Freitag der 13.

In terms of its content, Friday the 13th is a lifeless, uninteresting bit of filmmaking brutality that for some inexplicable reason is considered to be a classic of the genre. (27.10.2005)

An average camp slasher and the beginning of one of the most famous franchises, one that only later would reach its peak. (15.08.2007)

Surprisingly, the teenagers act quite normal (whether it's the opening antics or the insecurity at night) and are put through their paces in a cinematically polished piece that, while built mainly on Tom Savini's make-up artistry, also deserves recognition for the lean and dark atmosphere of the abandoned camp. The casting is very good, except for the main protagonist, who in the end perfectly seals all the established myths about the shrillness and stupidity of the female cast in the slasher subgenre. Or: It’s true, not everyone can be Laurie Strode! If it weren't for the pointlessly drawn-out finale and the surprising but self-serving inserts, it would have received full marks. 3 ½. (03.09.2007)

Surprisingly intimate atmosphere with an anonymous killer, whose identity is more amusingly fictionalized than it may seem at first glance. Cunningham set off this famous series quite freshly, but his ideas are not enough to sharply define his work above average. How this story managed to become a multi-part series remains a mystery to me. (06.05.2007)

Der Klassiker, den unsere Fernsehsender jedes Jahr so gerne wiederholen. Mit der Mutter Vorhees hat alles angefangen und obwohl sie in Bezug auf Nacktheit eher vorsichtig ist, ist es gerade diese Atmosphäre und das geschmackvolle Gore, die diesen Film in die Horror-Elite katapultiert haben. Der stille Tod wandelt durch das berüchtigte Lager und hinterlässt verstümmelte Körper von hormongesteuerten Jugendlichen. Und dank Tom Savinis Maskenarbeit gibt es auch etwas zu sehen. Messer, Pfeile, Macheten oder Äxte kommen zum Einsatz. Die Musik schafft währenddessen eine unheimliche Stimmung und das Ende bringt einen unglaublichen Schrecken. Pamela hat diese Serie mehr als würdig gestartet, aber ich mag Jason doch lieber. (14.12.2011)

Nothing but a run-of-the-mill and uninteresting slasher that does not deserve it’s cult status. The atmosphere is quite effective here and there and watching the murders through the eyes of the perpetrator is a nice touch, but Cunningham should have pushed the envelope a lot further. I don't mean only in terms of brutality, of course, but as with Carpenter's Halloween, I was annoyed by how the film played the creeping, patient spook the whole time, instead of ever turning into something scarier and more hard-hitting. Moreover, the final reveal is awfully ridiculous and 80% copied from Hitchcock's Psycho. With few exceptions, horror B-movies from the 80s were worth absolutely nothing. (26.08.2012)