I actually had the urge to put up this list immediately after my rankings of the Nightmare On Elm Street series a few weeks ago but then decided to hold off until today. After all, it’s an actual Friday The 13th and thus a far more appropriate date to commemorate the series.
What’s interesting about the Friday The 13th franchise – as opposed to A Nightmare On Elm Street – is that my personal rankings of it usually vary depending on what day you catch me. The overall shape of it remains fairly constant, but here and there certain entries have the ability to slide up or down a notch or two depending on my mood. I also don’t feel that there’s one perfect entry in the franchise. As much as I love most of these films, many of them are incredibly flawed – which is part of the charm for me and is also why I would completely understand the reasoning behind a list that was the exact opposite of mine.
With one huge exception, I tend to favor the days of pre-zombie Jason even though I have no particular stake in him being alive or undead. Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor but I find that there’s something innocent and comforting about those early days at Camp Crystal Lake. I could almost watch those movies without the kills. It also may have something to do with the fact that the characters in those latter films are coarse and even more thinly drawn than the earlier installments, which is saying something.
Anyway, head inside to see where I stand on the series! And – as always – let me know your own rankings in the comments! READ MORE
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