Horror Month – June 2015

Continuing our Friday the 13th week we spoke with legendary writer of the original film…Victor Miller!!! He has written several other films and subsequently worked in Television as an EMMY award-winning head writer on shows such as All My Children, Another World & General Hospital. He is also an accomplished author having published several novels.

“I always wanted a Mom who would have killed anybody who bullied me…”

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What influenced you to become a writer?

I wanted to be an actor. I sucked and then I wanted to be a director, but I was really ADHD (before it was invented) and have not got the patience for it. Film-making can be the most boring thing in the world. That just left writing because I couldn’t be a producer. I can barely add or subtract. Writing is fun and if you make a mistake you’re the only one who knows it because you can delete the whole thing with a couple of keystrokes. I love listening to stories and telling stories.

How did you come up with the concept of Friday the 13th?

I watched HALLOWEEN and learned how to write a horror film for the 1980’s. I used that fine film as my template. The rest came from my conscious and sub conscious.

Did you think the film would become so successful?

No way.

 

The character of Mrs Voorhees is a complex one. How did you come up with this character?

She is the mother I never had. I always wanted a Mom who would have killed anybody who bullied me. That is truthfully the genesis of Pamela’s character.

Was Jason in your original script?

Of course! You have to see, if only in Flashback, what is driving Mrs. Voorhees.

Did you ever imagine as the writer, that Jason would become the killer in later instalments?

Jason was DEAD-DEAD-DEAD in my film, the last thing I expected was for him to be found alive hiding under a lily-pad in the lake!

Have you watched any of the Friday sequels?

Nary a one!

How does writing for TV compare to writing for the big screen? 

Daytime TV is serial writing. Every ending has to serve as a beginning for another story. In most movies you aim for a major bang-up ending and everyone rides off into the sunset. In daytime TV the explosion at the end of a story arc has to reveal the evil twin brother nobody ever knew you had which launches the main characters into another dilemma.

Would you ever go back and write for the Friday franchise?

Certainly, but nobody has ever asked me. I dunno know why.

What is your favourite book of all time?

The Great Gatsby.

What is your favourite film of all time?

RAISING ARIZONA.

Are you a fan of Horror movies?

Good ones. But they have to rise to the level of PSYCHO before I can really become a serious fan.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

You betcha. Storytellers never stop. We are shopping around a horror screenplay right now. It is called ROCK PAPER DEAD and I co-wrote it with Kerry Fleming. I have also co-authored an apocalypse comic film with a good friend and we are just starting to show that one around. Writing is easier than selling. I suck at selling too.

 

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See Also
Interview with Adrienne King (Friday the 13th)
Interview with Ken Kirzinger (Freddy vs. Jason)
Interview with Tim Mirkovich (Friday the 13th Part VIII)
Interview with Zack Ward (Freddy Vs. Jason)

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Take part in our Survey for a chance to win some horror goodies and tickets to HorrorCon UK 2015! Contest details here.