Dir: Sean S. Cunningham
Cast: Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Betsy Palmer,
Jeannine Taylor, Kevin Bacon, Robbi Morgan,
Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Peter Brouwer,
Ron Millkie, Walt Gorney
Rated R, Approx: 96 Minutes
Paramount DVD
terror."
synonymous with the horror
genre throughout the 1980s.
as a simple idea to make a gory roller coaster ride that could sponge off of the financial success of John Carpenter's
blockbuster, Halloween. After enjoying a wildly profitable theatrical run and 25 years of sequels, Friday the 13th
remains a fixture in the history of horror cinema. The film has been lambasted by critics, accused of blatantly ripping
off Mario Bava's Twitch of the Death Nerve, and both adored and reviled by film fans everywhere. The only thing
not likely to be argued is that for a cheap little film made for around half a million dollars, Friday the 13th has made
quite an impact.
several times over, in both sequels and a fair share of rip offs. Camp Crystal Lake has developed a pretty morbid
history for itself, beginning with a young boy drowning and two smooching teenagers getting hacked up in the 50s.
For approximately the next 20 years or so, there are several attempts to reopen the camp, but they're met with all
sorts of misfortune to the tune of tainted water supplies and fires. Around the local town, the place has developed a
legend of being cursed.
film, which can be summarized quite quickly. The son of the original camp owners is ready to open the place back
up, and he's hired a group of good looking counselors to help him out. Unfortunately for all involved, there's an
unseen stalker lurking about, bumping the kids off in gory and creative ways.
remains a true spectacle of
showmanship all these years later...
star of Friday the 13th. While it may just be another page in the impressive portfolio of Savini, the FX here really do
shine. More than any other film I can think of, the FX in Friday the 13th really feel like a magic show. Although
Savini is never one to keep the mechanics of his tricks secret (see his Grande Illusions Volume 1 and 2 books for
detailed explanations), they remain an impressive spectacle all these years later. Sean Cunningham's direction and
Harry Manfredini's score serve will to puncuate the illusions well, creating a true feel of visual showmanship. All the
FX are shown for the perfect length of time; long enough to make the viewer wonder how it's done, but short enough
the keep from looking silly. This is really a testament to low budget cinematic tomfoolery; what can be done live on
the set without the interference of cgi.
this film for his arrow through the neck death. That's not to say that the cast performed poorly, but this movie didn't
pull in nearly $40 million from people wanting to see award winning acting. They all played their parts well, and died
well. The hardest performance to forget would be that of Betsy Palmer as the demented Mrs. Voorhees. For my
money, she will always be the seminal female horror villain. She feels so familiar that it truly is scary when she flips
her lid and starts talking to herself.
emphasis on the suspense and far
more dedicated to the ride...
remarkable that could justify 8 movies released in the 80s alone. First and foremost, it turned an enormous profit. It
never tried to match wits with Halloween, instead it toyed around with Carpenter's model and kicked up the
exploitative elements making it fun and accessible for those with shorter attention spans. No one involved made any
mistake about it, this was a fun movie designed for kids to love and parents and critics to hate.
equivalent of sugar and pop music. There is no depth to it really, and the only redeeming value of it is that it's a
good time. So while the critics don't get it, gorehounds could really care less. The problems arise when critics worry
as to why people would ever enjoy watching other people get murdered in such gruesome ways. Is it possibly a
fantasy for outcasts to murder pretty and nubile youngsters? I would say no, I highly doubt that the $40 million gross
was made up entirely of future sociopaths waiting to be pushed over the edge. Not only that, but people enjoy
watching these deaths because they're fun and not realistic by a longshot. Friday the 13th is a fun movie, far
removed from the excesses of movies like the Guinea Pig films. The murder scenes in Friday the 13th are far
more tasteful than those echoing the Manson famliy murders featured in the Roger Ebert scripted Beyond the
Valley of the Dolls (Sharon Tate had starred in Valley of the Dolls 1967, was murdered in 1969, Beyond was
released in 1970).
people be enthralled by gruesome murder? What if the wrong person sees this movie and it puts him over the edge?
To quote Joe Bob Briggs, "I can handle it, but it's the other guy that can't!" I think it boils down to the question as to
whether or not freedom of expression is worth the risk of threat that movies like this pose. In the end, the furor over
this movie is an interesting sign of the times. Let's not forget that we're only a few years off from Tipper Gore
stepping up to take on offensive lyrics in the Supreme Court.
and look exclusively the more highbrow artists like John Carpenter, George Romero, Mario Bava, or Dario Argento.
Some even cite the obvious influence of Mario Bava's Twitch of the Death Nerve as proof that Friday the 13th is
not that original. Like I said, Friday the 13th is sugar, and it never aims for the biting satire of Bava's masterpiece,
even if it does crib some of the 'creative kills' ideas. I make no bones about it, Bava is a genius and a true master of
cinema, but sometimes sugar is good.
80s rip offs were quite enjoyable, but for the casual viewer it might be best to stick with the original. For my money,
the first six Friday the 13th films have a lot of nostalgic value and are all well done slasher films. The rest are a
mixed bag, but I'll always be there to see what Jason is up to next...Right now there are rumors floating around the
Quentin Tarantino may be involved with him. If nothing else, that would make for an interesting combination. I guess
we'll have to wait and see...ki ki ki ma ma ma
(grass...hash...the weed, ya dig?)
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