This 1980s Horror Trailer Almost Ruined the Entire Movie

September 10, 2025, 4:00pm

These days, it seems as though the marketing division of every studio, big or small, feels the need to put all three acts of their newest film in the trailer. Just a taste of it isn’t enough for them to feel comfortable that people will actually show up and buy a ticket. Which is ironic considering, throughout film marketing history, it’s been proven time and time again that less is more. How much would have been taken from Jaws if the trailer showed the shark leap aboard the Orca in full view and gobble up Quint? But showing too much isn’t entirely new, as some projects have had marketing that was too revealing all the way back to the early ’80s.

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For instance, the preview for Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th. Now, the movie was a box office smash, so the tactic did work, but the fact remains that the trailer showed many of the film’s biggest moments. Which, in the case of this particular franchise, of course, is the kills.

It Would Be Like The Terminator‘s Trailer Not Showing the Terminator

What choice did they have? Friday the 13th is basically structured as opening two kills, introduction of Annie, ominous expedition about the camp’s trouble-prone history, introduction of the other Camp Crystal Lake counselors, the surprising death of Annie, the other Camp Crystal Lake counselors hanging out, the deaths of the other Camp Crystal Lake counselors, and Alice vs. Mrs. Voorhees.

If the big hook of your film is the creativity of its characters’ dispatching, there’s likely some pressure to show as much of that as possible. But if you watch the trailer before the movie, as many viewers did over 40 years ago, they had a general idea of who was going to go and who wasn’t. For instance, there’s the shot of Kevin Bacon’s Jack lying on the bottom bunk. Blood drips on his head, he dabs his forehead, and Mrs. Voorhees’ hand comes up from beneath the bottom bunk.

The Trailer Is Loaded With Misdirects

However, while the trailer is structured around counting how many kills there are, it’s not entirely straightforward. For one, it lists 13 of them, which isn’t accurate. Including Mrs. Voorhees there are 10: Barry, Claudette, Annie, Ned, Jack, Marcie, Brenda, Steve Christy, Bill, and Mrs. Voorhees.

Two, the trailer implies some people die who don’t. Of the 13 characters it shows ostensibly moments before their exit, only eight are actually as such: Steve Christy, Barry and Claudette (with a focus on Barry), Annie, Marcie, Ned, Brenda, Jack, and Claudette.

But we also see young Jason drowning (which in the context of the film is in Mrs. Voorhees imagination), “Crazy Ralph” saying “You’re all doomed,” Alice, Alice again, and Alice a third time. Neither “Crazy Ralph” nor Alice die in the film (and Alice certainly doesn’t die three times). They were held off for Friday the 13th Part 2.

It Doesn’t Show Mrs. Voorhees (Or the Dream Sequence)

As mentioned, the trailer shows eight of the victims shortly before their deaths. However, it shows neither Bill nor Mrs. Voorhees. That latter character is especially important. The trailer may show most of the people who are going to get offed, but it doesn’t show who is doing the offing. Even if the first time viewers see her is in the third act, her identity is intended to be a twist.

In other words, Friday the 13th‘s trailer conveys that it’s a murder mystery. Spoiling that would have been the ultimate crime. So, in the end, it’s a pretty great trailer for a pretty great ’80s horror film that sells its stakes, appeal, and why audiences should be interested in the story.

Watch the original trailer for Friday the 13th above and stream the film for free on Kanopy. Sound off in the comments if you feel there was some way the film could have been marketed better.