Exclusive: Kane Hodder tells us his top ten horror films, 'Unmasked' book and more!

By April MacIntyre Oct 12, 2011, 19:09 GMT

Described as a modern day Boris Karloff, legendary stuntman and genre actor Kane Hodder just released his autobiography (on October 1), titled \'Unmasked\'.

Happy Halloween month!  Trick or treat, who doesn’t love a delicious, manly horror icon?

Described as a modern day Boris Karloff, legendary stuntman and genre actor Kane Hodder just released his autobiography (on October 1), titled 'Unmasked'.

Mr. Hodder ranks up in the fanboy horrorsphere with the likes of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Vincent Price.

Kane Hodder has appeared as a stuntman and actor in more than 200 television shows and movies in a career spanning over 30 years. His role as Jason Voorhees in four consecutive films in the 'Friday the 13th' series came to define the character feared by millions of fans the world over. The man behind the hockey mask would seal his fate as horror royalty years later by starring as the monster Victor Crowley in the 'Hatchet' series.

His revealing memoir documents the unlikely true story of a boy who was taunted and beaten relentlessly by bullies throughout his childhood. Kane only escaped his tormentors when he moved to a tiny island in the South Pacific, where he lived for all of his teen years.

After living shirtless in the jungle for a while, he headed back to America, where he fell in love with doing stunts ... only to have his love burn him terribly.

For the first time ever, Kane tells the true story of the horrific burn injury that nearly killed him at the start of his career. The entire heart-wrenching, inspirational story of his recovery, the emotional and physical damage it caused, his fight to break back into the industry that almost killed him, and his triumphant rise to become a film legend are told in Kane’s own powerful voice.

Monsters and Critics spoke to Kane about his new biography, Unmasked: The True Story of the World's Most Prolific Cinematic Killer, which tells his amazing life story.

'Unmasked' documents Hodder's amazing 30-year career, including his rise to fame as Jason Voorhees, his burn injury and his remarkable comeback and part in the creation of new horror icon Victor Crowley in the 'Hatchet' film series.

The memoir can be purchased online at www.kanehodderkills.com in a variety of packages, one of which includes autographed copies, a tour t-shirt, and poster.

Here is the Amazon link to buy his book: HERE

The site also provides a link for the charity Scares That Care. A portion of the proceeds from the special edition of 'Unmasked' will be donated to this worthy cause.

Monsters and Critics spoke briefly to Kane regarding his new book.

Monsters and Critics: How did the role of Jason Voorhees come to you? What did you make of it when you read the script?

Kane Hodder: I had done my first full body, extensive prosthetic makeup job for a movie called "Prison," and the make up EFX supervisor was John Buechler.

The following year, John was hired to direct Friday the 13th, pt. 7. He immediately started suggesting to Paramount that I play Jason this time. Since nobody in the previous six movies had repeated in the role, they considered it, and after a screen test, I was given the job.

I was thrilled, and I felt honored. I had enjoyed watching that character for years, and now I was about to play him myself. I was even more excited when I read the script, because I realized that there were so many stunts for me to perform as the character. The perfect situation for me.

M&C: To put out a memoir is a very personal and soul searching journey. What feelings or ideas do you want readers to come away from your book with?

Kane Hodder:  I decided that if I was going to tell my story, that I would talk about everything. Good and bad. Not just make it a career resume. Most people go through rough patches in their lives, and I know first-hand that hearing from someone who has "been there" can be a huge help in getting past a bad situation. It literally saved my life. I just wanted to tell my story in an entertaining way, but still have heart. I am very happy with the result.

M&C: Give me your top 10 horror film picks, and a quick sentence on why that film mattered to you?

Kane Hodder: Here goes:
10. Red Hill - Tom E. Lewis was excellent as the killer

9. Aliens - not really horror but scary as hell 

8. Halloween - gotta love John Carpenter

7. Rob Zombies Halloween - contains my favorite non Kane Hodder kill. (Tyler Mane stomping the guys face) Beautiful.

6. Se7en - great movie with an excellent cast

5. The Devils Rejects - great movie from the sick mind of Rob Zombie

4. The Birds - the first movie that ever scared the hell out of me

3. Hatchet - has my all time favorite kill

2. Friday the 13th pt. 7 -  it put me on the map!\

1. The Exorcist - the best scary movie ever made