Long before Saw became the yearly theatrical staple for horror fans, we had Friday the 13th. When a franchise releases six films over seven years beginning in 1980, it’s easy to forget the passage of time when said pictures have been with you for most of your life. I only bring that up because Friday the 13th Part III is coming up on its thirty-fifth anniversary in August.

Thirty-five years. To put that in perspective, Derek Mears, the man who portrayed Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of the original was only 10 years old in 1982. To take it a step further, Steven Spielberg’s E.T. hit screens just two months prior.

Though it’s been three-and-a-half decades, Friday the 13th Part III still resonates with fans as a series favorite, and I’m no different. For me, the third installment is part of a holy trinity that includes Part 2 and Jason Lives because they just bring a smile to my face.

All that said, I am going to drop 13 of my favorite aspects of Friday the 13th Part III on you. Some are on the obvious side, while others tend to receive a bit less focus. I won’t be talking about the Ginny flashback that caught us up or that Jason found his hock, but rather aspects of the feature that have always stayed with me.

In no particular order, let’s start with the obvious.

13 — Richard Brooker

Let’s face it, the argument with regard to who delivered the finest portrayal of Voorhees will rage on forever. While it all comes down to personal preference, when the dust clears and each list is whittled down to the best of the best, whether he’s number one or not, Brooker is always in the conversation.

We went from Adrienne King being pulled into the water and a sequel that found Jason a killer still growing into his role. He wasn’t exactly polished as he stumbled about, easily swayed and to an extent, fended off. By the time we got to Brooker, Jason was getting better at his work, but still susceptible to being slowed by injury. Then again, everyone’s favorite momma’s boy was still human at this point. Brooker brought more aggressiveness to the part, was a bit more efficient at dispensary and relished the idea of letting Chris (Dana Kimmell) know that he wasn’t through with her by a damn sight.

To say nothing of the greatest mic drop in the history of horror.

12 — Crazy Ralph’s successor

If you love Friday the 13th, you love Walt Gorney. For my money, Crazy Ralph was the finest character the saga has generated not named Voorhees, but the prophet of doom was put down in Part 2. That didn’t stop the franchise from doing its best to replace him just one film later. Abel (David Wiley) was just lying in the road to catch a few z’s when the latest smorgasbord pulled up in need of advice. To successfully talk a group of people out of something they’re dead set on doing takes subtlety and charm, and while Abel may have had some of the latter, putting an eyeball on display screamed utter lack of the former. But hey, he had warned thee.

11 — Higgins Haven

Easily the best setting the series ever produced. Chris’ old stomping grounds featured a badass, two-story cabin complete with a winding staircase, hammock to recreate Kevin Bacon’s death from the original and that barn. It’s just the sort of place you’d want to spend a weekend.

To top it off, for a group of films that runs 12-deep, there simply isn’t a better shot than Chris opening the barn doors to reveal Jason hanging right before her. Classic in every way. However, we’re not allowed to forget the books upon books that allowed Ms. Higgins to confirm the old adage that “In much wisdom is much grief: and she that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”

10 — Funktastic

Harry Manfredini orchestrated the soundtrack of virtually every Friday the 13th offering, but none were more memorable than the disco-infused sound from Part III. It’s poppy and creepy and deserved the fantastic events that followed. Listen to this and tell me you’re not ready to watch the third chapter immediately. Go ahead, lie to me.

9 — Cheestastic 3D

Ahhh, who could forget those amazing cardboard glasses with red and blue lenses? Well, among those old enough to remember, I suppose or lucky enough to have the Friday the 13th I-IV DVD collection that came with a pair (a prized possession for those keeping score at home).

No, the joint, bat and speargun were all relatively solid, but we’re going to look past the snake on a clearly visible wire and focus on the money shot. Y’all know what I’m talking about, so let’s just get to it.

8 — The girls

Friday the 13th has prided itself on lovely lasses who wander into the woods to become the personification of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least touch on the fact that Part III featured the finest collection of women in franchise history.

Kimmell, Tracie Savage (Debbie) and Catherine Parks (Vera) were not only beautiful, but played characters who were about as real as they come. There was nothing over the top about their portrayals of characters that were actually believable as real people, though they were stuck in the woods with a bunch of jackasses.

7– Ali

While he enjoyed revenge and the occasional Olympia tall boy, Nick Savage played the leader of a motorcycle gang comprised of his girlfriend (Gloria Charles as Fox, who should be included in that grouping of girls from earlier) and a doofus, who I assume passed for tough in the early ’80s. That said, what’s most memorable about Ali was that he was anything but talk, he was a man of action. Just not very good at it.

Look, John D. LeMay played a bespectacled, letter-jacket wearing lightweight in Jason Goes to Hell and even he put up a fight against Kane Hodder’s zombie Jason. Think about that. LeMay was thrust into action out of necessity, Ali sought it out. He was supposed to be a badass, but he took one hack at Brooker’s Jason with a machete and got knocked the fuck out. Later, he managed to make some noise and turn big man around, but lost his hand (and it can be assumed many other parts) for his efforts. Not a single blow landed. It’s just always struck me as humorous.

6 — The chase

Friday the 13th has featured its fair share of chase scenes, but none more unsettling than watching Chris maneuver her way from the bridge toward the barn while Jason appeared from behind the van and embarked in hot pursuit. I think we can all agree that the feeling of being chased is an uncomfortable one, even when it’s in jest. Thirty-five years on, this one still gets me.

5 — Mary Jo Conrad

THE Mary Jo Conrad. Such a description leads me to believe that she was kind of a big deal and a weekend with her would have been more in keeping with the kind of eye-popping experience Rick was looking for.

Of course, she was never mentioned again and certainly didn’t make an appearance, but if she had, the actress would’ve had to have been sarcastic rivaled Chris’ looks and elicit believable jealousy and rivalry. Has anyone ever tried to cast the part? Probably not, because I’m sure nobody else cares, so I’m just gonna go ahead and do it.

I say Betsy Russell. Because, yeah, Betsy Russell.

4 — The window

It’s a classic shot. Chris woke in the canoe and glanced up at the house only to see Jason peering at her through an upstairs window. He smiled at the idea of a third shot at Ms. Higgins. Chris panicked, but before she could paddle away, they cut to Jason clutching at the window as though he were looking for a weak spot. A solid concept to be sure, and though it still struck the intended mark, it would have worked better as a quick-hitter — stare, smile, head for the door — I could have done without the pawing.

3 — Harold

Dude was just abused. All Harold (Steve Susskind) wanted was to have some smiles and some snacks, but his ball-breaker wife was never going to allow that to happen. It’s not that she wanted him to be less of a slob or watch what he ate — that was fine — it was that it was never conversational, just an attack with a condescending tone that had audiences itching for that second needle to be put to good use . Any guy who cuddles up with a bunny and has to take pulls from a bottle of Jack concealed in the shitter scores empathy points with me. Susskind also has endless points bestowed upon him for having appeared in an episode of Married with Children.

Harold deserved a better final meal than fish food and Sunny D.

2 — Let’s be real about Vera

Shelly called Vera a bitch for the egregious offense of spurning his advances, but let’s break down a character who was anything but a bitch.

She agreed to head into the woods for a blind date as a favor to her friends, had to fight off her mother just to get out the front door, discovered that said date was apologetic about his appearance and wore a mask, was informed that she couldn’t use food stamps at the convenience store just because she was Latina, received an unwanted lesson on manners, almost got pulled into the lake because Shelly just didn’t know when to stop and after being kind enough to retrieve his wallet from the water, she got harpooned for the effort.

You wouldn’t have been in the finest of moods, either.

1 — Shelly

Who doesn’t love Shelly (Larry Zerner)? Yes, he was inappropriate on every level, didn’t know when to quit and had absolutely no idea how to approach things with Vera, but he was lovable. Most guys don’t win the genetic sweepstakes and look like Rick (Paul Kratka), so Shelly represented the every man. He was the four trying to get in good with the 10 and simply lost. That said, he was always cracking jokes and goofing around in the hopes that everyone would have a good time, he just had the misfortune of being socially unskilled. He did show Ali and his cohorts what time it was, could juggle with the best of them and was clearly a talented makeup guy because, well, Shelly was the victim of a self-inflicted wound known as the boy who cried wolf.

And if Shelly doesn’t make an appearance in Gun Media’s Friday the 13th: The Game, there will be hell to pay.

Huge thanks to Chris Fischer for the feature art.