy’s Repertoire: Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revehge (1985) Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master M (1988) ^ Nightmare On Elm Street The Dream Child (1989) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) New Nightmare (1994) Freddy vs. Jason (2003) -a, **" PH??TO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Fans have anticipated a Freddy-Jason challenge since “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday,” ,n iiihirk Cmrlrlu’e cflnuo millc locnn'c infomnnc mod/ rinu/n tn Holl —