Camp Blood

When I go to the movie theater, I’m either seeing what I’d call cinema or popcorn—art or commercial. And when I leave not having felt like the experience gave me something that captivated me with its mastery of plot, genre, dialogue, character, setting or some emotional connection, then that’s the worst. The feeling I wasted my time.
     An exception to this criteria I’ve just mentioned is camp. Sometimes a movie can be awful, yet entertain me enough that I don’t feel it’s wasted my time. As I’m writing this I’m pretending that the Friday the 13th movies are a trilogy. It’s also Friday the 13th today. The 80s is the best decade for horror movies. And of the franchises to come from that era like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, my favorite has always been Friday the 13th. It doesn’t have the auteur cred of the other two. It’s the product of a major studio. It doesn’t’ feel as original or inspired as the other two. It’s almost like a cartoon. Jason Vorhees doesn’t ask us to question the metaphysics of evil like The Shape or the psychological dreamscapes of Freddy. In Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981, Steve Miner) as one of the only characters to even try to profile him, GINNY describes Jason as “a frightened retard.”

     The Friday the 13th trilogy is one of the finest examples of setting. Along with many of the Disney cartoon short subjects of the 1940s-50s, the Friday the 13th trilogy appeals to me in how it embodies the camp setting. I’ve never been camping or even wanted to, but I’ve always loved a summer camp or a state park as a setting. And Friday the 13th is full of precautions to avoid attracting bears, grilling hot dogs, and American flags. And isn't there something a little surreal about a summer camp we never see the kids show up for?

 

The main reason I walked to my neighborhood theater earlier this rainy night is because they showed Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D (1982, Miner). In 2009 there was a period of a few years I was totally into 3D, starting with Avatar (2009, James Cameron). And I’d never seen a 3D movie in a theater before that. I’d never even really thought about it, but the only title I’d keep wishing I could have caught a screening of but never thought I would is Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D. 

     This movie had the audience in its hand. I can’t remember ever having this much fun in a movie theater (except for maybe seeing 35mm prints of John Waters’ films of the 70s). And the reason it had such an impact is because both the 3D (it’s the red and blue cellophane glasses) technology and the attitudes about sex and drugs are so dated. Yet I don’t consider this an example of camp. When you read about Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D you’ll find reports of the cast saying that due to all the focus the filmmakers were placing on getting the 3D right that they neglected the performances—and that’s what makes this movie so amazing. 
     The entire time 3D effects were used the audience all collectively as if they’d rehearsed it were this chorus of oooohs and whooooas whenever there were objects projecting out from the screen at us. At times the dialogue is bad. At many times the logic behind the characters’ motivations doesn’t make sense—but in the most fun and entertaining hilarious possible way. Also I love this scene where the girl in a bikini is seducing the guy and she’s all: wanna go somewhere alone where we can do whatever we want do you know what that’d be like, and the guy replies “disgusting.” It’s perfect. It doesn’t really make sense in that context but then of course it makes perfect sense. 
     I’ve seen 80s horror movies with groups who laugh in that ironic way. But this was different. Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D works as a horror movie. The peril is fun but it’s still scary at the same time. The two entries before this one in no way achieve this. Friday the 13th Part 3 also doesn’t mention Crystal Lake. So it’s a cabin in the woods setting, which I’m not thrilled about, but like the franchise itself, it’s kind of an oddity or doesn’t fit in with the other 80s horror franchises. And unlike the first two, it doesn’t have the same nudity and exploitative shots ogling the girl counselors. But it does introduce drugs into the mix, albeit maybe trying to get a little too much mileage out of Cheech and Chong type pot jokes.
     On a technical level, you could look at Friday the 13th Part 3 as a really great example of how several of its scares utilize taking a shot we buy as a closed frame to sneak in a character from offscreen to give us a jump scare, and not just a jump scare but often the (quintessential to this trilogy’s) brand of fake scare. The Friday the 13th trilogy is really adept at utilizing the open frame, like blood dripping on a character’s forehead while they’re lying down—where’s that coming from? 

 

10/13/2023 Plaza Theatre

Atlanta, GA

Anaglyph DCP