TV
This Weekend, “The Shocking Truth” Explores the Real ‘Friday the 13th’ Murders
A group of teenagers. Alone in the woods.
The inspiration behind the original Friday the 13th, if we’re cutting right to the point, was John Carpenter’s Halloween, which director Sean Cunningham essentially wanted to rip off and cash in on the success of. With Friday the 13th, he ended up taking the American slasher to a whole new level of brutality, and the rest is of course history.
But there is one real-life murder case, predating the release of Friday the 13th by 20 years, that sure seems to have loosely inspired Cunningham’s seminal slasher. So much so, in fact, that Finland’s “Lake Bodom murders” are often referred to as “the real Friday the 13th.” Reelz Channel’s “The Shocking Truth” explores the murders this week.
“The Shocking Truth digs deep into notorious real-life murders and crimes and explores how Hollywood turned them into its most memorable thrillers. The behind-the-scenes stories of how these gruesome events became unforgettable movies is as fascinating as the true crimes themselves. Through cinematic re-enactments and exclusive interviews with the writers, directors and cast members, as well as the detectives, attorneys, and criminologists who investigated the actual crimes, we lay out a compelling story line — how despicable wrong doings became art, creating moments etched in our pop culture.”
“On June 5, 1960, at Bodominsky Lake, 15-year-old females, Maila Irmeli Björklund and Anja Tuulikki Mäki, and 18-year-old male, Seppo Antero Boisman, were killed while sleeping inside a tent by blunt force trauma to their heads from a stone.”
“The Shocking Truth: Friday the 13th” premieres 9pm EST on Saturday, April 28.
This episode from Season 2 isn’t coming for a while, but I feel like this is a good day to tweet about it. #Friday13th pic.twitter.com/hvpUlIdKr5
— The Shocking Truth (@TVShockingTruth) April 13, 2018
TV
‘Oldboy’ – Park Chan-wook Joins Forces with Lionsgate for Series Adaptation of 2003 Movie
Following in the wake of the Spike Lee-directed remake in 2013, Park Chan-wook’s South Korean masterpiece Oldboy (2003) is getting a small screen adaptation, we’ve learned.
Lionsgate Television is partnering with renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook to develop his acclaimed film Oldboy for television, marking the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. This comes as Park’s The Sympathizer just debuted on HBO.
Park Chan-wook, who of course directed and co-wrote the original South Korean film, is attached to produce the upcoming “Oldboy” TV series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” said Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development, Lionsgate Television. “This series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic.”
Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time. The movie was re-released last year for its 20th anniversary, landing in the top ten at the domestic box office in its opening week, a rare feat for a re-release.
Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name, the film follows a man who is released from prison after 15 years, only to find that he must find his captor in five days. The film is part of Park’s Vengeance trilogy, which includes Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.
One of world cinema’s most revered creative voices, Park is also known for directing The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave, for which he won Best Director at Cannes, Stoker and Thirst, as well as producing both the film and television series Snowpiercer. Now an accomplished creative force in television, he is producing as well as directing The Sympathizer, starring Robert Downey, Jr., which just premiered on HBO.
Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television, and Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
You must be logged in to post a comment.