Interview: Writer Victor Miller for FRIDAY THE 13TH

What’s better than a whole month devoted to Halloween or a Friday the 13th? When Friday the 13th lands in the month of Halloween! To celebrate both occasions Michael Coulombe decided to reach out to his friend and mentor, Victor Miller, writer of the original FRIDAY THE 13TH and ask him some questions about the beloved franchise, as well as future projects.

Nightmarish Conjurings: I know that FRIDAY THE 13TH wasn’t the original title for the film/screenplay? How did that title/concept come about?

Victor Miller: Sean [Cunningham] came up with the title, I imagine based on the success of “Halloween”, another frightening day/title.

NC: What was it about the location of Blairstown, NJ that brought the story of FRIDAY THE 13TH to life?

VM: It was perfect. It was not a fancy place and looked as if it had not done well over the years.

NC: In the original script, Jason’s mother was the killer, but it seems the fans associate the whole franchise with Jason as the killer. What are your thoughts on that?

VM: Inasmuch as Mrs. Voorhees was killed on camera, I guess the producers figured the only way to restart the franchise was to bring Jason back to life.

NC: In your opinion, what made FRIDAY THE 13TH the horror phenomenon that it is today?

VM: I continue to think that Mrs. Voorhees was a mother many folks would love to have had: an avenging woman who would kill anyone who wronged her kid. You may hate what she did, but her motivation was primal.

NC: If you had to rewrite FRIDAY THE 13TH for today’s horror audience, what would you do differently?

VM: I would begin several years earlier and update more of the counselors.

NC: Can you tell us a bit about the upcoming film Rock Paper Dead and Eden Falls and co-writing the scripts?

VM: Having written a screenplay with you for Eden Falls, you kind of know how it goes. We’d talk through the story, make up the beats and write various sections and then put them all together.