There have been a lot of good studies on Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th, and let's face it - we don't need another essay on the effect of the film on the modern slasher, or the thematic metaphor that sex = death. Instead, for this week's Friday the 13th marathon, I've decided to go a different route - "What the Friday," a compilation of strange or ridiculous circumstances from each of the Friday the 13th movies that either don't make sense, come out of thin air, or are just pretty hilarious additions to the film. Here's a list of what I found during my screening of Friday the 13th (after the bajillionth time seeing it. Each instance also includes approximate runtime for easy viewing of the scene.
2:55 - "Does Mary Ann kiss as good as I do?"
This scene occurs right at the beginning of the film, after two camp counselors have sneaked away from the campfire and the nightly crooning. They head to a cabin, making out inside, but first, before any sex has occurred, our female camper remarks, "Does Mary Ann kiss as good as I do?"
Okay, there's nothing inherently strange about the line at first - until you realize what a MOOD KILLER it really is. If the female counselor has to ask, it means she recognizes the male's sordid past with other women. When the male shrugs it off, saying "How should I know?", our female giggles goofily and plods up the stairs without so much as a thought. By this point, I'd be wondering if it was really worth the effort to sneak away with this pig, but apparently our female camp counselor is really just looking for the shaft - which she sBon gets.
Bonus: In that same scene, when Mrs. Voorhees is attacking, our female counselor skedaddles all over the room, bouncing back and forth and getting no where. When that doomed plan fails, she also tries to throw a couple of empty cardboard boxes at her attacker to try to mortally wound.
9:15 - Enus cops a feel
The kindly truck driver Enus, who helps give Annie a lift to Camp Crystal Lake at the start of the film, hoists Annie up into the truck. However, it's pretty clear that he's also getting a nice grab of her tush in the process. Enus? More like Anus. I think she can handle it herself, dude.
Bonus: Why's Annie wearing that long-sleeve plaid shirt with a sweater around her waist? It's June 13 - other people are wearing speedos (more on that in a minute).
17:30 - POV shot of Mrs. Voorhees in the woods
The camera is positioned behind a tree to be used as a POV shot. At first it's not clear, but the camera begins to shift around as though we're seeing through the eyes of someone else. Mrs. Voorhees watches Bill and Alice converse, and then Alice moves to run back through the woods. She passes right in front of the camera, yet she's oblivious to Mrs. Voorhees' presence right beside her. It seems unlikely, one of the few times that Friday the 13th makes a large unrealistic mistake.
22:40 - Kevin Bacon's speedo
Seriously, what isn't wrong with that?
24:00 - Ned's "drowning"
Ned's plan to fake drowning in order to score a make-out session with a chick could have easily been foiled. Say, for example if Kevin Bacon had decided to give mouth-to-mouth. Or maybe that's what Ned wanted?
30:00 - When and how did Ralph get to Crystal Lake?
Ralph, the crazy old man warning everyone about Camp Blood, hightails it out to Crystal Lake on his bike and hides in the camp's food pantry. But wait - how did Ralph ride 20 miles on his bike? That's a pretty far distance for someone as crazed as Ralph.
Bonus: The cop who comes investigating Ralph's disappearance must not be too good at investigating at all, since he fails to see Ralph's bike leaning against a tree!
38:30 - "I hate Monopoly!"
Okay, really Alice? Then why don't you tell us what you don't hate doing besides moping and scowling! Anyone who doesn't like Monopoly is not my Final Girl.
44:30 - Marcy's bathroom break
Not sure how many people go out into the wet, cold night in a short raincoat with no pants on! Still, once Marcy's in the bathroom, she doesn't mind how many people see her in just her underwear, since she calls out to the group of camp counselors when she hears noises in the bathroom.
52:05 - Steve's jeep
In the first killing scene with Annie, we see her getting picked up in a green jeep. Later, we see Steve's jeep at the diner in the rain. Are they the same jeep? It's hard to tell, but they're close.
1:21:00 - Slap-happy Mrs. Voorhees
During the final confrontation(s), Mrs. Voorhees decides to slap Alice around a little bit before she kills her. Why is this? What is it about Alice, besides the normal slasher purity, that makes Mrs. Voorhees go just a little bit easier on he?
Notice the ending doesn't have too many strange scenarios. That's because, for the most part, Friday the 13th has a pretty flawless stalking sequence!
2:55 - "Does Mary Ann kiss as good as I do?"
This scene occurs right at the beginning of the film, after two camp counselors have sneaked away from the campfire and the nightly crooning. They head to a cabin, making out inside, but first, before any sex has occurred, our female camper remarks, "Does Mary Ann kiss as good as I do?"
Okay, there's nothing inherently strange about the line at first - until you realize what a MOOD KILLER it really is. If the female counselor has to ask, it means she recognizes the male's sordid past with other women. When the male shrugs it off, saying "How should I know?", our female giggles goofily and plods up the stairs without so much as a thought. By this point, I'd be wondering if it was really worth the effort to sneak away with this pig, but apparently our female camp counselor is really just looking for the shaft - which she sBon gets.
Bonus: In that same scene, when Mrs. Voorhees is attacking, our female counselor skedaddles all over the room, bouncing back and forth and getting no where. When that doomed plan fails, she also tries to throw a couple of empty cardboard boxes at her attacker to try to mortally wound.
9:15 - Enus cops a feel
The kindly truck driver Enus, who helps give Annie a lift to Camp Crystal Lake at the start of the film, hoists Annie up into the truck. However, it's pretty clear that he's also getting a nice grab of her tush in the process. Enus? More like Anus. I think she can handle it herself, dude.
Bonus: Why's Annie wearing that long-sleeve plaid shirt with a sweater around her waist? It's June 13 - other people are wearing speedos (more on that in a minute).
17:30 - POV shot of Mrs. Voorhees in the woods
Here, she's clearly looking directly at the camera.
Then, she simply runs right by it!
The camera is positioned behind a tree to be used as a POV shot. At first it's not clear, but the camera begins to shift around as though we're seeing through the eyes of someone else. Mrs. Voorhees watches Bill and Alice converse, and then Alice moves to run back through the woods. She passes right in front of the camera, yet she's oblivious to Mrs. Voorhees' presence right beside her. It seems unlikely, one of the few times that Friday the 13th makes a large unrealistic mistake.
22:40 - Kevin Bacon's speedo
What is that thing???
Seriously, what isn't wrong with that?
24:00 - Ned's "drowning"
Ned's plan to fake drowning in order to score a make-out session with a chick could have easily been foiled. Say, for example if Kevin Bacon had decided to give mouth-to-mouth. Or maybe that's what Ned wanted?
30:00 - When and how did Ralph get to Crystal Lake?
Ralph, the crazy old man warning everyone about Camp Blood, hightails it out to Crystal Lake on his bike and hides in the camp's food pantry. But wait - how did Ralph ride 20 miles on his bike? That's a pretty far distance for someone as crazed as Ralph.
Bonus: The cop who comes investigating Ralph's disappearance must not be too good at investigating at all, since he fails to see Ralph's bike leaning against a tree!
38:30 - "I hate Monopoly!"
Okay, really Alice? Then why don't you tell us what you don't hate doing besides moping and scowling! Anyone who doesn't like Monopoly is not my Final Girl.
44:30 - Marcy's bathroom break
Not sure how many people go out into the wet, cold night in a short raincoat with no pants on! Still, once Marcy's in the bathroom, she doesn't mind how many people see her in just her underwear, since she calls out to the group of camp counselors when she hears noises in the bathroom.
52:05 - Steve's jeep
In the first killing scene with Annie, we see her getting picked up in a green jeep. Later, we see Steve's jeep at the diner in the rain. Are they the same jeep? It's hard to tell, but they're close.
1:21:00 - Slap-happy Mrs. Voorhees
Notice the ending doesn't have too many strange scenarios. That's because, for the most part, Friday the 13th has a pretty flawless stalking sequence!
Great idea for some posts, cause you are right, we don't need more of the same when it comes to F13 films and reviews. Love your idea and love all the moments you have chosen. Always a way to rationalize things in our heads to keep the movie momentum going, isn't there? Could come up with "Well, this... " for each of these to make them "work". Can't wait for more!
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