Our critics run the Friday The 13th series in honor of its 40th anniversary

Welcome to a brand new episode of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. The original Friday The 13th film was released on May 9, 1980 to middling reviews but staggering financial success, grossing $59 million on a estimated budget of $550,000. 40 years on and a dozen films later, the quintessential slasher franchise continues to lumber through our pop-culture consciousness. This week on Film Club, Katie Rife and A.A. Dowd are running down the Friday The 13th series, from Camp Crystal Lake to the year 2455, on an episode ominously taped on Wednesday the 13. In the episode—which you can listen to below, or wherever you get your podcasts—you’ll hear the pair discuss the franchise’s history, its influences and legacy, its unlikely future, and their favorite kills.

Because The A.V. Club office is closed for the time being, and everyone on staff is social distancing, this episode was recorded remotely. Listen to the podcast above, subscribe on iTunes, and give us a five-star rating to help other listeners find us.