World Famous Comics: Freddy vs. Jason (New Line Cinema)
Freddy vs. Jason (New Line Cinema)
By: Stephen Hand Publisher: Black Flame Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 254 Publication Date: July 29, 2003 Studio: Black Flame
Awsome de duper super ^ this was such a cool story. i wish there were more cool stories like this super de duper super cool story. thanks for letting me voice me opinion on this super de duper super story. i feel so special i'm gonna cry on the keyboard
Freddy vs Jason ^ Freddy VS Jason Movie tie-in Novelization by Stephen Hand Based on the screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark J. Swift
The book based on the screenplay. Let me start by saying, I loved this movie. Now, may I add that reading this book was painful and confusing.
Allow me to explain: 1. The book is from the original screenplay which differs from the movie we all saw. The beginning is very different. But that's about it. 2. There's this thing called POV (point of view), which allows the reader to follow the action and the character. This is hard to do when nearly every paragraph focuses on a someone different. Some writers like Phillip K. Dick can pull this off very well. Unfortunately, Stephen Hand, can not and it is this reason the book sucks. It is so hard to follow.
Now I have that off my chest, let's take a look at the story itself.
In the DVD (movie), the visualization explains everything in seconds, like the boiler room or the construction going on at Camp Crystal Lake. In the movie, I just accepted it and enjoyed the movie. The main reason for buying this book was to see how a slasher was written and how all those movie props were explained. I also wanted to know what those things were called. For this the book excels. It explains the locations and action very well and the Nightmare on Elm Street series, making refs to part 4 (I could be wrong but after seeing so many Nightmares, they all kind of blend in). I also like learning how Freddy became Freddy via the black shadows that promised him eternal life. I also did not know that Freddy went to trail for the murders of little girls and was released. Were these scenes cut from the movies or is my memory just shot? In regards to Jason, I remembered everything mentioned, his past and his reason for existing. I did not know that he was a mommy's boy.
The book remains on Freddy and the kids most of the way through, using them to carry the story. One main point for lovers of this movie and a solid reason to buy and read the book, despite the POV changes, is that the ending explains exactly who wins the battle. The POV jumped like crazy here, one paragraph for Jason, one for Freddy, and our 4 heroes, mainly Will and Laura.
I recommend getting the DVD and the book. Watch the movie on DVD, catch the alternate beginning and then read the book.
I mentioned earlier how well, Stephen Hand described the locations, I feel I should clarify this. Most of the scenes are described well, while with some (especially the party at the cornfield), it is best to see the movie first, it helped a lot.
This is the very first movie tie-in I have ever read and was worried that this is how these types of books are written. I am glad I was wrong. Read some of my other movie tie-in reviews.
Over all rating out of 5: 3 Content, action, description: 4.5 Writing - style and prose: 2
Note: Worthwhile addition to any horror lovers bookshelf, standing next to the DVD.
Now Jason lays him down to sleep... ^ FREDDY VS. JASON is a fun film. Released last August, it captured the sensation of the season in perfect fashion; a summer celluloider which offered a relaxed viewing session in a darkened theater at the mall multiplex. The teen crowd was more than content to gather together in adrenaline-fueled groups, hell-bent on spending some of the disposable capital earned at one pitiful retail job or other on the latest hot marketing commodity in the trendy, post-Scream horror industry. Along with the WB-net set were the older demos who grew up with Krueger and Voorhees, the 29-40 age group- mostly male in gender- who've been waiting for the long-promised bit of paranormal pugilism. The two worlds mingled easily enough; and after the lights went up and the 29-40's had their fill of ogling the nubile, Smallville/Everwood-loving girlfriends of all the young guys in attendance, all agreed that a pretty decent project had just unwound itself on the projection platter.
Surprisingly enough, the book is equally as good. Well, in an extremely technical sense, it's a special kind of book- a novelization. And that's important to keep in mind when judging it. A competent novelization should fulfill one primary promise: allow the reader to visit the film again in as vivid a manner as possible with minimal interference (the author shouldn't fool too much with the original plot/concept, in other words). FREDDY VS. JASON succeeds mostly at this. It's a simple, well-organized read which captures all the essential hooks of the source material and efficiently conveys them in literary format. Sure, there are hackeneyed, subpar devices at work- e.g.: the presence of sparse, almost fragmented sentences more apt for a screenplay- but they make sense in the presented context.
There is one genuinely outstanding sequence in the book which should be singled out for its nearly inspired execution- the prologue. It is here where we get a meaty introduction to the sick world of Freddy Krueger, delving into his macabre origins as the bastard son of an abused nun and his ultimate fiery fall at the hands of the parents whose children he so evilly took away from them...and then, his subsequent rise from the dead like a dark phoenix from the corrupt ashes as a supernatural sweater-wearing/knife-gloved psycho who inhabits the ether of dreams, turning all slumber sessions into terrible, vengeful slaughtering grounds where the quirky physics of nightmares yield solid, deadly effects in the real world. It was incredibly satisfying when the writer got into Freddy's mind and exposed it for what it is: diabolical, greedy for death. Later on in the book, we get a chance to peek into Jason's sinister synaptic system- yet another disturbed piece of matter.
For those so inclined, FREDDY VS. JASON is a recommended read. Not going to win a Pulitzer, but that was never the intent anyway. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy it.
Completely artless, entertains tho. ^ I especially like the way this book ties together the histories of Freddy and Jason in more detail than the movie did. All the past movies are referenced and it all feels more connected.
Plus, this book was taken from the original script and contains a few extra bits that were not in the movie (save the dumb ending) such as Jason attacking Linderman at the rave and the girls in the jeep almost running over Jason when he crosses the road at the cornfields.
Apart from that it's the same as the movie. There's no art in adapting a script into a novel but it's still an interesting read and moves at a fast pace. Tho I was let down by the dumb ending that was totally different from the movie and didn't make sense.
Tip: Don't bother reading this for English class. Like I said twice already; it's artless and not anything you can go deep into.
Only read this if you've seen the movie ~ ^ Is the book better than the movie?
In a word. No.
With a different ending than the movie and what would have been an extended scene at the beginning of the movie (welcome to camp crystal lake, ms. skinny dipper). You learn a good bit more of Freddy's trial and murder, about his mother, and the link between Freddy and Westin Hills.
The author did rush through the book though, you often read through many misspelled words (ex: "whate4ver") but you can blame all that on editing. He stayed true to the movie/screenplay, not missing a beat. It's still all in there and not horribly butchered up like some movie tie-ins.
But If you're a fan of either series, and enjoy reading, sure; pick up a copy. It proves to be fun, but not as much fun as the movie of course.
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