We watched the original Friday the 13th on Shudder, and while it definitely represents the film version of pulp, it’s the original upon which so many slashers have been based. It delivers in a charming way and the twist is still impressive after all these years. It’s 40th birthday will be this Saturday, May 9th, 2020.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCO4v-pFBns
Synopsis
Friday the 13th is the story of a group of teen counselors who are setting up a summer camp at Camp Crystal Lake.
It details the short story of the final days of these teen counselors. We also get a glimpse into small town americana, which is unbearably quaint. There isn’t a lot of story to this one, and that’s the point.
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Review
Friday the 13th was the first independent film of it’s time to secure distribution in the U.S. by a major studio (Paramount).
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham (who went on to write and produce many sequels) and written by Victor Miller, Friday the 13th was the second of the big franchise slashers to hit the scene, following the success of 1978’s Halloween.
This movie birthed so many tropes and trends that it’s almost comical. It is also a great place to see Kevin Bacon in one of his earliest and sexiest roles.
While it’s no crowning achievement in filmmaking, Friday the 13th does set the stage for 80’s horror very nicely with a parade of sexy but disposable characters, great practical effects by Tom Savini, and tense music by Harry Manfredini.
Friday the 13th is a classic that is only dwarfed, in my opinion, by the sequel, Friday the 13th Part 2. If you haven’t seen this movie, don’t expect to be blown away, instead expect to gain a better understanding of the foundation of the slasher genre.
Score
7/10
Friday the 13th Spoilers
I'm going to level with you, even though there is a hefty twist at the end of this movie that is made better with time, you've had 40 years. Get with it.
First-person killing
A huge portion of Friday the 13th is spent stalking the campers with the camera in first-person perspective. This places the audience square in the feet of the killer and while that's not a big deal today, it was in 1980. Sure, Halloween and
