Book #147: Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective on Friday the 13th Part 2 by R.G. Henning
R.G. Henning
Released: January 5th, 2023
My 13th book (I see a theme here...) for 2026 was R.G. Henning's "Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective of Friday the 13th Part 2".
This is a book I've looked forward to reading for quite some time. I picked it up a few years back, but due to moves, and storage, and lots of other factors, I haven't had the chance to fully explore it until now.
Friday the 13th is often seen as a cheap 1980's slasher film series that capitalizes on blood, gore, and violence. If you take a deeper look into it, you'll find that there's much more to the series than most people know. Friday the 13th primarily focuses on killers seeking revenge for the death of loved ones. In the first Friday the 13th, we learn that a young boy named Jason has drowned, and that his mother has gone on a killing spree to avenge him. In Part 2, we learn that Jason survived the near-drowning, and has learned his mother was killed by a camp counselor. He has taken to seeking revenge on teenagers and adults that he finds responsible for the death of his mother.
R.G. Henning is the admin who runs "Camp Packanack: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)", which is a F13 Part 2 fan group on Facebook. I discovered it in 2020 and have been a huge fan ever since. He has a wealth of F13 knowledge that surpasses even the most informed fans. He is very passionate and dedicated to his love of Part 2, and the series in general. He has written several books including this one, a book on Friday the 13th Part 3 - 3D, and a book on Jaws. I highly recommend checking them out as well.
In this book, Henning discusses his love for Friday the 13th. He talks about the history of the series' lore, and general information about the second film. Henning talks about the impact of the Slasher heyday of 1978-1984 on horror cinema, and how it revolutionized moviegoers in a sense that satisfied fans, despite being downplayed by critics. We also go in-depth with the characters, the story form their perspective, tales about the actors and actresses, and their overall impact on the series.
I was very impressed at how he was able to take the story from the film and tell it from the perspective of each character. From Jason to Ginny to Paul to Jeff, to Sandra to Scott to Terry to Ted to Mark to Vickie to Deputy Winslow to Crazy Ralph, and even Alice. *Breathes after that run-on sentence*.
It that vein, I present this in the way that he delivered the book. Character by character.
Jason is always a fascinating character to look at. Everyone knows him as the camp counselor slayer who stalks summer camps. The movies are legendary in both Horror, and 1980's lore. There was a new film out almost every year that decade. You can follow all sorts of Friday the 13th fandom as the series progressed new and unique things. As stated before, Jason is essentially the story of a kid who drowned at summer camp, his mother took revenge, killed everyone connected, was killed off herself, and her son who miraculously survived and lived off the grid for 20 years is back to avenge her death. We've seen him battle Crystal Lake counselors, trainees, teenagers, families, police forces, psychic teens, the Titanic, the Big Apple, Hell, outer space, and even remakes. He is timeless as he is legendary. Say what you want about the movies, but their stories are well thought out. The was the only outing with the burlap sack over his head (hence Sackhead Jason). It stands alone among it's fellow sequels with Jason's unique appearance, his human character, and arguably the most realistic portrayal. Several people played Jason though only a few got the credit from Warrington Gillette to Steve Dash.
Ginny is arguably the greatest Final Girl in all of Horror/Slasher movies. She is intelligent, resourceful, and brave. She can do anything. She isn't perfect, but that's what makes her all the better. We know she's flawed, so when matched up against Jason, we're not sure what to expect. Amy Steel is one of the coolest actresses I have seen. I hope to meet her one day. After seeing her performance in Part 2, and an episode of Family Ties where she is the one who takes Alex P. Keaton's innocence away, I was very impressed. She is a delight. Amy has also gone on to success in real life, running her own child psychology and family therapy practice in California.
Paul reminds me a lot of Sam Malone played by Ted Danson in Cheers. He has a similar sounding voice, he is commanding, he makes decisions, but is still human at heart. He might run his organization a little looser than some other camps, but he knows the younger generations and has worked with a lot of the other staff at different seasons. John Furey is an actor that I'm not as familiar with, and regrettably so, because I feel he did a great job. He makes Paul believable and displays a lot more personality than Steve Christy.
Jeff is one of my favorite characters. I always pictured him as a hybrid of Michael, the older brother from E.T., with Brian Johnson from AC/DC. It might be the hair and the manner of dressing. I learned from this book, he and Sandra have the most screen time of all the characters in the film. It's not surprising when they are the first people I think about when I think of this movie. That double-impalement shot is horribly gruesome, and a true benchmark in the history of horror cinematography. Bill Randolph is an icon of the Horror Convention Circuit. He celebrates the fame of Part 2 and offered his services to pen the Foreword. He is a great addition to the series and help set the standard for the juvenile guy who makes mistakes and does some dumb things his girlfriend talks him into but is overall genuinely decent.
Sandra was one of my first crushes when I was a teenager. When you're 14, everyone wants a girl like Sandra. Someone who wants to get in trouble with you, party, hang out, and do things together. This is perfectly displayed on screen. They get their truck (jokingly) towed, pranked, forewarned by Crazy Ralph, scared at the campfire, caught by the County Deputy, and impaled after making love. While it sucks that they died, at least it was following a perfect moment. Just as they are paired in the same scenes together, they both die together. I do feel a bit bad for Marta Kober. She is very beautiful, and her character pushed the envelope in the film. She encountered substance abuse issues later in life, and it cost her some opportunities. I'm happy to see that she's recovered and made a few appearances on the convention circuit in support of her role.
Scott is an asshole. Am I wrong? Ok, so he might have been a douche, but probably didn't deserve to die in the way he did. His relentless pursuit of Terry was cruel but in a boyish manner. She was a little warmer to him later on but seemed like he died in the pursuit because karma got him. Russell Todd was a nicely cast and attractive actor. He physically matched Terry well, and while a romance did not blossom between them, they make for interesting filler characters in the narrative. Especially with Paul's line about Scott 'needing" training. More sensitive-minded people will find his behavior offense and disrespectful, but one must also keep in mind that this was the 1980's. People were a lot less sensitive over more assertive flirting actions.
Terry was a tragically short-lived character. She was very beautiful and seemed to be a relatively decent woman with her dog Muffin. I cannot blame Scott for longing after her. She dies attempting to help Scott down from getting stuck upside down in the tree. Kirsten Baker played the role well. It was a small role with more of a subplot than directly tied to the film. I hope to check out more of her and see her other works.
Ted is a riot. This is truly the missing Weasley Brother if there ever was one. Where was Harry Potter when Stuart Charno was Fred & George's age? His pranks and jokes are classic, and he has the personality of someone people would want to be around and hang out with. He also holds the distinction of being one of the few to ever escape Jason Voorhees by getting drunk in town. The rare exception to the rule shows a night on the town saved his life. I also saw Charno was a comedian. I would love to have seen his show. His health problems have caused him to decline in recent years, but his role and legacy live on in his later years.
Mark is a tragic victim even before Jason dispatches him. As the victim of a motorcycle accident, he is paralyzed from the waist down. He aspires to walk again one day. A small ray of sunshine that is completed doused by Jason. His short-lived flirting with Vickie never had the chance to become something more. Imagine, you're disabled, about to hook-up with someone, and suddenly you're murdered. That's a rough stretch of life. Tom McBride was one of the first openly gay actors of the series. He was professional, and friendly to the cast and crew. He was the first one to pass away in 1995 after a battle with AIDS. His legacy and character live on in the series, and his kill is brutal, and shocking.
Vickie is a sweet little girl. She is determined to win over the affections of Mark. She is silly, flirty, ambitious, and has a don't-take-no-for-an-answer chase mentality when she desires someone. Lauren-Marie Taylor may despise the Brown underwear she was given to work with, but her screams and place in horror history are etched in stone. She is a truly ambassador of the film, takes on multiple conventions, and carries on a lasting legacy as a member of the film.
Deputy Winslow is the local law enforcement of the group. In a remote area, Crystal Lake falls under several jurisdictions. He lives a simple, and mostly boring life patrolling the area. He is the first to discover Jason's house in the woods. His death is very brutal, and you can almost feel the pain. I'm not as familiar with Jack Marks, but according to this book, he was a well-established stage actor. He played the role well and gave an authoritative performance.
Crazy Ralph returns to warn the younger generations about the doom and despair awaiting them in the woods of Crystal Lake. This is his final appearance, as Jason eliminates him in the early part of the story. It's bittersweet in a way, because when you look at the series as a whole, they have always included a "Ralph"-style character. He could have stayed on for the series and taken on sort of a Stan Lee cameo in each film. Walt Gorney was a legend. He played Ralph to perfection and is exactly the sort of person you would find spreading fear in a small community.
Alice Hardy, the Final Girl from Part 1, makes an appearance early on in this story. She has returned to Crystal Lake to confront her fears, only to end up becoming Jason's first victim of the film. Adrienne King was hot off the first film when she agreed to come help bridge the sequel. She had no idea Alice was to be killed off, and several discomforts on set, as well as a real-life stalking incident, caused her 1981 early-retirement from acting. She has overcome a lot of PTSD from the incident, and has become a regular on the Friday the 13th Convention circuit alongside Amy Steel and other notable legends.
Henning concludes the novel with an overall appraisal of the film. It took the first film, and retold virtually the same story, only better. The characters are more interesting, the action is more suspenseful, the film is darker, and the kills are visible and more brutal. This film is truly the "sequel without equal". I also enjoyed what Henning wrong towards the ending to summarize various fan's love for this entry in particular:
“But if you're reading this then I suppose you, too, appreciate the excellence that is F13 PART 2. The rest of the world may dismiss us diehards as juvenile, shaking their heads and wagging their fingers over what they insist is passion misspent. But what weight does that hold for those who, in the name of entertainment, aspire only to stay young at heart?”
Here is what I learned:
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- To Stacy Lee Fountain, A friend and fellow fan whose passion for Friday the 13th (in all its incarnations) is beyond compare, and without whom this work would not exist.
- Foreword is by Bill Randolph who played Jeff in Part 2.
- Bill was on set for 5 weeks in 1980.
- Part 2 is known by fans as the sequel without equal.
- “If we made a movie to please the critics, we probably wouldn’t be doing justice to our audience.”
- The author has a delirious appetite for F13 Part 2.
- The movie released in 1981.
- The film was shot on a shoestring budget.
- Henning first saw the film on pay-cable in 1982 st a friend’s sleepover.
- The book contains 2 years of research.
- The film made $6,429,784 its opening weekend.
- Henning runs Packanack Lidge, a Facebook page dedicated to the film.
- Friday the 13th was never intended to have a sequel.
- The first Friday the 14th film made $90 million on a $550,000 budget.
- Officer Tierney in Part 1, was a 20-year veteran on the New Jersey State Patrol.
- The first movie was shot at Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, a Boy Scout camp in Hardwick Township, NJ.
- Part 2 was shot at Camp Kenmont on the North Spectacle Lake in Kent, Connecticut.
- Mrs. Voorhees drove a 1966 CJ-5 Jeep Wrangler.
- A lot of the original crew initially balked at the idea of a sequel with Jason as the antagonist because it was meant as a joke hallucination at the end of the first film.
- Part 2 was submitted 8 times to receive an R rating.
- Part 2 was Steve Miner’s directorial debut.
- Casting was done on the cheapest rehearsal space available on Broadway, at 7th Ave between 56th & 57th.
- North Spectacle Lake is in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Connecticut.
- Principal photography began Sept 6, 1980.
- Part 2 was released Friday, May 1st, 1981.
- Amy Steel regrets not returning to play Ginny in Part 3.
- The Slasher Era had its heyday in the 1980’s.
- Jason Voorhees’ birthday is June 13th, 1946.
- Elias Voorhees was an alcoholic.
- David & Louise Christy were Steve’s parents.
- The working title for Part 3 was “Jason”.
- Jason “drowned” Friday September 13th, 1957.
- Jason is believed to have suffered from Proteus syndrome.
- The first 4 Friday the 13th films are the classics.
- 1978-1984 is considered the golden era of Slasher films.
- Technically speaking, 5 different people played Jason in Part 2.
- Steve Dash’s redemption story begins in autumn 1980.
- Jason’s name in the original draft for Friday the 13th (1980) was Josh.
- Amy Steel as Ginny Field is regarded as one of the greatest surviving girls from the golden era of slasher films.
- Ginny has an advanced degree in child psychology.
- Steel nearly turned down Ginny.
- Amy also starred in April Fool’s Day.
- She attended Kent high school in Kent, CT where some of the film was shot.
- After Hollywood, Amy opened a child psychologist and family therapy practice in Calabasas, CA.
- Amy’s least favorite scene was Jason jumping through the window, which was shot with high speed footage, and needed 2 reshoots.
- John Furey played Head Camp Counselor Trainer Paul Holt.
- Camp Packanack opened its doors in the summer of 1984.
- Paul spent most of his life developing and operating summer camps nationwide.
- Camp Kenmont hosted Packanack Lodge.
- The film was forbidden from doing panoramic shots as the owners felt it would scare away campers seeing Jason there.
- Camp owner Lloyd Albun was left a replica of Mrs. Voorhees’ head stuck in a tree, and the Camp Crystal Lake sign.
- Furey was on vacation in NY when he got the call to audition.
- Furey has lived in Los Angeles since 1979.
- Furry was born on Friday the 13th.
- No one really knows what happened to Paul.
- Contrary to what was reported, Furey did not have a falling out with director Steve Miner.
- Director stated the end scene was a dream sequence confirming Paul’s death.
- The producers buried heavily from 1976’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown.
- Bill Randolph played Jeff Dunsberry in Part 2.
- He considers himself Kevin Bacon’s clone in Part 2.
- Jeff drove a midnight blue 1977 Chevy K10 4x4 Truck with oversized wheels.
- His girlfriend is Sandra.
- Ted Bowen was Jeff’s friend and fellow camp counselor who lived near Crystal Lake.
- Podunk means a small, isolated, or insignificant town.
- The author’s favorite character is Jeff.
- Bill Randolph was born in New York and raised in France and Germany before returning to the United States.
- Jeff has more screen time than any other character in Part 2.
- The first Friday the 13th movie was based on 1970’s Italian horror.
- The double impalement was copied from 1971’s A Bay of Blood.
- Randolph was high when shooting the double impalement scene, thanks to a crew member who blew smoke into his mouth.
- Ginny drove a red 1971 Volkswagen Convertible Super Beetle.
- Vickie drives a mustard-yellow 1971 Toyota Corolla.
- Marta Kober played Sandra Deir.
- Sandra is considered the “bad girl” of the film.
- She was always able to manipulate Jeff to get her way.
- Terry’s last name is McCarthy.
- Deputy Winslow is the lone lawman of Crystal Lake.
- Kober is the most elusive of the cast.
- She was emancipated at age 16.
- She was cast in Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood, but lost the job when the realized she had already been killed in Part 2.
- She was underage at the time of filming, but it was not as big a deal in those days.
- Drugs and alcohol derailed her career in the early 90’s.
- Russell Todd played Scott Cheney.
- Todd played a similar character named Don who dies the same way in the 1980 film He Knows You’re Alone.
- Todd was a model in the 1970’s before turning to acting.
- "I think it worked. People seemed to respond to it. I think it's very good. It does scare. It keeps people interested. I think the characters are well-defined and very different from each other. There's humor, which is wonderful."
- Todd manages the Russell Todd Agency in Los Angeles. Representing below the line talent.
- Jason’s weapon of choice is a Hawkbill machete.
- Kirsten Baker played Terry McCarthy.
- Terry had a Shih Tzu named Muffin.
- Stuart Charno played Ted.
- Charno has the distinction of being in 2 classic horror films and surviving both.
- His other horror film was Christine.
- Charno was actually drunk in the bar scene.
- Ted stayed the night at Maggie the bartender’s apartment.
- Connecticut’s The Smokey Boys Band played in the movie, but had their song overdubbed for the final cut for copyright reasons.
- "I'm glad that Ted wasn't killed in some gruesome way. While everyone else was back at camp having sex, I stayed out to drink more.... I think that's a good lesson for us all. Don't get chopped up by Jason. Go get drunk! ... I've been drunk since 1981, just to avoid getting chopped up by monsters."
- Charno is suffering from multiple sclerosis.
- Tom McBride played Mark Jarvis.
- Mark was paralyzed from the waist down due to a motorcycle accident the year before.
- McBride passed away from AIDS in 1995.
- McBride was known for starring in cigarette ads.
- Lauren-Marie Taylor played Vickie Perry.
- A “goody-two shoes” is someone who is uncommonly good.
- Taylor is arguably the largest ambassador at comic cons today than all of her other costars.
- She is lively and bubbly.
- The canoe sequence at the end of the first film was a dream.
- Jack Marks played Deputy Winslow.
- Part 2 was the only time Marks has ever driven a car.
- Louise runs the switchboard at County Sheriff’s Office.
- Winslow often eats Eggs Benedict at the Crystal Lake diner.
- Deputy Winslow was not formally named until Simon Hawke’s 1988 novel of the film.
- Winslow served two tours in Vietnam.
- He was proud of his role in the film as the longevity of recognition lasted beyond him.
- “I’m proud to be known as Deputy Winslow.”
- Connie Hogan played the likeness of Mrs. Voorhees at the end of Part 2.
- Walt Gorney reprised his role from the first film as Crazy Ralph Neeley.
- Ralph rides a 1956 Schwinn Tiger bicycle.
- "There's a legend around here. A killer buried, but not dead. A curse on Crystal Lake, a death curse: Jason Voorhees' curse. They say he died as a boy, but he keeps coming back. Few have seen him and lived. Some have even tried to stop him. No one can."
- Adrienne King reprised her role as Alice Hardy, the Final Girl from the original Friday the 13th.
- Alice is the only Final Girl to face both mother and son Voorhees.
- King despised Alice’s wardrobe in the 2nd film.
- “Well, you can either embrace it or run from it.”
- King was a stuntwoman in Ghostbusters (1984).
- King quit acting in 1981, and became a stuntwoman and a winemaker.
- “But if you're reading this then I suppose you, too, appreciate the excellence that is F13 PART 2. The rest of the world may dismiss us diehards as juvenile, shaking their heads and wagging their fingers over what they insist is passion misspent. But what weight does that hold for those who, in the name of entertainment, aspire only to stay young at heart?”
Overall, a very good read for Friday the 13th fans, and for Horror fans in general. If you have never seen the movie, or do not generally enjoy the Horror genre, you will not be thrilled by this book. Outside that, this is arguably the most faithful testament to Friday the 13th Part 2. It was enjoyable, informative, and very endearing to fans.
If you don't enjoy horror, skip it. Otherwise...
Highly Recommended if you've seen the movie or enjoy Horror.
On to Book #148: He Disagreed With Something That Ate Him by Cary Edwards.
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Need to catch up? See previous blog post: All Quiet On The Western Front.
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Want to read about just this series? See the other posts below:
Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective on Friday the 13th Part 2
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