A BREW TO A KILL: FRIDAY THE 13TH and Cabin A Sauvignon

Growing up as far as I was concerned, there were two kinds of kids, Nightmare Kids and Friday Kids. It all seemed to hinge on what you happened to see first. For me it was a Friday the 13th marathon on USA’s Up All Night. I would never be the same.

In the summer of 1980 a group of counselors are trying to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. Camp Cook, Annie, is hitchhiking her way to the camp when she has her throat slit. The other counselors, including a studly Kevin Bacon, are being picked off one by one. The killer doesn’t make their presence known until only Alice (Adrienne King) is left.

It’s amazing to think the hockey mask that launched a thousand ships has such humble beginnings. Director Sean Cunningham saw Halloween and wanted to make one just like it. But then again so did everyone else. So what made Friday the 13th stand out from other slashers from 1980 like New Year’s Evil, Silent Scream, and To All A Goodnight?

For one, I think the setting was unique, Black Christmas and Halloween brought terror to the suburbs. Camp Crystal Lake is a place no one in town wants to talk about, let alone go near. Some people revel in being off the grid. It’s not so good with a murderer on the loose. In the wave of Slashers that were unleashed in the early 80s killers were a dime a dozen. Most of them were bland and their motivations flimsy at best. Mrs Voorhees is one of the few with genuine pathos. Her son died due to negligence. Well, that and teenage libido. Her son, Jason, was all she had in the world. She was already a few sandwiches short of a picnic and Jason’s death was all it took to send her over the edge. The camp could never be reopened.

Perhaps what truly made Friday the 13th stand out was the score by Harry Manfredini. Since Mrs Voorhees spends most of the running time in the shadows there needed to be a theme for the killer. He came up with the immortal “Ki ki ki ma ma ma” by saying each syllable into a microphone and running it through an echo reverberation machine. Manfredini would go on to score the first five sequels. In 2014 Waxwork Records released the score on vinyl. It had been put on CD by La La Land Records in 2012.

It should come as little surprise that I’m not much of a wine drinker. When I do it is usually at a wedding or at a winery. I find beer more interesting of the two, but as I get older I’m able to appreciate wine.

Final Girl Adrienne King has teamed with Valley View Winery in Jacksonville, Oregon for a line of Crystal Lake Wines. There are currently four different varieties offered. I went with the Cabin A Sauvignon. I generally prefer reds that aren’t too dry, unless it’s served with a steak. The Crystal Lake Wines label is a scene from the end of Friday the 13th painted by Adrienne King. Each bottle, which can be personalized, is signed by Adrienne. And every order includes a signed 8 x 10.

When I saw mention of this in the supplements for Crystal Lake Memories I knew it would be perfect for this column. Crystal Lake Wines is a must for diehard Friday fans.