Friday the 13th
(Review by WhiteTrash2000)
Remember when you go to the video store and you check the horror section and you see tons of movies all contributed to the same series and you completely dismiss them. Well Friday the 13th falls into that category. It is a fun, effective movie that has been dragged down by numerous sequels that have little or nothing to do with their predesessor.
During the opening twenty minutes we are given the basic rundown of Camp Crystal Lake. It has been sort of a death-trap for camp owners for years and since two teens were murdered back in 1958 it hasn't been very profitable. Yet because it has to provide the setting of a muderous twenty-four hour blood fest, it has been reopened and is currently being rebuilt by Steve Crysti and his camp councelors. All seems well until, wouldn't you know it, an unknown killer starts to pick them off one by one.
Besides giving us the normal heroin in trouble, who must fend for herself. Friday the 13th takes it a step further by letting the viewer get in on the action. We see when the characters are doing something so stupid and we yell at the screen. "Don't Go In There, That's Where the Killer Is," even if we know that our screams wont make a difference.
The character's act stupid most of the time by investigating the odd noises and other such things but we don't care because we know that one way or another they will die. And that just adds to the fun that the film gives. We can tell after the first half hour who will be killed next and it doesn't matter because the movie let's us have fun anyway.
During the post Halloween area we were treated to lots of bloody sequels that took away from the power of the original. Friday the 13th is no exception. It was great compared to the other movies we got. It manages to give us something to think about when we are watching the holiday' type splatters that we were to get later.
What makes Friday the 13th rise above the normal teen, hack 'em ups is that is knows what it is saying. It knows that it is a slasher movie and that the teens are going to die. It knows that the majority of the public is going to want to see some breasts before the teens are killed. And it knows that it won't be anything but this. The teens are smart. most of the time, and not too bright also, and this only adds to the fear that because they are not too bright they will probably not make it through the night.
The fact that Friday the 13th isn't as hailed above the normal slasher movies is the sheer fact that the sequels have taken it down from the high-point that it was once at. By introducing the number of sequels the movie itself lost what strength it had. It was original, until the mid-eighties. Then it was immediately taken down.
All and all Friday the 13th surprised me. I didn't expect this level of character development or storyline. I expected what the sequels promised. Blood and Guts. It's nice to know good horror movies still exist. You just have to look for them.
