Came about because of the box office success of Halloween(1978). Success of Halloween(1978) showed people in Hollywood there was money to be made in low budget Independant horror. Friday the 13th(1980) took on a life of its own with its sudden popularity among audiences. Cinema influence is a filtering avenue which changes hands and ideas from filmmaker to filmmaker. Friday the 13th(1980) is not a perfect film but its an important American horror film.
Between Halloween(1978) and Friday the 13th(1980) there were scores of knockoffs and sequels the two films inspired. Range of quality for these knockoffs and sequels varies from excellent to very poor. Friday the 13th's influence on slasher subgenre is bigger than the influence of Halloween(1978). Plots of many American slasher films derive from Friday the 13th(1980). Sequels that followed are a mixed bag with 2,3,4, and 6 among the series best while the rest are among the worst.
There are two schools of fans in slasher cinema which splits into Halloween(1978) and Friday the 13th(1980) fanbases. Not many are fans of both films with equal liking. I enjoy watching both films yet lean a little towards Halloween(1978) as the better film. Halloween(1978) has better direction, more suspense, and is stylisticly more professional. Positives of Friday the 13th(1980) include imaginative death scenes, good plot twists, and isolated setting.
Gory style of Friday the 13th(1980) is rooted in the giallos of Mario Bava. Main inspiration is Reazione a Catena/Bay of Blood(1971) which involved similar settings and gory deaths. Friday the 13th(1980) differs from A Bay of Blood(1971) in a couple of areas namely the exclusion of greed factor. Also, Mrs. Voorhees wears a white sweater that is identical to one worn by Simon in Bay of Blood(1971). Mario Bava's influence had and continues to have a profound effect on Friday the 13th(1980) and other American slasher films.
Its inspiration extends to films of Dario Argento specificlly his 1975 giallo, Profondo Rosso/Deep Red. Revealing of murderer and motive takes a cue from Profondo Rosso(1975). Characters are nothing more than bloody ciphers that exist solely to provide killer with some murder victims. Forrest setting in Friday the 13th(1980) had an influence on locations in Evil Dead(1983) and Blair Witch Project(1999). Exercise in gory set pieces that still hold up well compared to new wave of slasher films.
Very good horror movie that deserves to be released on DVD in its uncut version. Death scenes are slightly longer as camera lingers a little longer on carnage. In uncut version the makeup effects seem more impressive. During early 1980s, the MPAA were strict on what was to be saved or cut from slasher films to get R rating. Friday the 13th(1980) was victimized by this form of censorship although not as bad as other slasher pics.
One reason the film has gotten its popular reputation are the gruesome makeup effects by Tom Savini. Effects are good though falls short to Savini's work on Dawn of the Dead(1978), Maniac(1980), and Day of the Dead(1985). Top gore effect here is the beheading of a character near end of film. Director, Sean s.Cunningham's contribution to making Last House on the Left(1972) is an important factor in film's isolated feel. Acting is neither a strong nor weak point in the motion picture.
Prologue is a good beginning to a film full of imaginative bloodletting and isolated terror. One name actor that's in Friday the 13th(1980) is Kevin Bacon whose involved in a memorable death scene. Needless to say some of his best acting are not from this film. A weakness is the moral pretentiousness on which the film unintentionally goes by. This is a pet peeve of mine as these types of films would be more enjoyable to watch if they would dispense with the moral BS that shows up in Friday the 13th(1980) and many slasher pics.
Jason Voorhees was intended to be just a neat gimmick to better promote the film. He's hardly even part of the story except in mention and one sequence. His sole appearence in the film gives it a nightmarish quality. Once Friday the 13th(1980) became a box office hit, producers decided to make Jason the main focus from then on. Thus, Jason Voorhees became a permanent fixture in American popular horror cinema.
Adrienne King is not in the same league as jamie Lee Curtis when it comes to playing a slasher heroine yet she does alright as main heroine of Friday the 13th(1980). Most annoying person in Friday the 13th is Crazy Ralph with Annie a close second. Betsy Palmer seems to relish every second in an intense yet slightly over the top performance. Film score and sound effects of voice are by now trademarks of Friday the 13th series. semi classic horror film with above average cinematography and ok editing.
Between Halloween(1978) and Friday the 13th(1980) there were scores of knockoffs and sequels the two films inspired. Range of quality for these knockoffs and sequels varies from excellent to very poor. Friday the 13th's influence on slasher subgenre is bigger than the influence of Halloween(1978). Plots of many American slasher films derive from Friday the 13th(1980). Sequels that followed are a mixed bag with 2,3,4, and 6 among the series best while the rest are among the worst.
There are two schools of fans in slasher cinema which splits into Halloween(1978) and Friday the 13th(1980) fanbases. Not many are fans of both films with equal liking. I enjoy watching both films yet lean a little towards Halloween(1978) as the better film. Halloween(1978) has better direction, more suspense, and is stylisticly more professional. Positives of Friday the 13th(1980) include imaginative death scenes, good plot twists, and isolated setting.
Gory style of Friday the 13th(1980) is rooted in the giallos of Mario Bava. Main inspiration is Reazione a Catena/Bay of Blood(1971) which involved similar settings and gory deaths. Friday the 13th(1980) differs from A Bay of Blood(1971) in a couple of areas namely the exclusion of greed factor. Also, Mrs. Voorhees wears a white sweater that is identical to one worn by Simon in Bay of Blood(1971). Mario Bava's influence had and continues to have a profound effect on Friday the 13th(1980) and other American slasher films.
Its inspiration extends to films of Dario Argento specificlly his 1975 giallo, Profondo Rosso/Deep Red. Revealing of murderer and motive takes a cue from Profondo Rosso(1975). Characters are nothing more than bloody ciphers that exist solely to provide killer with some murder victims. Forrest setting in Friday the 13th(1980) had an influence on locations in Evil Dead(1983) and Blair Witch Project(1999). Exercise in gory set pieces that still hold up well compared to new wave of slasher films.
Very good horror movie that deserves to be released on DVD in its uncut version. Death scenes are slightly longer as camera lingers a little longer on carnage. In uncut version the makeup effects seem more impressive. During early 1980s, the MPAA were strict on what was to be saved or cut from slasher films to get R rating. Friday the 13th(1980) was victimized by this form of censorship although not as bad as other slasher pics.
One reason the film has gotten its popular reputation are the gruesome makeup effects by Tom Savini. Effects are good though falls short to Savini's work on Dawn of the Dead(1978), Maniac(1980), and Day of the Dead(1985). Top gore effect here is the beheading of a character near end of film. Director, Sean s.Cunningham's contribution to making Last House on the Left(1972) is an important factor in film's isolated feel. Acting is neither a strong nor weak point in the motion picture.
Prologue is a good beginning to a film full of imaginative bloodletting and isolated terror. One name actor that's in Friday the 13th(1980) is Kevin Bacon whose involved in a memorable death scene. Needless to say some of his best acting are not from this film. A weakness is the moral pretentiousness on which the film unintentionally goes by. This is a pet peeve of mine as these types of films would be more enjoyable to watch if they would dispense with the moral BS that shows up in Friday the 13th(1980) and many slasher pics.
Jason Voorhees was intended to be just a neat gimmick to better promote the film. He's hardly even part of the story except in mention and one sequence. His sole appearence in the film gives it a nightmarish quality. Once Friday the 13th(1980) became a box office hit, producers decided to make Jason the main focus from then on. Thus, Jason Voorhees became a permanent fixture in American popular horror cinema.
Adrienne King is not in the same league as jamie Lee Curtis when it comes to playing a slasher heroine yet she does alright as main heroine of Friday the 13th(1980). Most annoying person in Friday the 13th is Crazy Ralph with Annie a close second. Betsy Palmer seems to relish every second in an intense yet slightly over the top performance. Film score and sound effects of voice are by now trademarks of Friday the 13th series. semi classic horror film with above average cinematography and ok editing.