Actor Jared Padalecki (with director Marcus Nispel in the background) at the premiere of Friday the 13th.

Last night at the "black carpet" (the usual blood red would have been perfectly appropriate) premiere of the Friday the 13th remake, the cast, director, and even uber-producer Michael Bay were there to glad-hand the press and fans.

Horror hounds' favorite machete-wielding maniac, Jason Voorhees first appeared on the big screen back in 1981. He made such an impression that the Friday the 13th franchise spawned some 11 movies and now, for the first time, a big-budget remake. Or a reboot, as the producers (Platinum Dunes) and the studio (Paramount) like to call it. Whatever it is, it's pretty slick. With blood.

We can attest that director Marcus Nispel's and director of photography Daniel Pearl's signatures style are present: bare light bulbs swinging from the ceilings of otherwise darkened rooms, dust motes in the night air, hot chicks and handsome dudes gasping and running yet still ready for their close-ups. Both previously worked together on Platinum Dunes' successful remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a few years back. Why does everything have to be so pretty? As actress Willa Ford said last night, "Today's audiences expect more."

As for the main attraction, Jason himself, stuntman-turned-actor Derek Mears brings us just the right silhouette. Although he isn't as hunky as Kane Hodder (who has played the killer the most times, four movies), 6'5" Mears has a more sinewy and athletic physique, making the character quite believable as "a survivalist." He was beaming at the premiere and obviously glad to be so welcomed by the hardcore Friday fans.

Star Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) was also there for the festivities, revealing that last night would mark the first time he's seen the film in its entirety. "I was shown the first 20 minutes," he said prior to the screening, "and I was so blown away, I didn't want to see anymore. I didn't want to spoil it. I want to see it with an audience."