When you think of the classic masters of horror, most of the names that come to mind areJohn Carpenter,Wes Craven, andGeorge A. Romero, but an important one that doesn’t get near the amount of credit that he deserves isSteve Miner. Certain people look for scares and tension in this genre, while others seek outshock and gore, but with filmmakers like Miner, comfort and an eerie atmosphere is the key. With a pretty stacked resume of franchise and solo outings to his name, Miner’s name is absolutely one of the most underrated in the game. But why is it that his name hardly comes up among other horror masters? It could be that he doesn’t have nearly the amount of original titles under his belt, or that he doesn’t have as easily identifiable of a style as a figure like Carpenter orSam Raimi, but if we’re talking strong and consistent quality over a decent period of time, then Miner is our guy.
One thing people have to keep in mind withhorror filmmakersis that this genre bends a lot easier in terms of enjoying its movies. A certain horror movie might not have the greatest actors, script, or special effects on the planet, but in the end, that doesn’t actually matter nearly as much. These movies need one of a few things, and if they at least excel in one of these areas, all else can be forgiven. Horror is a premise-heavy genre, not as much of a story-heavy one. As long as the movie is built around a great idea, it can go far. Atmosphere is a huge deal as well — if a film can make the audience feel a certain way, that’s a powerful factor. Then there’s the oddity of the “cozy” horror movie. These lean heavier into creating a vibe via production and costume design, as opposed to exclusively through cinematography or score, and are typically more fun horror movies in general. Think of those killer puffer jackets fromAn American Werewolf in London, the architecture ofthe Overlook Hotel, or the nostalgic backdrop of Camp Crystal Lake. Y’know, that kind of cozy… before all the killings start. While Steve Miner might not be the most technically proficient filmmaker in the world, he definitely knows how to adapt an intriguing premise with some great atmosphere and coziness.
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Steve Miner Was Key to the Success of ‘Friday the 13th’
Miner’s career stretch throughout the 80s isn’t the most widely talked about, but it’s undeniable that most would have a hard time matching the genre favorites that he had a hand in. First off, and most importantly, his career famously kicked off withFriday the 13th Part 2andPart III. That’s right, the 3D one. WhileSean S. Cunninghamdirected the first movie in the series,Part 2is obviously the one where Jasonreallycomes into the picture, and it was Miner who would bring all the character’s trademarks to the table. We’re not only talking characteristics and iconic imagery, we’re talking about the way Jason was filmed in particular. Miner captured Jason in plenty of wide shots, coming from a long distance away to stalk and murder his victims.
Thebest Miner ever did this was obviously inPart III, when Jason (Richard Brooker) is first seen in his iconic hockey mask. This is kicked off as a misdirect for the audience and the character of Vera (Catherine Parks), who thinks that her friend Shelly (Larry Zerner) is walking towards her while she’s getting in the lake. After all, he’s been wearing that hockey mask around this weekend, right? The one wearing the hockey mask comes easing out nice and slow like everything’s okay, and the camera just fixates on him. Nothing seems like fun and games anymore like it usually does with Shelly, and then Vera takes an arrow straight in the eye. Bummer! That’s how you know for sure, Jason is in that hockey mask. It’s one of the more genuinely uneasy moments in an otherwise really fun slasher franchise.
As eerie as that moment is, Miner never made a movie as creepy as his first.Friday the 13th Part 2makes a good argument for being the best in the entire franchise, if anything for the way that it ominously builds up the legacy and on-screen-arrival of Jason (this time played bySteve Daskewisz). This is absolutely the scariest Jason ever was and ever will be. Miner brings a fever dream-like feeling to the flashbacks, making so much of the icon’s myth feel unreliable. Here, Jason feels more like a campfire tale monster than ever — one that you never expect to actually run across, and then you do while you’re out partying with your buddies at Camp Crystal Lake. This all culminates in Jason feeling more like a true blue ghoul than ever. Jason chases the film’sfinal girl, Ginny (Amy Steel), who ends up in Jason’s grimy, patched-together hut wherehis mother’s severed headhas been kept and rotting away. It’s one of the franchise’s few terrifying moments, all thanks to Miner’s determination to shock and ability to build tension while Ginny runs from Jason.Part 2rules, and we owe Steve Miner for that.
Steve Miner’s Later 80s Works
After playing around in the Camp Crystal Lake sandbox for two films, Steve Miner would go on to direct 1985’sHouse, a supernatural comedy horror film. While Miner is largely known for his Jason movies,Housejust might be his most beloved original effort. It’s basic stuff, following a man who lives in his dead aunt’s house which, surprise, is super haunted! The movie would already be as fun and chilling as it is with Miner’s skills in making tense horror movies, but with his handle on comedy being able to shine,Housestands as a true step forward in his filmography. He would flex this muscle more in his fourth film, 1986’sSoul Man. Miner would cap off the 80s with 1989’sWarlock, another highly regarded horror film in his filmography about the son of the Devil (Julian Sands) traveling from the 17th Century to the modern day to bring the end of the world.
Where Did a Post-80s World Take Steve Miner?
As he moved on from the 80s, his career would become a little less exciting. Miner tried making studio dramas with movies likeWild Hearts Can’t Be Broken,Forever Young, andMy Father the Hero. While this was probably out of growing bored by horror, he didn’t quite transition into the conventional studio systemas well as someone like Sam Raimi. Thankfully for us, Miner returned to horror in 1998 when he directed aHalloweenmovie. That’s right, Miner is the director behindHalloween H20: 20 Years Later. Although confusingly titled,H20is often seen asone of the better movies in that franchise. Loads of the praise is given to the post-ScreamKevin Williamsontreatment that it was given, but Miner is to be thanked equally for his efforts. Miner would go on to direct loads of TV, including an episode ofSmallville, as well as the 2008Day of the Deadremake, and a few other movies here and there.
There are a few easy names to think of when conjuring up a list of thegreatest horror filmmakers of all time, and while it would be a stretch to describe Steve Miner as that, it wouldn’t be one to refer to him as a massively underrated one. Without Miner’s innovations on theFriday the 13thfranchise inParts 2and3, slasher movies would never be the same. That’s without even mentioning his cult classicsHouseandWarlock.The guy made Jason into the icon that he is today, had a great grasp on cozy horror, and knew how to ratchet up spooky tension better than most in his day. So maybe from here on out, when you’re thinking of the most important horror directors to have played the game, maybe throw our friend Steve Miner a bone every once in a while.
