Friday the 13th (R)

The horror movie game is filled with villains that strike fear into the average moviegoer and utter joy into the hearts of the film buffs of the world. Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, Leatherface; all are iconic movie maniacs that we all know and love/quiver in terror at, depending on how hardcore a movie person you are. And few cinematic slashers are as recognisable as the hockey mask wearing psychopath named Jason. To celebrate this Friday the 13^th, I think I can speak for everyone at The Movie Buff when I say, happy (sort of) birthday to Jason. Today we find ourselves looking at the very first mention of the crazed killer, in Sean S. Cunningham’s “Friday the 13th” (1980). 

Like many slasher flicks, the plot isn’t what you would call intricate. A group of teenagers, (including a young Kevin Bacon) are setting up a Summer camp at Camp Crystal Lake. The locals however, know this place as Camp Blood. This is down to the mysterious number of deaths reported at the place, including a young boy named Jason who drowned. The first death is the woman who was supposed to be the camp chef until the killer made mince meat of her (can I get some points for bad puns?) Anyway, the killer rampages through the teens one by one in a brutal fashion until only one survives like every other slasher film you’ve ever seen. It’s a moneymaking formula, people still pay to see it, shut up, it works.

You don’t really expect much going into this film. I mean, you pay to see a generic slasher film, but there is a reason that this one has stood the test of time. This is the film that set the mold for every copycat that came along after it. The film, on a technical level, left me gobsmacked. It reminded me very much of the camera-work in “The Evil Dead” trilogy. It’s done on a first-person POV and tracks along building the tension by obscuring our view for just moments at a time. This is coupled with a simple yet effective score that swells at all the right times to create an absolutely terrifying feeling that slides its way into the scenes seamlessly. I really can’t sing enough praises to the work of director Sean S. Cunningham, his vision was fully realised in creating a sleeper smash.

Obviously with this genre, there are going to be some problems. A friend of mine once gave me the advice that when filming a horror film, make sure you aren’t doing a comedy. It can very easily pile on the cheese and suddenly you’re scary antagonist becomes this cute, adorable pseudo-psycho. While for the most part the film piles on the scares, it really falls apart in the downtime. When characters are just interacting with each other the whole seems very forced. It feels like the film’s killer is a catalyst more than a character. This is where the film falls down; the script combined with sub-par acting creates a bit of a train wreck in the killer’s off-time.

One thing that can make up for that is the setting. I just need to make this clear: Camp Crystal Lake might just be the perfect horror setting. It’s sweet and innocent but throw in a lightning storm and a few heavy string instruments for effect and you’ve got the seventh circle of hell. The film’s good elements do outweigh its bad elements but not by much. It’s a must for any cult horror fans but for the average moviegoer, it’s a time killer.

– by Paul O’Connor

* Don’t forget to check The Movie Buff all October long for our “31 Days of Halloween” contest for horror reviews, polls, prizes, and more!!!