Director – Sean S. Cunningham (The New Kids, Spring Break)
Starring – Betsy Palmer (Penny Dreadful, Friday the 13th: Part II), Adrienne King (Saturday Night Fever, Psychic Experiment), and Jeannine Taylor (The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana)
Release Date – 1980
Rating – 4/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
Tagline -“They were warned…they are doomed…and on Friday the 13th, nothing will save them”
It’s weird to sit here and type a review for a film as iconic as Friday the 13th but here I am. Like many horror fans, I grew up watching the Friday the 13th films. My introduction into the slasher franchise was Jason Goes to Hell when my uncle gave my mother the movie on tape along with Conan the Destroyer. When I was in middle school I would finish watching the rest of the films in the series with my grandmother and uncle. I still have an appreciate for JGtH that most horror fans do not but, as I’ve said before, my taste in movies is very different than the normal horror fan.
A few weeks ago I was sent the 40th Anniversary Steelbook for the first Friday the 13th for review. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it but I can never pass up another reason to watch the film that started it all.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows an old camp that is being remodeled by a group of camp counselors for the upcoming summer camp. The camp was once home to a long running summer camp but the counselor’s neglect results in the death of a little boy. Now years later someone is picking these would be camp counselors off one by one. **Spoiler Alert**
Friday the 13th is a huge part of horror history and a defining film of the slasher sub-genre. Honestly, I would be more pressed to find someone who hasn’t seen the film over someone who just doesn’t like it. Regardless, it’s a huge part of horror history which is why I’m still shocked I was ask to review the 40th Anniversary Steelbook release.
The acting in Friday the 13th is what I often compare other slashers to. I sincerely love the cast of characters that we get. Sure, they are generic for a slasher but in 1980 there wasn’t THAT many to compare to. Not like the sudden wave to follow the summer after. The cast hams it up at times but knows when to bring the right emotion for what the scene calls for.
The story for this one is what I consider to be a slasher in it’s purest form. The early days of slashers followed a simple formula. We get a character that was wronged and then jump forward several years, or even decades, and then people die as a result. I absolutely fucking love this type of story. We get a hack and slasher film that feels like a whodunit type of flick. The twist is now iconic but first time viewers will never see the reveal coming. Sure, that does take the fun out of subsequent views but it is still a damn fine slasher to revisit.
Finally, the death scenes in this film are legendary. A few do take place off camera leaving it up to the viewer’s imagination but the ones we do get are memorable. Effects were handled by the legendary Tom Savini so they insanely fun. Overall, Friday the 13th is a damn near perfect but you are not here because you haven’t seen the film but curious about the 40th Anniversary release. The blu looks great. In fact, it’s leagues better than my DVD release of the film. The steelbook is simple enough in design but nothing that stands out. The black background with blood splatter is kind of cool but not cool enough to double dip.
Special Features:
Commentary
Reunion
Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th
The Man Behind the Legacy
Lost Tales from Campy Blood
The Friday the 13th Chronicles
Behind the Gore
