FRIDAY THE 13TH celebrated its 40th anniversary in May and the celebration is going to continue this October! It has been announced that a newly remastered version of the film is headed back to theaters in honor of its big milestone.
Fathom Events made the announcement that the slasher classic will be making its way back to movie theaters across the U.S. for a two-night engagement that will take place on both Sunday, October 4, 2020, and Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Showtimes will be at 7:00 PM local time on both dates. Fans who attend the screenings to see the movie will also get the special bonus of being able to view Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Friday the 13th. The special will feature legendary special-effects and makeup artist Tom Savini as he details some of the groundbreaking, gory, and great moments from FRIDAY THE 13TH. You can check out the Fathom Events announcement below:
Surprisingly, it looks like drive-ins will not be participating in this event. The announcement from Fathom comes as movie theaters nationwide are beginning to reopen following their closures in May due to the pandemic. Fathom says they are in "regular conversations" with theater owners in regards to the proper safety precautions that are taking place and which locations want to participate in the event.
FRIDAY THE 13TH was released in the wake of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, which became a horror and slasher classic when released in 1978. Looking to copy what worked in that film, the minds behind FRIDAY THE 13TH essentially followed the same motif but where HALLOWEEN was rooted more in suspense, FRIDAY THE 13TH embraced its gore from its signature kills and that in itself became the staple of the slasher films of the '80s that followed. In the film, a group of young counselors is preparing for the reopening of Camp Crystal Lake, where a young boy drowned years earlier. Soon, the counselors are stalked by a mysterious and violent killer that plans on taking them out one by one.
I wouldn't mind seeing FRIDAY THE 13TH on the big screen and it's perfect timing because the massive Scream Factory box set comes out the following week and I'll be patiently waiting at my door for that beauty to be dropped off. Will YOU be seeing FRIDAY THE 13TH in theaters?