Friday the 13th Controversy: Did They Kill A Real Snake?

In Friday the 13th, the death of a snake in an early scene seems to be nothing more than good practical effects, but was it actually the real deal?

Friday the 13th doesn't short fans on violence and bloodshed, but most of the deaths in the franchise have been human; the death of a snake, however, has been debated by fans for years and may be the saddest of all.

Kane Hodder notoriously went on record for being against Jason harming animals in the Friday the 13th movies, at least under his performance of the character. In one instance, he argued against kicking a dog in Jason Takes Manhattan because he said Jason wouldn't do such a thing: he only hurts humans. However, in the first film, the killer wasn't Jason, but his mother, Pamela Voorhees. Before the killings even got started, the counselors took action in an off-the-cuff scene that ended up sparking quite the discussion because of its real life implications.

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Animal deaths in horror have been considered a long-time taboo, with some fans not even wanting to watch the fake killings of non-human creatures. In films like 1980's Cannibal Holocaust, which came out the same year as Friday the 13th, many actual animal deaths were shown on-screen including a coati (similar to a muskrat), a large turtle, a tarantula, a boa constrictor, a squirrel monkey, and a pig. The film was harshly criticized for this, as all of these deaths could have been simulated; the film was no better for including the real deal and was banned in many countries because of it. In the 1980s, organizations like PETA weren't as readily available to supervise animal talent and ensure their safety on sets.

Did A Real Snake Get Killed In Friday The 13th?

Because there was no such supervision on the set of Friday the 13th, another animal death not only happened, but was somewhat swept under the rug. The scene in question involves Alice (Adrienne King) discovering a snake in her cabin and calling her friends to assist with the creature. Bill (Harry Crosby) runs in first, carrying a machete. The other campers are soon to follow, and all attempt to flush out the snake that has crawled under one of the beds. After it emerges, Bill hacks it to pieces with the machete, and it is shown writhing and dying. While many have thought for years that this could have just been some of Tom Savini's excellent practical effects, in actuality, the snake was real and killed on screen.

Savini came up with the idea for the scene after he discovered a snake in his cabin; it wasn't originally in the script. Because of this spontaneous idea, the scene was largely improvised. Also, the snake - which was a harmless bull snake - was accompanied by a handler who didn't know about the snake's intended fate. There are some unclear details about the handler's involvement, but by many accounts, he was incredibly upset by the snake's death, had to be held back by crew members after it happened, and some even say he can be heard crying off-camera following the snake's death, as he was inconsolable. In the documentary Crystal Lake Memories, the death is confirmed by Jeannine Taylor (Marcie), who expressed regret over them killing a live animal, even though she didn't deliver the fatal blow.

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