Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Crystal Lake Nightmares (2025)

 





After having attended five Halloween conventions, it was nice to see the Friday the 13th franchise get its turn in honor of the 45th anniversary.  I went to a small Friday convention back in 2005, which was held in an old building on Hollywood and Highland as well as the Crystal Lake Memories book release party.  Other than that, Friday the 13th alum would pop up at various conventions but never anything on a grand scale.  

I was excited when Crystal Lake Nightmares was announced and the opportunity for so many people associated with the franchise to come together.  I was not as enthusiastic when the location changed from the Burbank Marriott to the LAX Hilton.  Apparently others felt the same way as attendance ended up being lower than Tommy Jarvis' Zaxxon score.  But one major highlight was finally meeting his older sister Trish, played by the very sweet Kimberly Beck.  The panel discussions were also fun to attend, getting to hear some unfamiliar stories.  2030 will be the big 5-0.  Hopefully the Crystal Lake Nightmare will continue like the body count.  But next time tear The San Fernando Valley down like a son of a gun.

















Friday the 13th (1980) Panel









Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Panel









Friday the 13th Part III (1982) Panel







Friday the 13th The Final Chapter (1984) Panel










Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) Panel







Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) Panel









Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) Panel







Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) Panel








The Final Girl Panel





Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Carrie (1976)

 






Poor Carrie White is subjected to constant teasing and tormenting from her classmates.  To boot, she has a deranged bible-thumping mother who throws her in a prayer closet to repent for her sins.  Gym teacher Miss Collins punishes Carrie's bullies with exercise and threatens to banish them from the prom.  After Chris Hargesen loses her prom privileges, she plots revenge on Carrie, who is asked to the dance by big-man-on-campus Tommy Ross.  While preparing for the big night, Carrie discovers she has telekinetic powers.  After being humiliated at the prom when a bucket of pigs' blood is dumped on her, Carrie uses her powers to seek revenge, killing several people and setting the gym on fire.  When she returns home, Carrie's rage continues against her mother before their entire house is destroyed.

Carrie is the first film adaptation of a Stephen King novel and was a breakthrough for director Brian De Palma.  Several of the cast, including Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Nancy Allen and PJ Soles went on to have prolific careers.  Carrie's release saw critical acclaim and box office success.  It should be noted that Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie were both nominated for Academy Awards, a rare feat for the horror genre.



Location: The Volleyball Court & Football Field
Address: 15777 Bowdoin Street, Pacific Palisades, CA

Palisades Charter High School





















Location: Carrie Walks Home
Address: East Santa Paula Street & N 6th Street, Santa Paula, CA














Location: The Snell House
Address: 773 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA

The house was demolished around 2006...







Location: The White Residence
Address: 122 N 7th Street, Santa Paula, CA

Surprisingly, the lot is still vacant to this day...




















Location: Bates High School Gym
Address: 710 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, CA

Hermosa Beach Community Center







































Location: Kelso's Cafe
Address: Via De La Paz & Antioch, Pacific Palisades, CA

This structure has been torn down since filming...





Location: Bates Packing Plant
Address: formerly 3049 East Vernon Avenue, Vernon, CA

Another filming to bite the dust and it appears it wasn't too long ago...








Location: Bates High School Exterior
Address: 576 North Maclay Avenue, San Fernando, CA






This school was also seen in I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989)




Location: Seeber's Drug Store
Address: 908 Main Street, Santa Paula, CA













Location: The Tuxedo Shop
Address: 910 Main Street, Santa Paula, CA












Location: The Car Flips Over
Address: 27555 Canyon View Drive, Santa Clarita, CA





















Locations Visited: June 2024, August 2025