Not As Brightly Lit: Bootleg Jason Costumes

In the debut episode of Not as Brightly Lit, Rob talks about the infamous dollar hockey mask. Everyday is Halloween and what better way to enjoy the spooky season than one of it's more common costume choices!

4K At Camp Blood

Running a marathon and camp, two beloved summer traditions that many take part in each year. While I've never ran a marathon, I used to go to a summer day camp when I was a kid and my brother went to a scout camp a few times. I don't know of many horrible things happening at marathons, summer camps though are often plagued by so many nightmares you often wonder why they're so popular.

Snake bites, poisoned wells, ghosts, and murder is just some of the urban legends surrounding the popular summer getaways. There's a million movies about masked murders at summer camps, but none more popular than Friday the 13th. Jason Vorhees, his mother, and even Roy have killed so many people... why do people even go to that camp anymore?

I would say it's a summer tradition to have a Friday the 13th marathon on TV. But to be fair, they'll do one at any point all year. Summer and Halloween time are usual picks. I remember in 2016 SyFy had one every weekend for the entire summer (with some Elm Street sprinkled in for good measure). But whenever there's a Friday the 13th throughout the year, some channel will have some sort of marathon on. Don't worry about the schedule, it'll only be part 5.

Enter the former cable station, TNN. I'm assuming this marathon ran after the channel switched from 'The Nashville Network' and during it's phase as 'The National Network' before transforming into 'Spike TV' (now The Paramount Network... I remember the damnedest things). Honestly it would have been a good choice during it's life as a country music channel. Carrie Underwood's got a bigger body count than Jason at this point.

I truly miss ads like this. Back in the day, channels would often have custom ads for their various programing. Either montages made from movie footage with some random song added for comedic effect or super serious narration. That or the original production as seen here. The original productions is often where odd urban legends like the bloody pumpkin in Halloween. There's not one in the movie, but there's a million blood covered pumpkins in odd home made advertisements. Jason with a chainsaw, same. Here Jason is chasing those foolish enough to have a marathon at Camp Crystal Lake to maim and murder. He's not getting revenge for his mother or his own death. Just can't take the 'runners high' talk one more minute.

Ted From Friday The 13th Part 2 Went On To Live A Normal Life

It's Friday the 13th! If you're superstitious, this is a very unlucky day! If you're at summer camp, you're probably gonna get murdered. Though for the rest of the world, it's a little mini-Halloween that randomly pops up during the year! There's probably a horror marathon or two on TV tonight. A bunch of Jason Vorhees memes getting shared on Facebook. Just a little spooky fun inserted into your routine. Did I say a mini-Halloween? You're damn right I'm running with it.

Friday the 13th part 2 is probably one of the better entries in the series. As a direct sequel to the original movie, it continues the story and keeps the same general vibe. It takes what made the original good and adds to it. One of the more cool aspects of this part is... several counselors live. I know, I know, but here me out. Jason (whom is somehow alive now because I guess) is killing attendees of a counselor training camp being held across the lake from the now closed Camp Blood Crystal Lake.

The camp has quite a few attendees as during the time summer camps were big business. So, the head honcho takes the group out for a night of fun before the hard work begins. Well, he takes out those who want to go out that is. The rest stay at camp and that's where the bulk of the murder happens. Aside from said head honcho and main girl who return to face Jason, the rest just stay and don't get killed horribly. One survivor is camp prankster Ted... who you pretty much wanted to see die.

Now, what happened to the survivors after? Well, they got off pretty lucky. Not only did they survive, but they didn't have the ordeal whatsoever. They just found out what happened the next day. Horrible sure, but you don't go Laurie Strode crazy after finding out some people you just met died while you were at Applebee's. Wait... Laurie Strode... mini-Halloween?

What we have here is a Halmark Halloween commercial from the late 80's. I'd give an exact year, but they reused it for awhile. This version with an added spooky sounds tape bit added on is from 1989, which is like eight years after the movie took place. I chose the picture above of Ted to help you all out, but if you didn't notice at around :25 there he is rocking a 'this is my costume' shirt. Not only did Ted survive getting killed in a slasher movie, but he chose to wear one of those shirts on Halloween. Because, he's funny, get it?

Happy Friday the 13th part Christmas

Friday the 13th is great, it's like having a little mini Halloween throughout the year! But what if there's one in December? I guess Christmas themed horror movie marathon? When looking up various fast food Christmas commercials, I found this old Burger King spot with the restaurant giving out dolls of the King! While watching it, I thought the 'employee' sure looked familiar. Which isn't surprising as a lot of actors get their start in commercials. Some continually work in them for their entire careers. I'm sure it's a good paycheck in between spots on tv shows and such. But where do I remember that face...

It might not be... but sure does look like her huh? I could be wrong and I don't mind admitting I am, but man that's pretty big similarity. I seriously wouldn't doubt a old slasher movie kid did a few commercials. Btw, you could totally get a Burger King doll during Christmas in 1977. Pretty rad.

Friday on the 13th is some spooky shit

Friday the 13th is like having a mini Halloween randomly during the year. Though when a F13th is during the Halloween season it's extra special! There's all that great spooky stuff on the shelves and those dollar hockey masks everywhere! So when you get some great scary edition snacks sure to make your next bowel movement extra colorful and sit down to watch that horror marathon. Make sure to find whatever channels playing Friday the 13th instead of Wishmaster because seriously FX ... not cool. The hell even.

There's universal rules. You don't spit in the wind, you don't put metal in the microwave, and it's always Friday the 13th part 5 on tv. The listing said part 7 is on now, but it's going to be part 5. It's always part 5. The entire marathon is just part 5. You know, the one with the fake Jason... Roy. Part 5. Now that's not a complete negative, Roy's mask had cool blue stripes and he kills a guy while he's on a porta potty. Part 5.

After Reggie visits his brother Demon, Demon realizes he must visit the euphemism. Like Euchariah, he's on fiya. After an Oscar worthy recreation of your mom after Thanksgiving dinner... I can't even... like his girlfriend and him start singing and... just watch. Yes, that's Juwanna Mann.

The movie is not all about dying whilst pooping, it's also about... so yeah dying on a toilet. Part 5. Oh yeah, it has this awesome song in it! Somebody dies while it plays. Kinda what happens in these movies. Whole lot of murder.

Your moment of Zen

I've had a long night, here's Cripin Glover dancing in Friday the 13th part 4.

Christmas Chaos begins now!

Cyber Monday brings 3$ socks on Amazon, but more importantly it brings the beginning of a new yearly tradition here at Zone Base: Christmas Chaos! 

It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice, it just matter how many sizes your heart grows this Christmas.

Friday the 13th part 7: The New Blood trailer

It wasn't until I was an adult until I finally figured out why Tina's Mom sounded so much like Arcee.

Alice Cooper- Man Behind the Mask

Friday the 13th Part 6- Jason Lives! is one of my favorite of the F13 movies. If I were to call it right now, 1-7 is the series prime time. 1-4 being the best, 5-7 being the back end. The rest are enjoyable, but obviously not up to the prime standard. Still though, 6 is one of my favorites for it's awesome self awareness. They really tried to make it special and they sure did. It was thanks to repeat viewings of this on HBO as well as the constant marathon of prior installments on WGCL 46 (before it was a CBS affiliate and was AWESOME) and WATL 36 (when it was AWESOME) all summer (remember when I said summer was the lead in to Halloween) which inspired me to be Jason for Halloween the following year.

Of course, it was the late 80's, so you know what I wore.

The ever present dollar 'horror' mask that can be found at any store during the season in a variety of colors and sometimes mouth hole opening variations. Before higher end licensed masks of Jason Vorhees was available, THIS was what you had to work with. Honestly, I'd wager this still outsells the official ones. Of course sales data would be impossible to prove since a million of companies make them and you practically trip over them in any store you walk into from September to October. I still occasionally buy one and wear it to a random fall festival or Halloween occasion. That or those rad skull and pumpkin masks that are always hanging next to it. 

The 'horror' mask is at this point as much of a staple of Halloween as a pumpkin in my book.

Horror Savage World figures!

I was just admiring the Mortal Kombat Savage World figures at Target this past weekend and today pics of Funko's newest Savage World series hit the internet! Savage World is Funko's action figure line that pays homage to fantasy figures of the 80's and utilizes that certain beefy barbarian (a He-Man like physique you might say) look in the most amazing way. These classic horror characters really work well in the style and I can't begin to tell you how excited for them I became when I saw them. Let's just say my neighbors were mad. Horror is the perfect base for this type of figure as I've often noted the play sets for those old toys often looked like re-purposed Halloween decorations. Not to mention the art was straight off an 80's heavy metal album cover (which I've already explained my association with Halloween). Just like the horror ReAction figures, I'm finding myself thinking up all sorts of play sets and stuff to add to the fun. I could really see little rubber versions of kids in Silver Shamrock masks, Jason as a child, or other assorted monsters to partner with the characters like Blackstar had.

This is just so freaking cool.

Friday the 13th NES

Friday the 13th part 4 Japanese poster

Friday the 13th part 5 Japanese poster

Friday the 13th part 2 Japanese trailer

Happy Friday the 13th!

Hope everyone has fun watching a bunch of slasher flicks tonight!

Friday the 13th 3 Japanese poster