The film has a totally different tone to it then the previous five entries, including some much-needed doses of humor. Right off the bat, we're treated to a James Bond style intro and credit sequence. How did that come about?

That's a really good question. No one's ever asked me about that before. I saw Dr. No with my father on opening weekend, and it's the first film that had a huge impact on me. Ursula Andress was just "wow", and Sean Connery was so cool, and that all added up to a very magical experience for me. Also, James Bond was one of the most successful film franchises ever, and the combination of the two merged. It seemed like the perfect thing to set the tone of the movie. The only thing I didn't like was the sound of the blood when Jason slashes across the screen. it sounded like a river, or maybe it was a little too thick (laughs).

And how did the studio react to the film when they finally saw it?

We had a test screening at Paramount, and you couldn't hear dialogue to save your life. it was one big "YEAH!" non-stop. These people had lined up 3-4 hours ahead of time to see this and they were ready to enjoy it. It never stopped. And at the end of it Frank Mancuso says, "we need three more kills". (laughs). And that's when we went and killed Sissy and the caretaker and skewered the two on the scooter. So then it was shown to the MPAA, and they started cutting stuff out.

Jason Lives was one of the few films (if not the only one) to receive some positive critical remarks in the press. Given the history of the mainstream media's panning of the series, were you surprised by the response it got?

I was amazed they let me get away with the caretaker breaking the fourth wall and looking into the lens for the "some folks have a strange sense of entertainment" line. According to a review I read, that more then anything else is what saved it from being trashed like every other Friday. Any movie that can make fun of itself and still provide the audience with what they want to see, you can't hate. We weren't taking ourselves too seriously.

Another thing that set this one apart from the others was it's rock 'n roll soundtrack, featuring Alice Cooper. How did he get involved?

Freddy vs. Jason is something that you were once offered to direct. What would you have done differently if you had been behind the camera?

Well, they started offering me this thing back in 1987 right after I did my Friday, and Frank Mancuso said "what do you think of this idea?" My problem was that Freddy existed in one realm, and Jason in another, so if you put the two together someone was not going to be as strong of a horror character, which is exactly what ultimately happened. Freddy had fun, and Jason looked the idiot stepson. At that time ('87) Cheech and Chong were still around, and I suggested they go that route. I could see "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein" and you know, "Cheech and Chong meet Jason". Most films of that time had that element of dope smoking, so you could play that out and at the same time still make Jason scary and life threatening and let the other characters have fun, which is the direction I took my movie in. Of course that never happened, and Freddy vs. Jason became a script that I saw come across my desk every seven or eight years, and I would read them and groan. I just think the fans deserve better, and when I went in to meet with them about directing, I had my head bitten off by the same executive who wouldn't let Kane play Jason. I think you kill a franchise if you don't give the people that love it the right "juice".

With the success of Freddy vs. Jason, the obligitory sequel is in the works. Word around the campfire is that another horror icon will make an appearance in this one, as well. Any behind-the-scenes info you can share with our readers on this one?

The inside track I've gotten is that Ash is in the mix, and it's going to come my way when it's done, along with Halloween 9 (as all the other Halloweens did). Nightmare on Elm Street 6 and on came my way, and all these things were made by committee. Whatever one thinks about Jason Lives, I take full responsibiltity for it. Whether you love it or hate it, you can blame me. I wrote and directed it and set the tone for what I wanted to do, and the only marching orders I had were "don't make fun of Jason, and bring him back from the dead. Figure it out."

And that you did, Tom. Jason Lives, all these years later.