While we each have our favorite entry in the Friday the 13th franchise – and Kane Hodder actually has one of his own as well – I must admit that mine is Jason X. Sure, there may be the purists among you that scoff at the idea of sending Jason Voorhees into space, but I believe there’s a beauty in the absurdity of it all – and there’s also the fact that I believe it contained some of Jason’s best kills overall.
Having lied dormant for a number of years, you could probably imagine the shock shared by us all when the franchise made its comeback in spring of 2002 with an offering that toed the line between horror and science fiction. Plus, there was the introduction of the Uber Jason look that factored heavily into the film’s marketing, something that remains a talking point to this day. Really, it’s no wonder that a series of novels was spawned from this idea.
Speaking of the icon’s new look, it’s hard not to mention the makeup process when reminiscing on that topic. After all these years, effects artist Damon Bishop has gotten his hands on an image showing his work from back in the day. Shared over on Instagram, the pic displays veteran actor/stuntman Kane Hodder unmasked, and can be viewed below.
What’s more is that Bishop offered some insight into the process in the comments section, saying:
“If you look at the hair placement it’s along the back edge hiding it from view. Same with the ear area. The front of the cap was obviously covered by the hockey mask. Kane mentioned that many of the other makeups were very hot and uncomfortable. This made it much easier for him while shooting.
He also has some severe burn scars on his neck which we painted to match the cap. He could move more freely and there was no weird buckling from a prosthetic. Cleanup and removal was super fast too. We reused the cap. Kane said it was the most comfortable version he’d worn. There was a full face and head piece made that we never used as there was only one brief shot of him without the hock, which was a full fake body.”
For more on Jason X and Kane Hodder’s history with the Friday the 13th franchise, be sure to check out our full interview with him that was conducted earlier this year. To say that it was chock full of interesting stuff is an understatement.