TOP 5: The very best of the ‘Friday the 13th’ franchise

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th, so I know some of us horror fans will be celebrating it with viewings of one of the most popular horror franchises ever. So in honor of the unluckiest day of the year, I’ve compiled our Top Five movies from the original “Friday the 13th” franchise.

1. “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984). I know you can’t believe I didn’t start with the original “Friday,” but get over it! I kid you. Really. It’s just that the fourth one has always been my favorite. “The Final Chapter” is famous for being the one where the hockey-mask-wearing killer Jason Voorhees is finally taken down by Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman). Of course he returns in the sixth installment (the killer in the fifth is a lame copycat Jason). This is one of the scariest of the series and includes some of the best kills. Who wouldn’t appreciate Crispin Glover getting a meat clever in the head?

The best bad quote: “Come on, Sara! Strip and dip!”

Dead bodies: 13

2. “Friday the 13th” (1980). Of course the first one on any franchise is always the best. But since Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) is the one spilling the blood, it gets bumped to the No. 2 spot. It’s now a horror classic and has a different feel than all the others in its franchise. It’s pretty rare to see a female slasher. It also has one of the best cat fights ever: Mrs. Voorhees vs. Alice. The latter wins, but Alice gets hers in Part 2. And who can forget Kevin Bacon‘s screen debut?

The best bad quote: “See if Jack left any of that grass.”

Dead bodies: nine

Read More on this one in our 31 Great Horror Movies collection

3. “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (1988). Jason meets his match when telekinetic teenager Tina (Lar Park Lincoln) decides she won’t let ol’ Maggot Head end her life. The special effects are actually decent for its time. And this one contains one of the most talked about kills in horror film history. Hint: it has something to do with a girl, a sleeping bag and a tree.

The best bad quote: “So he says, ‘Let me see your ID,’ and I’m like, ‘I left it at home,’ and he goes, ‘You have to go and get it.’ So I said ‘OK’ and I left.”

Dead bodies: 15

4. “Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981). Jason is technically scarier in this one. Mostly because his face covering of choice is a simple pillow case. And when his face is revealed later, he looks like a rapid mountain man. It’s also one of the creepiest because we get the only glimpse of Jason’s residence, fully equipped with his dead mother’s head and a shrine of dead bodies. Jason, I’m calling “Hoarders.”

The best bad quote: “These kids smoke better dope than I do.”

Dead bodies: nine

Read more on this one in our 31 Great Horror Movies collection

5. “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986). The title says it all. Tommy Jarvis makes his third appearance, but instead of killing Jason this time, he actually brings him back to life. Doh! The sixth in the series is one of the funniest. It was deliberately written to mix humor with horror. The funniest moment: Nikki’s face making an open-mouthed imprint on the side of a RV.

The best bad quote: “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.”

Dead bodies: 18

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