Friday the 13th (1980) *

 

Summer camp has a lot to recommend it as the setting for a movie, especially a horror movie. Teenagers are the most reliable customers Hollywood has, and everyone loves to watch movies about people like themselves. Populate a movie with a bunch of teen campers and counselors, and you are halfway to a hit. Plus, summer camp happens when the weather is warm, which means you get to put all those attractive, young actors and actresses in minimal clothing. Summer camp is a world without parents, isolated somewhere in the woods, which increases the level of freedom and also the level of danger. Narratively, this is perfect for the horror genre. “Friday the 13th” is probably not the first summer camp horror flick, but it's fair to say that it defined the genre, setting the die for dozens of sequels and copycats.

The story is deceptively simple. A horrible murder happened at Camp Crystal Lake back in the fifties, and the camp was shut down. Now the camp is being re-opened. Counselors arrive on a certain, unlucky Friday to get things in order for the big opening, but that night they are, one by one, slaughtered by a mysterious killer. The statute of limitations is clearly expired on spoilers for a 40-year-old film, but I'll keep mum about the identity of the killer. That twist is really the only interesting thing about the movie.

“Friday the 13th” blatantly rips off John Carpenter's "Halloween," particularly in its use of the camera to show the perspective of the killer. Where “Halloween” feels fresh and creative, “Friday the 13th” feels cynical. The whole purpose of the narrative is to systematically kill off these young people, and neither the cast nor the story offer anything to make it worth the ride. “Halloween” featured memorable performances from Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, and even a decent supporting cast. No one in the “Friday the 13th” cast does anything to distinguish themselves; they mostly just wait their turn to die. You may recognize a young Kevin Bacon in this film, but even he doesn't do anything interesting.

“Friday the 13th” was made to copy the style and success of “Halloween,” and it succeeded. Made for about a half million dollars, the movie grossed over $50 million, and spawned a wildly successful series of sequels. I'm sure teenagers in 1980 loved it, but I see no reason for anyone to watch it now. If you want to see a classic, campy, fun, summer camp horror movie, check out "Sleepaway Camp" instead.

1 star out of 5