From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thanatos)
Newsgroups: alt.horror,alt.cult-movies,rec.arts.sf.fandom,alt.fandom.misc
Subject: Re: Friday The 13th (TV SERIES)
Keywords: Friday The 13 TV Series NOT THE MOVIES
Date: 12 Nov 92 12:28:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.BxLrzy.ALD
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

In article <1992Nov12.030041.12979@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu> manowar@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu (Brent Bomwan) writes:
>	First of all, I had NO IDEA which newsgroup to ask this
>	question to, so if this doesn't belong here, SORRY.
>
>	I am looking for someone/anyone that liked/watched/taped
>	any of the Friday The 13th TV Series...
>
Well, I don't have these episodes on tape, but I DO have an episode guide...


>  One of our St. Louis TV stations is showing "Friday the 13th, the
>  Series".  This show (which has nothing to do with the movies) has
>  items which have been cursed for a reason.  The show's premise is
>  explained in the opening credits (which are probably copyrighted by
>  Hometown Productions, Variety Artists, and/or Paramount):
>  
>  	"Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the Devil to sell cursed
>  	 antiques, but he broke the pact and it cost him his soul.
>  	 Now his niece Mikki and her cousin Ryan have inherited the
>  	 store--and with it, the curse.  Now they must get everything
>  	 back... and the real terror begins."
>  
>  The cursed antiques cannot be damaged or destroyed, so the people who
>  have inherited the store must recover the items and lock them away.
>  Most of the episodes deal with the recovery of one of the items.
>  
>  The interesting part is the nature of the curses and the reason behind
>  them.  In Christian theology, the Devil seeks to corrupt people by
>  causing them to sin.  Therefore, the purpose of the curse is to
>  encourage the owner to sin; more specifically, to commit murder.  (The
>  show _is_ called Friday the 13th.)  The owner of the item _benefits_
>  from the curse, but must kill another person to receive the benefit.
>  This benefit may be the ability to kill -- easily and undetectably.
>  More often the benefit is something else -- power, money, love, fame,
>  health, beauty, and so on.
>  
>  The owner is (usually) not forced to use the item, and can get rid of
>  it at any time.  The owner knows that using the item will kill
>  someone.  Thus, the (Christian) criteria of knowingly and of free will
>  committing a mortal sin apply, and if the owner uses the item he is
>  literally damned.
>  
>  Adapting this form of curse to a FRP campaign may pose some problems,
>  as it requires the equivalent of free-will sin and the Devil as a
>  tempter.  That is, people must be judged in some way by the acts that
>  they freely and knowingly commit, and there must be a powerful, evil
>  entity which encourages people to perform evil acts.  This might not
>  fit in well with some game worlds, but it is an interesting reason for
>  the existence of some cursed items.
>  
>  A campaign based on the series premise -- recovery of a group of such
>  cursed items -- might be interesting.  Incorporating such items into a
>  campaign requires that the players be good ROLE-players, though; ones
>  who would say, "Sure, by using this item my character can get rich;
>  but would he do so at the cost of eternal damnation?"
>  
>  
>  The first season objects:
>  -------------------------
>  
>  Doll -- The doll talks to its owner, encouraging her to commit evil
>          acts. If the owner consents, the doll can help perform the
>          acts through the use of telekinesis-like powers.
>  
>  Quill pen -- Anything evil written with the pen ("John will die")
>          happens.
>  
>  Cupid statuette -- The statuette will cause anyone to fall in lust
>          (not love) with the owner.  The owner must kill the victim
>          after they have sex.
>  
>  Teacup -- When the victim drinks from the cup, the cup kills him and
>          makes the owner younger.  The additional youth only lasts for
>          a day or so.
>  
>  Magician's cabinet -- The victim is locked in the cabinet, and the
>          owner then performs amazing "illusions", such as having swords
>          plunged into his body.  The wounds the owner would have
>          suffered are instead inflicted on the victim.
>  
>  Scalpel -- When used in an operation, the scalpel will cure hopeless
>          cases.  The scalpel will also cut through anything (metal,
>          stone, etc.).  The owner must "recharge" the scalpel by
>          killing people with it.
>  
>  Boxing gloves -- The wearer of the gloves is invincible in the boxing
>          ring.  During the match, the owner's shadow takes on a
>          separate physical existence and kills a person chosen by the
>          owner (and yes, the episode title was "Shadowboxer").
>  
>  Garden mulcher -- Any person fed into the hopper of the mulcher comes
>          out as currency.  The denomination of the currency depends on
>          the wealth of the victim; the richer the victim, the larger
>          the denomination.
>  
>  Comic book -- The comic book's owner can become "Ferrus the
>          Invincible", an armor-plated superpowered humanoid.  Ferrus is
>          immune to (almost) all forms of attack, can smash down steel
>          doors, and can kill in one blow.
>  
>  Scarecrow -- The scarecrow seeks out and kills (by decapitation with a
>          scythe) any person whose photograph is pinned to it; it can
>          teleport while pursuing the victim.  By causing three such
>          killings each year, the owner is guaranteed an abundant
>          harvest.
>  
>  Glove -- The glove miraculously heals any disease or injury when the
>          owner touches it to the ill person.  The disease is
>          transferred into the glove and "magnified"; it must soon be
>          transferred (again by touch) to another, who dies.  If the
>          disease is not transferred within a certain time, it kills the
>          owner.
>  
>  Cape -- The cape makes its owner immortal, irresistible to women, and
>          a vampire.  If the owner removes the cape, he instantly
>          becomes old and withered; replacing the cape restores him.
>  
>  Lantern -- When shone on a shipwreck, the lantern uncovers buried
>          treasure (it might even _create_ the treasure; this was not
>          clear).  After each such use the lantern must be shone on the
>          diver who brought up the treasure, who burns to death.
>  
>  Compact -- If a beam reflected by the compact's mirror strikes any man
>          in the eyes, he falls in love with the owner.  The owner must
>          later kill him.
>  
>  Tattoo needles -- The owner tattoos the victim using the needles
>          (which also give tattooing skill).  Later, the owner has good
>          luck while gambling, and the tattoo comes to life and kills
>          the victim.
>  
>  Trephinator -- This device was built in the nineteenth century by a
>          quack who thought intelligence could be transferred via
>          cerebro-spinal fluid; the curse makes it work.  The person who
>          is drained dies of severe brain damage, while the owner gains
>          their intelligence and memories and some personality traits.
>  
>  Electric chair -- The owner can receive and hold a powerful electric
>          charge by electrocuting someone with the chair, then sitting
>          in it.  The charge can be released by conduction as the owner
>          desires (possibly to kill other people, so this curse is
>          doubly corrupting).
>  
>  Quilt -- The owner of the quilt can dream whatever they want while
>          sleeping under it, but some other person (chosen by the owner)
>          experiences the dream as a nightmare and is killed by it.  The
>          chosen victim is forced asleep when the owner begins dreaming.
>  
>  Camera -- Taking and developing a picture of a person with this camera
>          creates an exact duplicate of the person.  The duplicate must
>          obey the orders of the photographer.  Destroying the negative
>          destroys the duplicate.  If the negative is not destroyed
>          within five hours, the original dies.
>  
>  Foghorn -- Sounding the foghorn summons the ghost of Angus MacBride, a
>          pirate who died when his crew mutinied.  The ghost will trade
>          gold coins for the bodies of any of the crew's descendants.
>  
>  Sheriff's badge -- When the badge is pressed against the victim, the
>          victim is branded with a star pattern and dies in convulsions;
>          the badge then teleports back into the owner's hand, allowing
>          a safe getaway.
>  
>  Pipe -- Lighting the pipe produces a cloud of smoke which will seek
>          out and kill the victim by asphyxiation.  If the victim runs,
>          the smoke will follow; it can ooze through the smallest
>          cracks.  After the victim dies, both body and smoke disappear.
>  
>  Cradle -- The cradle will keep even the most sickly baby alive, and
>          will eventually completely heal the baby.  For this to happen,
>          the baby's parents must kill seven people in water.
>  
>  
>  Two additional magic items were presented.  These were not cursed;
>  instead they were used by Lewis (played by R.G. Armstrong) in attempts
>  to return from the dead and continue serving the Devil.
>  
>  Amulet -- The amulet lets a ghost take material form until the next
>          sunrise.
>  
>  Canopic jar -- Fumes released from the jar cause anyone who inhales
>          them to have a dream in which they re-live their most
>          terrifying experiences, eventually causing a heart attack.
>          This was the end-of-season show, incorporating scenes from
>          previous episodes.
>  
>  ******
>  
>  The second season objects:
>  --------------------------
>  
>  Mask -- a voodoo totem which gives various magic powers.
>  
>  Radio -- broadcasts false "news reports" which can be used to kill.
>          In exchange, the radio broadcasts information that profits the
>          owner.
>  
>  Coin -- can be used to resurrect a corpse, even one that is centuries
>          dead.
>  
>  Violin -- allows the owner to play as a virtuoso.
>  
>  Makeup Case -- can make even the ugliest person beautiful, for a short
>          time.
>  
>  Handkerchief -- can animate a wax figure, which must obey the owner.
>  
>  Boutonniere -- also can animate a figure.  In the episode, it was used
>          for a ventriloquist's dummy.
>  
>  Watch -- the owner can experience one hour (starting and ending at
>          1AM) in which everything else is stopped in time.
>  
>  Key and Chain -- allow the owner to win auto races.
>  
>  Beehive -- makes "vampire bees" which are able to kill by draining
>          blood.  The bees then sting another person and change his
>          appearance to that of the victim.  To remain alive, the
>          transformed people must eat honey made by the bees.
>  
>  Playhouse -- can transport a child to a world where he can have
>          whatever he wants, provided he brings other children to be
>          trapped.
>  
>  Magic Lantern -- permits travel to the time and place of projected
>          slides.  A person must be killed both to travel back in time
>          and to return.
>  
>  Compact -- makes the owner beautiful, for a short time.
>  
>  Syringe -- can draw fluid from the victim's brain, removing a part of
>          their humanity.  The fluid will temporarily cure a psychotic
>          person.  The victim becomes increasingly animal-like, until
>          nothing human is left.
>  
>  Movie Camera -- makes a movie character real; the character kills
>          people who were filmed by the camera.
>  
>  Ring -- shows the outcome of a future sporting event.
>  
>  Shard -- anyone stabbed by the shard becomes a statue.
>  
>  Coffin -- can resurrect a child.  The child has to kill to live.
>  
>  Amulet -- can resurrect a corpse.
>  
>  Bauble -- grants wishes, after hypnotizing and killing the victim (who
>          obeys all orders, including commands to commit suicide).
>  
>  Pool Cue -- allows user to win games.
>  
>  Symphonia (Music Box) -- forces people to dance to their death, but
>          the dances are beautiful works of art.
>  
>  Rattle -- cures diseases.
>  
>  Kamikaze Jacket -- makes the wearer invisible.
>  
>  Sculpting Tool -- converts clay into mommets ("voodoo" dolls)
>  
>  Several additional magic items were presented which were not cursed
>  (at least not in the same way as the above items) but were used by
>  various evil groups to attack the main characters.
>  
>  Mirror -- provides a gateway to hell.
>  
>  Snow Globe -- contains a miniature universe which people can enter.
>  
>  Witch's Ladder -- magnifies a magician's power.
>  
>  *****
>  
>  The third season objects:
>  -------------------------
>  
>  Book -- a "Satanic Bible"; if its prophecies are fulfilled, the devil
>          will rule the world.
>  
>  Dagger -- Summons and controls demons.
>  
>  Wheelchair -- enables the user to move about in a spirit-like form and
>          kill; the chair gradually heals the user.
>  
>  Hearing Aid -- allows thoughts to be heard.
>  
>  Coin -- can be used to resurrect a corpse, even one that is centuries
>          dead.  (It was also in the second season, in a different
>          episode.)
>  
>  Car Radio -- takes the car and occupants through time to the year of
>          the radio's manufacture.
>  
>  Cross -- destroys vampires.  One of the better episodes, due in part
>          to the moral ambiguities: a cross, cursed by the devil,
>          destroys vampires -- provided the holder kills someone else
>          with the cross.
>  
>  Movie Print -- a character from the film can be brought into the real
>          world, but someone else takes the character's place (and
>          dies).
>  
>  Fountain Pen -- allows the owner to control the behavior of another.
>  
>  Monkey Idols -- "see no evil" allows the owner to change another
>          person's perceptions; "hear no evil" allows thoughts to be
>          heard; "speak no evil" speaks, giving useful information.
>  
>  Aspirator -- a mortician's device; it can raise the dead.
>  
>  Cameo -- holds the soul of a dead person, which can be released
>          (reviving the dead person) by killing another.
>  
>  Charm -- allows transfer of a soul into another body.
>  
>  Leash -- transforms animals into humans and vice-versa.
>  
>  Jack-in-the-Box -- allows communication with the dead.
>  
>  Television -- maintains life.  Used by a medium to show images of the
>          dead to her clients; the images later attacked the clients
>          through other televisions.
>  
>  Cernuous Statue -- animates an oak tree and reproduces itself.
>  
>  Painting -- allows travel back in time.
>  
>  There was also an episode involving the ghosts of a motorcycle gang;
>  this didn't fit the cursed object theme.
> 
> 


-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / It's a Zen thing... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	 you wouldn't understand...