20 Things You Somehow Missed In Friday The 13th (1980)

2. Carrie's Influence

The jump scare ending of Friday the 13th, in which the disfigured Jason Voorhees rears up out of Crystal Lake and drags Alice Hardy into the water is one of the standout moments of horror. Many of the crew have taken credit for it, including Tom Savini, Victor Miller, and Ron Kurz.

Savini claimed that the jump-scare ending was necessary owing to the similar ending of Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976), although De Palma actually took inspiration from the disturbing ending to John Boorman's Deliverance (1972).

Both Carrie and Deliverance had presented their final scares as nightmares, but Friday the 13th left some doubt over whether Alice Hardy had actually experienced a nightmare, as Ronn Carroll's Sergeant Tierney explains that his men had initially feared that she too was dead when they pulled her out of the lake.

Given that the audience last saw Alice in a canoe prior to the apparent dream, it is possible that it actually did happen, unintentionally setting up Jason's return in the sequels.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.