Three decades ago, writer Victor Miller and director Sean S. Cunningham, both inspired by the success of John Carpenter's Halloween, decided to bring the slasher genre to a whole new level. Together they gave birth to what would eventually become the most recognized face in all of horror. A titan of terror, Jason Voorhees struck fear into the hearts of all who dared enter the theaters. Jason Voorhees, the unkillable, unflinching, undead slaughter machine who has terrorized Camp Crystal Lake and its denizens for the past 30 years. No slasher before him or after has accrued his body count and none can hope to ever achieve his legendary status.
Celebrating Friday the 13th's 30th year, THEMOVIEPOOL returns to the infamous "Camp Blood" and looks back at the grisly history of the Sultan of Slashers, some details behind the films, and how Jason has evolved over the years. Come with us as we venture into the woods to tally up the bodies left in his wake.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Writer: Victor Miller
Ms. Voorhees Played By: Betsy Palmer
Jason Played By: Ari Lehman
Body Count: 9
Many know that it was not Jason himself that started the rampage through the forests of Crystal Lake, but his grief-stricken mother, Pamela. Though she hacked her way through 9 camp counselors before she herself was decapitated, Jason still got his screen time as he exploded out of the lake to take his mother's killer down to the bottom in a dream sequence. *Bloody Fun Fact: Friday the 13th was one of famous actor Kevin Bacon's earliest roles.
Friday the 13th Part II (1981)
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Ron Kurz and Phil Scuderi
Jason Played By: Warrington Gillette
Body Count: 10
As it turns out, you just can't keep a good killer down, as Jason finally arrives to take vengeance on his mother's killer, showing up to take her out in her own apartment in the city. Here is the first example of what fans call Jason's skill for "Improvised Weapon", an ability that leads to some occasionally amusing, yet always horrifying deaths. *Bloody Fun Fact: To date, since Friday the 13th Part II, Jason has used over 70 different means to dispatch his victims, from his bare hands and his machete to a pencil and a sauna rock. Even liquid nitrogen once.
Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Martin Kitrosser and Carol Watson
Jason Played By: Richard Brooker
Body Count: 12
Paramount set a record here, as the third installment of the series was their first ever fully 3-D production to hit theaters. From yo-yo's flying at the audience to eyes ejecting out of heads, audiences had their fill as Jason slashed his way through more doped up, sex hungry teenagers. *Bloody Fun Fact: Friday the 13th Part 3 marked the first time Jason would don what would become his most prominent signature: the hockey mask.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Director: Joseph Zito
Writer: Barney Cohen
Jason Played By: Ted White
Body Count: 13
In what was supposed to be Jason's final outing, the sheer success of the film proved enough to keep the legend alive. Though the film was shot with a rather "final" ending, the series was continued the next year with a whole new killer...but it was not to last. Lest we forget, both Crispin Glover and a very young Corey Feldman both appeared in this film.
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985)
Director: Danny Steinmann
Writer: Martin Kitrosser, David Cohen, and Danny Steinmann
Jason Played By: Dick Wieand
Body Count: 19
Paramount attempted to bring a new killer in, someone who played on the Jason motif. Though the film followed the trend of the previous installments and it was a commercial success, fans simply didn't want to see anyone but their beloved Jason wreaking havoc in the mask. The revenge plot was simply too reminiscent of the first film. So Paramount got back to work and injected new unlife into the series.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Director: Tom McLoughlin
Writer: Tom McLoughlin
Jason Played By: C.J. Graham
Body Count: 17
Arguably one of the most hardcore Friday the 13's, Jason gets insanely creative in this one, leading to some perversely iconic kills. A triple-decapitation, the RV, and the spear-flip just to name a few. It's one of the most potent and one of the fan favorites in the entire series. With an incredibly climactic ending, VI towers over the other films in every capacity. VI also marks the first time Jason was given some supernatural ability. *Bloody Fun Fact: The character of Tommy Jarvis is the only character (apart from Jason) to appear in more than 2 Friday the 13th movies, Parts 4, 5, and 6, his story arc concluding with Jason being chained to a boulder and sending him to the bottom of Crystal Lake.
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Director: John Carl Buechler
Writer: Manuel Fidello and Daryl Haney
Jason Played By: Kane Hodder
Body Count: 15
Marking the first time Kane Hodder would don the mask, Part VII capitalized on the concept of slashers meeting their match (just as Freddy did in Nightmare 3: Dream Warriors): someone who could fight back as ferociously as he could. Since no mortal man can match Jason in hand-to-hand combat, the writers decided on an even better opponent: a young woman tied to the history of Crystal Lake...who possess phenomenal telekinetic abilities. Has Jason met his end? *Bloody Fun Fact: Friday the 13th Part VII contains the legendary "Sleeping Bag Kill" and the entire film was completed, from scheduling to release, in only six months.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Director: Rob Hedden
Writer: Rob Hedden
Jason Played By: Kane Hodder
Body Count: 19
Jason broke free from convention and made his way to Manhattan to spill some blood. Though the film was seen as hackneyed and unrealistic (Crystal Lake connects to the Hudson River?) even by it's own standards, Part VIII did give us some classic Jason kills and some excellent moments for the history of the series (uppercut decapitation, villainous teleportation).
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Director: Adam Marcus
Writer: Jay Huguely, Adam Marcus, and Dean Lorey
Jason Played By: Kane Hodder
Body Count: 29
At long last, it was time for the world to be done with Jason Voorhees and the powers that be took a stand against him...namely hitting his ass with an air-to-surface missile. But even in chunks, you can't stop this evil train. Expounding on the diabolical backstory of the Voorhees clan and the mystical nature that empowers Jason himself, this one served up lots of info and some decent Jason moments all while upping the ick factor. After Paramount sold the rights, this was the first Jason film to be produced under New Line Cinema. *Bloody Fun Fact: The ending sequence of Freddy's gloved hand pulling Jason's tattered mask down into the ground was Sean S. Cunningham's way of demanding he get to finally produce Freddy vs. Jason.
Jason X (2002)
Director: James Isaac
Writer: James Farmer
Jason Played By: Kane Hodder
Body Count: 25
Probably the worst of the series, Jason finally went the route of Leprechaun and Pinhead and found himself in space...killing doped up, sex hungry teens of the future. Though the upgrade armor was interesting to look at, the concept was simply...too far out there (no pun intended). Nonetheless, improvised, brutal, and hysterical kills are abundant here. *Bloody Fun Fact: The entire film was shot on an abandoned military base on the outskirts of Toronto.
Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)
Director: Ronny Yu
Writer: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
Jason Played By: Ken Kirzinger
Body Count: 22
Cunningham, the mind behind Friday the 13th, had been struggling for years to bring the Dream Master into the ring with the Titan of Terror. After years of delays, he got his wish and fans were treated to one of the best fights in Jason history. As he slugged it out with Freddy Kreuger, the two eclipsed every expectation, setting the bar extremely high in terms of Jason films. Sadly, director Ronny Yu, despite the outcry of the fans, did not cast Kane Hodder in the role of Jason, but a larger more imposing actor/stuntman, Ken Kirzinger. Though Hodder was displeased at being left out, he and Kirzinger still remain friends. *Bloody Fun Fact: Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland starred in FvJ, her character dying about as hard as her solo singing career.
Friday the 13th (2009)
Director: Marcus Nispel
Writer: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
Jason Played By: Derek Mears
Body Count: 12
After the success of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, Michael Bay and Marcus Nispel decided to take a shot at the epic series. Billed as a reboot of the franchise, Nispel brought everything back to the beginning with a slightly fresher take on the origin of Jason. Lacking his supernatural abilities however does not slow this Jason down for a second as he dispatches his victims in every convenient way possible. Deer antlers anyone? Derek Mears took on the role from Ken Kirzinger. Mears is also slated to appear in the sequel. Jared Padalecki of the TV show Supernatural starred in this film. *Bloody Fun Fact: Jensen Ackles, who plays Jared's brother on Supernatural, starred in another slasher reboot at the same time, My Bloody Valentine.
Total Onscreen Body Count: 202
Estimated Total Body Count: 300+
JASON THROUGH THE YEARS
While it is safe to say that time has not been kind to ole' machete-head, Jason has seen multiple incarnations over the years, all basically the same, but each with some subtle differences as each unique makeup and effects artist put their own signature to the iconic image. Below are the multiple incarnations of Jason over the past three decades. However, it is regarded by many die-hards that the Jason that appeared in Friday the 13th Part VII is the "Definitive Jason".
Happy 30 years Mr. Voorhees and here's to another 30! We thank you for all the wonderful memories...and the terrible nightmares.
-Jarod
