301. 'Friday The 13th' (1980)

Would you believe I've never actually seen Friday The 13th before? I surprised even myself with this realization. Since the Peacock prequel series Crystal Lake has become the highest-rated F13 spinoff in the franchise's history, and is omnipresent on social media in a blanket marketing campaign rivaling Crystal Lake in size and depth...I decided to wade in tentatively.

What emerged was a nuanced appreciation for the film's deft stitching-together of the horror and film tropes that inspired it, and a confused awareness that Pamela Vorhees, and not Jason, is the real star of the film. 

I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would, even as it causes me to question everything I thought I knew about myself. Send help!