Ever since its marketing debut at Birmingham Horror Con back in February, The Quacky Slasher has been a hotly anticipated short film on the indie genre circuit. Directed by Peter Mckeirnon (Dead Town, Swings and Roundabouts), The Quacky Slasher is an affectionate, all out parody of the golden era of slasher movies in the schlocky sense.
Following a traumatic childhood experience in which he saw his father mauled to death by ducks, Michael Quackers (Andrew Butterworth) is on the rampage, stabbing and slashing several unwitting yet disreputable victims who are unlucky enough to cross his path.
Made on a shoe-string budget, The Quacky Slasher utilizes the resources it’s equipped with which adds to the overall charm. It’s tongue-in-cheek from the outset with the humour coming across as naturally funny rather than forced. Do not go in expecting a high quality, polished film but rather take it for what it is. The editing is choppy in places with the transitions between scenes abruptly starting and ending rather than transitioning smoothly or in a slick fashion but again that may have been intentional.
The cast and crew have clearly put in a lot of dedication and have created a film which lovingly satires the likes of Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), and Pieces (1982). Much like the cult classics that preceded it, The Quacky Slasher plays with the familiar trope of childhood trauma affecting the killer’s future actions and inevitably quenching their bloodthirst! There’s some fan-worthy nods in there especially to legendary screen killers Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. In an early scene, Michael lurks down the aisles of a novelty shop and of course selects the duck mask rather than the masks of his famous counterparts, making the statement that this demented duck is coming into his own.
The film is also a self-confessed homage to iconic, British cult series, The League of Gentlemen (1999-2002). Mckeirnon has employed the idea of the ordinary, small British town where a dark underbelly lurks underneath the surface and the quirky characters who inhabit it. Three intertwining sub-plots run through the 35-minute-long short, there’s the dodgy dealings of the corrupt criminals, the ‘slow on the uptake’ police officers and of course Michael’s quackers killing spree. Mckerinon places a refreshing spin on the conventional inept police detectives by casting two females in the roles, conveying that gender in horror can be flip-sided to suit all kids of stock characters.
The sinister synth score which plays at pivotal moments aids the 80’s tone that the film possesses. In fact, there isn’t really a ‘modern’ feel to it at all, Michael’s backstory reveal is told the old-fashioned way and technology barely plays a role, staying authentic to the era of genre it’s paying homage to. It depicts its more bloody moments wisely and does contain some great set pieces of gore. The mask itself is pretty striking, allowing Michael Quackers to make his unforgettable mark.
The Quacky Slasher has a niche appeal about it. It’s a film created for fans of low budget exploitation, horror/comedy as well as traditional slashers. It’s wholly exaggerated, campy and completely played for laughs.
This is one slashtastic spoof that is absolutely quackers! Whatever you do ‘Don’t F**k with the Duck’!!
The organizers behind Horror Con UK have announced some exciting news on their Facebookpage. Since the reveal that the UK’s first ever Horror convention would be returning to Magna Science Park in Sheffield this July, fans and supporters of the event have been eager to see which guests would be lined up.
Last year featured the late Gunnar Hansen (AKA. Leatherface in 1974’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Tom Savini (FX Artist on Friday the 13th, The Burning, Texas Chainsaw 2 etc.), and Bill Moseley (Star of Devil’s Rejects, House of a 1000 Corpses and also Texas Chainsaw 2) to name a few.
The Yorkshire based event that celebrates blood, guts and gore on film as well as other mediums proudly revealed that the first guest to bring shock and terror to Britain this summer would be the legendary Kane Hodder, best known as the definitive Jason Voorhees. Hodder is the actor and stunt man who played the machete-wielding maniac in the most films beginning with Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood(1988) up until bad movie favourite Jason X (2001); that bizarrely saw the Camp Crystal Lake killer conquer space! Hodder is not only known for his Jason role, he also portrayed the terrifying swamp mutant Victor Crowley in Adam Green’s blood-soaked shocker Hatchet (2006)and its two sequels.
Horror Con 2016 runs from Saturday July 9th & Sunday July 10th.
Keep updated on 2016’s goriest UK event over onFacebook. It’s the perfect event for fans of the gorier side of film to get together and celebrate everything they love about the genre while supporting up and coming and independent filmmakers and much, much more!
If you’re seeking out a decent modern slasher then look no further. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s (Director on American Horror Story) semi-remake/re-imagining of The Town that Dreaded Sundown is a solid slasher film reminiscent of the classic period of 70s and 80’s slash n’ hack fests!
The Town that Dreaded Sundown is not a direct remake of the 1976 film of the same name that delved into the brutal slaying’s that took place in 1946 Arkansas. Gomez-Rejon completely does his own thing, updating the story for modern horror goers while bringing in a clever and refreshing meta-narrative that separates it from the generic remake it could have become if fallen into the wrong hands.
In 2014 Sundown (that takes place in 2013!), 1976 Sundown is merely a movie adaptation of the true and tragic events that darkened the little Texan town of Texarkana back in the 1940s. The film is used by police officers as evidence in order to decipher a pattern between the original murders, the film depiction and the horrific crimes that are taking place in 2013. Having authority so active in a slasher is atypical as normally they ignore the warnings of the heroine and end up sliced and diced by the masked killer. The Town that Dreaded Sundown has a strong sense of community running through it with the safety of others being integral.
The use of clips of the murder scenes from 1976 Sundown inserted in with footage from the current film pays a fantastic homage to the source material while emphasizing the copycat killer angle and the impact of the infamous crimes on Texarkana. There’s a strong sense of the film’s legacy, the clips from 76′ are grainy while modern Sundown is stylish and polished, highlighting the passage of time and how advanced filmmaking has become on a technical level since the 70’s. We even meet Charles B. Pierece Jr (played by American Horror favourite Denis O’ Hare), the fictional version of the son of original director Charles B. Pierce in order to gain an insight into the behind-the-scenes of the film and theories into the identity of the 1946 murderer, breaking the fourth wall.
1976 Sundown is screened on Halloween at the drive-in movie theatre despite protests from the town’s religious figure Reverend Cartwright (the late Edward Hermann) with claims of it being a ‘Godless film’. The drive-in movie setting is the first element that aesthetically brings in a nostalgic factor to the film, already making the slasher fan comfortably at home. Its there we meet our heroine Jami (Addison Timlin) who sneaks off with love interest Corey (Spencer Treat Clark) to the former spot known as ‘Lovers Lane’, they are attacked by an ambiguous figure wearing a sack over his head with small holes where the eyes are meant to be (early inspiration for Jason Voorhees a la Friday the 13th: Part 2 maybe?). Corey is brutally slain in a scene of high octane violence. With Corey coming in as victim number one, this killer wants to let the town know he has returned after 65 years. The Phantom has some unfinished business with the inhabitants of Texarkana and his sights now set on Jami!
Addison Timlin plays Jami as the modern final girl with classic qualities. She’s reminiscent of a Sidney Prescott (Scream 1-4) type with a tragic back-story vital to the impact of the Phantom’s reign of terror. She’s relentless and resourceful, aiding the police in their investigation and determined to bring the perpetrator of these violent crimes to justice. Timlin’s performance carries the film well keeping the audience firmly on her side. There’s a subversion on the final girl theory that she must remain virginal in order to survive and the twist that comes with it. However there’s plenty of sex equals death moments to keep things a certain degree of traditional.
The violence is fast paced and grizzly providing a squirmworthy viewing experience and shocking death scenes. The Phantom speaks sinisterly and is cruel and torturous with his aimless killings, the most brutal being his attack on a teenage interracial gay couple, most likely producer Ryan Murphy’s influence. The scene is quite profound acting as a metaphor for the intolerance of sexuality combined with race in a predominantly religious town. The scene in particular aids Sundown to stand out from the shallow slashers out there with nothing interesting to offer whereas Murphy is never afraid to push the boundaries when it comes to the taboo. The final showdown and killer reveal could have incorporated more depth, feeling too rushed but the outcome works well and is unexpected.
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (2014) is daring, nostalgic while keeping things modern and challenging. Its slashertastic and one of the better remakes out there that can be appreciated by fans new and old!
This week its time to present a campfire chiller all vengeful and bloody ready for Halloween. With the Abertoir Horror Festivalon its way next month, complete with a notorious video nasties theme, it seemed appropriate to offer one of the first films that made it onto the UK’s banned list back in the 1980’s. Now while I’m all for recommending a certain iconic hockey-masked wearing, machete-wielding psycho that goes around slaying sexually-charged happy campers, The Burning is an interesting film in its own right. This is mainly because while the film pays homage to the sub-genre and shares its style and themes with the studio-slasher from the previous year, Friday the 13th (1980), it doesn’t wholly stick with expected conventions. However for its time of production The Burning still played it safe in terms of not diverting too far from conventionality. The early 80’s saw a out pour in popularity with the stalk’n slash teen movie and this was one of the earliest. Before Freddy Kruger there was Cropsy.
A summer camp prank goes horribly wrong when a group of young teen males band together to exact revenge on their mean caretaker Cropsy (Lou David). What begins as a harmless scare turns into terror as the boys accidentally cause a drunk Cropsy to burn alive after knocking over a lit, decomposed skull. After five years of hospital rehabilitation, Cropsy is unleashed back into society, hell bent on murdering groups of youths near the summer camp he endured his fateful accident. The hormone-driven adolescents have no idea what’s in store once Cropsy and his sharp shears returns to bump them all off.
The Burning materialized following well-known movie producer Harvey Weinstein’s desire to break into the film industry. Spotting the opportunity to capitalize on the success of low-budget horror films such as Halloween(1978) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Weinstein discovered a niche and then began to swap scary stories with his producing partner Michael Cohl. Recalling the legend of The Cropsy Maniac (the intended title) that he heard at a upstate New York summer camp as a child, Weinstein and Cohl had an idea on their hands. Upon the film’s release certain reviews (one found in J.A. Kerswell’sTeenage Wasteland (p.192) suggested that The Burning had attempted to replicate the success of Sean. S Cunnigham’s Friday the 13th which coincidentally was released a year prior. Weinstein has adamantly stated that he wrote his treatment for The Burning in 1979 and registered it in April 1980 a month before Friday the 13th was released. Tom Savini who was noted for his effective make up work on Friday the 13th opted to work on The Burning over the second part in the Friday franchise also released in 1981. His effects that transform Cropsy into a frightful monster are exceptional, providing a sense that he’s not quite human like the storytelling campers talk about within the film.
The Burning is a classic tale of a murderous maniac exacting revenge on those who wronged him, one that has been heard from a friend of a friend and so on. Cleverly The Burning doesn’t let on as to whether the events of the film are real or not. Are we the audience just part of a campfire tale? Delving into the anxieties modern society faced such as the rebellion of youth and the lack of adult authority, The Burning is one of many 80’s horror films that achieves the notion of paranoia. Much of the killings take place during daylight which frighteningly allows the threat (the killer) to step into our supposed safe every day lives.
There’s plenty of horror in store but also an interesting mix of teen movie/comedy tropes involving pre-marital sex ( a big no in slashers!) and elements of the coming-of-age film which lulls the viewer into a false sense of security as the The Burning really does slow-burn before getting to its bloodiest moments, allowing us to get acquainted with the young campers and their care-free attitudes that makes us forget horrible things are about to happen. There’s a sense of friendship at play as The Burning does something rare in comparison to the lot of slashers, it shortly does touch on the subject of remorse experienced by the remaining survivors following the discovery of the bodies of their dead friends on the abandoned raft; highlighting the severity of the ghastly events and their impact on the young.
Glazer is persistent for Sally’s affections.
Just like several films of its era, The Burning is a fable to suggest that if teenagers engage in sexual activity there will be dire consequences. However this is made complex throughout the narrative, the young female characters aren’t completely susceptible to the charms and occasionally forcefulness of their male peers, providing uncomfortable viewing. Interestingly, Cropsy’s first three on-screen victims are female (excluding the infamous raft scene). The first is a prostitute that Cropsy visits on his release from hospital, a sequence echoing the famous scene from Peeping Tom (1960), where we see the victim’s fear from Cropsy’s point-of-view. The second is Karen (Carolyn Houlihan) after she behaves like a cock-tease towards Eddy (Ned Eisenberg). She goes as far as skinny dipping with him but refuses to let him go the whole way, apprehensive due to his ladies-man persona, Karen worries that she’ll just be another “statistic” which hints as a metaphor to the fear of contracting a sexually-transmitted disease. Despite her decision to not have sex she still ends up dead, ironically a statistic in a teenage bloodbath. The frustrations of Eddy and Karen mirror those of the killer’s, all based in rejection, rejection from human contact.
Sally’s death scene. Sex = Death trope.
Cropsy’s third victim is Sally (Carrick Glenn). Sally plays hard to get against Glazer (Larry Joshua), who’s persistent and makes promises of a wonderful experience. On the outside Glazer is a brute and disrespectful to his peers but demonstrates signs of naivety and vulnerability. Sally eventually gives into him but the sex is far from the greatness she expected and is then the next to meet her demise. Even though the female characters are written a little more than one-dimensional with elements of headstrong personalities, they all fall into the the sex equals death category which wasn’t turned on its head until mid-90’s horror and beyond.
Todd, The Final Boy seeks out to defeat Cropsy.
Now where the film differs from its Halloween’s and Friday the 13th’s is by subverting the traditional dynamic of the inclusion of the final girl. The active character this time round who faces the killer head on is in fact male and one of the pranksters from the beginning of the movie, camp counsellor Todd (Brian Matthews). From a storytelling point of view this made sense with Todd confronting his mistakes in early adult-hood as he was partly responsible for Cropsy’s disfigurement. Interestingly he rescues another male character, Alfred (Brian Backer), the observant one that first sees a glimpse of Cropsy from the window early on while the others dismiss him. Together these characters embody the tropes associated with the final girl. The Burning remains one of the only films of the genre to feature a final boy instead with Todd representing the muscle and Alfred the mind. Together they combine the essential ingredients for a horror movie survivor while eliminating the boy saves girl or vice versa convention.
The identification with the killer in slasher cinema was fast becoming a sub-genre staple. Point-of-view shots from Cropsy are depicted early on within the film, the effect was created with the use of vaseline rubbed onto the camera lens to indicate distortion. In this case the teenagers describe him as a monster and use him as scary-story material but from an audience perspective there is a slight sense of empathy for our shear-swinging psycho. The Burning doesn’t establish enough as to what sort of brutal acts Cropsy conducted during his time as a caretaker and whether he warranted such an unpleasant fate at the hands of the kids who claimed his cruelty. Therefore there’s a complexity at play as to who’s side the audience should be on, or possibly we’re meant to see it from both angles. Unlike Michael and Jason, Cropsy does not disguise himself with a mask, however he embodies the tropes of the silent killer. His burned face was possibly an early inspiration for Freddy Krueger.
Strangely, the BBFC over here in the UK had let Friday the 13th off the hook and was released uncut in 1980. James Ferman, the censorship director at the time had deemed it too “far-fetched” to even be considered realistic. However by 1981 things had changed. 26 cuts to the gore effects were made to The Burning when it came out on September 23rd 1981 with a big, fat X certificate. The 26 seconds did reduce the impact of the film’s goriest scenes which depict close-ups of impalements courtesy of a sharp object. When home video was on the rise, Thorn-EMI allegedly put the the uncut version of the film by accident onto VHS. This was where the controversy began. When the film was seized under the Obscene Publications Act, Thorn-EMI tried their hardest to ensure the government that they had not purposely intended to release the film in its original state. They attempted a compromise where they would bring out a BBFC-approved version, however video-store owners and gore-hungry horror fans alike tried to keep their copies of the version that was meant to be seen making it one of the most infamous video nasties of the decade. Looking back now in 2014, it does go to show that when banning certain films, while letting others into the public domain unscathed that were thematically similar to each other that there was little knowledge about horror films when it came to censors, making them appear contradictory and ignorant but this is something that has been covered exceedingly well in both of Jake West’s Video Nasties documentaries, Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape (2010) and Draconian Days (2014).
The Burning is one to watch this Halloween. While it didn’t hit the same chord as the Friday the 13th franchise or generate mindless sequels (thank God!), its a gem in its own right. While not the greatest horror film ever made, its by far not the worst, it includes some of Tom Savini’s best FX work and an insight into a different slasher perspective. Who could forget the iconic imagery of Cropsy holding up his shears ready to kill?! Its based on a real-life urban legend too! The Burning launched the careers of Holly Hunter, Jason Alexander and Fisher Stevens, all the best actors start out in horror (yes I’m referring to you Johnny Depp!). But best of all you can watch it completely and totally uncut!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the awesome mum’s out there. In the horror film, mother’s have played an integral part in the makings of some of our beloved psycho killers. So, what better way to spend mother’s day than counting down some of my personal top five maniacal mother’s who have created carnage on our blood-splattered screens for several decades. These martriach’s would go to any warped lengths for their children and that’s why we love them! I’d like to dedicate this review to my own mother as a thank you for introducing me to the horror genre at a young age, attending some of the UK’s best festivals with me and for generally being awesome.
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6. Mrs Koffin, Mother’s Day (2010)
Played by Rebecca De Mornay
In a performance uncannily similar to that in 90’s thriller, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992); Rebecca De Mornay yet again plays an unhinged woman with maternal instincts. This mother will do all she can to protect her sons, even kill! When a bank robbery goes wrong, the three Koffin brothers turn to their mother for assistance in occupying their old house while taking the new owners and their friends hostage. Initially Mrs Koffin acts friendly towards the frightened individuals, but once she questions them about supposed money her sons had sent her to that address and the group fail to comply in giving back what’s rightfully her’s, things get nasty! With a calm and collected exterior, Mrs Koffin soon shows she’s not to be messed with, permitting her sons to carry out unspeakable acts of violence on the innocent victims. Ambiguous and unsettling, this psychological thriller keeps the audience on edge unknowing what the mother will do next! Mother’s Day was originally a 1980’s exploitation, Troma film directed by Charles Kaufman that has since garnered a cult following, but in this case Darren Lyn Bousman created a glossy, loose re-telling to fit in with today’s Hollywood standard of remakes. That said, Rebecca De Mornay proved to be the perfect casting choice in an overall enjoyable film.
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5. Beverly Sutphin, Serial Mom (1994)
Played By Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner is superb as the crazed suburban housewife who gets her kicks out of murdering those who don’t comply by her rules! In John Waters warped social commentary on media violence and its effects on society, deranged Beverly Sutphin becomes somewhat of a serial killer celebrity gaining empathy and support from her adoring public. She is most defensive when it comes to her two teenage children Chip and Misty, she brutally runs over her son’s Maths teacher who claims he needs psychological help due to an “unhealthy obsession” with horror movies and graphically impales her daughter’s love interest when she spots him with another girl. Beverly isn’t the most subtle of serial killers, she doesn’t cover her tracks well and is pretty much suspected from the off. She gets her thrills from terrorizing her neighbor with obscene phone calls and isn’t afraid to be vocal about her distaste for others behavior. She is however a lot smarter than first assumed and manages to defend herself in court, getting the backs up of her antagonists and influencing the jury to set her free. In a extraordinary Waters style twist, Beverly’s husband and children are fiercely loyal to her, campaigning for her release while unashamedly basking in the fact their mother has murdered six people with some gruesome methods. In a film very much commenting on the changing society of the 90’s and media influence, Beverly is a glorified serial killer much to do with the fact she embodies what a lot of women could relate to, the fairly normal housewife and mother archetype who is not to be underestimated. The themes in this black comedy such as blame on media violence and the glamorization of murder trials still holds relevant. Beverly is one quirky killing mother not to be messed with. Remember, always recycle and rewind your video tapes!
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4. Mrs Bates, Psycho (1960)
Played By Anthony Perkins
Arguably one of the most iconic mother’s in horror, Mrs Bates is integral to son Norman’s psychosis and despite being a rotting corpse she makes a prominent presence in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic adaptation. Driven by jealousy, in life Mrs Bates behaved in a controlling manner towards her only son, forbidding him any romantic involvement and claiming any woman with her as an exception were “whores”. Norman lived isolation with his mother for several years until she embarks on a relationship with Joe Constidine who encourages her to open the infamous Bates Motel. Feeling his mother slipping away from him following neglect, Norman cruelly poisons her and her husband to be in a staged suicide attempt. Unable to deal with his loss with guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders, Norman brings his mother back to life in a sense as she becomes a section of his personality, motivating his psychotic tendencies against women he develops an attraction for. Norman dresses in her clothes while maintaining her mummified corpse. By the film’s end Norman becomes institutionalized with his mother’s personality consuming him. She acts as a justification for his murderous ways. Mrs Bates was heavily influential on one of the suspense genre’s most well-remembered killers. When Hitchcock released Psycho he achieved a hair-raising effect on his audience especially with the reveal of this macabre mother’s decaying corpse and Norman Bates’s disturbed split personality. Her legacy lives on!
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3. Mrs Loomis, Scream 2 (1997)
Played By Laurie Metcalf.
In an unexpected twist, the second ghostface killer reveal in the highly anticipated Scream sequel was one menacing mother hellbent on revenge for the death of her equally psychotic son Billy Loomis. Mrs Loomis is extremely crafty in terms of how she goes about getting her vengeance. Following some plastic surgery, she creates a new identity for herself as Debbie Salt, the over eager news reporter who rubs Gale Weathers up the wrong way. Popping up at the crime scene following some of Windsor College’s gruesome murders she has the perfect cover, innocently “reporting” the incidents. Her plan is calculating as she intends to frame college student and partner in crime Mickey Altieri for all the murders while taking out Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers in the process for their part in the death of her son from the first installment. Channeling Mrs Voorhees from Friday the 13th (1980), she is purely motivated by grief and revenge. Billy became a murderer after she abandoned him following her husband’s affair with Sidney’s mother and she continues his legacy. She blames Sidney heavily for the breakdown of her family unit and won’t stop until she has her dead. Mrs Loomis is remembered for killing fan favorite and movie buff Randy Meeks who met his maker from speaking poorly of Billy. When re-watching Scream 2, its clear at which moments feature Mrs Loomis donning the ghostface attire as she is left handed when she takes to the blade. She does not succeed in her thirst for revenge as she is killed by Cotton Weary who was framed for killing Sidney’s mother in the original film. Sidney shoots her in the head one last time to make sure she’s well and truly gone. Mrs Loomis was the first female killer in the Scream franchise making her the original Ghostface Girl before myself and Caitlyn!
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2. Margaret White, Carrie (1976)
Played by Piper Laurie
You can’t create a list of Horror’s most psychotic mother’s without the inclusion of Margaret White. With origins in literature through Stephen King’s novel, Margaret White is the fanatical religious mother of telekinetic Prom Queen Carrie. The most memorable portrayal of this character comes in the shape of Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation. With an emphasis on anything to do with sex or the female body as a sin including Carrie experiencing a traumatic first period, Mrs White is the worst mother any teenager could possibly have. She raises Carrie with extreme restrictions, sheltering her from reality. When she becomes aware of Carrie’s abilities she behaves fearfully and deems her a “witch” frequently reading passages from the bible. She meets her demise following Carrie’s blood-soaked rampage at her prom. Carrie returns to her home broken and drained then Mrs White viciously stabs her, this causes Carrie to use her abilities to impale her mother in a symbolic killing mimicking a religious figure. Piper Laurie gives a somewhat hammy yet unsettling performance, this is due to her allegedly perceiving the script as a comedy but it does work well in creating an unhinged, mentally unstable character. Due to her performance as Mrs White, Piper Laurie achieved some award nominations for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Playing this insane mother ultimately relaunched her career.
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1. Mrs Voorhees, Friday the 13th (1980)
Played By Betsy Palmer
Channeling Psycho’s Mrs Bates within the films aesthetics, the mother of the iconic, hockey masked wearing, machete wielding killer Jason Voorhees occupies the top spot. Mrs Voorhees is one of horror’s most unforgettable and unexpected twists. In a flip reverse of what Psycho achieved, Mrs Voorhees motivations stem from grief following the death of her son Jason at Camp Crystal Lake. She also has a split personality, bringing Jason through as she commits murder, slicing and dicing sexually charged youths. Like the majority of the mother’s on this list, Mrs Voorhees is overprotective and will do what it takes to shelter her child from harm. She was a teenage mother with a son born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain), in order to protect him she shielded Jason from a regular childhood, denying him schooling. While working as a cook in Camp Crystal Lake in 1957, Jason was exposed to constant bullying and teasing. While unattended, Jason went swimming in the lake’s murky waters, unbeknown to the camp counselors who were busy with certain other matters. Jason subsequently drowned sending Mrs Voorhees on a murderous rampage seeking revenge on any teenager who sets foot in the aptly nicknamed “Camp Blood”. She reveals herself in 1979 following the camp’s re-opening and several other grisly murders. Final Girl Alice Hardy ultimately decapitates her ending her bloody reign of terror. Mrs Voorhees death is responsible for avenging Jason and beginning a franchise of gory horror films with an emblematic serial killer at the helm. She has proven influential particularly in the construction of the previously discussed Mrs Loomis. Betsy Palmer initially dismissed the film not expecting anyone to watch it however she created a cult character and a highly memorable performance of a psychotic mother who certainly won’t let things lie when it comes to her only son. Click here for more on Friday the 13th (1980) from this site.
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Hope you enjoyed this countdown. Feel free to comment or tweet (@Hayleyr1989) on your favorite psycho mom’s! Also check out my latest debate with Caitlyn (Scared Sheepless) on Wolf Creek (2005) currently available on moviepilot.com.
Thirty-three years following its release Friday 13th has proved to be one of the more influential slasher films of all time. The film kick-started a franchise with a total of ten direct sequels, one spin-off with the Elm Street franchise and one remake. Not only that, it paved the way for the popularity of many others of a similar vein such as the Sleepaway Camp Movies and The Burning right up until the present day with the Hatchet trilogy. While stalk n’ slash movies bled onto 1980’s cinema screens left, right and centre, Friday 13th had something the majority of them didn’t- success! Part of this is down to having Paramount Studios behind them, one of the most well-established, highest-grossing distribution studios of all time, however back in 1980 critics displayed disgust that a big studio would release what was considered a low and violent form of entertainment. Friday 13th was the first of its type to achieve backing from a major studio, resulting in it becoming one of the most profitable films of all time and over the years developing a cult following. Paramount went all out and spent a fortune on marketing the film which lifted the box office figures greatly, providing the slasher film with a more commercial appeal. Therefore if anyone is to blame for endless, over-the-top as they go on sequels, its Paramount Studios. But we’re all horror fans here so we love them!
Creator/Director Sean S. Cunningham developed Friday 13th, after gaining inspiration from John Carpenter’s Halloween. Cunningham was no stranger to the genre following working with Wes Craven on The Last House on the Left (1972). His intention was to create something truly terrifying which had comical elements at the same time. The film’s original title was A Long Night at Camp Blood during the early writing stages. Cunningham had already set his sights onhis gory, upcoming movie as Friday 13th. He did everything in his power to ensure he could secure the title in order to avoid any copyright lawsuits. Eventually he was successful in obtaining it despite being threatened by someone behind a lesser known title Friday 13th: The Orphan, rumour has it that the person was paid off and Friday 13th was shot in the September of 1979. Cunningham now had the opportunity to make his “real scary movie”.
When anyone thinks of Friday 13th, a flood of images come to mind. The main associations come in the form of brutal killer Jason Voorhees, his hockey mask, machete, the sinister whispers of “kill, kill, die, die” and what appears like super-human abilities. Other than Jason, the setting is key to this film series, Camp Crystal Lake, where the body count is high and the blood shed vast, a number of the films are primarily set there, unless you care to remember Jason Takes Manhattan or Jason X. Camp Crystal Lake is what Haddonfield is to the Halloween franchise. However, while the original film is considered the best of the series and most well-remembered, interestingly it barely features Jason and he isn’t even the killer. The nice, humble Mrs Voorhees takes to the blade first time round, out for blood-thirsty revenge on sexually-active teenagers who were too busy fornicating to notice her precious son was drowning to death in 1958. Her reign of terror doesn’t end there as the re-opening of Camp Blood in 1980 causes our favourite female psycho to unleash a new rampage of revenge on a group of unsuspecting teens, including a relatively unknown Kevin Bacon!
Arguably, Jason could technically still be the killer in the original in spirit, telepathically communicating through his deranged mother. That, or she’s just completely crazy using a split personality in order to project the grief she has for losing Jason, muttering classic lines such as “Kill her Mommy” over and over, played wonderfully by Betsy Palmer. But that depends how you want to interpret it. Palmer admittedly only took the role in order to purchase a new car and despite not thinking highly of the movie, famously saying “What a piece of shit! Nobody is ever going to see this thing.” she eventually came round to thinking fondly of it and even agreeing to perform a cameo appearance in the sequel the following year. Palmer, without a doubt contributed to creating one of the most iconic female roles in the genre with her unforgettable performance.
Jason’s iconic image of how we love and know him today didn’t make an appearance until the third film, Friday 13th Part III: 3D (1982). In part one he’s the mutated boy in the lake, in Part 2 he hides his identity by wearing a brown sack over his head. Allegedly Part 3 was intended to be the final film in the series. The filmmakers did not foresee back then that the hockey mask would ultimately become Jason’s trademark nor was it intended to be. The decision was made in production during a lighting check where the hockey mask was placed on Jason actor Richard Brooker as the special effects crew had decided they did not want to apply make up just for the purpose of checking the lighting, therefore the entire thing came as a complete accident. Part 3 did receive generally negative feedback from the critics, despite grossing highly at the box office on its opening weekend. Its pretty fascinating that a well-recognized image, famous in pop culture happened by accident in a film that wasn’t highly regarded or even as well-remembered as its original. However its not unusual to hear people discuss the original Friday 13th with reference to the iconic monster that is Jason Voorhees. In theory, it separates itself slightly from its two big rivals, the Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, where the main killers are established from the first instalments.
A kind of moral backlash did flare up following the film’s release. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were the most vocal reviewers about the disgust they harboured for the film, deeming it exploitative against women and a new low in American cinema. Ebert stated that the films portray women in films of this nature as “helpless victims” while Siskel voiced that because more of these sort of films were being frequently generated, that was the principal image of women, tortured, attacked or raped that was being depicted to the country at the time. They were incensed that audiences were identifying with the killer rather than the victims, providing a very disturbing cinematic experience for them and saw it as an attack on the women’s movement. Placing the audience in the same position of the killer had already been done in earlier films such as Peeping Tom (1960), the difference is, when that film was released there was uproar and it compromised director Michael Powell’s career, however by 1980 this was becoming a more prominent feature of American horror films and a “trend” as Siskel and Ebert described.
Even though Siskel and Ebert raised interesting points against 1980’s horror, their views are problematic when they primarily focus on women’s role in slasher films but don’t take into consideration there are also male victims and female serial killers, especially in our beloved Friday 13th. Mrs Voorhees motive echoes back to Psycho’s legacy with the maternal instinct subtext. A mother would do anything for their child and for me, this is what the film’s ultimately getting at. But for some its hard to see passed the violent imagery in order to dig deeper regarding the film’s message. Friday 13th acted as a fable for the youth, using the horror metaphor to emphasize that actions will have consequences, the main one being sex. Siskel and Ebert felt films were simply exploiting this angle in a sleazy manner. But in Friday 13th’s case it didn’t just capitalize solely on women’s behaviour, it demonstrated how both male and female characters were so self-indulgent that they didn’t notice the death of a child. However nothing had changed from the 1950’s to the 1980’s as the youth were still engaging in the same behaviour. The young people who were oblivious to Jason’s drowning were the camp counsellors and failed to act responsibly in the situation. With the fear of AIDS and teenage pregnancy rife in society at the time, its no surprise that films were fictionalizing people’s fears for future generations and it sort of encourages the practice of safe sex and for teenagers not to be identified solely by it. Therefore I would conclude that Friday 13th is about accepting consequences and to act responsibly rather than exploiting women and their bodies in sadistic ways which is how Siskel and Ebert interpreted the film. Their reaction came across as fearful especially warning prospective audiences from seeing the film which in my view was extreme. By advising against the film and announcing its twist ending in the hope it would affect box office figures was more likely going to drive audiences towards it rather against it. Cunningham’s intention with the film was purely to scare and clearly evoking these reactions demonstrated that he did a good job.
Friday 13th was a film I adored as a gore-curious thirteen year old, however after many viewings over the years, I would argue that overall its not the most well-made film ever. Its possible that from growing up into a generation where CGI was becoming more prominent that myself and those around my age are spoilt when it comes to film. That said, I do appreciate the classics and as a horror fan I did turn to all the older films to get my fill of blood, guts, gore and ghouls even before the surge of remakes unleashed hell upon our beloved genre, the majority I usually avoid. For me old skool FX are far more appealing than CGI as they provide a raw feel and DIY approach. By that point the most recent horror movie I had seen was Final Destination (2000). After re-watching Friday 13th in 2013, I’d say it still has its merits, the glass smashing, bursting the title onto the screen accompanied by the score still gives me goosebumps and remains a powerful title sequence in horror. The kills are brutal and Pamela’s performance just makes the film for me. Its not overly scary however and comes across as comical and campy throughout featuring caricatures rather than actual characters. I don’t feel the same for the characters in this as I do for Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson or Sidney Prescott. Arguably, Alice Hardy isn’t considered the best final girl in the franchise, Ginny Field from the second instalment occupies that title. Its barely a masterpiece or even unique but enjoyable all the same.
What does make Friday 13th more popular than other films that came out in the same era in a similar vein? Well, it stands out for its importance to the slasher sub-genre and the horror genre as a whole. Mark Kermode hit the nail on the head when he emphasized that the reason the film has maintained such a legacy is because it was the type of film that had never been associated with mainstream cinema before or distributed by a successful studio. It transcended seedy, violent horror from grindhouse cinemas to more commercial audiences. Kermode pin points that at the time this was a “novelty” but since then has been done over and over again. But back in 1980 this movie did something special for the genre. Horror wouldn’t be horror without the series as its influence still carries on to this day.
So, why should you take a trip to Camp Crystal Lake this Halloween? Well, for one its a classic and a must-see for any horror fan, its interesting as a film for its significance on mainstream horror cinema, its suspenseful with some cool, memorable death scenes, an arrow through through the throat and the axe to the head are personal favourites and who could forget Mrs Voorhees beheading! It features a female serial killer which was revolutionary for its time and it began a legend.
Hayley Alice Roberts.
SOURCES:
Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Movie Uncut by J. A. Kerswell (2010).
Here it is….Welcome to my new Horror Show; “Something to Die For” a series focused on all things horror from supporting independent movies to horror history and of course festivals. Episode One focuses on “The Shadow of Death”. The opening montage features clips from a few of my favourite horror films of all time! Please feel free to leave any feedback if you have any comments or questions. I really enjoyed creating this project so hope you enjoy!
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