Jordan Jones chats with Michael Ramova, director of the NES Friday the 13th fan film…
Nostalgia is a powerful force. It can paint vivid memories of the most bizarre, or mundane things in our lives. As gamers, and cinephiles, we tend to have a soft-spot for anything retro. Especially when it comes to horror. Bad, or good.
For example, I look back on games like the NES Friday the 13th with pure joy, and I can’t exactly tell you why. There is something about the time, and place in which it was made that always makes me smile, despite its numerous flaws. Which is why I’m so excited that director Michael Ramova of Redvolver Studios has decided to make this oddity into a short film. I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Michael about his Friday the 13th project, the state of slashers in modern cinema, and an upcoming project.
Could you share a little about your background as a filmmaker?
I love making movies. I bleed film. I’ve been making short films at a professional level for more than 19 years. Won a couple of awards, festivals, and contests during my career. Some of my work has been in theaters, TV, and praised by great talents like Spielberg, Stan Winston, and George Lucas. I’ve been trying to make a feature-length film for 18 years, but luck has always been against me. I finally premiered my first feature, Panteon Woods, last year at a theater in Chicago. At the moment I’m dealing with distributors, and already planning my next feature film. It is a hard career, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6o-xIRf3T8
What compelled you to adapt Friday the 13th for the NES into a film?
I love movies. I love old video games. A couple of months ago, while taking a shower I said: “How would it look if someone translated the old Nintendo Friday the 13th video game to the big screen? Respecting the colors, costumes, and concepts of the original game no matter how strange or lame it is… but make it cool, not a parody, nor a joke”. So, I said to myself as I put shampoo on my head: “I’ll do it!”.
Could you describe what this process has been like for you? Adapting an obscure game to the screen?
It has been fun, and insane! Putting the Jason costume together, for example, with whatever I could afford was a blast and nerve-wracking. At times, it is frustrating because I want to add so many things, or buy the best, but with empty pockets it was hard… but when you see things come together nicely using your creativity, and sweat it gives you the strength to keep going. I have a lot of practice shooting movies with nothing too (laughs), and I did everything myself, from writing to painting the masks, and dying clothes. I know how to cut corners, and squeeze the best out of everything on set. This kept the movie under $1500. I started the donation campaign at Indiegogo after I pretty much was done filming the short. I’ve never asked for donations for a short film before, but I wanted to pay back the friend that lent me money to finish the movie as soon as I could. It is thanks to him that I was able to shoot the flick at all. Fans of Jason came out, and they made postproduction possible at the end. Group hug.
How do you feel about the game itself? It’s pretty notorious for its difficulty, and bizarre design choices. Do you feel this hate is deserved?
When I was a child I hated the damn thing, and thought Jason looked like a joke in purple. My cousin, and I rented it at our local video store (we both love horror) so when we found it there was a Jason video game… we were excited as hell to play it. So we rent it, and we were shocked to see how lame it was. The thing that bothered me the most was the repetitiveness, and the design. The difficulty was okay. Don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty good at playing video games. We only played it that weekend back in ’89, and never again touched it. Now, as an adult, I appreciate the game on another level, and I feel many guys/gals over 30 do as well. (laughs), why would I give it so much love, time, and effort to turn it into a film if it didn’t have a special place in my heart. It is a classic in its own way. And it is Jason!
The game had a fairly traditional plot, but also had some odd additions like zombies. In your movie, will there be context given to some of the more odd pieces of this game?
I don’t want to give away anything, but the movie is a perfect translation of the game, so it is a fast action piece with the same craziness.
Building off that question: will we finally know the reason behind the infamous purple jumpsuit? Or will this forever remain a mystery?
Mystery? (laughs) I’ll solve it right now for you. The mystery behind the purple suit is the wizardat LJN.
Why do you think some people love this game, despite its flaws?
Because it is Jason, (laughs). Also now, as adults, when we see images from the game or hear the music it reminds us of our childhoods. It reminds us of better times, when one of our biggest problem was defeating some creep in a purple costume. The Cabin Theme is pretty catchy too.
Sometimes, I feel that slasher movies belong in a separate genre entirely. They were so special in their place, and time. As a fan of Slasher films, what do you think are some essential elements for a good Slasher movie? What do modern Slashers get wrong?
There aren’t any slashers these days. The genre is dead because no one has updated the whole concept. Also, Hollywood has never been a fan of slasher films. The MPAA, and film critics have no mercy for these movies, and this makes studios afraid of financing them. Paramount, for example, was always ashamed to be associated with the Friday the 13th movies. They only kept making them because they made money.
I’ve created my own slasher/maniac, and have a script for the character ready. It is a truly new take on the whole slasher genre; nobody has done anything like it. Who knows, I could be one of the guys that brings slashers back (crossing fingers)! If I get enough financing, this slasher film could be my next feature length.
Beyond Friday the 13th for NES, are there any other horror games that you really enjoy? Any ideas for game adaptations in the future?
Ghost N’ Goblins is one of my favorite games of all time. I love the Resident Evil games. I was a fan since the first one; number 6 sucks! I also liked the Splatterhouse games.
If fans want to help me out again, I want to do another horror video game adaptation soon. Perhaps Atari Halloween, or Atari Texas Chainsaw Massacre… it would be a dream to make a Nintendo Nightmare on Elm Street adaptation, but for this film I would need a lot of cash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JH-goxgyvE
Could you tell us a little bit about your feature film Panteon Woods?
Every time I tried making a feature film, something always stopped me. I have really bad luck. Nasty luck. My appendix exploded once, my lead actor went blind in another, and on and on and on. I shot Panteon Woods with practically nothing, and wrote it in a way that the only thing that would stop me from making it would be my death (laughs). Still, that darn bad luck tried to cancel this film again, but I persevered, and the film was finished. Panteon Woods is a thriller like no other, and it has some cool unexpected twists. I shot it ‘cinema verite’ to keep the budget low, and to shoot it fast. I’m really proud of the results, and I cannot wait for you guys to check it out when it comes out on DVD, or when it is ready to be e-streamed.
Special thanks to Michael Ramova for taking time out of his busy schedule! Head on over to indiegogo.com to learn even more about the film, as well as some cool gifts you can receive by becoming a backer. Also, check out Redvolver Studios website to learn about some of Michael’s upcoming projects. Above all, keep an eye out: the NES Friday the 13th fan film will be coming soon to a remote cabin near you.
…you can find Jordan on Twitter (@JordJJones), and Facebook. He still won’t go to Summer Camp.
