.Newsletter 001
Wheelchair Representation in 80s Slasher Films.
Every year around this time, I watch all the Scream Movies in chronological order.
This year I may have admittedly started that marathon a bit early, motored through all 6, and was in search of other similar cinematic experiences to fill my time with.
People in my Discord had a ton of suggestions, the original three instalments of Friday the 13th were recommended the most (by far) so I immediately gave into peer pressure as I’m known to do, and set out to watch them all over the weekend.
I watched the first one yesterday, I liked it for sure, I loved it even. However… It was a bit slow. Which I get, is rude of me to say, and I’m aware of how long ago it was made, and how the current speed of everything now has made it impossible to enjoy anything without constant movement and stimulation baked in.
It’s me, not them. I understand that.
That’s actually what got me thinking about how now, in 2023. We can look at a movie like Friday The 13, which first premiered in 1980, and have the audacity to critique it.
People my age, a bit younger, we look at that and yawn. We’ve heard the soundtracks and sound effects too many times. We’ve seen the plots, hooks, and jump scares before. We’ve seen them copied, referenced, and paid homage to, a million times…
I always have to remind myself that in 1980 people must have been losing their minds. That type of thing hadn’t really been done before. Everything was so new, no Letterboxd, no spoiler alerts. And there was much more of a Monoculture happening back then. The whole world, North America at least would have been terrified in unison.
With that in the back of my mind, I sat down to watch the second movie this afternoon.
About 19 minutes in, I noticed that one of the co-main characters... not a main character, but important ish for sure, is a Wheelchair User.
A character named Mark, played by an Actor named Tom Mcbride.
He was in it for a while, until he wasn’t anymore…
He even had a Love Interest, they let him be Human too.
I did a bit of digging, my own research if you will…
Although he was just playing a Wheelchair User, and not actually a Wheelchair User.
As someone who uses a Chair, I still really appreciate the sentiment.
This was a huge box-office movie. Originally released on May 1, 1981.
Even though it was less financially successful than the first film, it still grossed $21.7 million in the U.S. on a budget of $1.25 million. That would never ever happen today.
That means an immense amount of people saw it.
For there to be that type of representation, a disabled somewhat main character in a hit movie released 43 years ago is pretty cool to see,
They barely let main characters in box-office films be in Wheelchairs now, four decades later.
Here’s the Kill Scene, if anyone cares:
It makes me wonder, why if this type of thing was beginning to be normalized on the big screen way back then. What happened? What got in the way of this happening more often? I know I’m reading too much into this. The killing of an able-bodied Actor playing the role of a Disabled Person isn’t necessarily doing anything monumental for the Disabled Community. But it’s visibility, and it’s acknowledgement, and I personally think it’s pretty sick.
I unfortunately don’t really have any other examples.
I’ll report back if I do come up with any.
I guess the Subtitle didn’t need to be plural. The singular 80s Slasher Film would have probably done just fine.
I’m just happy I finally found a half-unique topic to write my first Newsletter about.
I’m less of a Film Buff than I am a Writer, please keep that in mind.
This is more Social Commentary than it is Movie Reviewing or Disability Activism.
I assume no-one has written about this precise niche before though? Wheelchairs and half-century old horror movies.
Actually, if you know of someone who has, please send me their work. I’d love to read.
Anyways… I’m off to watch Part 3. A 1982 release, originally in 3d. Yet another thing they did way more in the 80s than they do now. Almost equally as frustrating.
I digress.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Respect!