We're now 13 days into our 31 day Horror Movie Countdown at The Mixmaster, meaning of course that it's the 13th! And in honor of this most superstitious of numbers, it is only fitting that we take a look back at Friday the 13th (nevermind that today is actually Thursday the 13th). Not a look back 2 years to that less than killer remake mind you but the original 1980 film that first took us to Crystal Lake and showed us how a summer camp was a ripe field for the sticking when it came to teen victims in a Slasher flick. Friday the 13th came two years after Carpenter's 1978 Halloween (revered as the flagship film in the all too popular late '70s/'80s Slashers), making it one of the early pioneers in the subgenre itself and one of the biggest supporters of the "f and die" rule of Slashers. And, boy, would it's influence be seen for years to come. 10 sequels total, the first of which coincidentally introduced us to the hockey mask-wearing face of the franchise (Jason's mom, Mrs. Pamela Voorhees was of course doing the hacking and slashing the first go round). Later, Jason himself would be our terrifying tour guide, taking us everywhere from Manhattan, to Hell and back, even space (how could not mention the masterpiece that was Jason X)! He would even go on to face-off, blade to blades, against another icon of the genre, A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger, in the 2003 series crossover Freddy vs. Jason. But the true sign of impacting the Horror genre? Getting your own wine label! Oh yes, the Friday the 13th Crystal Lake Wine label exists (founded by Part 1 &2 actress Adrienne King). When, because of you, the streets run red with blood and Cabernet Sauvignon, that's how you know you've made it as a serial killer.
Not to mention the countless campy copycats: The Burning written by none other than Harvey Weinstein, Cheerleader Camp, Summer Camp Nightmare, Madman, and the weirdest of weird Sleepaway Camp and its countless, unnecessary sequels.
Friday the 13th has inspired sequels, spin-offs, rip-offs, remakes, odd product tie-ins, one of the most popular Halloween costumes of all time for teen boys, and a fear of ever letting your guard down as a kid away at summer camp. And a reminder to always be nice to the weird kid in your bunk and making sure he knows how to swim.
Most Memorable Scene:
The one where you first hear this. Even kids today whisper this to scare their friends and have no idea where it originates from. That's the definition of having an impact on pop culture.
While it sounds like and is often thought to be "'kill kill kill die die die," it is in fact "ki ki ki, ma ma ma." Friday the 13th composer Harry Manfredini has stated that the hidden sound effect was meant to represent Mrs. Voorhees' hearing in her head Jason's voice saying "kill kill kill, mom mom mom." According to IMDb, "It was inspired by the scene in which Mrs. Voorhees seems to be possessed by Jason and chants 'Get her mommy....kill her!' "
And then of course there's this one...
The Mixmaster's Horror Movie Countdown October 1: Halloween October 2: Antichrist October 3: Student Bodies October 4: Poltergeist October 5: Jaws October 6: Suspiria October 7: Scream October 8: The Fly October 9: Dead Alive October 10: Drag Me to Hell October 11: Se7en October 12: Rosemary's Baby
