Jason vs. Carrie? The Wild Story Behind Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Most people remember Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood for one thing.
Maybe it’s the Friday the 13th movie that was famously butchered by the MPAA.
Maybe it’s the showdown that feels like Jason vs. Carrie.
Or maybe you’ve heard the nickname “Fry Gay the 13th.”
Whatever your first thought is, there’s no denying that this entry left a mark on both the horror genre and the franchise itself.
From Kane Hodder’s first appearance as Jason to a director constantly fighting for his vision, this is what happened to Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
The Original Plan: Jason vs. Freddy
Initially, the seventh entry in the Friday the 13th franchise was meant to be a showdown between Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger.
The idea had floated around Hollywood several times, but there was one major issue:
Paramount Pictures owned Friday the 13th
New Line Cinema owned A Nightmare on Elm Street
At the time, Elm Street was the more successful franchise, and the studios couldn’t reach an agreement. The concept would continue to resurface for years before finally becoming reality with 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason.
The Confusing TV Series Situation
Things got even stranger. Paramount commissioned a Friday the 13th television series that had absolutely nothing to do with the films. All the producers had to deliver were:
26 one-hour episodes per year
Beyond that, they could do whatever they wanted
Because of the TV show, producer Frank Mancuso Jr. stepped back somewhat from the film series. He still had final approval, but producer Ian Patterson stepped in to oversee the project more directly.
The Birth of “Carrie vs. Jason”
Screenwriter Daryl Haney came up with the idea of giving the final girl telekinetic powers. His script was originally titled Jason’s Destroyer. That title didn’t last long, but the core idea did.
The film eventually became Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and the telekinetic element stayed. So in a roundabout way, the franchise did get its “versus” movie. It just wasn’t Freddy. Instead, audiences got something closer to Carrie vs. Jason.
The Strange Alternate Script
Producer Barbara Sachs initially wanted something very different.
Her version included:
A Jaws-like story structure
A commentary on capitalism
A third-act helicopter battle
Jason appearing very late in the movie
Thankfully, Frank Mancuso Jr. hated the idea. He suggested Haney follow the structure of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter instead. And just like that, Carrie vs. Jason was back on the menu.
Casting Jason: Enter Kane Hodder
Director John Carl Buechler had only directed a few films before The New Blood, but he was highly respected for his special makeup effects work. That background played a role in casting Jason.
While C.J. Graham (Jason in Jason Lives) was briefly considered, Buechler had worked with Kane Hodder on the film Prison and believed he was perfect for the role. And he was right.
Hodder brought something new to the character:
Heavy breathing
Distinct movement
Physical presence
Jason suddenly felt less like a faceless slasher and more like a living monster with personality.
Script Problems Behind the Scenes
Buechler reportedly didn’t get along with writer Daryl Haney. Haney was eventually replaced by a Writers Guild “ghostwriter.” The credited name was Manuel Fidello, though no one knows who that actually was. The writer didn’t want their real name attached to the project.
Haney still received half of the bonus payment but was reportedly very unhappy with the changes, especially to the dialogue.
The Story of the Film
The film centers on Tina Shepard, a young woman with telekinetic powers. While visiting Crystal Lake, Tina accidentally releases Jason Voorhees from his chained grave at the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately for everyone involved, a group of teenagers nearby is planning a surprise birthday party.
That means plenty of potential victims for the hockey-masked killer.
Eventually, Tina and Jason face off in a supernatural battle unlike anything the franchise had done before.
Casting Tina and the Teen Victims
Actress Carrie Noonan, who played Paula in Friday the 13th Part VI, actually auditioned for the lead role of Tina. The producers didn’t even realize she had already been in the series until she told them. The role ultimately went to Lar Park Lincoln. She only auditioned because her husband recognized the fake production title and suspected it was a Friday the 13th movie.
Director Buechler loved her from the beginning, but it took four auditions to convince Frank Mancuso Jr. Lincoln took the role seriously and even met with real-life psychics to better understand telekinesis.
On-Set Tension
For the role of Tina’s love interest, Nick, Kevin Spirtas was cast. According to several cast members, Lincoln and Spirtas had little chemistry, and there was tension between them during filming. Some actors also said Lincoln wasn’t always the easiest person to work with on set.
The rest of the cast included a group of young Los Angeles actors playing familiar slasher stereotypes:
The jock
The party guy
The mean girl
The nerd
Dr. Crews: The Human Villain
One of the most important roles was Dr. Crews, Tina’s manipulative psychiatrist. He serves as the film’s non-Jason antagonist for most of the runtime.
The role was played by Terry Kiser, who would become widely known the following year for Weekend at Bernie’s. His smug, opportunistic performance makes his eventual death especially satisfying.
Filming the Movie
Like several previous entries, the production used a code name. While earlier films used David Bowie album titles like “Aladdin Sane,” Part VII went with the far less exciting “Birthday Bash.”
Filming took place in October and November 1987.
Interior scenes were shot in a Los Angeles warehouse
Exterior scenes were filmed in remote areas of Alabama
Because the production was non-union, the filmmakers wanted to avoid attention. Due to the rural location, the crew even hired someone nicknamed “Gator Man” to handle any alligators that wandered onto set.
Party Atmosphere on Set
According to cast members, the six-week shoot had a bit of a wild reputation. Several male cast members were openly gay, and the production reportedly involved plenty of off-screen partying. Some actors even claimed there was heavy cocaine use among cast and crew.
It sounds like the set was almost as chaotic as the movie itself.
Kane Hodder’s Dangerous Stunts
Kane Hodder took the physical demands of the role seriously. Despite already having severe burn scars from a previous stunt accident, Hodder insisted on performing Jason’s fire stunt himself. He was set on fire for 40 seconds, which set a record at the time. Unfortunately, he was actually burned again during the stunt.
Still, Hodder later said his favorite shot in the film was something simpler: Jason rising from the lake with his exposed spine visible.
The Exploding House
The film’s climactic explosion was supposed to happen slowly. Instead, everything ignited at once and the entire house detonated in seconds.
The result is one of the most memorable practical explosions in the series.
Conflict With the Producer
Producer Barbara Sachs frequently clashed with director John Carl Buechler. She reportedly disliked horror movies and objected to several creative choices.
For example:
She didn’t want Jason unmasked
She said the unmasked version “looked like a frog”
The scene was filmed anyway without her approval.
She also opposed the original ending, which featured a monstrous, decayed version of Tina’s father rising from the lake to defeat Jason. Because of her interference, the final version was toned down significantly.
The Music
Composer Harry Manfredini is credited in the film, but mostly because the movie reused music from earlier entries. New score material was written by Fred Mollin, who had already been working on the Friday the 13th TV series.
The final soundtrack is essentially a mix of:
Manfredini’s classic cues
Mollin’s new compositions
The MPAA Controversy
The MPAA took an axe to the movie. According to the filmmakers, the ratings board demanded cuts repeatedly. The film reportedly received an X rating seven times before finally earning an R rating.
The board also imposed strange rules, such as:
Sex scenes couldn’t be immediately followed by murders
Something had to happen in between
The result is a film that often feels closer to a TV edit than an R-rated slasher.
The Legendary Sleeping Bag Kill
Ironically, one of the cuts improved a scene. Originally, Jason slammed a victim in a sleeping bag against a tree multiple times. The MPAA forced the filmmakers to reduce it to one hit. That single strike became one of the most iconic kills in the entire franchise.
Reshoots
Several months later, the filmmakers shot extra scenes of Tina discovering dead bodies. These moments were meant to restore some of the aftermath missing from the heavily edited kills.
Most of those scenes were cut from the final film.
Release and Box Office
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood was released in the United States on May 13, 1988.
It earned:
$8.2 million opening weekend
$19.1 million total at the box office
This continued the franchise trend of declining box-office returns.
Critics were harsh. Gene Siskel famously gave the movie one star. Fans, however, were far more forgiving.
The Sequel That Never Happened
John Carl Buechler wanted to make a direct sequel. His idea involved Tina being blamed for the murders and sent to a mental institution.
Instead, the franchise moved on to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.
The Lost Footage
Some of the deleted kills surfaced on old VHS workprints.
Unfortunately, the original negatives are believed to be lost or destroyed, meaning a true unrated version is unlikely.
Remembering the Cast and Crew
Sadly, several people involved with the film have since passed away, including Lar Park Lincoln and John Carl Buechler.
It’s a reminder that if you ever want to meet your favorite horror creators at conventions, don’t wait too long.
Interestingly, the Crystal Lake Memories documentary mistakenly reported that actress Susan Jennifer Sullivan had died, but she is actually alive and well.
Final Thoughts
Despite the heavy censorship, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood remains a fan favorite.
It gave us:
Kane Hodder’s debut as Jason
The legendary Sleeping Bag Kill
One of the most unique Jason designs ever, with his exposed rib cage and decaying face
The franchise has never quite done anything like it again. And that, my friends, is what happened to Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
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