Friday the 13th review

With Halloween coming up, here's my rundown of the greatest slasher series of all time:

Friday the 13th (1980)

Intended to ride the success of Halloween, Friday part one itself ended up inspiring dozens of rip-offs in it's own right. The movie out-grossed The Shining! Oddly, for self-described rip-off Friday part one has several distinguishing features:

1) An out-door setting that recalls other "backwoods" movies of the 70's (Deliverance etc.), as opposed to the sterile suburbia of Halloween.
2) A whodunit plot, more in line with 70's giallo films than Halloween.
3) Several outbursts of gore, which Halloween didn't have.

Friday one has a laid-back 70's style pacing, that doesn't really pick up until the last 20 or so minutes. Modern viewers might be a little put off. For more patient viewers, you'll enjoy the spooky and rustic atmosphere. The acting is adequate, with lead actress Adrienne King fortunately being the most personable actor and character. Though it developed a reputation as a crude gore-fest, suspense is crafted throughout the movie and some characters have off-screen deaths. For the low budget, the movie has pretty nice look. Some of the scenes will stick with you for a while, from a visual standpoint.

Overall rating: 8/10