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Friday Night FrightfestAuthor: GeekProfs
A podcast celebrating the horror movie double feature Language: en-us Genres: Society & Culture, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Episode 176
Friday, 24 April, 2026
This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we are hitting the "lucky number seven" of two of the greatest slasher sagas in history! We are comparing two of the most daring entries in their respective franchises: the telekinetic showdown Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) and the groundbreaking meta-masterpiece Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). It’s a clash between the ultimate supernatural slasher and the movie that dared to break the fourth wall before "meta" was a household word. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Directed by John Carl Buechler, The New Blood is often cited by fans as the "Jason vs. Carrie" installment. This is the monumental debut of Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees, bringing a newfound physical intensity and rage to the role that defined the character for the next decade. The story follows Tina Shepard, a girl with telekinetic powers who accidentally resurrects Jason from the bottom of Crystal Lake while trying to bring back her deceased father. With a massive psychic showdown and some of the franchise's most brutal practical kills—including the iconic sleeping bag moment—this entry turned Jason into a force of nature that literally required a supernatural match-up to stop. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) Directed by Wes Craven himself, New Nightmare took the franchise to an entirely new dimension. Abandoning the continuity of the previous films, this entry takes place in the "real world," where actress Heather Langenkamp (playing herself) is stalked by a darker, more terrifying entity that has taken the form of Freddy Krueger. As Freddy begins to bleed into reality, terrorizing the cast and crew of the Nightmare films, the movie deconstructs the entire slasher genre. It’s a brilliant, psychological horror film that explores the burden of fame, the danger of archetypes, and what happens when the monster you created decides to come for its creator. Join us as we analyze how these seventh installments reinvented their monsters. We’ll discuss the visceral, heavy-metal spectacle of Kane Hodder’s first outing as Jason versus the high-concept, cerebral terror of Wes Craven’s meta-commentary. Spoilers start around 7:21.
