Slasher film similar to the first Friday The 13th movie
Added 10/23/2009
I've always felt that the Friday The 13th movies, especially the early ones, are imitations of Halloween. There are so many similarities between this movie and the original Halloween by John Carpenter. I view it as just Halloween done all over again, except the setting is a campground by a lake and there is lots of blood and gore, unlike in Halloween. If you watch this movie, you'll notice striking similarities to Halloween, everything from what the teenagers are doing throughout the movie to the methods of shooting certain scenes (such as from the perception of the killer using a Panaglide camera and not showing the killer's face for the first half of the movie). And look at what Jason is wearing over his head. It's white, and it's a mask, bottom line. I could go on and on, but I don't want to give away too much and go into specific detail.
Now, how is the movie itself? Well, I saw this movie for the first time in 1982 on cable TV. I thought the movie was terrifying and it really stuck with me and I've never forgotten it. I saw this movie for the second time last night - 27 years later. My experience was entirely different - I view this film differently now. The acting in this movie is fair to poor and kind of campy. I couldn't help but do a comparison with the movie that this movie imitates, Halloween. The acting in Halloween is so much better. Why am I comparing this movie to Halloween? It's because there's absolutely no question that the Friday The 13th movies are Halloween knock-offs. Anybody with half a brain will tell you that. Michael Myers paved the way for Jason and Freddie Krueger and other villains. It's the truth, it's not my opinion.
The storyline basically is that a group of teenagers want to spend a few days at Camp Crystal Lake. There is a legend around the area that a kid named Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake five years earlier and his mother had her head chopped off by one of the teenage campers (in the first movie). Jason comes back to terrorize the teenagers on the campground. The characters seem to be installed in this movie just to be killed off by Jason. You never really get to know the characters. Blood is plentiful. There is quite a bit of nervous suspense, much like in Halloween, but less effective. The score to the movie is much less effective than Halloween, though I do think it's unique and does work somewhat. You won't see Jason in his famous hockey mask in this film. That comes in later films (I believe Part III was the first to have Jason wearing the hockey mask). I've only seen two Friday The 13th movies - this and the first one.
If you like slasher films with blood and suspense, then see this movie. I think it's mediocre to pretty good. Not bad. Could have been better. Grade: C+
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Good Ole Camp Crystal Lake!
Added 9/30/2009
The Friday the 13th franchise is probably the beginning of the 80s camp horror film movement. I think the director/producers deserve an E for effort crafting this utterly cheesy & predictable yet entertaining horror film. Jason Vorhees makes his debut in Part 2 and the mayhem ensues. I liked the special edition DVD with commentary. I hope to buy the rest of the movies eventually. Have fun.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
in some ways this is better than the original, I have just bought the friday box set and this film was on it, i rate this as the second best in the series. It is not as shocking as the original and there is very little suspence but it has the same atmosphere and plenty of thrills to give you an enjoyable 90 minutes.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
On Par With the First Film
Added 7/12/2009
When the first Friday the 13th film made over $30 million at the box office on a less-than-$1 million budget, Paramount instantly began production on a sequel. Released a year later in 1981, Friday the 13th: Part 2 isn't much different from it's predecessor. In fact, it follows the formula of the first film so closely it's hardly a different movie. This is good and bad. Bad, if you like variety. Good, if you just want an effective slasher film.
A description of the plot isn't entirely necessary but...Five years after the events of the first movie, camp counselors arrive at a summer camp that is located on Camp Crystal Lake. Everyone knows the story about the young boy Jason, whose body was never recovered after he supposedly drowned. They also know about his demented mother. They think that the nightmare is over, but someone is lurking around the campgrounds and it's not long before the bodies begin to pile up.
This is, as you likely know, the movie that introduced the film world to Jason Voorhees, sans the ski mask. Writer Ron Kurz had to be frustrated when he was hired to pen this script. He really had nothing to work with from the first movie to work with. By making Jason a villain instead of a victim he created a horror icon. Too bad the ski mask doesn't appear until the next film.
Jason wears what basically looks like a pillowcase to mask his facial deformities. When he actually appears like this, it's not frightening or intimidating. It's actually almost funny.
I bring this up only because Friday the 13th: Part Two actually has some genuine scares and suspense, even. It actually has less "cheap scares" than the first film and the scene of Jason without the pillow-case in the last few minutes of the movie is actually rather effective. More so when I was younger, but still memorable.
I'm not a huge fan of slasher films generally. I believe if you've seen one you've basically seen them all. However, if one can make you jump a little bit and not completely insult your intelligence with horrible acting and low production values, than I will favor it. With a brisk 85-minute running time and some good moments, I think this does deserve to stand alongside the first film. It's not perfect nor is it a masterpiece...But if you're a fan of the slasher genre than you can certainly pass the time with this.
GRADE: B-
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
PREITY BAD
Added 6/18/2009
I think this movie was not that good because it was kind of corny, because jason has a bag on his head and the kills are not that great eather. 1 was better i thought this was like Leprecahun. but if you likcorny flicks this is good fr you.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Slasher film similar to the first Friday The 13th movie
Added 10/23/2009
I've always felt that the Friday The 13th movies, especially the early ones, are imitations of Halloween. There are so many similarities between this movie and the original Halloween by John Carpenter. I view it as just Halloween done all over again, except the setting is a campground by a lake and there is lots of blood and gore, unlike in Halloween. If you watch this movie, you'll notice striking similarities to Halloween, everything from what the teenagers are doing throughout the movie to the methods of shooting certain scenes (such as from the perception of the killer using a Panaglide camera and not showing the killer's face for the first half of the movie). And look at what Jason is wearing over his head. It's white, and it's a mask, bottom line. I could go on and on, but I don't want to give away too much and go into specific detail.
Now, how is the movie itself? Well, I saw this movie for the first time in 1982 on cable TV. I thought the movie was terrifying and it really stuck with me and I've never forgotten it. I saw this movie for the second time last night - 27 years later. My experience was entirely different - I view this film differently now. The acting in this movie is fair to poor and kind of campy. I couldn't help but do a comparison with the movie that this movie imitates, Halloween. The acting in Halloween is so much better. Why am I comparing this movie to Halloween? It's because there's absolutely no question that the Friday The 13th movies are Halloween knock-offs. Anybody with half a brain will tell you that. Michael Myers paved the way for Jason and Freddie Krueger and other villains. It's the truth, it's not my opinion.
The storyline basically is that a group of teenagers want to spend a few days at Camp Crystal Lake. There is a legend around the area that a kid named Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake five years earlier and his mother had her head chopped off by one of the teenage campers (in the first movie). Jason comes back to terrorize the teenagers on the campground. The characters seem to be installed in this movie just to be killed off by Jason. You never really get to know the characters. Blood is plentiful. There is quite a bit of nervous suspense, much like in Halloween, but less effective. The score to the movie is much less effective than Halloween, though I do think it's unique and does work somewhat. You won't see Jason in his famous hockey mask in this film. That comes in later films (I believe Part III was the first to have Jason wearing the hockey mask). I've only seen two Friday The 13th movies - this and the first one.
If you like slasher films with blood and suspense, then see this movie. I think it's mediocre to pretty good. Not bad. Could have been better. Grade: C+
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Good Ole Camp Crystal Lake!
Added 9/30/2009
The Friday the 13th franchise is probably the beginning of the 80s camp horror film movement. I think the director/producers deserve an E for effort crafting this utterly cheesy & predictable yet entertaining horror film. Jason Vorhees makes his debut in Part 2 and the mayhem ensues. I liked the special edition DVD with commentary. I hope to buy the rest of the movies eventually. Have fun.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
in some ways this is better than the original, I have just bought the friday box set and this film was on it, i rate this as the second best in the series. It is not as shocking as the original and there is very little suspence but it has the same atmosphere and plenty of thrills to give you an enjoyable 90 minutes.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
