Happy Friday the 13th: Facts about the Day and the Films

As you’ve probably heard by now, this is the first of 3 this year. You may have also read (as I have in several places including here) that this phenomenon happens every 11 years. Except that the next time it happens is 3 years from now in 2012 when we’ll have the rare leap year trifecta variant of January, April, July. The far more common February, March, November combo will happen again…in 6 years in 2015. Not sure where this “11 year” occurrence rate comes form except that the next one after 2015 happens in 2026 and it last happened 11 years ago in 1998. According to wikipedia, it’s actually a 28 year cycle.

Surprisingly, even though some claim the superstition has its origins in the Knights Templar massacre of 1118 or even ancient Norse mythology, there is no written mention of the superstition until 1869. Even then, it doesn’t explode into the public consciousness until 1907 when a novel named Friday, the Thirteenth was published. No, it’s not about a machete wielding hockey goalie terrorizing sex-crazed teens at a summer camp. It’s about a stock broker who manipulates a panic on Wall Street. (I suppose, either way it’s particularly apt today.)

I’ll admit I’ve seen three of the Friday the 13th movies (Part 1, Part 2, and Freddy vs. Jason). I still would really like to see Part 3 (originally in 3D). Here are some trivia questions about the films that I happen to know the answers to:

1. What ubiquitous celebrity appeared in the first film before he was famous?
2. How many films have their been?
3. Which one was “The Final Chapter”?
4. Which of “the two Coreys” appeared in the “The Final Chapter”?
5. In which movie does Jason start wearing his trademark hockey mask?
6. Jason isn’t actually the killer in 2 of the films. Who is in which films?
7. Which movie do I own (because I find it to be exceptionally well written)?

Answers here.