The Man Behind The Mask

Okay, ignoring the fact that I have no fucking clue what a Skinwalker is, that’s dumb and would just make Jason way less scary. Jason is scary because he’s an unstoppable force fueled by vengeance. If you create an outside source that explains his power and actions then he becomes a lackey. It’s like Halloween Six when they tried to explain that Michael Myers is killing due to a curse. What made The Shape scary was the unknown. Is he truly the embodiment of evil? Is there some kind of fetishism behind his actions? We, as humans, are afraid by what we don’t understand and that’s perfect for a lot of horror. However, when we’re given answers then there’s no mystery. No uncertainty. We have an explanation and that calms our fears.  Let me give an example:

What is it about Ito Junji’s stories that disturb and frighten us? How is he able to make something as harmless as a spiral leave us feeling uneasy? To me, it’s not just his unsettling illustrations that accompany his stories, but the ambiguity. Like I said earlier, as humans we are frightened by the unknown and that’s what made villains such as Jason, and Michael Myers scary. Dr. Loomis tries to explain that there’s evil living behind Michael’s blank expression and the camp counselors sit by the camp fire, sharing the legend of Camp blood. Each counselor tells the story a little different just like any urban legend that has been shared by word of mouth. We were given just enough information to leave us speculating. When I understand Jason’s logic, when I know that he won’t harm children or animals, even though he did those exact things in Part 2 and 4, when I know that Jason’s unstoppable because of the Necronomicon or an enhanced healing factor, I’m no longer frightened by him. Jason is more threatening when he’s unpredictable and you don’t know what’s going on in his mind or how he’s able to survive getting an axe to the skull or rise from the grave. Don’t get me wrong, I want Jason to be a badass powerhouse who takes no shit from anybody, but I also want there to be mystique to his character. I don’t want to see him quiver in fear when he’s being drenched in water or turn into a slug that can hop from body to body. I want him to be a spirit of vengeance that was born from losing his childhood and mother.

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52MbP_tZ-Uc)

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyKkPtsZ_Vs)

“JEEZ. IT SURE IS BORING AROUND HERE.”

“MY BOY. THIS PEACE IS WHAT ALL TRUE WARRIORS STRIVE FOR.”

“I JUST WONDER WHAT GANON’S UP TO.”