Friday the 13th
Plot
Here is the plot summary for "Friday the 13th" (1980): The film opens with a prelude to the horrors that are to come, as a young boy named Jason Voorhees drowns in the lake while on a camping trip with his mother, Pamela. Twenty years later, a group of teenage camp counselors arrive at Camp Crystal Lake for a summer of fun and relaxation. Among them is Alice Hardy (Adrienne King), a shy and reserved girl who has been invited to the camp as a favor to her friend, Brenda. As the group settles in, they begin to experience strange and unexplained events, including eerie noises and movements around the campsite. Despite these ominous signs, the teenagers are too caught up in their own personal struggles to pay much attention. There's Chris (Robbi Morgan), who is trying to get over her recent breakup; Shelly (Gloria Kaufman), a free-spirited artist; and Ned (Harry Crosby), a charming but slightly shady character. As the night wears on, the group decides to hold a party in an old cabin near the lake. It's there that they begin to experience the true horror of Crystal Lake, as one by one, they fall victim to the machinations of Jason Voorhees, who has grown up and become determined to exact revenge on anyone who dares to set foot near his childhood home. As the body count rises, Alice finds herself at the center of the chaos, forced to fend off Jason's attacks and uncover the dark secrets that lie beneath the surface of Camp Crystal Lake. In the end, it's a race against time for Alice to survive the night and outsmart the masked killer before he claims her as his next victim. "Friday the 13th" is a classic horror film that has become synonymous with the slasher genre. Its blend of suspense, gore, and teenage angst helped to define the tone of many later films in the series, and its influence can still be felt today.
Reviews
Annie
A blatant "Halloween" imitation, but it learned well from Carpenter, especially with the music as a highlight. As a slasher, it knows restraint, which is probably why these horror classics from the '70s and '80s became so popular. For a contrasting example, just take a look at the 2009 reboot: I just skimmed through it, and everywhere I skipped to, it was all just aggressive in-your-face violence.
Tessa
Quite the opposite of Psycho, it's as if the mother developed a split personality embodying her son. The suspense and cinematic language fall short of "Halloween," the gore and killing patterns don't match "A Nightmare on Elm Street," and it lacks the rawness and intensity of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." Thus, it launched a rather lackluster franchise.
Kaia
Alongside the "Halloween" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchises, "Friday the 13th" helped define the slasher craze of the 1980s. But, let's be honest, compared to the others, isn't it the most... repetitive of the bunch?
Stella
Amateurish in almost every aspect, yet it spawned a legendary slasher franchise.
Clara
The film feels dated and slow. The music and the women's screaming are a real annoyance. Who knew Kevin Bacon was in it?! And so young! The ending with the kid is surprisingly effective, similar to the ending of "Carrie," both with a genuinely chilling effect. Too bad Jason doesn't make an appearance; guess I'll have to watch the sequels. Ugh!