Special Issue #1
Friday the 13th at 40
Panned by critics during its initial release, Friday the 13th (1980) is arguably the quintessential American slasher. It also launched a seemingly unstoppable franchise. With an iconic villain (Jason Voorhees), an instantly identifiable location (Camp Crystal Lake), and a rabid fan base that expresses its adoration through everything from clothing to tattoos, the Friday the 13th franchise still has an indelible presence in the popular zeitgeist nearly 40 years later. The film has generated countless sequels, inspired a comic book and a television series, and even resulted in a survival horror video game; yet, there is a surprising dearth of scholarship devoted to the franchise.
In honor of the original film’s 40th anniversary, Horror Homeroom presents our first ever special issue. With 17 original essays, both academic and personal, we hope to celebrate the cultural and cinematic legacies of this much maligned series.
Essay Collection
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Editors’ Introduction
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“It’s worth recognizing only as an artefact of our culture:” Critics and the Friday the 13th Franchise (1980-2001)
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Pamela, Jason, Roy and Zombie Jason Hate Women: An Analytical Look at the Politics of Death in the Friday the 13th Franchise
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The Eyes Behind the Mask: How Friday the 13th Changed POV in Slasher Films
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Ned, Ted, and the Other: Masculinities in Friday the 13th
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“Die! Die! Die! Die!”: The Birth of the Final Boy in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
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SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: QUEERING THE FRIDAY THE 13TH FRANCHISE
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Killing the Sad Fat Guy and the Pregnant Lady: Uncomfortable Death in Friday the 13th Part III – 3D
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No Clowning Around: The Gothic and Comedic Elements of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
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Jason Goes to High School
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Freddy and Jason – Their New Full-Length Feature
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Too Much Freedom at Camp Crystal Lake: Narrative Architecture and Friday the 13th: The Game (2017)
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Something is wrong at Crystal Lake: Monstrous Nature in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
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Reanimating Collective Ecological Nightmares in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
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The Origins of Crystal Lake: Captivity, Murder, and an All-American Fear of the Woods
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Jason Voorhees as Backwoods Berserker
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Injury, Isolation, and Idleness: The Real Horrors of Friday the 13th Part III
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Peering through the Trees, or, Everything I’ve Ever Learned about American Summer Camp Came from Friday the 13th Parts 1-4 and The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #2