FRIDAY THE 13TH

U.S.A. | 1980 Directed by Sean S. Cunningham Starring Betsy Palmer Adrienne King Kevin Bacon Color | 95 Minutes | Not Rated Format: DVD (R1 - NTSC) Paramount Home Video

Hold your mouse pointer over an image for a pop-up caption

7     7   10 = Highest Rating   Guest Review by Troy Howarth

A mysterious killer knocks off the counselors at a summer camp one by one...     Even the staunchest fans would never praise Friday the 13th for its originality. It was literally conceived by producer/director Sean S. Cunningham (erstwhile producer of Wes Craven's notorious cheapie The Last House on the Left, 1972) as a rip-off of Halloween, and it also plunders shamelessly from the likes of Mario Bava's Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971), Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Brian DePalma's Carrie (1976). What it lacks in originality, however, it makes up for in sheer entertainment value. True, it may well be the worst of the post-'70s horror "classics" but seen again after a long string of sequels and imitations, it actually holds up pretty well.     The setup is simple: horny camp counselors allow a mentally impaired boy to drown while they're busy fornicating; they meet with a gory end, and years later, when an attempt is made to reopen the camp where the tragedy occurred, the murders start all over again. It's pointless to be coy at this point — everybody who has any interest in the film has already seen it, and chances are even non-aficiandos know enough to realize that Jason isn't the culprit in this first installment. Apart from a couple of memorable glimpses of him — in full-blown disfigured kiddie mode — the killer here is his loving mother, played by Betsy Palmer. The idea of maternal love turning into vengeance and bloodshed has some psychological resonance, but director Cunningham and writer Victor Miller fail to really make the most of it. Psychology and nuance aren't exactly on their radar anyway, and the emphasis is more firmly placed on shock value. Even in this department, however, it's surprising to see the film again after so many years and realize that a lot of the mayhem occurs off-camera. Compared to some of the sequels, this Friday the 13th is relatively restrained.     The performances are adequate. None of the actors are able to transcend their sketchy characterizations, but the teens are generally photogenic and Palmer seems to be having the time of her life as the deranged Mrs. Voorhees. A young Kevin Bacon makes one of his earliest screen appearances, and Harry Crosby, the son of legendary crooner and screen star Bing Crosby, is also among the dimwitted victims. Adrienne King is likable as the virtuous heroine, but even she is denied much in the way of background or depth.     Cunningham's direction lacks imagination, but it gets the job done. He paces the film very well, moving from quiet moments to hysteria without allowing things to become too slack. His concern was clearly to get the audience to jump as often as possible, and some of his hoary techniques may seem a tad camp to contemporary audiences. Even so, the film works fairly well before losing its footing during the final act, which suffers from way too many false climaxes. Cunningham doesn't display the gift for character and composition that made John Carpenter's Halloween such a great film of its kind, but his aim is different — Carpenter was more concerned with suspense and atmosphere, whereas Cunningham would prefer to get right to the point, if you'll pardon a lousy pun. It is important to place the film into its proper context, however, and to remember that, as the first of the franchise, audiences wouldn't have known 'whodunit'. With this in mind, perhaps it is a tad unfair to say that Cunningham didn't try for some semblance of suspense. It still ain't Halloween, but as far as slashers are concerned, Friday the 13th is an entertaining and above average example of its genre.

Paramount's new special edition marks the first time Friday the 13th has been released uncut to R1 DVD. The good news is that they were true to their word — all the gore is present and accounted for, though it really only amounts to a few seconds of extra footage compared to the R-rated theatrical cut. (It has to be noted, though, that Tom Savini's makeup effects aren't in the same league as his best work for George A. Romero — it's too easy to spot the join lines, and perhaps Cunningham would have done better not to dwell so long on them in the first place.) The bad news concerns the transfer, which is cropped on all four sides. To be honest, having not seen the film in years, and having never seen any of the previous DVD releases, the cropping wouldn't have been noticeable to me had I not read about it online. In any event, it's an issue that deserves to be reported, as it may turn some fans off the idea of upgrading. Beyond that the transfer looks pretty good on the whole — colors aren't especially vivid, but this could be true of the original cinematography. Detail is reasonably sharp, though certain scenes look a bit soft and ill-defined. As transfers go, it's certainly watchable and easy on the eyes... and yet it doesn't seem quite as vivid as a brand new High Definition transfer would seem to promise. Audio options include the original mono soundtrack and a 5.1 remix. Both tracks are in good shape, though purists will want to stick with the mono track. Harry Manfredini's now-familiar score (supposedly it's "kill, kill, kill" being whispered on the soundtrack, but I'll be damned if it doesn't just sound like "ch-ch-ch") has ample presence, and the dialogue is clear throughout; removable English subtitles are also offered. Extras include a commentary with Cunningham and members of the cast and crew, which is extremely informative and well worth listening to. Next up is a Friday The 13th Reunion, which compiles some highlights from a 2008 fan convention appearance by writer Victor Miller, stars Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Ari Lehman, FX master Tom Savini and composer Harry Manfredini. It's an entertaining piece, and the highlight has to be the funny/uncomfortable moment when Palmer recalls turning the film down because the script was "a piece of shit" as Miller squirms. Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday The 13th allows various participants to reminisce about the filming, while The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham gives the unpretentious, down-to-earth director a chance to revisit his biggest success and discuss its impact on his career. Lost Tales from Camp Blood is a new 8-minute 'Jason adventure', which features a couple in bed falling afoul of the rampaging boogey man; it's short, but also rather pointless and will likely appeal only to the most diehard of Jason fanatics. The original theatrical trailer is also included. 2/22/09

HOME | REVIEWS | TOP