Camp Slaughter and FRIDAY THE 13TH
It’s only February and I’m already dreaming of summer. Which is why I decided to conjure up the spirit of the season with two summer camp slashers. I’m pairing up the classic cursed camp flick FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) with the indie novel Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez.
At first glance the similarities are blatantly obvious. Starting with an ominously nicknamed camp setting. Camp Crystal Lake is known by locals as Camp Blood in the film. Meanwhile in the novel, there are rumors and local legends about Camp Slaughter which turns out to be the abandoned Camp Lakewood. Of course, the main feature is a group of unsuspecting young victims whose plans of having a good time are interrupted by a mass murderer. Lastly and most important is a variety of gory and brutal deaths. There is no shortage of violence in either the film or book: victims are beheaded, shot with arrows, impaled, bones broken, limbs amputated, and more.
The first installment of the long-lasting film franchise takes place about twenty years after two camp counselors are killed at Camp Crystal Lake. Between the murder and several other strange incidents, the camp stay closed. Steve Christy, the camps previous owner’s son, plans on reopening the camp. Two weeks before the reopening, a small staff of young adults arrive to help with repairs and preparations. One by one they are murdered over the course of one rainy Friday the 13th night. In a strange twist, the key images from the book that brought the horror franchise to mind are not prominent features of the original film. Mainly that would be the large seemingly indestructible killer wielding a machete. This maybe a spoiler—sorry not sorry—but Jason Voorhees is not the killer in the original FRIDAY THE 13TH.
Camp Slaughter was independently published in 2019 by author Sergio Gomez. In the novel, childhood best friends Gavin and Fred have planned a weekend getaway with friends to Lakewood Cabin, a beautiful vacation property advertised as “the most secluded cabin in Pennsylvania.” It just happens to be next door to the abandoned Camp Lakewood, home to a cannibal, Ignacio aka Varias Caras (“Many Faces”). Meanwhile, documentary filmmakers and supernatural investigators Emeril and Molly are looking into strange rumors and missing person reports from the surrounding area. The fun begins when they all cross paths.
The oddest similarity between the two is an underlying theme that doesn’t get a lot of attention. Overshadowed by the violence, gore and superstitions lies two stories about a mother and son relationship. In FRIDAY THE 13TH, the killer is motivated by revenge. Pamela Voorhees (oops, spoiler) blames the camp counselors for the death of her son, Jason, and doesn’t want the camp reopening. Her killing spree is triggered by the plans to reopen and take place on his birthday.
Similarly, the events of the novel take place as Ignacio prepares to celebrate his mother’s birthday. While his motivation isn’t revenge (he just really likes killing people), his relationship with his mother and her death are significant. They’re important elements of his backstory that still have a major effect on his decisions.
While it can be interesting, the motive, backstory and setting really aren’t that important in a good slasher. What we really care about and enjoy reading or watching is a bunch of people meeting a violent and gruesome death. The more bloody, painful, and weird the method of killing is the sweeter it is. Or maybe that’s just me. But if you’re like me, then this pair’s for you.
