Having seen the remake of Friday the 13th, and having been only marginally pleased by it, I thought I would revisit the original series. Here’s my thoughts on some of the original installments, my favorites from the series. Please keep in mind these are just my opinions.

Part I: Okay, here is where I confess: I’ve always found the first one to be a little boring. I’m sorry, that’s just how it is for me. It’s good for what they had to work with, but I think it’s a little bit on the snoozer side. Rail against me all you must.

Part II:  The first sequel has one of the best cinematic shots in the entire series (watch it and guess which one shot I’m talking about). This is also the Friday offering in which Jason kills the guy in the wheelchair, proving that Jason just doesn’t really give a damn who you are; he’s an equal opportunity mass murderer.

Part III: This is just one of my favorites of the entire series. I’ve watched it almost as many times as Part V. Jason gets his mask in this one, forever changing the face of DTM’s. That’s Dead Teenager Movies for those who may not be in the know.

Part IV:  Corey Feldman. If that doesn’t make it an instant classic, what else does? Among my friends, this one seems to be the most popular, and admired, in the franchise. Might be because most of us cut our newfound horror teeth on this one back in the day. It’s good, but, to me, not as good as the next one.

Part V:  This is the best one. I’ve defended my view against several attacks by friends and family. Other than the fact that A New Beginning has the girl with the best…personality, it also boasts atmosphere and an almost Hitchcockian style. I said ‘almost’. From start to finish, this is just a great horror movie.

Part VI: JASON LIVES!   Spread the news. A little belatedly, Jason becomes a supernatural force. This is an enjoyable movie, it has some really good laughs in it. It’s a close second for the best of the series overall.

After Jason Lives, choose to believe it or not, the series got a little silly. Yes, I now, I was shocked too, how did that happen? The New Blood, dubbed “Jason Vs. Carrie”, isn’t a bad movie. But come on, psychic powers? Telekinesis? This is Friday the 13th. Jason Takes Manhattan? Not a very bad entry, but not a very good one either. And don’t get me started on Jason Goes to Hell, okay, don’t, just don’t.

Jason X:  Jason in space? I was a hold out on this one for a long time. I never saw it until a couple of years ago. I mean, it sounds completely ridiculous. But it’s not. It’s actually quite good. Now, if the current remake had been as fun as this one, or one of the others, it would have been money well spent.

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