In honor of Friday the 13th, I decided to pop in the 'ol 1980 Cunningham classic "Friday the 13th". I remember the first time seeing it and thinking to myself "that was a damn good movie". Keep in mind, I was half my age too. Even with still being a horror fan since childhood, I can easily say I don't know how the hell I liked this film the first time around considering it almost put me to sleep at about the midpoint of its running time.
My biggest gripe with this Halloween rip-off (I'm quoting the director people!), is the pacing. I kid you not, there are shots of absolutely nothing filling the screen and they can run as long as five minutes. If you were to actually compile all the deaths and fights/mayhem into one movie, it'd be as long as a Youtube video.
Now I'm one for character development, but these characters are some of the most unlikable people I've come across. You have your genre staples, okay I get it's a run-of-the-mill slasher, but never have I suffered this much through such wooden acting. Is it bad to say I really didn't care the final girl either?
And what is up with everyone saying the kills are tremendous. If you blink, you'll miss it! Not only did the MPAA butcher the hell out of these scenes, an axe to the face is hardly what I call trend-setting.
Why do I think Friday the 13th retained its notoriety? For one, the clever plot twist. I might have my gripes with the pacing/characters, but one thing is that out of all the by-the-number slasher plots, this one mixes up the formula just enough to give you a taste of something new.
Also, while this film is touted for its kills, it actually racks up some decent tension in its early kills. Is it embarrassing to say I was actually on the edge of my seat at some parts? And lastly, the ending. It may be a cliffhanger, but again, it's a smart one at that.
What do I think would make Friday the 13th even more of a classic? Get a new editor, fight with the MPAA until you get rights to your kills, and hire a new cast. Oh right, they did that with the new remake. Strangely enough, they're both the same (quality-wise). Well, I guess no matter if you re-make Jason, pit him against Freddy, this is just one story that (so far) has not bode well from script to silver screen. What a shame.
My biggest gripe with this Halloween rip-off (I'm quoting the director people!), is the pacing. I kid you not, there are shots of absolutely nothing filling the screen and they can run as long as five minutes. If you were to actually compile all the deaths and fights/mayhem into one movie, it'd be as long as a Youtube video.
Now I'm one for character development, but these characters are some of the most unlikable people I've come across. You have your genre staples, okay I get it's a run-of-the-mill slasher, but never have I suffered this much through such wooden acting. Is it bad to say I really didn't care the final girl either?
And what is up with everyone saying the kills are tremendous. If you blink, you'll miss it! Not only did the MPAA butcher the hell out of these scenes, an axe to the face is hardly what I call trend-setting.
Why do I think Friday the 13th retained its notoriety? For one, the clever plot twist. I might have my gripes with the pacing/characters, but one thing is that out of all the by-the-number slasher plots, this one mixes up the formula just enough to give you a taste of something new.
Also, while this film is touted for its kills, it actually racks up some decent tension in its early kills. Is it embarrassing to say I was actually on the edge of my seat at some parts? And lastly, the ending. It may be a cliffhanger, but again, it's a smart one at that.
What do I think would make Friday the 13th even more of a classic? Get a new editor, fight with the MPAA until you get rights to your kills, and hire a new cast. Oh right, they did that with the new remake. Strangely enough, they're both the same (quality-wise). Well, I guess no matter if you re-make Jason, pit him against Freddy, this is just one story that (so far) has not bode well from script to silver screen. What a shame.