May 9, 1980 (US)
When it comes to horror franchises, none are more iconic than Friday the 13th, although it was preceded by Halloween, and by no means the first or earliest slasher horror films. For better or worse it is the longest running including, including reboots and remakes. There was even a television series which despite no story connection, did have some of the same production crew. But the 1980 original started it all, establishing the lore, the setting and applying it to the slasher movie formula: indulgent young adults pay for their sexual and substance transgressions with their lives at the hands (or machetes, axes, arrows, weed whackers or more elaborate instruments) of a psychopathic murderer. What fun! Now at the time of writing this is the first time I am noticing that the film, which makes use of the mommy issue trope as a core plot element, was released Mother’s Day weekend. Happy Mother’s Day.
“A group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.” [IMDb]
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Writers: Victor Miller Ron Kurz
Stars: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/