Friday the 13th (1980)
To say Friday the 13th had an impact on horror movies would be an understatement. I don’t know about you but it was the first slasher movie I ever watched. I was spooked to the point that before I would go to camp each summer I would watch Friday the 13th the night before I would leave. And yes, in the beginning of camp I would freak out about going to the campfire circles. LOL
PLOT
A group of camp counselors trying to reopen a summer camp called Crystal Lake, which has a grim past, are stalked by a mysterious killer.
Photo Credit: Sean S. Cunningham Films
Released: May 9, 1980
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Writer: Victor Miller, Ron Kurz
Runtime: 95 mins
Actors: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor
MY THOUGHTS
As I mentioned before, this was my introduction to slasher movies. I was quickly hooked. So this movie will always have a soft spot in my heart for this reason.
Although this is a slasher movie, there are only 10 kills in this movie. For some reason I thought it would be a lot more. Most are off screen, or we see the build up to and the results afterwards. Though, one of the more famous kills is when Jack (Kevin Bacon) gets the arrow through the neck. Another kill is the one where Alice decapitates Mrs. Vorhees (Betsy Palmer). One of the main highlights of this movie is the special effects by Tom Savini. Overall, not bad for the time this movie was made.
Another highlight of the movie is the music. I like how they used music in the movie when the killer was present. I think that was a great idea from Harry Manfredini. Manfredini also came up with the sound "ki ki ki, ma ma ma", based on the line "Kill her mommy!".
As far as the acting and characters, I think the actors did a good job. I like all the characters, and when they get killed off I feel bad for them. Not award winning acting but I think they did a good job. If I sympathize with the characters when they die, they did their job.
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I wanted to take a quick break to let you know I found these great deals on Amazon for Friday the 13th merchandise. I’ve applied to Amazon’s affiliate program and if I can get three purchases I will be accepted into the program. This will be of tremendous help with starting my small business.
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Overall, I enjoyed this movie and I will watch this movie at least once a year (especially on a Friday the 13th). Friday the 13th helped start the slasher trend that continues today.
And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:
The film made $39,754,601 on a budget of $550,000.
The MPAA told the producers of Friday of 13th to scale back on the gore for the sequel, since they regretted the amount of gore that had gotten through in the original (and the subsequent critical backlash).
After the film's success, Adrienne King was stalked by an obsessed fan. Terrified, she asked that her role in Part 2 be as small as possible. She did not take any other roles or make convention appearances for almost 20 years after its release.
Bing Crosby’s son played in this movie as Bill (Harry Crosby).
Have you seen the other Friday the 13th movies? Check out my other reviews here: Friday the 13th Franchise.
Let’s get into the rankings:
Kills/Blood/Gore: 3.5/5
Sex/Nudity: 1/5
Scare factor: 3.5/5
Enjoyment factor: 5/5
My Rank: 3.25/5
IMDB: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: critics:6.3/10 audience: 6/10
Letterboxd: 3.1/5
