FRIDAY THE 13TH: From Worst To Best!

 It's time for my favorite horror franchise and while I mostly think of 'Friday the 13th' closer to the summer time, I enjoyed putting together the 'Halloween' list for you and decided to discuss my favorite horror villain. Without any more delay, let's go!

12.) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

 By far, this is still the worst film in the entire series and since it's beating a dead horse at this point, let me be quick about it. Despite some impressive work by KNB, the film simply isn't a 'Friday' film and should never have been. The director, Adam Marcus has a strong arrogance about him and to this day he refuses to acknowledge any real fault for this film, which just makes me abhor it all the more.


DID YOU KNOW?: Kane Hodder appears in the opening sans makeup as one of the security guards escorting Jason's remains.


11.) Jason X (2002)

  

 The funny thing is, I may have a small softspot for 'Jason X'. Sure, it's really stupid, in both concept and execution but it has that camp factor that you would see in any ol' SyFy channel original film. It at least has that going for it, which raises slightly above 'JGTH' but don't let that fool you 'Jason X' is a terrible movie and it's a chore to watch, but hey if you can get yourself a MST3K group and a case of beer, I say let it riff.


DID YOU KNOW?: This was to be 'Freddy vs. Jason' however due to conflicts with the studio and a need to make a new film to keep the contract Sean Cunningham rushed out 'Jason X' and even then the film wasn't released until three years after production wrapped.



10.) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

 

 A guilty pleasure for this fan, this film lost so much potential due to studio interference, the infamous MPAA edits, and the budget was not high enough to pay for filming in New York City. Even if these issues didn't plague 'Jason Takes Manhattan', it would still have some bizarre concepts and HUGE plotholes (how did a cruise ship on a lake suddenly enter the Atlantic Ocean?). What this film does have though is a great 80's vibe and really well executed atmosphere. The opening song by Metropolis sets the mood so well and seeing all the locations in New York while it plays is excellent. It's just too bad the studio was too cheap to pay for these locations. Such a sad waste, but not the worst film.


DID YOU KNOW?: To promote the movie, Kane Hodder appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1989 in full costume and conducted the interview without speaking a single word and always in character.



9.) Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)

 

 The film that took almost a decade to make ended up becoming a huge success for New Line Cinema, but was the movie everything we had hoped for? Not really, but it's a fun movie to pop in at a Halloween party. It's a little too polished for my tastes, with so much stylized action replacing genuine horror. 'FvJ' is more like an action film fanfiction rather than a true companion to either franchise. It's nowhere near the worst film in either franchise, but I think the charm has long since worn off for me.


DID YOU KNOW?: New Line paid for 18 different screenplays for this film.


8.) Friday The 13th Part 3D (1982)

 Yes, I know it's the first film with the mask and I personally love Richard Brooker as Jason but the film is just a really boring rehash of 'Part 2' with a 3D gimmick attached. I hate 3D films now for attempting to cover up mediocrity what makes people think this one won't make me feel any different? It's not all bad though, the kills though cheap and silly looking are some of my favorite in the series and Chris is one of the more likeable heroines. The problem is that the movie is boring and is so slow when comparing the other entries.


DID YOU KNOW?: This is the first 'Friday' film to tell the location of Crystal Lake: New Jersey.


7.) Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

 

 Kane Hodder and Lar Park Lincoln are the ONLY saving graces here folks. I know this is a big fan favorite, but my question to you is why? The MPAA sucked out any real entertainment out of this entry, about a psychic girl going against Jason and all of the deaths are non-existent so what else is there to enjoy in the film either than the final 20 minutes? Sorry fellows, this film is bad without the lost footage to back it up. But hey, Kane Hodder will always kick ass so that's something and with the upcoming video game we've got an awesome version of Jason to use.


DID YOU KNOW?: Terry Kiser, who plays Dr. Crews here would also play the titular character in the 'Weekend At Bernies' films.



6.) Friday The 13th Part 2 (1981)

 

 'Part 2' unfortunately shares a lot of the same issues as 'Part 3D' and that's in its slow pacing and weak payoffs. Again, the film was heavily censored denying fans of any of the special effects goodness but the characters are also rather interchangeable with others in the later films. What this film does have is hands down the best survivor in the franchise with Ginny, played by the lovely Amy Steel. She's the perfect character in that she's not really a victim, she's smart, resourceful, and can even psych Jason out. She saves this one from being lower on the list.


DID YOU KNOW?: During a fight scene the actor playing Jason (Steven Dash) was accidentally sliced down the hand with the machete and went to the hospital, with a prop machete embedded in his chest. He entered the Emergency Room and the staff were horrified only for Dash to explain the situation.


5.) Friday The 13th (2009)

 







By far the best remake in the Platinum Dunes archive, 'Friday The 13th' 2009 is a pretty damn entertaining flick with some fun kills, dark horror vibe, and Jason himself is the best since Ol' Kane Hodder. The film only really suffers from the Platinum Dunes treatment, by which I mean it's overly stylish and you can barely see anything in the darker scenes. And while I love Jared Padelecki in 'Supernatural' he is a distraction here because you don't feel his character, you just see one of the Winchester brothers. And the film is way too damn long man, almost two and a half hours is too much for ANY horror film. What were they thinking there?


 DID YOU KNOW?: The film was to have a direct sequel set during a winter storm. The film has since been revamped and is set to release sometime in 2017.


 4.) Friday The 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

 

 This one I've come to absolutely love. It's bizarre to me that people see a slasher film with the T&A and the gore you see here and then become upset that the killer wasn't the one they wanted. It's a sort of 'Halloween III' thing again, although here it makes little sense to complain. You get some of the funniest and odd cast of victims in any of the other films, with Ethel and Junior standing out and the high body count and fast pace really has me satisfied in the end. I hope someday 'A New Beginning' gets the love it deserves as its like any of the other 'Friday' films but with that Grindhouse touch.



DID YOU KNOW?: First 'Friday' film to refer to Jason by his full name.



3.) Friday The 13th (1980)

 
 










Here comes the guns...Look, the first entry is undeniable in starting a huge boom during the 1980's onward, but it is not even close to being the best film in the franchise. It's very slow and has little to offer beyond the graphic special effects, which were shocking at the time given that films would hold back on such things more often than not. It doesn't work that way anymore and the original film has become more of a memorial to what came after and is no longer the leader of the pack.


DID YOU KNOW?: The late Betsy Palmer (RIP) only agreed to star in the film because her paycheck for doing so would be exactly enough to pay for a new car. She would later come to love the film and all her adoring fans. She will be truly missed.



 2.) Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1987)

This was my first 'Friday' film and that may seem appropriate as for some strange reason I always see this entry as the 'kid-friendly' version. The gore is slightly comical and less graphic by choice, it's the only film in the series to contain no nudity, the only film in the series to have children actually on the campgrounds during Jason's rampage, and the upbeat rock and roll music and tongue in cheek humor helps make 'Jason Lives' so memorable. If you have a kid who's into the films, I honestly would say this one is the best to start with.


DID YOU KNOW?: Director Tom McGloghlin kept Jason's tombstone in his backyard, which lead to an incident where a meter checker refused to enter the yard after believing a real body was buried there.


 1.) Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
   

This film has class, style, a brilliant and charismatic cast (with future stars all around such as Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover) and overall the film feels like everyone involved had a lot of fun making it and had a final farewell party for Jason Voorhees (before the inevitable rebooting). I love 'The Final Chapter' for its humor, its writing, its kills, and the fact that its just a good movie and not just a good slasher movie.


DID YOU KNOW?: The picture above with Corey Feldman was a genuine reaction from the young actor. Jason actor Ted White felt that he was somewhat of a spoiled brat during the filming and so they filmed the window scene without telling Corey what was going to happen.