By 1981 the horror boom that began in the late 1960s had turned out quite a few scary movie spoofs, with HIGH ANXIETY (1977) and STUDENT BODIES (1981) having already been released by the time SATURDAY THE 14th made its way to theaters in October of ‘81. A PG rated New World Pictures release from producer Julie Corman, it made light of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, JAWS, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, DRACULA, THE WOLF MAN, THE BIRDS and Julie’s husband’s own LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.
SATURDAY THE 14TH (1981) Trailer
SATURDAY THE 14th also marked the premiere exposure to big screen horror for many an eighties kid, this one included. That may explain why I have such affection for the film despite its shortcomings, and why it was popular enough to inspire a SATURDAY THE 14th STRIKES BACK (1988).
John Hyatt (Richard Benjamin), his wife Mary (Paula Prentiss, a.k.a. Mrs. Richard Benjamin), teenage daughter Debbie (Kari Michaelsen) and young son Billy (Kevin Brando) have inherited a dilapidated house on Elm Street (for the record, the iconic 1980s horror film with that street in its title didn’t arrive until three years after this one). Also eyeing the house is Waldemar (Jeffrey Tambor), a vampire, and his wife of 321 years Yolanda (Nancy Lee Andrews). They’re after THE BOOK OF EVIL, an ancient tome that’s found, and read, by Billy, apparently “the smart one in the family.” The opening pages warn that “Whoever shall open this book releases into the world all the evil herein” and “It gets bad on Friday the 13th …But it gets worse on Saturday the 14th.” The present day, BTW, is Thursday the 12th.
But then the book is lost, and a monster begins stalking the house. Even weirder, something cleans up the kitchen during the night and on Friday the 13th a fish critter attacks Debbie and kills a cop, and masses of bats swarm Mary in the attic, leaving her with two bite marks on her neck. John calls a local extermination outfit that dispatches Van Helsing (Severn Darden), a weirdie who claims to know what’s happening in the house and how to stop it (hint: it involves the book).
Saturday the 14th is the day of a housewarming party. “Mom, there’s something horrible out there!” Debbie warns, and upon opening the front door and seeing her annoying relatives, Mary admits that “You’re right, there is something horrible out there.” Van Helsing suggests the increased numbers might be efficacious in banishing the evil forces, but it seems his motives aren’t as virtuous as they initially appeared.
Having been my first-ever big screen horror movie experience, it makes sense that so much of SATURDAY THE 14th’s imagery has lodged itself in my mind: blood squirting on a woman’s white purse, Richard Benjamin asking “Do you see a monster in this room?” as a monster hovers in plain sight behind him, what looks like a shark fin breaking the water in a bathtub and a falling coat rack in a closet that had viewers screaming along with the film’s heroine—a false scare, to be sure, but an effective one.
What Julie Corman and writer-director Howard R. Cohen provided was a movie-mad joyride that at 77 minutes can’t be accused of belaboring its points. I wish the acting were a bit stronger, as in the lead role Richard Benjamin over-relies on the 1960s era comedy schtick with which he made his name, and I had a hard time figuring out exactly what Paula Prentiss was attempting. The best I can say for Cohen’s direction is that it’s workmanlike. Some shocks and and/or twists—some surprises, in short—might have livened up an underachieving film that nonetheless provides plenty of undemanding fun.
Vital Statistics
SATURDAY THE 14
New Word Pictures
Director/Screenplay: Howard R. Cohen
Producer: Julie Corman
Cinematography: Daniel Lacambre
Editing: Joanne D’Antonio, Kent Beyda
Cast: Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Jeffrey Tambor, Severn Darden, Kari Michaelsen, Kevin Brando, Rosemary De Camp, Stacy Keach Sr., Carol Androsky, Roberta Collins, Nancy Lee Andrews