Review #2: Friday the 13th Part I (1980)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Sean Cunningham (Director):

Betsy Palmer (Pamela Voorhees): Friday the 13th Part 2, Knots Landing T.V. Series

Adrienne King (Alice): Friday the 13th Part 2

Kevin Bacon (Jack): Animal House (1978), White Water Summer (1987), Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987), Tremors (1990), Flatliners (1990), J.F.K. (1991), A Few Good Men (1992), and many, many more

Trailer:


So how does the legendary series begin? Back in 1958, Mommy Voohrees takes revenge on Crystal Lake Camp counselors for the death of her son. I guess that the police never learn who do it, and camp is closed for years. It becomes the center point of a good campfire story, known as Camp Blood.

Years later (1979), the camp reopens...at least attempts to reopen. A man named Steve Christy, has bought the place and is attempting to reopen the camp and has employed a few young adults to help fix up the place.

The day is now Friday the 13th, and the six counselors are left behind as Steve travels to town on the eve of a storm to pick up more supplies for the camp. Little do they know that a mysterious person is not happy with the reopening of the camp and starts to pick off the counselors one by one with hopes of keeping the camp cursed.

That someone turns out to be Mommy Voorhees, and she continues her vengeance on the unsuspecting young adults. Still are little rattled and psychotic years after her son's death, Pamela takes it upon herself to make sure the camp never reopens. As you may suspect, murder and mayhem ensues.

It's the mother ship of the series. If Halloween is the bible of slasher movies, then this is The Holy Grail. Well maybe not quite that, but it’s my review. I can say whatever I want. This film strengthens the genre and kind of becomes a blue print for many similar and rip offs to come. Without this film, the horror industry probably wouldn't be the same.

Villain:

For the majority of the film, the killer remained faceless, hidden in the shadows. Who knew that the killer would be a pissed off middle-aged chick? Brilliant. Pamela Voorhees, mother of Jason, pictured right. This just goes to show that all bad guys don’t necessarily have to be some freak of nature, super strong or an evil mastermind to have fun.

Common uneducated folk mistake Jason to be the killer for all the Friday movies, but not this one. Friday the 13th is actually Jason's birthday, as described by his mom in the film. But don't be totally depressed...Jason has a very, very small part in this one. Which is why remaking this movie is tough. Every one wants Jason, but his mom does the dirty work in this one. It's a dilemma that tears apart a true fan's heart.

Cast:

The cast of the film was nothing special. They were just a bunch of young adults working at a summer camp who smoke weed, drink and have sex. I call it the American Dream. Those three traits end up creating the mold of victims for slasher/horror movies to come. Alice goes on to be the heroine of the film. She just plays a bubbly, screaming coed who eventually stands her ground and fights back.

Hey, what d' ya know, we have a famous guy in here! Kevin Bacon co-stars in the film. Unfortunately it's not his first gig, Animal House is credited, but it's definitely one of his earlier pieces of art.

SFX/Gore:

Considering it was a late 70’s early 80’s film, the special effects were not that bad on the kills. There were a total of ten deaths in all unfortunately one of them being the bad guy...or girl...Ms. Voorhees.

For the most part, they were all kind of creative as in NOT repetitive and none of them were too overly gory. I think it was just right. I guess my favorite death is the one you really get a good glimpse at, the Bacon death. Sorry, it's a minor spoiler, but come on' who didn't see him dying? * Highlight to Read * His death pretty much comes after he just had sex with his girlfriend. They take shelter from the violent storm in one of the cabins to get it on.

Afterwards, she goes to wash up and leaves him smiling and relaxing in the bottom bed bunk. He's relaxing and lites up an additional relaxer, when he feels a drop of blood from above. The bloods from a previously disposed character hidden on the top bunk. As he goes to react, an arm comes from underneath the bed and grabs his forehead. Next an arrow comes up through his throat from underneath the bed. * End. It was probably the most detailed death in the movie. And it kills Kevin!

TNA:

A little disappointed about TNA, but at least it had some. This was still early in the horror genre, so TNA wasn't the focal point of a plot element yet. We get one set of twins, and two sex acts. Through in four hot chicks (Shark factor) and we get a decent amount to enjoy. Like I said, back then they were trying to sell the movie at first as a horror movie and didn't think too much about TNA. Of course in today's standards, they MUST incorporate that element. Otherwise, they leave the fans disappointed and the film PG-13.

T.Gun's Take:

The story and setting of the movie was some of the bests parts of the movie. At the time Friday came out, it was considered an original. Hollywood churned out billions of similar films like it afterwards. You got to remember that it was one of the first in…teenagers goes camping and gets killed…plot lines, so as far as originality goes, it’s up there in the ranks.

Friday's movie pace was overall pretty good. There were very few dull spots along the way, but every movie seems to have it's low periods. The climatic battle between Alica and Pamela at the end was great. We all love to see a chick fight!

The musical score complementing the chase sequence went perfect, it was eerie and fast paced. Harry Manfredini came up with the score for the film, and since then it has become legendary.

The "twist" at the end was very nice...probably because it sets up a whole new monster itself. No one at the time could have foresee what it would do to pop culture in years to come.

The film quality was good for being a low budget film. I've seen a few where the quality was so grainy and dark that I couldn't tell what was going on. I liked the atmosphere, dark and rainy. Little did I know, that those two elements would be a staple in the franchise and show up in all of them. It also was a pretty suspenseful flick, keeping the blood running through the veins. Over the ages of time, it still holds up to be quite thrilling and suspenseful.

The original Friday the 13th movie is one of my all time horror favorites. Some day I'll put out a Top 10 list, and this one will be some where pretty high on the list. And I'm not just the only one who likes it. Friday is highly recognized as a classic horror movie by many prestine individuals.

Director Sean Cunningham has gone on to help prolong the life of this franchise by producing Jason X, Jason Goes to Hell, & FvsJ and the re imagining/remake Friday the 13th. It all started with him just taking a simple advertisement out of Variety magazine with the Friday the 13th logo. The script wasn't even completed at the time. It just proves that advertising can create buzz.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on May 9, 1980 and made $39.7 million at the Box Office ($5.8 million opening weekend)
-Sally Field auditioned for the role of Alice
-Filmed at Camp Nobebosco in New Jersey
-Henry Manfredini wrote the famous score and explained the famous chi, chi, chi, ha, ha, ha is actually ki, ki, ki, ma, ma, ma after Kill, Kill, Kill, Mom, Mom, Mom