Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Friday the 13th’ (1980)

Written by Scott Edwards

It has been ages since I have sat back and watched a classic horror movie that scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. There are so many good ones from my generation and I hope that they have not all been lost to time at this point since there are remakes galore hitting the big screen. Something about these movies and their very basic effects I think is what made these movies so enjoyable and why people are trying to give them a rebranding. I am a firm believer that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and while many people agree with this, there are others that want to see all of the classic horror movies get a face lift to bring them back to the masses.
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Wanting to get Camp Crystal Lake back on the map from its jaded past, Steve Christy has decided to reopen the camp. With Brenda, Alice and Bill already on hand, the group is working their hardest to get everything done that they possibly can and with four more counselors on their way, it looks like it is going to be a great summer. Marcie, Jack and Ned are eagerly making their way to the camp as well and with their own set of wheels, will not be held back from the summer of a lifetime. But young Annie is having a hard time making it to Camp Crystal Lake as everybody in town is trying to keep her away from what they call ‘Camp Blood’. Not being deterred by this name, Annie needs a summer job and this is the best one for her since all she has to do is cook.

As Marcie, Jack and Ned arrive at the camp, they are put directly to work and even though the doors do not open for another two weeks, they see that Steve is in a rush to get everything finished. With everyone working on their assignments, Steve is able to head into town to get some supplies and let his young staff get everything finished. But with them being young adults, nobody wants to focus, and they decide to let their tasks derail for a little bit to have some fun. While getting back into the work mood, the group is visited by Officer Dorf who is on the lookout for Crazy Ralph who loves to spit his gospel around town. While the new counselors have no idea who the old man is, they find him hiding inside the pantry with a message and trying to get the kids to leave before it is too late.

With his name being Crazy Ralph, the counselors realize that the old man is crazy and they continue on with their assignments. Separating into their own little groups, Jack and Marcie sneak off to have a little fun in the bunks while Brenda, Alice and Bill get set to play a hard game of strip Monopoly. As a violent rainstorm arrives at the camp, everyone battens down the hatches for the ride, but there is something else in the camp that is bringing death to anyone that it finds. Staying in the shadows, a new killer has found a way to eliminate the new counselors of Camp Crystal Lake, one that nobody ever saw coming.

As far as horror movies go, this has to be one at the top of the list that everybody wants to emulate. With an unseen killer moving around in the shadows, you never know who you will be able to trust. One of the things that made me really enjoy how the story played out is that nobody knows what is going on until it is too late to do anything about it. Keeping the bodies hidden from the rest of the group, the killer is able to work her magic until she wants to be seen. It is a frightening thought that something like this could happen without a proper motivation, but as you soon find out, a mother’s love is undying, even at a summer camp. I must admit that I really like how easy the kills came in the movie and keeping the killer hidden from view is key to keeping the audience guessing who is behind it and why so many cute young coeds are forced to die. Well, it’s Camp Crystal Lake or Camp Blood, that’s really why. Stay Scared.

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