Savini hosts Friday the 13th documentary
Mark, the wheelchair-bound victim of Friday the 13th Part 2, is having machete problems. Actually, I should say it’s a loose representation of Mark and his woes are more than just of the “face violation by way of sharp object” variety.
The guy sitting a few feet away from me in the wheelchair wears a numbered red shirt (81), just like in the movie. He doesn’t resemble late actor Tom McBride in any way, though. The faux machete affixed to his face is being persnickety. The layered spirit gum holding it in place is losing its effectiveness. And the crew of the upcoming Friday the 13th documentary His Name is Jason doesn’t have much time for hiccups like this.
This is when Tom Savini steps in.
“Does anyone have surgical tape. Anything?” the makeup FX vet, handsomely groomed and dressed in a black blazer and shirt, asks the crew. A camera tech hands him a roll of tape. With MacGyver-esque ease, Savini breaks off a strip of the adhesive and secures the machete into place. “Mark” is now ready for camera in all his gory glory. The crew applauds; they’ve just witnessed the semi-retired maestro in action. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal – but it’s cool nonetheless.
It’s Monday night on the Universal Studios Hollywood lot and well past sundown. The day’s tourists have gone. Streets and sidewalks are doused is what seems like a biblical flood to wash the grime clean. The documentary troupe, with the permission of creative director John Murdy and Universal, have set up camp within the Friday the 13th maze used for the park’s October event Halloween Horror Nights to capture that Crystal Lake vibe without having to hoof it into Mother Nature. Savini is in town to perform “hosting” duties on His Name is Jason.
Director Daniel Farrands – who, with producers Anthony Masi, Thommy Hutson and Blake Reigle, have now bagged upwards of 90 interviews for the documentary – describes Savini’s part as something akin to Rod Serling. He’ll lead viewers through the doc’s segments while popping in on staged vignettes that stay true to the Friday the 13th franchise. These pieces are short and sweet. Nothing too elaborate. Right now, the crew has recreated the aforementioned death of Mark. Next, two female camp counselors waiting in the wings will play a game of “strip Monopoly” while Savini peers in on them through a broken cabin window. And later, I’ll walk away with a camera-full of photos hearing screams echo across the park as a counselor discovers two bodies. Jason would feel right at home.
His Name is Jason hits DVD on February 3rd and will air on Starz February 13th.
Click below for our full photo gallery from the shoot!
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
