PopHorror Let's Get Scared
With the new wave of Friday The 13th fan films reaching its pinnacle, Director David Brown daringly separates himself from the pack with a more grounded and realistic Jason. Brown plans on filling the gap of Jason’s survival in a bold and clever plot. His work will give hardcore fans of the originals what they have always wanted to know… How did Jason Voorhees survive all those years? We were lucky to get the chance to ask him about it.
PopHorror: Tell us a little about yourself? What don’t we know about you, Mr. Brown?
David Brown: Man, that’s hard. I was never good at talking about myself. I live in New York, but my heart and soul will always be in the pine barrens of South Jersey. I’ve always been a die-hard movie buff growing up, favoring films like Star Wars and the original two Friday The 13th films. I’m not necessarily as big of a fan of Star Wars as I was before the Disney takeover, but I still have my love for the older films. I was just shocked with the original Friday The 13th after seeing it for the first time – especially with that unexpected twist of Ms. Voorhees being the killer. I’m also a big cosplay geek and I’ve attended almost every Comic Con event in NYC.
PopHorror: How did you gain an interest in film?
David Brown: I tried acting as a career choice in college. I hated the egotistical personalities I encountered, as I’m much more of a laid back kind of person. I always loved film and acting, with my favorite actors being Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum. I always admired their styles since it was more of their skills towards the art rather than their looks. When it came to horror movies, it was the ones that kept me thinking after I left the theater [that I loved]. This is what was important to me. I remember seeing Psycho and the infamous shower scene was what really hit me as a viewer. It wasn’t so much the stabbing… it was more of when she hit the floor and the camera panned into her eye. It just hit me in the stomach, and I felt dread, because I knew her story up to that point and who she was as a person.
PopHorror: What inspired you to create the story known as His Name Was Jason?
David Brown: Growing up in South Jersey, which is less than 2 hours away where the original Friday The 13th was filmed in Blairstown, played a big part in my inspiration for the story. I had always wondered what that town would have gone through after the events of the original film. My main focus was to center more on the effects it had on the older residents rather than the teens to make it feel more grounded and interesting. The story is basically Stand By Me meets The Deer Hunter meets Friday The 13th. I want this to be a film where audiences can feel connected to the characters on a realistic level. What had also fueled me to do my own film was seeing the passion and effort from guys like Jason Brooks, Cody Faulk and Vincente DiSanti. I’ve spoken to all 3 asking for advice and they have been nothing but helpful to me.
PopHorror: Besides the synopsis, what secrets can you tell us about His Name Was Jason?
David Brown: I’ve been pretty open about everything with the fans. After all, they have given me their full support. What I can say is we hope to bring on a heavy hitter to the film that is the kind that die hard fans will cheer for. The thing is, the story takes place between movies 1 and 2, so I want to fill in the gap – nicely surprise them with something they would never expect – that could be a good canon story of its own.
PopHorror: How will this Jason differ from the other canon incarnations?
David Brown: Throughout the Friday the 13th films, Jason was always self aware and well experienced in his hunting prowess and killing skills. For the first time, I want to introduce an early version of Jason that will be based on the boy in the lake we saw in 1980, but in adult form. Prepare to see a grounded, inexperienced Jason that fans have never seen before. This Jason will be new to killing since he hasn’t grasped it yet, so you will see him crawling before he walks. He will make mistakes.
PopHorror: Do you plan on continuing the story after His Name Was Jason, or will this film be a stand-alone?
David Brown: I have another story in mind, but right now, it’s more of a one step at a time kind of thing. I would love to work on it with Jason Brooks from Friday The 13th: Vengeance, Vincente DiSanti from Never Hike Alone or Cody Faulk from Voorhees!
PopHorror: What advice can you give to young, aspiring filmmakers out there who are looking to make their visions come true through film?
David Brown: Know movies! Know what people like and connect with them to give them that personal feeling they get when they view a film. Behind every viewer, there is always fear, love and excitement, so focus on one in your film, along with a really good story behind it, and they will talk about it for years! If you have a strong passion for something, pursue it and don’t let anyone say you can’t do it.
We would like to send a big THANK YOU to David Brown for taking the time to talk with us. Keep it tuned to PopHorror for all of your horror news, reviews and interviews!
