X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

09/29/2007: Jason Takes Arsenio.

I’m really happy to add this one to the Countdown, as it holds a lot of deep, personal meaning for me. Maybe not, but I certainly couldn’t have been the only one watching The Arsenio Hall Show on that hot July night in 1989. To promote Jason Takes Manhattan, the big man himself appeared as one of Arsenio’s guests. Am I coming in clear, here? Jason Voorhees…on The Arsenio Hall Show!

It was just as life-altering as you could imagine.

Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

Discussion Thread: 68 comments

That looks incredible.

Posted by Tutsuro @ 09/29/2007 2:34 AM EDT

That was the greatest talk show clip of all time, I was very thoroughly creeped out (and I think the audience was too!)

Posted by Julie @ 09/29/2007 2:43 AM EDT

You would think that most people would tire of the not speaking thing… but they didn’t dare show any weakness. They were afraid not to laugh…

Posted by Philip G. @ 09/29/2007 2:47 AM EDT

It’s about that time of year for me to have a Jason marathon in my basement. I think this artical is the breaking point.

Posted by Jotenks @ 09/29/2007 2:52 AM EDT

Also, look at the way Arsenio touches his wrist at the very end of the clip . . . Jason must have really used force to jerk him out of the chair! Now I want to see Freddy on a talk show.

Posted by Julie @ 09/29/2007 2:57 AM EDT

Best. Interview. Ever.

Posted by Vanilla Fire @ 09/29/2007 2:58 AM EDT

…and Julie, Freddy on a talk show would be a million times better than this.

Posted by Vanilla Fire @ 09/29/2007 2:59 AM EDT

Haha, that was pretty darn funny. Thanks for the article/clip Matt. I used to watch Arsenio a lot during its day but I must have missed this when it aired.

Posted by Magic Toy @ 09/29/2007 3:01 AM EDT

holy shit!! this is amazing?!?!?:!?!1

Posted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/29/2007 3:03 AM EDT

Man, where do you dig this stuff up? I swear you must splice tapes in your basement and just make this stuff up knowing nobody can call BS. :p

Posted by Byrdo @ 09/29/2007 3:18 AM EDT

Wow. Being four at the time of that interview, I probably would have shit my pants and truly believed that the big guy existed. I freaked the fuck out, ran in my room, and cried the first time I saw Thriller…it was when MJ turned into that wolf. For years afterward, I had the History set of tapes, and I couldn’t look at the book it came with, because there were pictures of wolf-MJ mid transformation and I was still freaked out. It’s not even that it was so convincing, that shit was just really fucking weird. Wow, that was pretty vulgar.

Anyway, this is my favorite part of the countdown so far, thanks, Matt.

Posted by Ken @ 09/29/2007 3:27 AM EDT

Very nice. Reminds me of the time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles went on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Posted by TB Tabby @ 09/29/2007 3:47 AM EDT

Also, I love how even in the harsh lights on the show’s set, peering into the mask’s eyeholes is like looking into space, it definitely makes him more real. I wonder how that mask is built though, because it looks mostly hollow, as many of the smaller holes don’t display his rotting flesh.

And finally, I think pt VIII would have rocked if it were named Jason Makes a Death Wish, and the movie revolved around him battling Charles Bronson. That might even be better than Freddy Vs. Jason. If I had a genie, that would probably have to be my first wish.

Posted by Ken @ 09/29/2007 3:48 AM EDT

Thanks, Ken. I didn’t want to have two comments next to each other.

I just found a very Halloweeny webcomic: Chopping Block, about the life and times of a serial killer.

Posted by TB Tabby @ 09/29/2007 3:59 AM EDT

Wait, do you really have a dog?
Great entry! I can’t even begin to imagine that pitch meeting.

Posted by squee4242 @ 09/29/2007 4:08 AM EDT

Holy crap; I remember this! I couldn’t tell you why in hell I watched Arsenio Hall; but it was probably to lull me to sleep, as well.
I was 12, and was weaned on horror movies, so I remember being fascinated, wishing I could meet Jason.
Matt, you’re incredible… bringing long forgotten memories to us; thanks!

Julie & Vanilla Fire I don’t think Freddy would have been as captivating… he never hesitated in talking and talking. I think a bit like that would seem too forced.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Freddy. The first movie where Johnny Depp dies on the water bed was the only scene that ever scared me as a kid; because my parents had a water bed!

Posted by Raechel @ 09/29/2007 4:16 AM EDT

WOW, I think this is the closest to the top I’ve ever been!

Anyways, I actually saw that clip on YouTube a while back, and thought it was hilarious too. I think I would prefer to see Freddy though, because the ‘not talking’ thing kinda gets old. Of course, they’d have to have a lot of bleeps, I’d imagine. Freddy isn’t one to clean up his language for the censors I don’t think.

Posted by Frakkyfire @ 09/29/2007 4:35 AM EDT

Yeah my name really is Jason hahahah.

Anyway, I really do remember this interview. There was a huge push for it. This is why this site rules, no messing around.

Posted by Jason @ 09/29/2007 5:21 AM EDT

I saw that not to long ago on a tape i bought at a yard sale i thought at the time i must have been dreaming but naw loooks like i was not lol..

Posted by Issac @ 09/29/2007 7:39 AM EDT

If anyone is in the Orlando area or willing to travel SCREAMFEST is having the single greatest lineup EVER. http://www.spookyempire.com/Screamfest07/guests07.html

But the GREATEST guest of all will be SHELLY!!!!

Posted by El Loco Gordo @ 09/29/2007 8:38 AM EDT

haha.. that was awesome.

Posted by oh andrew @ 09/29/2007 8:44 AM EDT

El Loco Gordo
Screamfest looks amazing!!
Tom Savani alone makes it worthwhile.
I could have sworn that Michael Berryman was dead; but, apparently not! No matter what horror movie he’s been in, I can’t think of him without thinking of his appearance on ‘Alf.’
Also, Stephen Geoffreys… I loved him in Fright Night; was a little shocked to find out about him as an apparent gay porn actor. But, I have no problems with boy on boy, so I still like him.
None of my friends are as into blood, guts, and gore as I am, and while it looks amazing, can’t imagine going to something like this alone. Women at things like this are sometimes bothered by many.

Posted by Raechel @ 09/29/2007 9:13 AM EDT

Do you know I have this recorded? I was going through my old video tapes recently, I used to tape EVERYTHING…and I found this interview!!! That is HYSTERICAL!!!

Posted by Mike @ 09/29/2007 9:41 AM EDT

Call me weird or a puss, but that would have probably kept me up all night back in the day…I would keep thinking Jason was outside looking into my window….

Posted by Shuanfu @ 09/29/2007 9:49 AM EDT

Yipes. Just…yipes.

Posted by Jessica Marie @ 09/29/2007 9:58 AM EDT

Wow, that was pretty rad. I used to watch Arsenio all the time but don’t remember that at all. Thanks, Matt! Great addition to the Countdown.

Screamfest sounds pretty effin’ cool. Tom Savini and Stephen Geoffreys alone make it worth while, not to mention everything else. I’d love to go to Universal Studios too this year, since all the attractions are going to be based on Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface. Too bad I can’t afford any of this.

Freddy on a talk show would rock. I love the F13 movies, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always been more of a Freddy guy. I think I saw Chucky do some talk shows back in the day though. Seems like I can remember that, but I might just be imagining it.

Posted by DJ D @ 09/29/2007 10:06 AM EDT

Kane Hodder made his first appearance as Jason, in part VII. Pretty much, the last real worth while addition to the franchise. Freddy Vs. Jason, and Jason X do have their moments though. Most notably the liquid nitrogen kill from X.

I’ve never been all that Impressed by Hodder’s portrayal Of Jason, I much prefer the Hill Billy/Elephant Man Jason of old!

Posted by Whalen @ 09/29/2007 10:29 AM EDT

While this was great, NOTHING will ever beat Chucky’s out of nowhere appearence on WCW Monday Nitro. RD of Wrestlecrap will almost definately repost it when his goes all Halloween next week.

I saw a bunch of Arsenio/wrestler interviews on Youtube awhile back (including the Macho King one you mentioned). Although I never watched his show, Arsenio is underrated as a talk show host from what little I’ve seen.

Posted by JLAJRC @ 09/29/2007 11:23 AM EDT

You know what’s weird Matt? I get to meet Kane Hodder today at the drive-in! The exact same day you posted this!

Posted by Dave @ 09/29/2007 11:43 AM EDT

anyone in the NY NJ Philly area, click on my name, i found this thing called Teror behind the walls, its a haunted house set up in a prison called eatern state penitentiary. YOu go through and its all haunted for real.

Posted by mandy_terror behind the walls_Reeves @ 09/29/2007 12:11 PM EDT

Mandy_Reeves
That looks awesome, wish I was there.
Where I’m from (Duluth, MN) we have a US Steel Flagship for the Great Lakes… the SS William Irvine. They do what they call a ‘Ship of Ghouls’ for Halloween.
It’s pretty creepy; it’s this huge, old ship, which can be creepy without added Halloween goodness.
There are plenty of ghost stories associated with it.

I now live in Colorado, and haven’t found anything on par with it. And, it definitely looks like yours far surpasses Duluth’s.

Posted by Raechel @ 09/29/2007 12:42 PM EDT

Mandy

Yeah, I live in Philly,and they advertise the crap outta that..I saw a bus completely covered in an ad for it yesterday. The Penitentiary doesn’t really need to get all dolled up to be scary though. All kinds of fucked up things, like experimenting on the prisoners, happened there. Look it up some time, there’s a bunch of documentaries with interviews with former inmates that tell all about what they were subjected to.

Posted by Ken @ 09/29/2007 1:10 PM EDT

I got some Edgar & Ellen slime, just cause. Got the new Foos, and I caught a Pachirisu!!!

No, not in the game, I’ve had several for ages. I got a Plushie!!!!

Posted by Knegative @ 09/29/2007 1:35 PM EDT

That’s probably the problem today: people like Conan and Jay Leno don’t interview crazy movie characters. Sure, Borat made his rounds, but he wasn’t going to kill anybody. Oh well.

Posted by Ben @ 09/29/2007 1:37 PM EDT

Yeah, I remember seeing this too. Great choice, Matt.

Is it wrong that my favorite Friday the 13th is Jason Takes Manhattan?

Posted by Cotter @ 09/29/2007 1:52 PM EDT

Whalen–Yeah, I agree. I don’t like the super bulky, lumbering, linebacker look. He was a lot scarier when he was just a kind of lean, messed up guy out in the woods that you didn’t know anything about. I still think the scariest of all are parts 2 and 3. Jason’s mother’s head on the table in his cabin scared the bejeezes out of me when I was a kid. Another thing that I don’t think really got enough credit was the score of those movies. Not just the chee-chee-chee, ah-ah-ah stuff…I mean the actual tense music that would always start playing when he showed up. The stuff they would do with the violin strings was very simple but very effective and really creepy. I would put it right up there almost with Carpenter’s Halloween piano theme. Well, almost.

Posted by DJ D @ 09/29/2007 2:07 PM EDT

That was an awesome entry! Talk Shows should interview more movie characters, whether they’re horror killers like Jason, Freddy & Chucky.

Speaking of Chucky, he did appear on SNL a few years ago back when Colin Quinn was the anchor of Weekend Update.

I got my Manaphy from TRU today! Level 50 and everything, and had Heart Swap! and I just hatched a Phione.

Posted by Invader Norbert @ 09/29/2007 2:56 PM EDT

When are they gonna make a game where you trap and train little movie monsters? That would clinch it to really get me to buy a DS then, the ability to battle with tiny, tiny Frankenstein Monsters.

Posted by kingklash and the Treasure of the Salsa Verde @ 09/29/2007 3:24 PM EDT

If Arsenio’s eyes got any bigger they would have popped out of his head!

Posted by Ladytink_534 @ 09/29/2007 4:13 PM EDT

I’d join that Scrabble game.

I’m stuck at work. I’d kill for some candy corn to pass the hours. *sigh*

So what else is out there with horror villans on cheesy talk shows? Maybe that dude from Hell Raiser was on the Jerry springer show, or something?

Posted by citygirl @ 09/29/2007 4:23 PM EDT

This is probably why his show got cancelled… too edgy obviously

Posted by Vanbilderass @ 09/29/2007 5:21 PM EDT

I could take Jason in a game of Monopoly any day.

Posted by Joker @ 09/29/2007 5:22 PM EDT

I must say, I’ve come to love Jason Voorhees. Went to Hot Topic today and bought a real nifty pen with Jason on top wielding a machete. Got a Freddy Krueger, too. Now I can make them battle… and kiss!

Posted by Mystie @ 09/29/2007 5:25 PM EDT

My Manaphy isn’t lvl 50 yet Then again, I got to build mine from the ground up

Phione is pretty butt ugly to me.

Posted by Knegative @ 09/29/2007 6:20 PM EDT

And what is the deal with the 10,000+ steps?!?!? Totally not worth it. I didn’t have a poke with Flame Body at the time. Grrrrr.

Let’s hold out the irrational hope that the next generation of games will allow us to evolve Phiones. An army of Manaphys. sigh

Posted by Knegative @ 09/29/2007 6:24 PM EDT

Tying in two Halloween Countdown 2007 articles - Arsenio Hall voiced Winston in ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ cartoon series. Would you believe it.

(Apparently, movie Winston Ernie Hudson applied to do the cartoon voice himself. Don’t know why they didn’t go with him - can’t be money, as Hall was a bigger star than Hudson so presumably didn’t do the voice on the cheap)

Posted by Jay Firestorm @ 09/29/2007 6:35 PM EDT

Raechel,

I moved to Colorado 3 years ago, and the only thing we seen to have here are sad, sad corn mazes, and a couple of haunted houses. That Ship of Ghouls thing sounds like it would kick ass!!! I miss my haunted hayrides through the back woods of Maine.

Posted by crazy_mainer @ 09/29/2007 7:31 PM EDT

You know, I kinda remember watching this back in the day - all wide eyed, wondering if any blood would be spilt. It was pretty badass.

Knegative - I got a plushie Piplup! They have ones that talk now too, but they only say their name in 2 ways. It’s not really worth the 20 bucks.

Posted by Ryane @ 09/29/2007 7:51 PM EDT

So…um… Happy SNT then I guess? anyhoo…someone think of a poll or topic to discuss…i have to go cook my rice

Posted by mandy_Reeves @ 09/29/2007 8:03 PM EDT

sorry to double post…FYI Dunkin Donuts is going to start serving PIZZA! and Flat Bread sammwiches. I had a pizza today. At 3.50 for a little pizza smaller than the pizza hut personal pan ones, they are not too bad. Like if you want pizza but have to drive at the same time…

They have hasbrowns now too. Like little potato pancakes. Very yum. the DD down the raod is like an experimental concept DD where they test markt the new things. Pancakes are soon i heard

Posted by mandy_Reeves @ 09/29/2007 8:11 PM EDT

I remember Pinhead making a cameo appearance on some MTV Summer celebration thing they did where they were presenting from Miami or some other place where loads of people are out in the sun in bikinis screaming into the camera every chance they got. They had Pinhead out there in full dress and makeup stirring a giant, smoking cauldron. Occasionally, they would cut back to him so he could say something appropriately ominous. He was, needless to say, completely out of place. Poor Doug Bradley. He’ll do anything in the name of Pinhead these days. Just look at those last few movies. On second hand, don’t bother….What a shame…

Oh, but I did read that Clive Barker is writing the remake of the first one. They haven’t said yet if Doug Bradley’s coming back for it or not though.

Posted by DJ D @ 09/29/2007 8:42 PM EDT

Jason the Musical - I’m kind of surprised we haven’t seen this come out yet…

Did anyone else have a really good day today? Earlier this morning I won a gas gift card and later today I found that the mail man had left me an extra bonus - apparently I won 3 of the Pepsi Optimus Primes from the Transform your Summer contest Pepsi had over this last summer. I was quite excited to see those when I got home today.

Posted by jjwspider @ 09/29/2007 10:04 PM EDT

Jason Voorheeves is strong….
No doubt about it. But in the spirit, and the truth about the season, Micheal Myers would outlast him. I would never say it would be short and simple….But Micheal would have the season of Halloween behind him.

Posted by RhubarbVelicoraptor @ 09/29/2007 11:12 PM EDT

i dont know what i would do on saturday nights without X-E….seeing as i no longer have a social life.

Posted by Leigha @ 09/29/2007 11:27 PM EDT

Has anyone here seen the documentary on the making of Nightmare on Elmstreet 4? I bought it. It’s pretty much amazing.

Posted by James Smith @ 09/29/2007 11:40 PM EDT

the last official thing i read was that kane had a stunt actor buddy of his apply for the role of jason in jason vs. freddy because the stunt actor was very tall and robert englund was like the same height as kane. which would make for not a very ominous jason. so they went with the very large dude as per kane’s suggestion. and yeah, he did first appear in part 7, not the above movie. ~nick

Posted by nick @ 09/30/2007 7:42 AM EDT

James Smith Say what? Where did you find this. I’m probably going to be getting the Nightmare on Elm St. box set soon that includes all the Nightmare movies so far, without Freddy vs. Jason. It’s got some bonus materials attached. Do you think it would be in there?

nick I got the DVD they put out about the 25th Anniversary of Halloween Convention. It’s great. It’s 2 discs long and they basically bring back everyone from all the Halloween movies and have them on panels and things discussing whatever movie they were in. Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t show up though and of course Donald Pleasance had already died. But one cool panel they did have though was they had all the stuntmen who had played Micheal, from the first one–Dick Warlock–all the way up to the last guy who was in Halloween: Ressurection (I like to pretend that one never happened).

Posted by DJ D @ 09/30/2007 1:02 PM EDT

I was around 6 when this thing would’ve aired, so I wouldn’t've been able to see it. Heh, if I did I probably would’ve freaked the hell out. Hm… kind of a low turnout for an SNT…

Posted by DocDragon @ 10/01/2007 1:25 AM EDT

Jason Takes Manhattan would have been better if it had been a slapstick-y Muppets/F13 crossover

Posted by Evin. @ 10/01/2007 3:14 AM EDT

I have to quibble with your statement that Jason Takes Manhattan is the bastard child of the Friday the 13th franchise, when the clear winner of that title is A New Beginning.

Read this:

http://houseofglib.blog-city.com/a_new_beginning.htm

and see if you can disagree.

Posted by Allan @ 10/01/2007 5:23 AM EDT

Matt, the other day I found Friday the 13th themed shot glasses at Walgreens. They accutally had three different types, ones for Nightmare on Elm Street and TCSM too, but the Jason ones are the coolest. They come two per pack and have the face of each movies’ corresponding killer on the front and the movie logo on the back. Here’s the thing though, they aren’t made our of glass like traditional shot glasses, they’re made out of a thick plastic and the faces are molded in 3D along with the print and designs on the back. I’d say the Freddy and Leatherface ones are all right, Freddy was actually pretty weak, a victim of poor craftsmanship. The Jason ones are sweet though and instead of the full movie logo, on the back there’s just a read “13″ or maybe “13th,” my memory is hazy right now since I didn’t actually keep them for myself. It was my friend’s birthday on Saturday and I gave them to him in the hopes that we do birthday shots in them and then I’d convince him to let me keep one for myself. Honestly, they’re only like three bucks but they were the last Friday the 13th ones in the store so I’ll have to search to find a new set. Anyway, if I do I’ll send you pictures or just check out your local Walgreens Halloween section. If you don’t have Walgreens out by you, just let me know and I’ll see if I can get you a set. Okay, that’s a long comment, probably should have just emailed you. Oh well.

Posted by bobshumway @ 10/01/2007 3:21 PM EDT

Also, did you notice he was holding an axe in the clip and not his signature machete?

Posted by bobshumway @ 10/01/2007 4:14 PM EDT

Oh, Allan. Part V has so much going for it. The scene where the Michael Jackson wannabe gets killed while taking a shit is worth fifteen Jason Takes Manhattans. And it had the robot dancing girl, too!

Posted by Matt @ 10/01/2007 4:25 PM EDT

Yeah, but I would argue that the FREAKIN’ ABSENCE OF JASON is a bit of a problem, but that’s just me. Personally I’m going to pick Zombie Jason gettin’ melted by toxic waste over an AMBULANCE ATTENDANT every time, but mine is a path others might not want to tread.

Posted by Allan @ 10/01/2007 4:52 PM EDT

Yeah, those shot glasses are pretty sweet, and I agree, unfortunately the Freddy one kind of got the shaft.

Matt: Not to nitpick, but isn’t the Micheal Jackson guy taking a shit scene in Part 3? Or maybe they just repeated it in Part 5. I don’t know, I don’t remember much about Part 5, but I remember Part 3 pretty well. The only thing I remember about Part 5 is when the hillbilly gets beheaded while he’s riding around on his motorcycle screaming.

Posted by DJ D @ 10/01/2007 9:51 PM EDT

Here’s the YouTube macho man link btw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQxyD0Q7GtU

Posted by Xevo @ 10/02/2007 4:26 AM EDT

OK, fill in the blank:
“If I were a ghost, I would be the kind that goes _____________.”

1. Boo!
-or-
2. Ooooh Ooooh Ooooooooooooooh!
-or-
3. some other haunting sound

Posted by Nizz @ 10/02/2007 12:43 PM EDT

DJD–Matt is right about the scene featuring the Michael Jackson-esque character named Demon getting offed in an outhouse occurring in part five. His enthusiasm for said scene, on the other hand…well…let’s just say to each his own.

Posted by Allan @ 10/03/2007 12:04 AM EDT

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