Review by Peter Syslo
Here we go! Jeff and I thought that we would tackle this franchise in honor of the upcoming Friday the 13th in June. I’ll begin by saying that FRIDAY THE 13th (1980) is a modern-day classic in the horror genre. Although it is not necessarily my favorite FRIDAY, it is probably one of the best-made films in the franchise and, like HALLOWEEN (1978), it really laid the groundwork for the whole slasher sub-genre. However, when I do think of FRIDAY THE 13th, I automatically think of Jason in the hockey mask – that’s really the heart of the films, I feel (he first dons the mask in part 3). Although I do enjoy the first two films, I tend to think of them as the back story to the Jason Voorhees character, almost like two prequels. But when it comes right down to it, none of the sequels would have been anythin g if the first film had not been as well-constructed as it was.
FRIDAY THE 13th is directed by Sean S. Cunningham and it is written by Victor Miller and Ron Kurz. The film stars Betsy Palmer (Mrs. Voorhees), Adrienne King ( Alice ), Peter Brouwer, Walt Gorney, Kevin Bacon, and Ari Lehman (Jason Voorhees). The film also features special makeup effects by Tom Savini and an iconic, unforgettable film score by Harry Manfredini.
For those who have never seen the film, I will give a brief rundown of it. The film opens with the classic scene of telling spooky stories around the campfire, presumably taking place in the 1960s. Quickly, the action focuses on two camp counselors who are “exploring” each other. In accordance with the slasher rule that those who have sex get killed, the two counselors are murdered by a mystery killer and the movie takes-off from there. Years later, Camp Crystal Lake is being re-opened for business and a small group of counselors travel to the camp to get ready for the grand re-opening. There are small, strange events occurring throughout the camp, that make some of the counselors uneasy and we also learn that a killer is at large, again, after a hitchhiker meets her untimely demise on her way to the camp. One by one, the counselors start turning up dead and all the while, we never see the killer (all killing takes place from the point-of-view of the killer). As the story comes to a climax, there is one counselor left, Alice, and she meets up with Mr. Voorhees (Jason’s mother). The biggest surprises are reserved for the final scenes of the film and it all ends with a traditional “whodunit” twist.
FRIDAY THE 13th is really a great film and it kick-started one of the longest-running and one of the most enjoyable franchises in horror history. The film introduced the wooded setting into the slasher film and it worked well because of that primal fear that something is out in the woods, waiting to get you. It also is a play on that childhood feeling of fear when one is telling “ghost” stories or telling spooky story around the campfire. While, it is not as perfect a film as HALLOWEEN (1978), it is pretty high up there on the scale. Along with the “camp” setting, it added a little bit of “levity” to the slasher experience with the oddball cast of characters, the gratuitous use of blood, and the gratuitous use of nudity. When you think about it, each FRIDAY is like watching a killer stalk a beer-party, in the woods. I thi nk that fact makes these films connect with people and anyone that I talk to usually will kick back and enjoy one of the FRIDAY films, every now and then.
FRIDAY THE 13th has all of the slasher elements in place – the creepy setting, the goofy adolescents, the legendary story of the killer, the “whodunit” mystery aspect, bloody kills, nudity, and the “startle” ending. The acting all-around was pretty good; Betsy Palmer was definitely the highlight and I tell you, she kicked ass as one of the best female villains ever to grace the silver screen. You truly believe that she is psychotic and when you hear her say “Kill her mommy”, it is chilling. The “whodunit” aspect worked really well and it helped hold the tension up until the end. Also, the blood and gore, courtesy of Mr. Savini, really adds a lot of “spice” to the picture and in a way, those aspects make this a “transitional” film – a transition from 1970s horror (where they didn’t show as much gore) to 1980s horror (which became a total gore-fest). Last but not least, Harry Manfredini created one of the best horror-film scores in history – it is haunting, it captures the essence of the killer extremely well, it heightens tension, and it completely takes the movie to a new level.
Cutting to the chase: FRIDAY THE 13th is a classic and is a must-see for any horror fan. My only real complaint about the film is that it gets a little tedious in the middle. My attention always seems to waver halfway through because the stalk and kill scenes do get a little repetitive and the story doesn’t really move forward until the end. But, they seemed to solve that in later sequels because the kill scenes became more and more inventive, especially in parts 3-6, where the franchise really “hit its stride”. There’s nothing else to say! Just watch the film and enjoy it – see where it all began! I give FRIDAY THE 13th a 9 out of 10.