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Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Robbi Morgan ... see more see more... , Mark Nelson , Jeannine Taylor , Kevin Bacon , Ari Lehman , Peter Brouwer , Ronn Carroll , Rex Everhart , Sally Anne Golden , Walter Gorney , Ron Millkie , Jeanine Taylor , Laurie Bartham , Walt Gorney

One of the longest-running horror film series began with this gory shocker from director Sean S. Cunningham, who had previously produced Wes Craven's classic Last House on the Left. Entrepreneur Steve... read more read more... Christie (Peter Brouwer) re-opens Camp Crystal Lake after many years during which it has been cursed by murders and bad luck. The young and nubile counselors all begin to die extremely bloody deaths at the hands of an unseen killer during a rainstorm which isolates the camp. A woman is chopped in the face with an axe, another has her throat sliced in amazingly gruesome fashion, a male counselor (Harry Crosby) is pinned to a door with arrows, and a young Kevin Bacon has an arrow shoved through his throat from below a bed. Victor Miller's script is not particularly impressive, but Cunningham's tense direction, and some remarkable special-effects by acclaimed makeup artist Tom Savini are enough to make it worthwhile. 1950s quiz show regular Betsy Palmer appears as the cook whose son, Jason (Ari Lehman), drowned 25 years earlier while neglected by romancing counselors. Palmer was reportedly cast because she was willing to drive her own car to and from the set. Trivia buffs should note the decapitation scene near the end, in which the female killer exhibits rather hirsute hands clutching at the air. The hands belong to Savini's assistant, Taso N. Stavrakis. Friday the 13th made over 20 million dollars at the box office and spawned numerous sequels. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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66% liked it

206,219 ratings

Critics

60% liked it

47 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham

Release Date: May 9, 1980

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DVD Release Date: October 19, 1999

Stats: 7,938 reviews

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Me, Dave, and Mike w/ ass kickin Betsy Palmer Friday the 13th Friday the 13th Friday the 13th Friday the 13th Friday the 13th Laurie Bartram Cast of Friday the 13th Friday the 13th Friday the 13th French Poster Friday the 13th Friday the 13th friday the 13th Friday the 13th Little Jason Friday the 13th jason vorhes
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Flixster Reviews (7,938)

  • jlewis07
    May 4, 2012
    jlewis07
    Doesn't deserve classic status among top shelf horror greats like "Halloween" and " A Nightmare on Elm Street", but it certainly isn't that bad. The film has some good cinematography and has that old school horror feeling I love that just isn't there among horror films these days... read more, but the script is lacking. If they would have gone with the "fake" ending I think it would have been a little stronger, but taken as it is Friday the 13th is just a mildy fun, but disposable horror film that for whatever reason gets cited among great films.
  • aquateen2
    January 18, 2012
    aquateen2
    Friday the 13th is completely undeserving of the reputation it has held on to for the past 30 years next to Wes Craven's masterpiece Nightmare on Elm Street. That's a movie much more influential to horror cinema. Director Sean Cunningham has unfortunately created "The Last House ... read moreon the Left" lite, because it wasn't nearly as scary and is just trashy. It's extremely outdated and it's "protaganists" are cocky and annoying which make me root for the killer a little too much. However I did jump a couple of times and antagonist Jason Voordhees is without a doubt a memorable horror icon. But that's because he's a typical horror villian. It's worth watching for it's cultural significance and a few jumps. Apart from this it's not worth your time. Maybe the sequels were an improvement to this dull start, I dont know. But just because it was the first one. It doesn't mean it's the best one.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 13, 2012
    FilmFanatik
    What began as a rip-off of both Halloween and Twitch of the Death Nerve served as a film series that, in many ways, is more popular and loved than either of the films it ripped off. Now, I'm not saying that it gratuitously ripped them off, but it did steal quite a bit (especially... read more in the following sequel). Friday the 13th is Sean Cunningham's attempt at a "really scary movie" mixed with a "roller coaster ride" that you can both laugh at and be scared by. You can't really judge this film based on the quality of its material. It isn't Shakespeare. It's a film about a bunch of camp counslers being picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. In many ways, it's a giallo, but it never seems to be classified as such. It's more about the tension building and the shock value than the actual quality of the filmmaking. It works like gangbusters, of course, despite the lack of any real money to make it or quality of its story. In my opinion it's an excellent start to great a series while not being the best of it. It has its flaws, but the overall quality of the film is enjoyable enough not to be overlook it. It would expand in later entries as other filmmakers came along to make better films, but on its own it's a pretty effective horror film and still has lot of power in its death sequences.
  • fb729949618
    October 26, 2011
    fb729949618
    This started it all. Nothing more to be said, except you must watch it if you already haven't. Classic.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    Really good directed. It's far from perfectly filmed....but that's what makes it so good. The end fight was a little weak...but hey...who cares?
  • fb100000257973100
    July 29, 2011
    fb100000257973100
    There is one thing about influential horror films that must always be taken into account: when one that changed cinema is made, there are bound to be countless attempts at cashing in on the accomplishment that that film has made. But, it is rare that a film ends up being so succe... read moressful that it is able to break away from being the opposite and becomes it's own film (even tagging along a franchise made up of terrible sequels). Friday The 13th is one of those films that tried to be the opposite of Halloween, but was able to break new ground and was the main topic in numerous debates over censorship due to how graphic the violence was at that time. But, while the deaths were beyond creative, what this film lacks is any real development from any of the characters, being unable to care for anyone, and just dealing with mainly poor acting and a cliched script that is laughable at best. When I first saw this film, I was already aware of this film and it's history in cinema. So, I already knew what to expect from this movie. But, there is something of a charm that works with this film that satisfies the hunger people have to see blood, guts, and gore on screen. And for me, being the young teenager I was when I saw this film, I will say that that hunger was satisfied greatly. Now for the details. This being the main directorial debut of Sean S. Cunningham (producer of the original The Last House On The Left), he does an okay job. There is nothing special with how he directed the film, just okay. Personally, I would of liked it if he was more creative with some styles, but the idea to have the killer hidden for the film actually works. But, while he directed the film, there is one other director that worked on this film as the Special Effects director that needs to be mentioned: Tom Savini. This man, I will say, is the greatest effects artist of all time and this film is an impressive showcase of his talent and how creative he was when making these deaths. They are simple, yet original and effective which have been shown to still freak people out if they are unaware of this film (even more the ending). Now, if this film would have been directed by Savini, I wonder how it would of turned out. Now for the acting. For the most part, same as directing: nothing to brag about. And that is sad due to them having Kevin Bacon in the film. He is a great actor, and for him to give a mediocre performance in this film is just sad. But, due to this being his first film and, from what I have read, he was thrown in for the sex appeal, I guess I can cut him some slack with this film. But the main actor that needs to be said is Betsy Palmer as Mrs. Voorhees. While she has a small role in this film, she is terrifying as this outraged parent. She is scary, disturbing, and a little bit sympathetic at times. Next the score. The score, like that of Halloween, has gone down in history as being legendary. Even more the famous echo beat that is played through out. Now, is it scary? No, not really. But it is effective in making this film fun. Finally the script. They had a lot of potential of making the writing great. They could of made the film well written, given some dimensions to the characters, and make them all real. But, Ron Kurz did not do that. He made the script rushed and just to collect his paycheck. Disappointing. Overall, this film is great if you are a horror film fanatic, like seeing creative deaths, or want to see the origins of one of the most iconic characters in cinema history.
  • ScoopOnline
    May 13, 2011
    ScoopOnline
    Dont blame them it was their first FRIDAY THE 13th
    Jason Vorhees was unexperienced in all that slashing.
  • cosmo313
    May 13, 2011
    cosmo313
    Okay, so this isn't like a good movie in general, but as a genre entry, it's top notch. It's spawned so many imitators and ripoffs it's not even funny.

    By modern standards it's pretty tame, but it has a decent atmosphere. The kill scenes and make up effects are still top notch,... read more even if they are a little tame and dated. Man, these must have been amazing and super impressive when this film first came out. Nowadays they are just fun, and a good reminder of how effective practical effects can be as opposed to CG.

    As I said, this isn't really that good of a movie per se, with things like writing, direction, and acting just being average, but they're stll serviceable nonetheless. This isn't the most subtle horror film, but it's a lot better than most of it's sequels and many of it's copiers.
  • coollala0910
    April 7, 2011
    coollala0910
    I can easily see how this became a horror classic. For me, "Friday the 13th" kicked off all those notable and infamous horror movie cliches. I actually saw the sixth and seventh films in the series before I got around this one. I actually
    agree with the Tomatometer on this one.... read more "FT13" wasn't all
    that.

    The story follows a group of stupid, sexed up campers who visit the newly reopened Camp Crystal Lake, commonly known as Camp Blood due to its murderous past. Murderous past, eh?
    Yup, you guessed it. Some knife-wielding maniac is staliking
    these campers. And yes, they get killed one by one.

    Lets begin by discussing the deaths. These deaths weren't very exciting. The film relied more on eeriness and jump
    scenes as oppose to scariness, IMO. I like my horror films
    to be scary. If not, then it isn't a horror film. I also
    prefer the deaths to be elaborate and gory. But not too
    gory. I can get a bit squeamish myself. The deaths in this
    seem to all be throat-sliding and stomach-stabbings. If there is one death that I enjoyed, it would have to be the
    one where Kevin Bacon's girlfriend gets pwned with an axe.

    "Friday the 13th" has some of the stupidest characters I've
    seen in a film. I did state they were all just stupid and
    sexed up. And that is so true and annoying. Sex seems to all they care about. Remember the scene where they play "Strip
    Monopoly"? Oh, how fun! **Rolls eyes** They end up having
    to stop the game (Can't remember why) and what got me the most is that one of the girls go outside in her lingerie
    and a raincoat. She doesn't even bother dressing back?
    What a retard! They just did that to keep balancing the
    sexy aspect of the film with the horror one. Didn't work
    for me. I learned a lot from this film like putting your
    clothes back no matter what.

    I think the series got better when introduced Jason Voorhees as the killer. The killer in this, Pamela Voorhees, is
    trying to be like Michael Myers too much. Jason on the other hand, was more original. Hockey mask and machete, I'm in.
    But the series went downhill from these. But from my POV, this series was never great.

    The last problem I had with the film was how long it took
    to pick up. The opening scene was spooky but that was just
    maybe only the best part.

    Lame movie that should only be recognized for being so cliched and dull.
  • CreedsDelight
    January 30, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    Ah the first of the Jason slasher series.

    Grade: D

View All Friday the 13th Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
September 26, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

For all its shoddiness, the film manages, just barely, to achieve its ignoble goals -- it delivers what it promises. Full Review

Joseph Litsch
March 7, 2005
Joseph Litsch, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The whole film is one of the best arguments for resuming movie censorship to come along in years. Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 15, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Beware of this infamous, sadistic slasher film. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
October 19, 2010
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

It hasn't aged well; its nonstyle renders it pretty sedate these days. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
September 6, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Within the dead-teenie realm it achieves a certain classicism Full Review

Rob Nelson
August 21, 2009
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Has there ever been a more unimaginative exercise in big-screen terror? Full Review

Kevin Carr
March 5, 2009
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

What makes the movie work is that the slasher genre hadn't been set in stone yet, and some choices that director Sean S. Cunningham makes in the film that work against type. Full Review

James Kendrick
February 14, 2009
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

a campfire boogeyman story designed to do little more than build tension and deliver a few well-timed shocks, which it does with precision and even a bit of artistry Full Review

Brian Webster
February 13, 2009
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide

How do you sum up a movie that's really quite awful yet helped define a filmmaking era? Full Review

Peter Canavese
February 10, 2009
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Whether you want to credit or blame Friday the 13th for its role in influencing modern cineplex cinema is a matter of taste. [Blu-ray] Full Review

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Facts

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    • Crazy Ralph: You're going to Camp Blood, ain't ya?
    • Truck Driver: Goddammit, Ralph, get outta here! Go on, get! Leave people alone!
    • Crazy Ralph: You'll never come back again.
    • Truck Driver: Oh, shut up, Ralph.
    • Crazy Ralph: It's got a death curse!
    • Mrs. Voorhees: Jason was my son, and today is his birthday.
    • Mrs. Voorhees: Look what you did to him!
    • Mrs. Voorhees: Kill her, Mommy! Kill her!
    • Mrs. Voorhees: (in a child's voice; in the distance) - Help me. Help me! Help me.
    • Crazy Ralph: I'm a messenger of God. You're doomed if you stay here!
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Friday the 13th Trivia

  • Jason Voorhees started wearing his famous hockey mask in what 'Friday the 13th' movie?  Answer »
  • Which "Friday the 13th" had Jason only in a dream sequence, while a copycat "Jason" was doing all the killing?  Answer »
  • In which "Friday the 13th" does Jason Voorhees not apear in.  Answer »
  • In Which "Friday the 13th" does Jason Voorhees get the trademark hockey mask.  Answer »
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