Zachary FenellSunday Classics: Friday the 13th
February 22nd 2009 19:18
Friday the 13th, 1980
The Thirteenth got billed in many circles as a total remake of the 13th, but really, it's doing what Superman Returns does: it goes back to the last good movie (in this case, the first one) and starts the whole series over again from there.
Now, 13th didn't have the same witty lines or the same compelling characters as Thirteenth, but it's still easy to see why it's a classic. From the point of view of a movie-goer in 1980, this was some scary stuff! There was already that sense of creativity and vengeance that came out more in Thirteenth, but in 13th it was clearly more fresh and unusual for the average viewer.
It's interesting to note that there are no hockey masks anywhere in the movie. I was amused by this because it happens so frequently that we lose sight of where we get our icons - the trademark mask didn't come around until the sequel, of which Thirteenth "replaced" in canon, giving the fans the attachment that they need to the symbol of the mask.
Compared to modern day horror film, 13th just isn't that scary. It holds a place in our hearts because it was the source of a cultural icon. For that, it will always be worth something good.
3.5 Stars
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