Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham
Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry
Crosby, and Kevin Bacon
One summer, a boy named Jason Voorhees drowns at Camp
Crystal Lake when his counselors are too busy having sex to notice him
struggling in the lake. In 1957, two
counselors are murdered at the same camp while running off to have sex. The camp was soon closed after that. In the present, Steve Christy (Peter Brower)
reopens the camp to children. They have a problem on hand though. A mysterious murderer is lurking the grounds
killing the teen counselors who just want to have sex. As it turns out, Jason’s mom Pamela Voorhees
(Betsy Palmer) is still holding a grudge for her son’s death years ago.
The death of Jason Voorhees gave us
two horror icons, the murderous undead Jason and his hateful and vindictive
mom. Though we don't get much of Jason
in this particular film, his mom's reign of terror on Camp Crystal Lake
suffices. Betsy Palmer's frightful
portrayal of Pamela Voorhees made her a legend in the horror industry. How often do you see old women gutting horny
teens like fish for dinner? While Friday the 13th may have
contributed to the fact that gratuitous sex is present in slasher films today, Betsy
Palmer is the cure for the sex-craved teenager.
Friday the 13th
made slasher films fun.
