Horror Review: Friday the 13th (1980)
July 3, 2010 Horror Reviews, Movie Review, Reviews
Many of you may think that I’ve returned early to my blog. Usually I get one post in, once a week, and it’s all about my writing or about writing events. It can’t all be about that. My life isn’t all about that. My fiancee and I have been working really hard on something. We’re determined to watch as many horror/slasher/thriller/gore flicks as we reasonably can throughout the remainder of our lives. That’s a steep challenge. Just getting your hands on some of these movies, whether they be legal or illegal copies, can be a nightmare in and of itself. But we’ll persevere.
Anyhow, a little while back I started writing reviews of some of the movies as we finished watching them on my facebook page. There are now 177 movies in that facebook collection. A few have atleast a two sentence review. Most have longer. So, starting today, I’ve decided to post a review every Sunday. Most of these posts will be prepared ahead of time. That means the movies won’t necessarily be the most up to date. But for someone looking to get some horror movie reviews, with few if any spoilers, this will become a pretty good collection. Feel free to comment with your own opinions. I wasn’t alive for a good chunk of these movies, so its possible that I’m missing some great political or artistic movement that was occurring at the time of their release that would dramatically change the meaning of the movie. Also, for those of you who have been following my Facebook movie reviews, these ones will be a little bit more indepth.
First on the chopping block is one of the big ones. I fully expect someone to tear me a new one for this review…
Friday the 13th (1980)
For the movie that started a franchise, I had honestly expected a lot more. Murder and gore? Yeah, we got that. Interesting twist? Sure, it was kind of interesting. Nudity, Sex, and Alcohol? Yup, all three. Satisfying plot with conclusion? Uh… I guess they must have forgotten that part.
By now I’m sure most have seen this movie. In fact, I know horror buffs tend to revere this movie. Afraid I don’t get why. It’s nothing compared to other flicks around, or even before, its time. I suppose for a jump out and scare-you killfest, it does have an extra leg there, but there’s no sensible story to it. The revelation feels tacked on and phony.
The film tries to build suspense by keeping you guessing as to whom the killer may actually be. The killer isn’t revealed until we’re down to just one survivor. It makes it obvious that the killer is watching the camp counsellors by using a “shaky cam” technique meant to portray the killer’s point of view. Unfortunately, they screw up. Quite often we’re treated to a shaky cam, and it becomes obvious that the killer cannot be the camera lens, as the person would see them, especially as the shaky cam zooms in at certain points. This momentary “reset” of the mind when we realize that the current shaky cam is not the killer’s POV throws everything out the window. It breaks the concentration on the movie and forces the watcher to ask if any of the shaky cam scenes were actually from the killer’s POV. This kind of a break really throws someone out.
The special effects themselves are pretty much on par for the time of the movie. Of course they fail by today’s standards, but one must always compare with its contemporaries.
One unrelated thing I kinda liked about the movie is the two second bit near the beginning when we see Frank’s Delicatessen… I eat at a place by the same name in Sudbury sometimes. Good food. I highly recommend trying their two-foot hot dogs.
So, I only recommend this movie if you consider yourself a horror buff, or are planning on working your way through the series. It’s pivotal and necessary to understand the genre. Otherwise, don’t bother.
One and a Half Skulls (out of five)
