The Friday the 13th Franchises started as a way to cash in on the success of HalloweenAnd some Jason movies have matched up to the John Carpenter classic in terms of success. Director Sean S. Cunningham included an ad Variety Calling it “the most terrifying film ever made,” All before the movie even had a plot, according to Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete Story of Friday the 13th. Other films have the same goal of matching a camp setting or date on the calendar to a slasher killer, but they never have the pure effect of Friday the 13th.
With writing that feels organic to the characters and the time, Friday the 13th Set a precedent that 11 follow-up movies have tried to match or top. The movies brought more victims to Crystal Lake for Jason Vorhees to dispatch. Soon, the Jason movies took him away from the lake setting, sending him to New York City, Elm Street, and even on a trip to outer space. Through it all, Jason killed 195 people on his way to becoming one of the most iconic slasher killers in horror movie history.
12
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
1993
After Paramount’s decade with the series, New Line took over with the help of the original film Sean S. Cunningham And gave audiences the very different Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Cunningham hired the very young Adam Marcus (23 at the time) to write and direct the film, and few could argue that he played it safe. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday found a way to balance the original films’ cut-and-dry layouts and tones with high-concept, body-swapping material. The low box office ultimately doomed the franchise until the next Jason movies saw him go into space and then Elm Street to fight Freddy.
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11
Jason X
2001
Jason wields his iconic horror movie weapon, the machete, in place of the late Jacob Isaac’s Jason X. Seen by some as the nadir of the Friday the 13th franchise, Jason X Blows most of his relatively “high” budget on the opening credits (where the audience sees himself ascending from hell). While the movie received poor reviews, it was at least funny and highly creative. A frozen face smash kill is unlike any kill seen before in the Jason movies And it was a hilarious callback to the sleeping bag scene in a holo-deck scene. This movie also saw Jason battle a female cyborg in an inventive battle so it gets points for being different.
10
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
1989
Jason takes Manhattan is the eighth and last Friday the 13th installment of the Paramount Golden Years, but most fans hated it. Based on fan scores, it ranks at 4.5 on IMDb and a lowly 27% on Rotten Tomatoes audience score. Although almost none of the Jason movies had positive critical scores, this was one of the movies that fans agreed fell short of expectations. Part of the problem was taking Jason to New York City and out of Crystal Lake, while another problem was budget limitations to keep the project from exploring enough of New York City. It was one of the best Friday the 13th Kills as Jason has a boxing match with one victim.
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however, Fan opinion of Jason takes Manhattan has become more positive in the years since its release. The film’s camp and goofy premise makes it stand out among the already campy franchise, turning it into a fun watch. When compared to some of the aforementioned Friday the 13th Movies, which can tend to feel generic due to the repetitive nature of the franchise, Friday the 13th Part VIIIThe change of setting at least puts a fun twist on the formula, even if it’s far from the best Friday the 13th has to offer.
9
Friday the 13th Part III
1982
There is something about Friday the 13th Part III Which feels like a natural continuation of the first two films while simultaneously being a step in a darker direction. Jason had never been as scary as he was in Part IIIAnd he was also never more cold and merciless. The filmmakers also got away with some of the most shocking images seen in the franchise, especially Vera’s spear-in-the-eye death, Expectant father Andy’s bisection while walking on a handstandAnd the pregnant Debbie’s hammock death. It is a dirty film with the best third act of the franchise, but it is not as widely accepted as the first two.
8
Friday the 13th Part 2
1981
Steve Miner, a producer on the original, took over as director Friday the 13th Part II And delivered a film just as entertaining and possibly even more well put together. However, it doesn’t quite match the brilliantly inventive and ruthless heights of the original, even if it brought the series’ iconic antagonist to the forefront, because it was the first movie that had Jason as the killer. It also introduced the franchise’s best protagonist, Ginny Field, who only appeared in the second movie. It seems strange that she never once returned for any of the sequels after such a great performance in this movie.
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At the time of its release, it was only one of two Friday the 13th films, Meaning that the formula still felt fresh and unique. but back, Friday the 13th Part II It doesn’t really stand out from the rest of the franchise, with it seeming like just another generic entry in the slasher series. While it’s still fun to be had, the restrictions of its 1981 release date mean it feels too close to the original film, with later films having more opportunities to evolve the classic formula.
7
Friday the 13th: A new beginning
1985
Danny Steinman Friday the 13th: A new beginning is one of the most notorious Jason movies for one big reason. It was the only movie in the franchise that didn’t have Jason Voorhees in the movie. Tommy Jarvis is back, and he has nightmares of Jason years after the killer’s death. However, when Jason returned and started killing again, No one could find out how he survived. That’s because it was a copycat Jason. A new beginning Has more detractors than defenders, but it feels more in line with the first four than any subsequent entry when it comes to the violent kills on display.
6
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
1988
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood Featured one of the best Jason designs in any movie in the franchise. It also changed things in the Jason movies by introducing a protagonist with superpowers in Tina Shepard, a young woman who had telekinetic abilities, which was how Jason was brought back from the bottom of Crystal Lake for his killing spree to start again. The movie was a huge success, With a $19.1 million box office on just a $2.8 million budget (via The numbers). The movie got low critical reviews, as is the norm for the franchise, but dollars made sure the Jason movies continued,
5
Friday the 13th
2009
The first 15 minutes of Marcus Nispel Friday the 13th Remakes are phenomenal. It quickly introduces a group of teens looking for weed, has two of them have sex, and then Jason kills them all, except for one. But then the movie repeats itself, only in a more elongated fashion with new characters. This came in an era where Hollywood was remaking several classic horror movies, and it was a box office success, Making $92.7 million on a $19 million budget (via The numbers), the second-highest grossing of the Jason movies, though that’s not enough to warrant another entry in the years since its release.
4
Freddy Vs. Jason
2003
Ronnie Yu Freddy vs. Jason Showed that the director’s successful Bride of Chukki It was no accident, but rather the work of someone who knows how to reboot dormant horror franchises by giving fans what they want. The movie saw Jason and Freddy go to battle with The Nightmare on Elm Street Icon manipulated Jason to put fear in the hearts of Elm Street kids once again. Of all the Jason movies, this one made the most money of the entire franchise, Making $92.7 million on a $19 million budget (via The numbers). It also has the third-highest critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with 42% and fans liked it, giving it a 50% audience score.
3
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
1984
The Jarvis House is one of the most iconic locations of the Friday the 13th Game, just like it is one of the top locations of the films. Positioned just by Crystal Lake, the Jarvis House is a perfect place for a “last” Friday the 13th Because it added a new dynamic to the mix. The last chapter Moved away from the teens-getting-slashed formula of the first three films to bring a single mother and her two kids into the mix. But the fourth film of the franchise managed to stand out because of what it primarily followed. Namely, the young Corey Feldman’s Tommy Jarvis, the latter Friday the 13th Protagonist if there is one.
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2
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
1986
Tom McLaughlin’s Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason LivesIs A film that is far better than it has any right to beConsidering it is the sixth installment of a franchise. The film is a testament to just how great a filmmaker McLoughlin should have become. Serving as writer and director, McLoughlin made a late installment of an at-the-time slumping series somewhat respectable. Jason live is effectively a precursor to Wes Craven’s screamPossesses the ability to wink at the audience while simultaneously giving the fans the kills they paid for to begin with.
1
Friday the 13th
1980
Sean S. Cunningham never really directed a major film outside of Friday the 13thAnd he didn’t helm any of the sequels, but he did introduce the iconic Camp Crystal Lake to the world. The original Friday the 13th Critics fumed, to the point that Roger Ebert irresponsibly put poor Betsy Palmer’s mailing address on a public forum for all to see. actually, Friday the 13th is extremely tame unless compared to John Carpenter’s Halloween Or Tobe Hooper’s The Texas chain saw massacre. Friday the 13th is a classic film-making jersey and one of cinema’s greatest success stories.
Friday the 13th is surprising in how different it is from the modern conception of Friday the 13thWith the original film barely featuring Jason Vorhees and not featuring his iconic hockey mask. While the original Friday the 13th Having set the stage for what was to come, it still remains an achievement in the slasher genre, with it being better than any of the sequels that came after.