Because F13 is one of the big horror franchises, there seems to be a concerted effort to make the original out to be one of the greatest horror movies ever made. One example: In a recent interview, Devon Sawa was talking the original up as elevated horror. Just blows my mind. I actually think it's one of the weaker entries (although, there are things I like about it).
sharePeople love celebrating older stuff, many movies basically age into 'classic'/'masterpiece' status even though they were just teen flicks or dumb fun back in their day.
You'll see people talk up The Evil Dead as if it's some masterpiece when it's just low budget splatter in the woods. It's entire reputation was built on VHS rentals due to it's gore. Many diehard fans of the franchise love it for the slapstick comedy which wasn't even present in the first!
Halloween is just a man in a mask with no motive stalking and stabbing shithead teens but since it was a box office hit, has cool music and is influential it's considered some high art above reproach. It's a fun slasher but some will talk like it's a flawless masterpiece that is leagues better than any horror released in the 21st century.
Friday the 13th is my joint favorite franchise of all time (alongside The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) but it's always just been tits-and-stabbings. It's a simple formula, I like it, I ask for nothing more on a drunken night but anyone trying to prop them up is being silly. You watch it for the atmosphere, the women and the kills. It's certainly not 'elevated horror', a term which I don't like.
On the original F13. It's always getting voted into the greatest horror movies of all time lists, that's probably just because people are using it as a token vote for the entire franchise. From my years of being a F13 fan I know that the fanbase prefers parts 2, 4 & 6 above all. Those three are consistently voted as the best in the franchise by the franchises diehard fans, so for me it makes no sense for the original to always be getting voted into best of lists ahead of other entries.
When voting for best ever movies people put a lot of credence on stuff like iconic status. That's why your big American franchise efforts get more votes ahead of, say, Italian giallo movies or non-franchise slashers (The Burning, My Bloody Valentine). It's a popularity contest basically.
F13 destroyed the slasher movies by making it clear any person can just make silly, low budget schlock with a million tropes.
shareIt's all-around superior to "Halloween" and yet that one is curiously regarded as a masterpiece. Go figure.
shareThat's odd. Horror circles across platforms never have the original at the top of their rankings for the series.
shareI loathe the phrase 'elevated horror'. Friday the 13th is just a damn enjoyable horror movie. Guess that isn't enough for some people.
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