Critics totally enthralled

Critical praise rarely translates into Box-office Boffo, but this weekend's surprise smash 'Friday the 13th' proved to be the exception to that rule, pulling in an estimated 42 million over the three day period. "Totally surprising", "totally groundbreaking", and "totally original" were just three variations of the word 'totally' used by the nation's premier film critics in describing this totally brilliant story about a troubled young man with a penchant for hacking wayward teenagers into beefsteak tartar. "I was totally unprepared for the intellectual depth and moral clarity that young director Marcus Nispel brought into the creation of this cinematic masterpiece," raved New York Time's critic A.O. Scott. "The man is totally underrated, although I strongly suspect that will change quickly with the release of this signature film. "Perfection is the name of Nispel's game here. To start with, there's the title, 'Friday the 13th'. What on earth could it signify? I thought it might be a Tyler Perry movie, but you could be talking romantic comedy, action-adventure, pretty much anything with a name like that." "But then, when the wonderfully-etched protagonist appears from nowhere and hacks up an arrogant young bong-smoking punk at, of all places, a deserted summer camp, I knew something special was afoot. A shock like that right at the beginning of the film, who would have expected it? I was totally surprised, and then I was totally surprised again another dozen times. Thirteen surprises in one film, that's a rather amazing accomplishment." "Intrigued is the word I would have to use," said Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert. "Totally intrigued. Of course I've only had time to watch the film three times thus far, so I'm sure that there is a lot more subtext I'll pick up on as time goes by." "The use of the color red in the cinematography is visually striking, but it seemed to be metaphorical as well, as if to say 'death is all around us'. I wanted to know just who this Jason Voorhees was, what motivated him, and why does he have such a predilection for carving utensils? I wanted to see beneath the mask, to see the human spirit underneath, although I fully realized that the director wanted to leave some questions unanswered. All I can say is that I pray someday there will be a sequel to this fine movie, because if there is, I'm totally there."