Friday the 13th (1980)

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Horror Marathon #2

This came after House of 1000 Corpses and before A Nightmare on Elm Street; it was by far the worst of the three.

House was at least interesting, but the disappointment in Camp Crystal Lake was palpable. It's not an exaggeration to say that there is no plot, or at least none worth mentioning. Teens go to camp, teens are murdered one by one. Ridiculous twist ending paves path to sequels.

It's not just that the acting is atrocious or the cinematography pedestrian, it's little things. Steve's nothing-but-denim-shorts outfit reminds strongly of "Never Nude" Tobias. The girl -- whose name I've already forgotten -- is infuriatingly helpless. (You've just cold-cocked the killer, now give 'em a few more whacks! This isn't boxing; you're allowed to hit them while they're down!) The dead characters visibly move.

Utter trash. It's a genre classic, but that's the only reason to see it. Film literacy is a noble goal, but it ain't noble enough to sit through this for.

- Sam - 2006-10-25 14:25:42