Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Arts & Culture

Midnight Movie: Friday the 13th


"But if we have sex Jason will kill us." Being a teen in a slasher film can suck. Friday the 13th (Paramount)

How exciting to be able to have Friday the 13th screen Friday June 13 at midnight at Landmark's Ken Cinemas (it also plays on Saturday June 14 at midnight but that just doesn't sound as fun). Friday the 13th is one of a handful of films (also Halloween and Nightmare on Elma Street ) to launch the slasher genre. Some may not consider this a cause for celebration but if you are a teenage horror fan who grew up in the 70s and 80s, these were the films that you wanted most desperately to see. And parents shouldn't have worried, after all the films served up a veiled message that doing drugs or having sex was punishable by death. Directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller, Friday the 13th may seem a stale formula now but it had a certain freshness when it came out. Its masked serial killer was more boogeyman than human and that was something of an innovation. The film -- which was a low budget effort -- was such an unexpected hit that it spawned nine sequels, a spin-off ( Freddy Vs. Jason ) and an upcoming remake. The first film is also notable for having a very young Kevin Bacon in it. So if a goalie mask or the mention of Camp Crystal Lake makes you nostaligic, then head on out this Friday the 13th for a very appropriate midnight screening of the cult classic.

Companion viewing: Saturday the 14th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween (John Carpenter's)