One of the most influential modern horror films, 1980’s surprise hit from producer/director Sean S. Cunningham, Friday the 13th, spurred a spate of sequels and imitators, launching an entirely new genre: the American slasher film. Unlike its most immediate influence, Halloween, where emphasis was placed on spine-tingling suspense punctuated by scenes of violence, here the body count was everything and audiences flocked to witness the mayhem.
