Friday, February 13, 2009

Siskel & Ebert Really Don't Like Friday The 13th

More accurately, here are some clips from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's AT THE MOVIES review of 1984's FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER. This segment has become somewhat notorious among horror fans, who generally feel the respected critics went way overboard in their harsh criticism of what is one of the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise's best entries. During the 1980s, there was a huge critical backlash against slasher movies that was very similar to the more recent backlash against so-called "torture porn" movies, such as SAW and HOSTEL.
Siskel and Ebert slash Friday the 13th IV-Clip 1

Siskel and Ebert slash Friday the 13th IV-Clip 2

I'm not saying it's a classic, but THE FINAL CHAPTER is certainly a well-produced shocker with nice stunts and imaginative special effects. It wasn't cool for serious film fans to admit that in 1984, and probably really isn't now, but you know I always shoot you straight when it comes to Crappy Movies.

If anybody knows where to find this, I'd love to know, but reportedly Siskel was so incensed at the original FRIDAY THE 13TH in 1980, he ripped actress Betsy Palmer a new one and gave out her home phone number, so outraged audience members could disturb her. It's hard to believe that could be true, but if it really happened on SNEAK PREVIEWS or in his Chicago Tribune review, let me know. That would have been a very gutless call on Siskel's part.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think what set 4 apart was director Joseph Zito. He did a fine job

TALKING MOVIEzzz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I saw that on original airing. My belief is they castigated Palmer for appearing in such junk (which is unfair, she's just a working address) but I don't recall any adress/phone # being given out..

Anonymous said...

It's true. Siskel listed her address and phone number in his newspaper review for the sole intention for her to be harrassed and for appearing in a film he hated so much. Palmer recieved so many hate messages and death threats she was forced to move. Siskel never apologized or seemed the slightest bit remorseful for what he did. He and Ebert were also responsible for the severe backlash against I Spit on Your Grave, organinzing protests outside of Chicago theatres.

Neil Sarver said...

In response to the Betsy Palmer story, I'd like to see something more. Anonymous's version of the story is much more extreme than the one I remember hearing ten years or more ago, which gives a strong texture of Urban Legend. I reasonable Google search found no reference to it in any reliable new source, mostly just people repeating it Urban Legend style, such as our anonymous friend here.

I, too, would like a specific verified version of what actually happened on this.

Blaster851 said...

What anonymous said is totally true. I heard it first hand from my cousin's sister's uncle's brother. So it's clearly not an urban legend. Seriously though, in Siskel's original review I believe he asked people to write to Paramount and Betsy Palmer. I'm currently looking into it, that's what led me here.

Blaster851 said...

If you go to IMDB-ebert-boards-Slasher films of the '70's and early '80's billymac72 posted Siskel's original print review of "Friday the 13th" where he asks people to write to Betsy Palmer and lists the name of her small town in Connecticut.

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