Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where Clay and Amanda are getting ready for their upcoming coverage of Crystal Lake by bringing some classic slasher mayhem back to the main feed! Before they dive into the new series, they’re opening up the vault and releasing their previously Patreon-exclusive episodes covering the Friday the 13th franchise. That means hockey masks, summer camps, creative kills, questionable decisions, and enough teenage counselors wandering into dark woods to make you wonder how Camp Crystal Lake ever passed an inspection.
Now, I know everybody says Friday the 13th is the scary day. But I’ve never bought into that. Friday the 13th? Whatever. I can handle it. You want to put a hockey-masked murderer in the woods on Friday the 13th? Fine. I’ll stay home, lock the doors, and maybe watch something cheerful.
But Thursday the 12th?
Now that is terrifying.
Think about it. Thursday the 12th is when you realize Friday the 13th is coming. You wake up Thursday morning and everything seems normal. You go to work. You eat lunch. You go about your business. But in the back of your mind, there’s a little voice whispering: “Tomorrow.”
Tomorrow is Friday the 13th.
That means Thursday the 12th is basically the opening act. It’s the ominous footsteps outside the cabin. It’s the mysterious phone call. It’s the part where you hear something downstairs and decide to investigate despite having absolutely no reason to do so.
And that’s why I’m much more interested in Clay and Amanda’s Friday the 13th coverage. They’re looking back at the franchise just in time to prepare everyone for Crystal Lake, exploring the movies, the mythology, Jason Voorhees, and all the glorious nonsense that made the series a horror institution.
So listen closely, because this is your chance to get caught up before Crystal Lake arrives.
Just remember: Friday the 13th may have Jason, but Thursday the 12th has anticipation.
And anticipation is where the real terror lives.
And be sure to follow Clay and Amanda in their coverage of horror sequels over at patreon.com/thepenskyfile!