Halloween may have opened the door to the slasher films of the ’80s, but it was Friday the 13th that set the table upon which these ripoff films would feast. It took some time for the franchise to find its voice, and when it did it devolved into self parody over the span of only a few movies. There is a sweet spot in the series, and it is noticeable.
Here, now, is the definitive ranking of the Friday the 13th franchise, scrutinized and analyzed and… who am I kidding, I just watched these things and ranked them based on what I liked. And along the way, I added a few tidbits of information where it was warranted. Enjoy… or get mad. It’s up to you.
7Friday the 13th, Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Somehow the seventh entry into the franchise that refused to die (for a while) feels like the longest of the series to this point, despite the fact that it’s one of the shortest at 88 minutes. Originally, this was going to be where Jason squared off against Freddy, but Paramount and New Line couldn’t find common ground so the story was rewritten to include an uninteresting telekinetic teen (Lar Park-Lincoln).
One thing The New Blood has going for it is the introduction of Kane Hodder as Vorhees. That, coupled with the Zombie-fied costume (you can see his spinal cord, pretty cool) and a whole host of creative kills (like the sleeping bag one, still the best) redeem what was an otherwise forgettable retread of the first five films. That being said… the worst is yet to come in the franchise.
