This year the 13th of October (as I’m sure you all know) fell on a Friday. So what better way to celebrate it then by attending the LA premiere of Friday the 13th Part 3: The Memoriam Documentary. The premiere was held at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. In addition to being a premiere the event was also a fundraiser. Tickets were available to the public at $10 a piece with all proceeds going to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Before the film began, Jason, himself, posed for photos on the red carpet with invited guests and fans. Inside the beautiful auditorium, the stage was set for a pre-film Q&A with director/co-writer Kevin R Phipps, producer Ruben Angelo, and executive producer/co-writer Sean Richards. Briefly joining them on stage was fellow produce Joe Quintanilla who presented each of the three men with a gift of replica Jason hockey masks. In addition, Quintanilla made a special presentation of a cast and crew signed poster to a fan that he said has been their most loyal supporter.
The three filmmakers on the panel discuss the genesis of this film centers on a couple of key events related to the third Friday film. One being the untimely death of Jason Voorhees actor Richard Brooker from a heart attack at the age of 58 in 2013 and the other being the destruction of the film’s cabin set by fire in 2006. Richards had previously visited the film set photographing/videographing it. When Brooker passed away, Richards wanted to use his footage of the set as part of a tribute to the late actor. Director Phipps came along and suggested more than a simple tribute. They decided to create this film featuring comments from Brooker’s Friday co-stars as well as some of his other friends.
Some of those interviewed in the film also participated in the Q&A. Dick Wieand, who played the fake Jason, Roy Burns, in Friday the 13th Part : A New Beginning told of meeting Richard, years after each of their experiences with the series, at an airport when the two happened to be booked on the same flight. Part 3 co-star and former TV/radio news reporter Tracie Savage talked about how her mother, youth talent agent Judy Savage, brought the Friday role to her attention by telling her they were looking for someone to play a slut. And actress Caroline Williams, best known for her starring role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, never appeared in a Friday film but was close friends with Brooker shared that what Richard seemed to love most in the world was drinking in a bar regaling others with stories.
The film itself was a bit of an odd mix as it really feels like at least two different documentaries in one. The bulk of the 40 minute film is a loving tribute to Brooker. However, while the film has many great things to say about him we unfortunately hear next to nothing from Brooker himself. We only briefly hear from him in a piece of video footage where he is comforting a young child who is nervous around the large man. From the stories told by those that knew him and looking at his varied filmography that also included appearances of Trapper John, MD and work as a producer and director for Bill Nye the Science Guy and many various televised sporting events, I would have loved to have seen some clips of him speaking.
The Brooker portion of the film was bookended by the “other” documentary that took a quick look at the production with a large emphasis on the main set piece of the film. Many of the Friday Part 3 cast members are on hand to share their sometimes hazy memories of the film. Paul Kratka, who played Rick in Part 3, is on hand as the narrator/host of the film.
The back part of this bookend section focuses on the fire that burned down the cabin. The filmmakers pull no punches when it comes to the group that accidentally burned the structure down when they started a fire in the cabin’s fake fireplace to keep warm. The perpetrators are portrayed as being heartless vandals who knew what they were doing and ultimately were able to get off because their parents were rich and connected. Really the fire appeared to be just an innocent mistake made by some careless young people that destroyed a movie set structure that lasted far longer than ever intended. These kids certainly didn’t deserve the revenge fantasy the film finishes with in which Jason Voorhees hunts them down.
What was in the film was good but it was what wasn’t that could have made it better. It was a decent documentary with varying levels of production quality. But if you are a fan of horror movie documentaries or Friday the13th Part 3 I would say to check it out.
For more information on when and where you can see the film follow the film on facebook.
