Favourite Horror Movies 5 – Friday the 13th (1980)
Most fans of horror movies will probably know the iconic Friday 13th franchise.
The series of films follows the murderous rampage of Jason Voorhees, a masked killer who stalks and slays his victims at Camp Crystal Lake. The first movie was released in 1980 and spawned 11 sequels, a reboot, a crossover with Nightmare on Elm Street, and countless merchandise and video games.
But how much do you really know about the Friday 13th movie? In this blog post, we will explore some of the facts, trivia, and behind-the-scenes secrets that make this horror classic so fascinating. Here are some of the things you might not know about Friday 13th:
Warning! This article contains spoilers. It was created for those who have already seen the movie in question. If you have not seen the movie and plan to do so, it is suggested you do so before reading this article.
– The original title of the movie was “Long Night at Camp Blood”. The director, Sean S. Cunningham, came up with the title “Friday 13th” as a marketing gimmick and registered it before he had a script. He then placed an ad in Variety magazine with the title and the tagline “The most terrifying film ever made”. He later said that he wanted to create a movie that was “scary and shocking and brutal”.
– The movie was inspired by Halloween (1978), which was a huge success at the box office. Cunningham wanted to make a similar low-budget slasher film that would capitalize on the popularity of the genre. He hired writer Victor Miller, who had never seen a horror movie before, to write the script. Miller based the story on his own experiences as a camp counsellor and his fear of isolated places.
– The movie was filmed in New Jersey in the fall of 1979. The location was an actual camp called Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, which is still operating today. The crew had to deal with cold weather, rain, snakes, and poison ivy during the production. Some of the actors also suffered injuries from the stunts and special effects.
– The movie features the debut of Tom Savini, who would become one of the most influential makeup artists and special effects wizards in horror history. Savini created the gruesome effects for the movie, such as the decapitation of Mrs. Voorhees, Jason’s mother and the original killer.
– The first movie did not feature the iconic hockey mask (neither did the second). The mask doesn’t appear until the third film, Friday the 13th Part III.
– The movie was a huge hit at the box office, earning over $39 million on a budget of $550,000. It received mostly negative reviews from critics, who criticized its violence, plot holes, and lack of originality. However, it also gained a cult following among horror fans, who praised its suspense, atmosphere, and kills. The movie is widely considered to be one of the most influential and successful horror films of all time.
– The movie spawned a long-running franchise that has become a pop culture phenomenon. Jason Voorhees has become one of the most recognisable and iconic villains in horror history, despite not appearing as the killer until the second movie. The franchise has also inspired numerous parodies, references, homages, and tributes in other media. The most recent instalment of the series was released in 2009 and was a reboot of the original film.
– One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is the death of Jack, played by Kevin Bacon, who is stabbed in the throat with an arrow while lying in bed after having sex with his girlfriend Marcie. This scene was achieved with a special effect that involved a fake torso, a latex neck, and a lot of blood.
According to Kevin Bacon, the effect was done by makeup artist Tom Savini and his assistant Taso Stavrakis, who were under the bed. Savini had a pump that would squirt blood through the latex neck, while Stavrakis had to hold up the fake torso and push the arrow through the hole. However, the pump broke, and Savini had to blow into the tube to make the blood spurt out. This caused a bubble in the blood, which can be seen in the final cut of the movie.
The chronological order of the Friday the 13th films is as follows:
- Friday the 13th (1980):
A group of counsellors are stalked and killed by an unknown assailant at Camp Crystal Lake, where a young boy named Jason drowned years ago. - Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981):
Five years later, another group of counsellors are targeted by a masked man who claims to be Jason Voorhees, who survived his drowning and lives in the woods near the camp. - Friday the 13th Part III (1982):
The next day, Jason escapes from the morgue and attacks a group of friends who are staying at a nearby farmhouse. - Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984):
After being pronounced dead again, Jason is taken to a hospital, where he revives and escapes. He then encounters a family and a group of teenagers renting a house next to Crystal Lake. - Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985):
Four years later, Tommy Jarvis, who killed Jason as a child, is sent to a halfway house for troubled teens, where a series of murders occur that resemble Jason’s modus operandi. - Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986):
Tommy Jarvis exhumes Jason’s grave to cremate his body, but accidentally resurrects him with a lightning strike. Jason then goes on a rampage at Camp Forest Green, formerly known as Camp Crystal Lake. - Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988):
Ten years later, a young woman with telekinetic powers accidentally frees Jason from his watery grave at Crystal Lake. He then clashes with her and her friends at a nearby house. - Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989):
A year later, Jason is revived by an electric cable and boards a cruise ship bound for New York City, where he pursues a high school senior who has visions of him as a child. - Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993):
After being blown up by the FBI, Jason’s spirit possesses various people to continue his killing spree, while seeking his long-lost sister and niece to be reborn in their bodies. - Jason X (2001):
In the year 2455, Jason is cryogenically frozen and taken to a spaceship, where he thaws out and kills the crew and passengers. - Freddy vs. Jason (2003):
In the dream world, Freddy Krueger resurrects Jason and manipulates him to kill teenagers in Springwood, hoping to regain his own power. However, Jason becomes uncontrollable and Freddy decides to fight him for dominance. - Friday the 13th (2009):
A reboot of the original film that incorporates elements from the first four films. A group of young adults visit Crystal Lake, where they encounter Jason Voorhees and his underground lair.
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