Relying on the legacy of stalk n' slash created by Hitchcock's PSYCHO and Carpenter's Halloween, and borrowing heavily from Mario Bava's Twitch of the Death Nerve, director Sean Cunningham's original Friday the 13th is sheer splatter bliss.

The story: Camp Crystal Lake is open for summer business. Youth counselors are descending on the place for a little fun, sun, sex...and a shadowy killer in the woods who's out to get rid of them one by one!

Who could the psycho be and what is it they want?

Likable lead Adrienne King tries to keep her head about her as all the others around her are losing theirs...

Groundbreaking horror? No.

But make no mistake about it: the original Friday the 13th ranks as the undisputed champion responsible for cementing the slasher film's stranglehold on the rest of the decade...not to mention creating its own long running franchise in the bargain.

Excellent gore FX by Savini and an unforgettable turn by '50s TV star Betsy Palmer as mother Voorhees.

A must see.