FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

The original camping slasher flick. FRIDAY THE 13TH came out a couple years after the first Halloween, few years before Freddy, and even a longer period before Pinhead. Though what most people forget (and what Ghostface reminds all of us) is that the original killer isn’t technically Jason….nope, we get his mom. Even by today’s standards that would be a good twist but for the early 80s, a female killer was definitely mind blowing. By all accounts, we don’t really have that much of a complex story; campers show up; some get slaughtered, few don’t. And the backstory of how a boy drowns in a lake by counselors that should have been watching. But there’s a reason this franchise has endured for over forty years; there’s something to be said about the simplicity of a woods and camp setting. The nighttime atmosphere, daytime hikes in endless nature; the woods are always a great setting for a slasher if nothing else for the sheer mental mindfucks that it can play on your brain. While the early ‘13th’s are pretty simple compared to other horror’s of its time, it’s the camping setting that resonates with people that makes you return over and over again. If this is your first time camping overnight in this franchise, start with the original. Just don’t piss off mommy.

SLASH SCENE: The Baconator himself

SLASH SCORE: 4/5