Friday the 13th (1980)
Writers: Victor Miller, Sean S. Cunningham, and Ron Kurz.
Cast: Betsy Palmer (Mrs. Voorhees), Adrienne King (Alice), Jeannine Taylor (Marcie), Robbie Morgan (Annie), Kevin Bacon (Jack), Harry Crosby (Bill), Laurie Bartram (Brenda), Mark Nelson (Ned), Peter Brouwer (Steve Christy), Rex Everhart (Truck Driver), Ron Carroll (Sgt. Tierney), Ron Millkie (Officer Dorf), Walt Gorney (Crazy Ralph), Willie Adams (Barry), Debra S. Hayes (Claudette), Dorothy Kobs (Trudy), Tom Savini (Man The Knife Killer), and Ari Lehman as Jason.
Warning: this film contains some themes not suitable for younger viewers, read at your own risk, parental guidance is suggested.
Prologue: the year is 1958 two summer camp counselors in Camp Crystal Lake, Barry (Willie Adams), and Claudette (Debra S. Hayes), the group they're in sing-along with the warm camp fire. Both counselors give each other a glance, that look follows the other, somewhere, not to far away but unseen by the others, they have the alone time wanted so desperately, so sneaking out of the range of the group makes them happy. Barry and Claudette start to undress, but something has caught their eye, a noise like no other. Before they could continue their act, from the shadows an adversary so strong that their death had released an avenging angel. The blood seeps into the ground, the unseen figure leaves without hesitation, the beginning of something, with every death comes desire, and most of all, every kill is like the first, the memory of the last one fades away, and the only thing that is left is your conscience. The two counselors were killed, but between here and there is something far different, it's in the air, the stench of death.
Present: Friday the 13th 1979, a young woman named Annie (Robbie Morgan) enters a a diner, asking for directions to camp Crystal lake. An old man hears the young lady and yells, "all doomed." A truck driver, Enos (Rex Everhart) gives Annie a lift to the camp. On the way he had warned her about the boy who had drowned in Crystal Lake in 1957, one year before the gruesome double murders occurred. Afterwards Annie gets picked up by an unseen driver in a jeep. The driver speeds past the entrance of the camp, Annie becomes concerned and leaps from the moving vehicle, the driver does not stop and proceeds to the woods. She runs as fast as she can, but the driver follows and chases her deep into the woods and slits her throat with a very large bowie knife.
Camp: the counselors, Ned (Mark Nelson), Jack (Kevin Bacon), Bill (Harry Crosby), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), Alice (Adrienne King), and Brenda (Laurie Bartram) are working hard to refurbishing the cabins and everything that comes along with being a camp counselor at Camp Crystal Lake. Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer) the owner stands in front of his counselors hearing every complaint that will delay opening day. A weird guy warning people, a visit by the police, snakes in the cabins, and finally a violent storm to pile all the negatives to opening day. Supplies are needed so he leaves and hopes the complaints are just a memory when he gets back.
Not to far from the camp, an unidentified killer wearing black slacks,and a brown plad shirt, a class ring on the left ring finger. The killer watches, but waits till the storm nears and then the camp will have more than enough problems for them to handle. The waiting is far more important than the kill itself, the importance of waiting, knowing the surroundings, waiting for the right time to kill is far more important than approaching without understanding them, it will become clear that those trespassers will find a blade or something more. Understanding, watching from a far is the best thing to do. The time for a decision will come, only the killer will know when that time will be, but for now the killer waits, watches every movement from a distance, the killer will come with the storm, and then all who cross paths with Voorhees will be judged.
Rant: The film is dated, it's just one of those things your going to have to deal with in a film of this type. Friday the 13th is one of those films that takes you for a small ride, and it ends. The movie is about a killer, revenge film, not going to go into detail about the specifics about the film, if you haven't seen the film, then i would suggest you go now and rent, buy or view it somewhere. The film is been out since 1980, and really have no excuse for not seeing the film, it's the beginning of the film. Friday the 13th is just one of those films, it's not the kills but how the killer reaches that point. We have the characters, the killer going around killing, or another killer who is unseen. The film's script maybe a bit spotty sometimes but the story is pretty tight. Yes, there is nudity, and violence but that's all part of what makes the Friday the 13th movies. The teens having sex, all is part of the Jason Voorhees world of serial killer madness. Some might even find that the movies are written badly, but if so then why have so many sequels. The answer is simple, a cult following, without it the Jason films would've never happened.
The beauty of this film is the mother of Jason Voorhees (Ari Lehman), Mrs Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), the two characters are unseen and the most iconic of this type of film. With that being said, the killer being Mrs. Voorhees, taking revenge for her son's supposed drowning which at the end of the movie we see Jason coming out of the water to kill Alice (Adrienne King), who is on a canoe. The perfect seen to a really good ending, Alice wakes up alive, trying to figure out what happened. The killer is dead, Mrs. Voorhees awakens another, her son. The iconic hockey mask will not be put on until the sequel, which is far better than the first film, but the story has to start somewhere. The purpose was to find revenge for her son, and in some ways Mrs. Voorhees got a whole lot of revenge, but she had created a monster; Jason Voorhees picked up where his mother left off, and Camp Crystal lake will never be the same.
The film did well in the box office back in 1980, but remember filming effects, shots, angles were not as good as they are today, so the grainy look the film conveyed, plus the dated feel you get is because of the year the film was out. Back in that day that's the type of quality you'll get with 80's films, unless your budget is super high, which in the case for Friday The 13th, there budget was 550,000, and the gross was about 37,465.200, not bad for a slasher film. Only a film buffs will enjoy Friday the 13th. Not saying the film was bad or not enjoyable, but it has it's moments, it is dated. 1980's films are either good or bad, a hit or a miss. The 13 films went on to bigger, and better movies. Friday the 13th Part 2, Part 3, Friday the 13th The Final Chapter, Part VII, Part V the New Begining, VI, VII: Jason takes Manhattan, Jason goes to Hell, and then we have Jason vs Freddy. It all started in 1980, this horror film went on to become a horror movie gem, with Jason Voorhees at the helm. Love or hate it, these films are either good or bad, but as long as the following stays, then you will be getting more Jason on film. Speaking of Jason, the re-boot comes out sometime in 2016, and a slew of new bodies will emerge once again.
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