Started By
Message

The original Friday the 13th is a mediocre movie at best

Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:08 am
Posted by Godzilla jr
Member since Sep 2025
285 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:08 am
Spinoff of the horror movie tournament thread, but it has to be said.

Anybody that automatically assumes Friday the 13th is good because “it’s the first one” is not a fan of the franchise. It was a poorly made movie to cash in on Halloween’s success and would be forgotten about had it not been for its far more superior sequels which made the character Jason Voorhees an icon. It’s a boring bland uninspired 80s slasher that is unmemorable until Betsy Palmer shows up as Mrs. Voorhees

Sean S Cunningham made the movie to ripoff off Halloween, the writer Victor Miller admittedly stole the plot from the Mario Bava movie A Bay of Blood, and the ending is just a ripoff of Carrie’s ending.

Parts 2, 3, 4 (the consensus best of the franchise btw) 5 and 6 are all better made movies.

I know generally the first is supposed to be the best in a horror franchise but Friday the -3th is truly the exception. It was a cash grab that spawned a franchise in which its sequels perfected the formula.
This post was edited on 4/22/26 at 9:13 am
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
38380 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:20 am to
quote:

It was a poorly made movie to cash in on Halloween’s success and would be forgotten about had it not been for its far more superior sequels which made the character Jason Voorhees an icon.
I'm not a fan and I'm looking at this from the outside, but when the first Ft13th came out I remember it being a huge deal. A bigger deal than Halloween in my circle, to be sure.
Posted by VOR
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2009
68738 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:28 am to
It only received praise because it was the first one and sort of unique for its time…
It is not a very good movie.
Posted by iwyLSUiwy
I'm your huckleberry
Member since Apr 2008
42090 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:33 am to
Hopefully people see this and get off their asses and go vote for Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Posted by The Godfather
Surrounded by Assholes
Member since Mar 2005
42594 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:39 am to
mediocre is being kind
Posted by Master of Sinanju
Member since Feb 2012
12123 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:42 am to
It has good gore effects and Betsy Palmer elevates it over many of the slashers of the time.

That being said, it can be a little tedious. I like the music and POV shots, and understand the tension it was going for, but it is paced way too slow.

I like it, and would call it good, but its not one of the top movies in the franchise.
Posted by Sl0thstronautEsq
Member since Aug 2018
18013 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:43 am to
Holy shite, you're melting in two separate threads about this?

quote:

I know generally the first is supposed to be the best in a horror franchise


Says who? NOES: DW easily clears NOES, plenty of people prefer Hellraiser 2, Evil Dead 2, Dawn of the Dead, etc. over the first movies in their respective franchises.
This post was edited on 4/22/26 at 9:46 am
Posted by Sl0thstronautEsq
Member since Aug 2018
18013 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:44 am to
quote:

I like it, and would call it good, but its not one of the top movies in the franchise.


I like it as well, and I'd definitely say it's good, but do some of the sequels surpass it? Yes, and I haven't seen any rational person try to argue otherwise.
Posted by Godzilla jr
Member since Sep 2025
285 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:46 am to
I’ll make a third thread just to piss you off baby boy
Posted by Sl0thstronautEsq
Member since Aug 2018
18013 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:47 am to
Do it and I'll have Jason come tie you up and make you watch F13 on repeat.
Posted by WestSideTiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
5245 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:49 am to
quote:

but when the first Ft13th came out I remember it being a huge deal.

It was a big deal but not bigger than Halloween overall. Teenagers liked the gore and that’s when cable TV was taking off. Seems like it was on there all the time. Much more than Halloween because a big studio had the distribution rights but Halloween did appear on NBC the year after Friday the 13th released which was a very big deal at the time.


Posted by Sl0thstronautEsq
Member since Aug 2018
18013 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:51 am to
Black Christmas >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Halloween/F13

This is a hill I will die on.
Posted by metallica81788
NO
Member since Sep 2008
10473 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:53 am to
In my original horror movie phase I was very disappointed with it

Nightmare on Elm St wipes the floor with it
Posted by WestSideTiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
5245 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 10:09 am to
quote:

Black Christmas

It’s good but it picked the wrong holiday at the time.



Posted by Godzilla jr
Member since Sep 2025
285 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 10:41 am to
Black Christmas 1974 is my favorite slasher of all time. It’s so good, and apparently Elvis loved the movie too.

I don’t consider Texas Chainsaw to be a slasher because it throws all the standard slasher conventions out the window
This post was edited on 4/22/26 at 10:45 am
Posted by MorbidTheClown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2015
76063 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 10:44 am to
ALL the downvotes I can find
Posted by rich4pres
Knoxville
Member since Dec 2016
11250 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 11:12 am to
Part 4 is the best in the franchise.
Posted by TigerBornTigerBred
Member since Mar 2014
1587 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 3:15 pm to
I agree, you have Crispin Glover dancing and everything.
Posted by Richleau
Member since Dec 2018
4404 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:09 pm to
I agree. Jason Lives will forever be the best Friday the 13th movie. Maybe Friday the 13th part 3. But everything after Jason Lives is where the franchise really kicks it into gear.
Posted by Richleau
Member since Dec 2018
4404 posts
Posted on 4/22/26 at 9:09 pm to
Silent Night, Deadly Night is better than Black Christmas.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram