I want to know who we can hold responsible for the found-footage subgenre. Admittedly, there have been a few films that made excellent use of the concept (the first Paranormal Activity springs to mind), but for every found-footage film there have been three that are simply dire (most of the other four Paranormal Activity films). Like so many trends that annoy me, it’s not going anywhere, and now the Friday the 13th franchise will be given the found-footage treatment.
The next installment in the Friday the 13th franchise is being produced by Paramount and Platinum Dunes (that’s Michael Bay’s company). To add a little more terror to the prospects of the next installment, there’s a good chance that we’re getting word of it now because Paramount has until 2015 to get a Friday the 13th film out before the rights revert to Warner Brothers. This might not bother those who just want to see Jason run rampant again, but it hardly makes for a good perspective horror film.
The next Friday the 13th is just in the planning stages now, with the producers searching for a screenwriter that’s up to adapting Jason to the found-footage subgenre. Much of the film’s success will depend on the screenwriter and the director, of course, and whether or not they do something new and unique with a subgenre that can only stretch credulity so far.
There’s always room for improvement, of course. The Friday the 13th franchise is not exactly known for the increasing quality of its sequels. Perhaps a new entry will simply give us our fix of blood and guts, and we won’t be bothered with how we get them. It would be nice to see a quality horror film for this franchise, though. I think Jason deserves a little bit of respect, don’t you?
What do you think of a found-footage Friday the 13th? Brilliant idea, or the worst thing since Hellraiser: Revelations? Let us know in the comments.