Jason Savio

If you ever wondered what Jason Voorhees’ playlist looks like, you’d find an interesting mix of metal and hip hop. “People sometimes give me shit, saying I’m in my 60s and I like Twiztid,” says Kane Hodder, the man behind the hockey mask in four of the “Friday the 13th” films. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be young. I enjoy their music.”

The self-described “metal head” also loves Black Sabbath and Metallica, as well as Insane Clown Posse, because, why not? Hodder’s choice of music fits in with Rock and Shock, the annual horror convention and concert series he’ll be featured in this year at the DCU Center and Palladium on October 11-13th.

A one-of-a-kind experience, Rock and Shock gives fans the opportunity to meet their favorite stars from the horror film world before going across the street to enjoy music that matches the mood. Hodder will be joined by Bruce Campbell of the “Evil Dead” films, among others names, as part of the celebrity lineup at the DCU Center. Bands set to hit the stage at the Palladium include Eluveitie and Napalm Death.

“So many horror fans like that kind of music so to put them together is a perfect mix,” Hodder says when asked about the relationship between horror films and metal/hard rock music. “I can’t think of another (convention) that does it and it makes it a little more fun for us, too.”

Hodder has been having plenty of fun for over 30 years wreaking havoc on the big screen. He is a fan favorite in the “Friday the 13th” franchise, playing Jason more times than any other actor, and has found continued success, notably as Victor Crowley in the “Hatchet” movies.

A horror fan himself, Hodder credits Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” as the first movie to introduce him to the genre when he was a child. But the one that really left a mark was “The Exorcist,” when he was 19 years old and saw it in a movie theater. “It’s still my all-time favorite movie because of the power it had when it was in theaters,” says Hodder, who grew up on the Marshall Islands. “It was unbelievable the impact it had on audiences because there was so much hype in the press about people walking out of the theater saying they were possessed, being serious about it. By the time you went to go see it, you were already scared before the movie even started.”

Having originally started out as a stuntman, Hodder never anticipated being the title character in an iconic film franchise, let alone being in any kind of spotlight. “I always appreciate the fans tremendously because when I went into the business I wasn’t trying to become famous,” Hodder says. “With stunts you are so in the background as far as that goes. You’re happy to have a successful stunt career and work on films, but you never—I never—in a million years expected to sign an autograph.”

Following his work on the 1987 film “Prison,” Hodder was contacted by John Buechler, who worked on special makeup effects on the set of the same film. He wanted Hodder to be part of a movie he was about to direct: “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.” “He said he wanted me to play Jason in his movie. I was amazed and didn’t really believe it fully until I was on the set the first day, and then everything changed,” says Hodder. “It was just an unbelievable feeling to step onto the set of a ‘Friday the 13th’ film and I’m wearing the hockey mask now. I felt like it was such an honor that I had to do everything I possibly could to do the character justice.”

Hodder would end up making the Jason Voorhees character all his own. Built like a wrestler with a 6’4” frame, Hodder’s Jason was more dangerous than any of the previous versions. But it wasn’t just Hodder’s size that made him such a threat; it was a new, unnerving feeling of combustible rage he delivered in his performance that Jason never had before. “Jason, in previous films, when he was standing and staring at someone, didn’t look threatening enough to me,” Hodder says. “I tried doing things to see what would make me look like I was about to explode, even when I’m just staring at you, and that’s when I came up with the breathing technique that I did because that, to me, looked like ‘Oh my God, he’s just staring at me but he’s going to explode at any second.’”

Hodder still considers himself a stuntman first and foremost, and, because of that, ranks his first outing as Jason as the one he’s most proud of. “Being a stuntman, I’m always going to love that film and I think the look of Jason was the best,” he says. “I was on fire, I fell through the stairs, I had a roof come down on my head, electrocuted, so many different things, and it was just a dream come true for a stunt person, playing the main character with all these big stunts to do.”

Hodder’s run as the hockey-masked killer is widely considered to be the best of the series. He brought Mrs. Voorhees’ little boy from Camp Crystal Lake to Manhattan, Hell and outer space, all while remaining a badass every step of the way.

Despite no longer playing Jason, Hodder continues to remain busy, with films “Knifecorp,” “13 Fanboy,” and “The Good Things Devils Do” on the way. He’s also part of a successful podcast called “Casualty Friday” that’s presented by Fangoria.

But the burning question remains: if given the opportunity, would Kane Hodder don the hockey mask again? “In a second,” he says. “I never wanted to stop. It wasn’t my choice to have somebody else step into the role. If I ever had a chance to do it one more time, I would love it. I can still kick some ass, man.”

For more information visit: rockandshock.com.