‘The Soul of Wes Craven’ Book Review – A Heartfelt Eulogy and the Definitive Craven Biography

Most horror movies don’t even receive one novelization, yet Friday the 13th Part III somehow ended up with two. In fact, the second sequel in this beloved franchise was the first to be novelized; the original 1980 movie and its immediate follow-up were not adapted until ‘87 and ‘88, respectively. Meanwhile, Michael Avallone’s divisive take on Part III coincided with the movie’s original release. This adaptation of an early draft penned by Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson & Petru Popescu features small but notable details that were changed for the final cut (e.g., Paul Kratka‘s character Rick was originally named Derek). On top of that is the book’s use of an alternate ending, which is now thought to be lost.

Higgins Haven had become Hades. A maniac’s playground and a charnel house, all in one hideous night. That lurid technique of the prolific Avallone — who is remembered for his purple prose — pads out as well as occasionally elevates the succinct story of Part III. Some readers may find this ornateness distracting or off-putting in the beginning, yet over time it’s appreciated when the screenplay’s more unassuming dialogue and routine beats pull you back down to Earth. His vivid and eager treatment of the oft uninteresting lives of even minor characters, such as bickering couple and ill-fated store owners Edna and Harold, is a significant part of Avallone’s appeal.

While continuity indeed exists in Friday the 13th, fans very well know it can be loose and susceptible to retconning. However, those first four movies house a better sense of story cohesion than subsequent entries. That uninterrupted flow of time after Jason Voorhees’ debut not only makes his inaugural body-count astonishing, it gives his targets more clemency. Everyone’s tendency to victim-blame is needless when remembering these three sequels occurred over the span of just a few days. Barely a week. The bloodbath from Part 2 was still under investigation by the inept local police when a new and unaware cast of young fodder showed up at Crystal Lake. Nineteen-year-old Christine “Chris” Higgins (played by Dana Kimmell) and her friends clearly missed the APB and news reports about a spree killer around these parts, but in their defense, the cops didn’t stop them as they drove into town.

Pictured: Chris (Dana Kimmell), Debbie (Tracie Savage), Andy (Jeffrey Rogers), Vera (Catherine Parks), Chuck (David Katims), and Chili (Rachel Howard) first meet Abel (David Wiley).

As darkly fun and strange as Avallone’s novelization is, it ultimately offers little ancillary insight into the characters. The mystery and espionage author knew how to draw a picture, but shading things in was more of Simon Hawke’s forte. The TimeWars author looked below the surface and dug up a better understanding of these characters in his own adaptation. Hawke expounded on Chris’ unresolved past trauma, Debbie’s (Tracie Savage) pregnancy, Shelly’s (Larry Zerner) insecurity, and Vera’s (Catherine Parks) frustration with men who can’t see past her looks. As far as Friday the 13th casts go, these characters are generally likable just as they are, but the second novelization builds on that and makes their lives — as short-lived as they turned out to be — worth knowing.

A hanging plot thread that fans continue to debate all these years later is Chris’ earliest encounter with Jason. What exactly happened in the time between Chris’ blackout and her waking up back at home remains unconfirmed (to both herself and the audience). That intentional ambiguity only leads to more confusion, especially when considering the movie’s coding of the attack and Chris’ psychological response. The nearly inaudible mention of possible “sexual mutilations” in regards to Jason’s first bloodshed could also be taken as evidence. While neither novelization fills in the blanks any more than the movie does, seeing as the ordeal is described by Chris herself instead of the authors, Hawke seems inclined to agree with those who believe Chris was raped. He wrote how the main character subconsciously resisted hypnotherapy because, as best friend Debbie commented, “some things […] were better off not knowing.”

It was in this third chapter that Jason began to evolve into a closer semblance of his most recognized form. That transformation from make-do villain for a fast-buck sequel to an absolute icon of popular horror was signaled with Jason’s procurement of his signature accessory. The final mask design was still unknown when Avallone wrote his novelization; the hockey mask was only chosen during filming. Meanwhile, Avallone referred to Shelly’s prop and later Jason’s trademark as simply “white” and “faceless.” There is no mention of hockey in the book.

Pictured: Chris (Dana Kimmell) is choked by Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker).

Friday the 13th Part III‘s ending can be a tad confusing. After besting Jason in their barn battle, Chris retreated to a canoe like Alice did in the original movie. And in similar fashion, the latest final girl was rudely awakened by a nightmarish, zombie-like entity dragging her to the bottom of Crystal Lake. Needless to say, this is only a dream sequence doubling as a jumpscare — why Chris dreamt of Mrs. Voorhees in the first place raises questions — but unlike the first movie, Jason’s existence is confirmed. His body is shown in the barn as the badly traumatized Chris is escorted away in a police car. 

The second novelization also goes with the surreal “lady in the lake” ending, which, as nonsensical as it may be, is something of a full-circle moment for the series. Particularly if Part III had been the finale. In the first novelization, however, Chris decapitated Jason in the barn with a sickle. Or so she thought. After her climactic showdown with the Crystal Lake Killer, Chris awoke to police officers and a doctor who all thought she was hysterical. They didn’t believe a thing she said about the murders. And when Chris tried to find proof in the barn, she ended up being the one to lose her head. This alternate conclusion, which slightly varies from what was stated in Peter M. Bracke’s Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, is a touch too bleak (mind you, this was the same movie where Jason slaughtered a pregnant woman). So it’s understandable that the producers went in another direction.

These two literary companions each add to the movie, albeit in different ways. Avallone gives the story a surprising pulp quality, whereas Hawke is straightforward but also fleshes out the characters. Including Jason, who the author provides a brief, postmortem backstory (he is sure to directly point out the supernatural element). Admittedly, though, Hawke was more equipped to put Jason on paper without any unnecessary and inapt interpretation; Avallone catches readers off guard with out-of-character behavior like Jason laughing. Nevertheless, both books are enjoyable supplementary material for a somewhat routine but still rather entertaining sequel.

Pictured: The two Friday the 13th Part III novelizations.