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Director(s):
Sean S. Cunningham
Writer(s):
Sean S. Cunningham,
Victor Miller (II)
Cast:
Betsy Palmer, Adrienne
King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Kevin Bacon, Harry Crosby, Mark Nelson,
Peter Brouwer
Synopsis:
In
1957, Jason Voorhees drowned at Camp Crystal Lake.
The following year, revenge is set forth against the teens responsible.
The camp closes and lies dormant for years, until 1979, when it is
decided that the camp will be re-open.
The town folk are correct, the camp has
a death curse.
My
Review: A
small production company and then Paramount Pictures, picked up the
distribution rights, as well as the series in general, produced the film.
Being the fact of its humble beginnings, Friday the 13th was
made on a relatively small budget, and though it shows, the film shows where
the money was spent.
From
the wonderful makeup techniques of Tom Savini to the acting of the cast, the
film is a solid entry in the of horror history.
Though the mainstream public often refers to the film as a ‘bomb’,
the film basically pulls no punches in delivering what it sets out to do and
what a great horror film is to accomplish.
That being 1) to make you uneasy, 2) to provide you with good amount of
blood, and 3) to make you think of whom you should trust.
Many
varying versions of this film exist depending on what country you live in.
Having seen the Japanese cut of the film, though the version does have
extra moments of gore, it does not add to the story.
The affects are wonderful, but at some length, they begin to look less
unreal than say the American cut.
On the American DVD release, it is still somewhat a mystery as to the
orgies of the prints that they used.
For one, American audiences for years have seen the edited version of
Annie’s death on VHS. The camera simply ‘whites out,’ and you hear her
body drop. On
the DVD though, the whiting out is delayed and you see more blood from her
fatal wound.
The ending as well, with the long famed decapitation, has been altered
some, and is actually shorter on the DVD by several seconds as compared to
that on VHS.
If you are able to seek out the alternate versions of this film, you
will be able to point out several other things that are different, but they do
not change the pacing or the intent of the original US theatrical cut.
Overall:
A solid horror picture that starts a trend, though it gets out of control.
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