2. Friday The 13th Part 2

Sensing a franchise in the making, Paramount immediately ordered more dispatches from Camp Crystal Lake - or, at the very least, more films under a possible Friday The 13th brand.

Initial ideas floated about including launching an annual anthology series that didn't have a connection besides the title, but featured fresh tales of terror. "We wanted it to be an event, where teenagers would flock to the theaters on that Friday night to see the latest episode," explained producer Frank Mancuso Sr.

But that plan was dismissed when the original producers - including Phil Scuderi - insisted that any follow-up include a certain Mr Jason Voorhees.

Despite the fact that his appearance at the end of the first film was only intended as a shock-worthy lark, associate producer Steve Miner saw the idea as worthy and, when Cunningham decided to drop out of directing any other Friday films, took up the big chair, gathered many of the original crew members together to work on a sequel.

Miner also hired Adrienne King to reprise her role as Alice Hardy, but the casting was fraught with personal strife for King. She was being stalked by an obsessive fan and would only agree to appear briefly.

Even with the short exposure, she suffered visits from the creepy loon and ended up all but retiring from screen acting after the movie. And you thought the campers had problems…

Sticking to the rough formula that made the first film a success - gather an attractive bunch of teenagers at the camp, then pick them off one by one - Miner's film brought Jason to his place on screen - as a hulking, adult killer.

Warrington Gillette was hired to play him, but thanks to a limited stunt range, he only appeared as an unmasked killer in one scene. For most of the running time, Jason was played by stuntman Steve Daskawitz.

While the teens were in danger from Jason's deadly blade, it was Daskawitz who caught the raw end of things, suffering a cut finger during a mis-timed machete moment that required a trip to casualty and 13 stitches (somehow appropriate). Like a pro, he returned to finish the scene.

"Dash" also suffered burns from a piece of tape that was keeping his sack mask from flapping at his eye - truly, a man who suffered for his art.

And the first shot of Jason - his legs, as he approaches Alice (King)'s house? Not a man at all, but costume designer Ellen Lutter.

With a boosted budget of $1 million, Miner fashioned one of the longest pre-credits sequences in history, clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, and upped the gore content, forcing him to slice out 48 seconds (and an infamous double-impalement) to avoid an X rating.

Even with the controversy, the film managed to be a success, opening at first place at the US box office (despite the predictable bad reviews) and earning $21.7 million domestically.

A series was well on the way…

Next: Friday The 13th Part III