Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2

A Fright-Night double feature!

The original Friday the 13th is not the most amazing slasher film (although, of course, it started one of the most amazing slasher series). What it has going for it:

1. Kevin Bacon!
2. A few, excellent on-screen kills.
1. One character takes an axe to the head.
2. Another has a bowie shoved through his neck from underneath a bed.
3. The mystery of who the murderer is.

Unlike the other Friday the 13th movies, the killer is not known to the viewer (unless you've seen it before, as I have several times). And thankfully, unlike the slew of recent Scream-type flicks, it's not one of the five characters you know from earlier in the movie.

What it has going against it:

1. Plodding direction
2. A significant lack of on-screen deaths

There's really no excuse for the direction except that it's pretty damn bad. The lack of on-screen deaths, I think, can be attributed to the masking of the villain.

Friday the 13th, Part 2 on the other hand is much, much better in the realm of editing and direction. Then again, maybe those stayed the same and the musical score got more dynamic. Either way, my attention was held for the entire 87 minutes.

The movie starts off with a painful, ten-minute montage (painful if you just finished watching the first film, that is). However, there's enough good stuff afterwards to ignore that.

Pluses:

1. Lots more on-screen deaths, including awesome ones such as:
1. A screwdriver to the temple
2. A claw hammer to the head
3. A machete to the face
4. A spear through two people and a bed all at the same time
2. Jason is an equal opportunity killer, slaughtering the hell out of a guy in a wheelchair, a cop, and a dog (well, we're meant to think he did in the dog).
3. The triumphant return of Crazy Ralph. You're all DOOMED!

This movie really sets the rest of the series in motion--gratuitous nudity, grisly and outlandish murders, and silly "prankster" characters (although at least in Part 2, the prankster doesn't get what's coming to him)

All in all an exciting film, and I'm anxious to continue this journey tomorrow.