Friday The 13th (1980) Dir: Sean S. Cunningham
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Halloween season routinely sees me watch plenty of horror films, many of which are classics, but few can say they are as well known in the genre as the Friday The 13th franchise - in large part due to its iconic villain; Jason Voorhees.
However, this first film, released in 1980 and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, isn't really about him. Moreover, it actually has very little to do with him beyond some exposition to explain the film's events.
The budget was less than $700,000 but made an impressive $59.8 million at the box office; a huge success. The film's use of voyeuristic camera shots is a trademark horror technique that is used excellently, helping to create some really good suspense throughout the film.
Hiding the killer's reveal, another genre trademark, for much of the film works really well to build tension and audience anxiety, particularly in conjunction with a relatively unexpected plot twist.
Furthermore, the classic 80s style physical effects are a joy as always, with the slight cheesiness of them being more than welcome to me.
Adrienne King stars here, and while she is not the most memorable final girl-type character, she still gives a reasonable enough account of herself here. She certainly was among the better performers of the film.
The film also features a young Kevin Bacon in a supporting role. He shows some flashes of the ability and charm that would catapult him into stardom in later years, but, for the most part, this was a rather middling performance.
Although Betsy Palmer does not have a substantial role here, she commits to her character very well and produces the most memorable performance of the film.
I also want to give mentions to Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Walt Gorney, Peter Brouwer, Ron Millkie and Harry Crosby who all had noteworthy supporting roles.
Overall, whilst this did not quite reach my expectations, mainly due to the lack of the face of the franchise, it is still an enjoyable horror that does the basic fundamentals of the genre well. I look forward to watching the sequels and expanding upon this solid story.
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