In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Friday the 13th is getting a limited edition steel book release from Paramount that includes “unrated footage and insightful special features”. Released on May 5, 2020, and available from Amazon.com
On October 13th 2020, Shout! Factory is issuing a Blu-ray Collector’s set that includes all 12 films in the franchise plus new and existing extras! Order from Amazon.com
Meanwhile, here is our previous coverage of this classic slasher:
‘On Friday the 13th, they began to die horribly, one… by one.’
Friday the 13th is a 1980 American slasher horror film directed by Sean S. Cunningham (Trapped Ashes; DeepStar Six; Case of the Full Moon Murders; producer of The Last House on the Left) from a screenplay written by Victor Miller and [uncredited] Ron Kurz.
The plot concerns a group of teenagers who are murdered one-by-one while attempting to re-open an abandoned lakeside campsite and stars Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, and Kevin Bacon (The Following; Flatliners; Tremors) in one of his earliest roles.
Prompted by the massive success of Halloween, the independent Georgetown Productions film was made on an estimated budget of $550,000.
The movie received mainly negative reviews from critics, but grossed over $39.7 million at the box office in the United States, and went on to become one of the most-profitable slasher films in cinema history. It was also the first movie of its kind to secure distribution in the USA by a major studio, Paramount Pictures.
Friday the 13th‘s massive box office success led to a long series of sequels, a crossover with the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and a series reboot released on February 13, 2009.
Buy Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Reviews:
“Beyond the mystery and the story wait the visuals. And the visuals are something truly special. In addition to a great set location and wondrous natural lighting that helps create a dreadful atmosphere we’re also treated to special effects from maestro of realism, Tom Savini. Some of his death scenes are genius.” Addicted to Horror Movies
“Friday the 13th is no great movie and there were even better slashers from around this time. The makers of the movie however realized its power and quickly capitalized on it by creating a bankable killer in Jason Voorhees and the rapid release of sequels (something that Halloween sputtered on). Basement Rejects
“There’s remarkably little T & A given what was to come, but the murders (especially Kevin Bacon’s bed spearing) are memorable and the denouement is a tour de force dominated by Betsy Palmer’s creepily grinning, unflatteringly dressed portrayal of Mrs Vorhees.” Horrorscreams Videovault
” … it is not only self-evidently made on the cheap but is almost completely lacking in style or invention. About the only interesting aspect of the film, really, is the slavishness with which it attempts to duplicate elements of Halloween: title, construction, even visual effects…” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
“The blood looks very real, and no two deaths are alike. There’s also good suspense when the camera takes “killer’s eye view” and chases screaming victims through the woods. In the history of film, there are good imitations and there are bad imitations, and this one is good. Cunningham obviously recognised what made Halloween so successful…” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers
Buy Friday the 13th soundtrack on CD from Amazon.com
Buy On Location in Blairstown from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
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