Friday The 13th Review (1980)

by Yo Adrian on November 13th, 2019 | Movie Review | Cult Classic, Maniac, Slasher, Teen, Wilderness

Friday the 13th was directed by Sean S. Cunningham and stars Betsy Palmer (who also starred in part 2), Adrienne King (also in part 2), Harry Crosby and Kevin Bacon who went on to star in other horrors including Tremors , Flatliners , Stir of Echoes and The Darkness .

They were warned...They are doomed...And on Friday the 13th

I have two impressions of the original Friday the 13th. One prior to this rewatch and the other after.

Prior to this rewatch I was a kid. I remember the movie being really slow and boring and I kept waiting for something to happen. Sure, there was a killer walking around slashing teens, but it was all very slow and meh. Of course the last jump scare did freak me out. The image of Jason jumping out of the water haunted me for days.

After this rewatch I can honestly say... it was just as boring as I remember it all those years ago.

Seriously, what's with all the F13 hype?

Oh right, it's the "original". But it's not. It's a total rip of Halloween that released two years prior, which itself is a total rip of every Italian Giallo ever made in the 60's and 70's.

It's hard to appreciate an original when it's not even original.

What you get in Friday the 13th is an American Giallo, nothing more nothing less.

There's one particular Giallo from 1972 called What Have You Done to Solange that even has the same story line as F13 (parent of an abused child killing off everyone responsible with a machete). Only in that movie, it's totally plausible that her dad was the assailant, he was a strong and able-bodied guy. Jason's frail mom? Puh-lease.

At least Halloween gave Myers a unique angle.

The Verdict: