Never Hike Alone isn’t just a fan film, it’s a whole fan cinematic universe, complete with prequel, sequel, and an in-the-works animated series.  One of the most important qualities in a horror movie, believe it or not, is sincerity. What I mean by that is the ability to treat its subject matter with dignity no matter how outlandish the premise, or how much it’s been stretched by sequels designed to generate profit and little else. 

When Fan Films Went Too Far

This is why fan films for long-running franchises can be so appealing.  Since they are using someone else’s IP, they can’t be after the money—that way lies cease and desists and lawsuits. Axanar, based on Star Trek,tested the limits of how fan films could commercialize and ended up restricted heavily by the resulting lawsuit.  In the aftermath, Paramount released strict fan film guidelines. They essentially limit fan productions to 15 minutes, and of course they must maintain their not-for-profit status. 

Disney also has their own guidelines, mostly focusing on monetization. Overall, studios will intervene if fan productions do not have clear disclaimers that their works are unofficial, if they make money, and if they use any content created for the original works. By this I mean footage or music.  They can recreate but not reuse. 

Never Hike Alone

After meeting Thom Mathews at Mad Monster Party in Charlotte NC I went back to check out the Never Hike Alone series again. I hadn’t realized that he was in it revising his role at Tommy Jarvis. That alone was enough to get me to check it out. Plus he was a genuinely kind person. He took plenty of time to talk to each person who came by his table. His enthusiasm about the fan films was enough to get me to check them out. 

• Directed by: Vincente DiSanti
• Written by: Victor Miller. Sean S. Cunningham. Vincente DiSanti
• Starring: Thom Mathews. Vincent Guastaferro. Drew Leighty

Never Hike Alone and the sequel follow all these rules, at least as far as I can tell, about the monetization. Director and Producer Vincente DiSanti crowd-funds for the productions and based on the finished product, spends every penny. 

Professional Quality, Fan Love

That’s a long-winded way of saying, Never Hike Alone has some of the best production values I’ve seen in an indie movie, much less a fan film. The camera work is gorgeous and clearly done by someone who loves Jason. He is big, imposing, and impossible to kill—exactly as he should be. He’s also definitely not afraid of water. 

The first movie is more bound by the constraints of budget. It features hiking vlogger Drew Leighty as he encounters Jason while exploring the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. With the limited cast, Drew ends up fighting Jason a few times and escaping. It would be repetitive if it wasn’t filmed so well.  There are also so many other elements that are well done that it wasn’t really an issue for me. 

Drew is smart, and shown to be physically capable of evading Jason. He also learns early on that if you don’t have eyes on Jason, he’s probably about to attack you. I believed that he could survive, at least for a while.  In the end though, he’s rescued by returning hero Tommy Jarvis.

The Sequel

Their story continues in Never Hike Alone 2, which is far superior to the first.  It ups the death toll with some slasher bait, keeps the beautiful camera work, and fully establishes a deep love for Jason Lives. 

Deputy “Ya Bang”  Cologne is now Sheriff Cologne. Since he never got to see Jason in his core movie, he finally gets his moment. It’s a good one.  Even H³  got some enjoyment out of Never Hike Alone 2. And let’s be honest, he does not love slasher movies. 

The two films together tell a more complete story, although either can be enjoyed on their own.  I do recommend them both for die-hard fans of the franchise, and for fans of indie horror works overall. It’s impressive to see what passion and drive can inspire people to do. 

It’s also amazing to see how the love of something as simple as a machete-wielding killer can bring so many people together. 

The story here is simple: outmaneuver Jason long enough to find a way to kill him again.  The way DiSanti chose to tell that story is fun and compelling.  And if you, like me, are suffering from a lack of new Friday the 13^th content, these fan films may help fill some of the big Jason-shaped void in your life. They did for me. 

Final Thoughts

I’ve said some pretty negative things about fandom lately. It’s refreshing to take a moment to focus on the positive and creative side. The Never Hike Alone series shows some of best that fandom has to offer. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun. 

Never Hike Alone is available on You Tube.