Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection (WB)

[Rich1983]

EI need in on this one. Friday the 13th is formulaic. There is nothing wrong with that. It is supposed to be formulaic. It's a FRANCHISE. People go to Godzilla, James Bond, Resident Evil, and Fast and Furious movies expecting to see certain things. People go to see Friday the 13th movies expecting to see certain things.

The original film was made to cash in on Halloween's success. The second one was made because the first one made so much money ($60 million 1980 dollars on a half mil budget). The third one was the first of the gimmick films. It was 3D. Then the fourth one was advertised as The FINAL Chapter. Then part five was like "psych! Part 4 was not REALLY the FINAL chapter." Then Part 6 was when Jason took notes from Frankenstein. So, they have been gimmicky since the third one really.

And you know what? I love each and every one of them! I don't want my franchise to change. If you want to make an original horror move then do it. I like my Jason films just the way they are. Though I didn't mind the occasional new idea being tried such as Jason Goes to Hell, but I'm glad the 2009 film returned to the basics.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Britbuffguy

See, I think this kind of thinking is what killed the series. Some executive some where said,

These movies are nothing more than a bunch of kids getting killed at a camp by Jason. We need gimmicks!!!

And hence, we got Jason VS Carrie, etc etc etc and the downfall of the films happened.

Am I alone in thinking just going back to the basic premise would be best???


I honestly think that being back at Paramount, just pick it up at Friday the 13th part 9. Forget Hell, VS, X and the remake happened. And send the series back to the good old films. Cast unknowns. No CGI. Just my opinion.

Exactly! The series got beyond laughable!

[ashedmaniac]

People went to the latest Fast and Furious films because they progressed the overall story in an interesting way.

When people talk about Friday the 13th going "back to basics"...it seems that they are generally arguing for a lack of storyline progression and either flat gimmickry or simply no differentiation from the basic (current perception of the) premise of the series...which, at this point, is roughly "Guy in a hockey mask kills people in the woods." But you already have that movie. 3...4...5-ish (not really)...6...7.

When the remake was coming out, some fans swore that Jason never ran so his running in the trailer was horrible. That's how ingrained this "Jason is a plodding zombie figure that kills only campers and others in the woods"-perception is...to the point that people unreasonably deny reality. When did this perception come to prominence? When the series started largely being regarded, by general audiences, as a formulaic joke.

The storytellers need to do something. Genuinely go somewhere (not "Manhattan" or "Hell") with the story. Or else they should just leave it alone.

I've heard people say that the remake's sequel might take place in winter with snow everywhere. While an interesting visual or general notion...what is that supposed to get me to care about? What does that actually mean to or change about the series?

I don't want any more Friday the 13th if they don't have anywhere to go with it.

[DarknessBDJM]

One can create a good and interesting sequel story without resorting to outlandish plots. Here's an idea, maybe they should create a creepy minimalist slasher film relying on atmosphere and character interaction, you know like the original. Make a serious entry, one isn't a self referencing parody of sorts, use good actors, a good director, a good cinematographer; at this point that's revolutionary. The series' repetition wasn't the big problem it was that the series and many viewers couldn't take anything about the latter entries seriously, the characters became increasingly bland (VII was the worst of 1-IX in that respect) the plots more and more outlandish (VI in a good way though), Jason was less of a source of fear and more of cheer, and the series lost everything that progenitor had. It's not the lone horror series to do this, almost all of them have (ANOES made their villain into a walking joke).

[ashedmaniac]

Originally Posted by DarknessBDJM

One can create a good and interesting sequel story without resorting to outlandish plots. Here's an idea, maybe they should create a creepy minimalist slasher film relying on atmosphere and character interaction, you know like the original. Make a serious entry, one isn't a self referencing parody of sorts, use good actors, a good director, a good cinematographer; at this point that's revolutionary.

But where do you actually take that story regarding main characters or the like? A lot of what you said is basically just..."have competent filmmakers make it." Sure - but I want to hear where it might go that influences the series rather than just being another entry.

At this point, the most obvious thing I can think of is bringing back somebody like Tommy Jarvis. Basically H20 it.

Additionally - and I'm only pointing this out because it seemingly differs from your perception - I have always found the first Friday the 13th to be fairly offbeat...which can make it seem quite laughable.

[RickWJ324]

Originally Posted by rblum199

No, it wasn't, in fact to my knowledge anaglyph was never used for 3D except for like one or two movies (the only one coming to mind is Spy Kids), and that started around the 90s, if not later.

The Elm St movie that had 3d at the end (was it Freddy's Dead?) was anaglyph in the theatres. I saw it in the theatre and thought it looked horrible. My first 3d experience in the theatre was Amityville 3d and even though the movie wasn't great, I really loved the 3d experience and it was NOT anaglyph.

Rick

[xxBachelor1981xx]

Originally Posted by Britbuffguy

See, I think this kind of thinking is what killed the series. Some executive some where said,

These movies are nothing more than a bunch of kids getting killed at a camp by Jason. We need gimmicks!!!

And hence, we got Jason VS Carrie, etc etc etc and the downfall of the films happened.

Am I alone in thinking just going back to the basic premise would be best???


I honestly think that being back at Paramount, just pick it up at Friday the 13th part 9. Forget Hell, VS, X and the remake happened. And send the series back to the good old films. Cast unknowns. No CGI. Just my opinion.

I love this Idea. I think No CGI would be great that is what I miss most about the 80s film is the gore effects. Everything now is CGI and a lot of it just sucks in my opinion. For me my favorite decade of Horror is the 80s

[RickWJ324]

Originally Posted by xxBachelor1981xx

I love this Idea. I think No CGI would be great that is what I miss most about the 80s film is the gore effects. Everything now is CGI and a lot of it just sucks in my opinion. For me my favorite decade of Horror is the 80s

I think more gimmicks (like time travel!!) would kill this franchise for me. Friday the 13th films should be what they are meant to be... mindless slasher flick entertainment. I hated Jason Goes to Hell!! I almost walked out of the theatre when I saw it. Up to that point, there had been some stupid moments in the franchise, but overall I was still a huge fan of the character and had seen them all as they were released in the theatre. From the moment I saw Jason blown up and then proceeding to "possess" other bodies and eventually being shown as a worm creature, I was disgusted by how bad that film was. It was beyond ridiculous. That was NOT Jason. When watching all of the films I typically skip that one. I just don't get any enjoyment from it. Jason X may have been silly, but it still felt like Jason! It was good campy fun.

Personally, as much as I love the franchise I would like to see them continue with a continuity of the remake. I think the original series ran its course and eventually nose-dived into what was JGTH and JX. Nowhere to go with that series now....unless those films were ignored. But if there is a new Jason movie, set in today's timeframe, why not just continue with the remake...after all, it's still the same story (basically) as the first 3 movies, but they actually made Jason a scary character again.

And for the record, I really enjoyed FvsJ. Yes, it was silly, but it was a damn fun movie to watch in the theatres!!

I've been a Friday fan since 1980 (I was 10 at the time) and will continue seeing them in theatres even when I'm 90. As a kid in the 80's I had a Jason poster on my wall and subscribed to Fango magazine to satisfy my 'horror' obsession! Always been a horror fan...always will be.

Just my two cents...
Rick

My favorites: Parts 1, 4, and 6. Those 3 movies together make for a nice trilogy!! Part 1 = origin, Part 2 = Death of Jason, Part 6 = resurrection of Jason.

[xxBachelor1981xx]

Originally Posted by RickWJ324

I think more gimmicks (like time travel!!) would kill this franchise for me. Friday the 13th films should be what they are meant to be... mindless slasher flick entertainment. I hated Jason Goes to Hell!! I almost walked out of the theatre when I saw it. Up to that point, there had been some stupid moments in the franchise, but overall I was still a huge fan of the character and had seen them all as they were released in the theatre. From the moment I saw Jason blown up and then proceeding to "possess" other bodies and eventually being shown as a worm creature, I was disgusted by how bad that film was. It was beyond ridiculous. That was NOT Jason. When watching all of the films I typically skip that one. I just don't get any enjoyment from it. Jason X may have been silly, but it still felt like Jason! It was good campy fun.

Personally, as much as I love the franchise I would like to see them continue with a continuity of the remake. I think the original series ran its course and eventually nose-dived into what was JGTH and JX. Nowhere to go with that series now....unless those films were ignored. But if there is a new Jason movie, set in today's timeframe, why not just continue with the remake...after all, it's still the same story (basically) as the first 3 movies, but they actually made Jason a scary character again.

And for the record, I really enjoyed FvsJ. Yes, it was silly, but it was a damn fun movie to watch in the theatres!!

I've been a Friday fan since 1980 (I was 10 at the time) and will continue seeing them in theatres even when I'm 90. As a kid in the 80's I had a Jason poster on my wall and subscribed to Fango magazine to satisfy my 'horror' obsession! Always been a horror fan...always will be.

Just my two cents...
Rick

My favorites: Parts 1, 4, and 6. Those 3 movies together make for a nice trilogy!! Part 1 = origin, Part 2 = Death of Jason, Part 6 = resurrection of Jason.

I do agree with you on the time travel thing. I was never a fan of Jason goes to hell, Jason X or really even Freddy VS Jason. I actually didn't mind the Remake. I know it has gotten a lot of heat from people. Of course as a Fan of Jason I would go see pretty much any movie they put out in the theater. I grew up watching these movies as a kid I was born in 81 so a lot of these movies I saw growing up in the early 90s when we use to run into the video store every week and go straight to the horror section to rent them.

[Deckard757]

Can you buy the standalone copies?

I'd like to own 1-3 and 6, but I don't really care for the others.

[SilentNight]

Originally Posted by xxBachelor1981xx

I love this Idea. I think No CGI would be great that is what I miss most about the 80s film is the gore effects. Everything now is CGI and a lot of it just sucks in my opinion. For me my favorite decade of Horror is the 80s

this is why I love the Hatchet movies! No silly CGI blood and gore. (at least I don't think they used CGI)

[ThatMovieNerd]

Originally Posted by Deckard757

Can you buy the standalone copies?

I'd like to own 1-3 and 6, but I don't really care for the others.

You could get 1-3 on their own, but 4-10 is being released for the first time in this boxset. Maybe some time passes by & they decide to release them individually, but for right now, you can get 1-3 Freddy vs Jason and the Remake individually.

[Deckard757]

Originally Posted by ThatMovieNerd

You could get 1-3 on their own, but 4-10 is being released for the first time in this boxset. Maybe some time passes by & they decide to release them individually, but for right now, you can get 1-3 Freddy vs Jason and the Remake individually.

Thanks

Dammit

The 6th is my favorite in the series.

[hamchuck1]

Originally Posted by Deckard757

Thanks

Dammit

The 6th is my favorite in the series.

I plan on watching 6 once and if I still don't like it I may be selling it on ebay. I'm sure others (non completlists) may do the same.

[Movie Man Don]

Originally Posted by RickWJ324

The Elm St movie that had 3d at the end (was it Freddy's Dead?) was anaglyph in the theatres. I saw it in the theatre and thought it looked horrible.
Rick

All anaglyph is crap. It's what we've always called "poor man's 3D".

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Originally Posted by SilentNight

this is why I love the Hatchet movies! No silly CGI blood and gore. (at least I don't think they used CGI)

They don't use any for the special effects Just to fix camera moments and such.

[Hard Times Chaney]

Originally Posted by RickWJ324

I think more gimmicks (like time travel!!) would kill this franchise for me. Friday the 13th films should be what they are meant to be... mindless slasher flick entertainment. I hated Jason Goes to Hell!! I almost walked out of the theatre when I saw it. Up to that point, there had been some stupid moments in the franchise, but overall I was still a huge fan of the character and had seen them all as they were released in the theatre. From the moment I saw Jason blown up and then proceeding to "possess" other bodies and eventually being shown as a worm creature, I was disgusted by how bad that film was. It was beyond ridiculous. That was NOT Jason. When watching all of the films I typically skip that one. I just don't get any enjoyment from it. Jason X may have been silly, but it still felt like Jason! It was good campy fun.

Personally, as much as I love the franchise I would like to see them continue with a continuity of the remake. I think the original series ran its course and eventually nose-dived into what was JGTH and JX. Nowhere to go with that series now....unless those films were ignored. But if there is a new Jason movie, set in today's timeframe, why not just continue with the remake...after all, it's still the same story (basically) as the first 3 movies, but they actually made Jason a scary character again.

And for the record, I really enjoyed FvsJ. Yes, it was silly, but it was a damn fun movie to watch in the theatres!!

I've been a Friday fan since 1980 (I was 10 at the time) and will continue seeing them in theatres even when I'm 90. As a kid in the 80's I had a Jason poster on my wall and subscribed to Fango magazine to satisfy my 'horror' obsession! Always been a horror fan...always will be.

Just my two cents...
Rick

My favorites: Parts 1, 4, and 6. Those 3 movies together make for a nice trilogy!! Part 1 = origin, Part 2 = Death of Jason, Part 6 = resurrection of Jason.

Agreed 100%. Man, some of the suggestions of what to do with the series in the thread are horrible, Jason Goes to Hell horrible!

Thank you for making sense.

[RickWJ324]

Originally Posted by Hard Times Chaney

Agreed 100%. Man, some of the suggestions of what to do with the series in the thread are horrible, Jason Goes to Hell horrible!

Thank you for making sense.

[ashedmaniac]

Originally Posted by RickWJ324

I think more gimmicks (like time travel!!) would kill this franchise for me. Friday the 13th films should be what they are meant to be... mindless slasher flick entertainment. I hated Jason Goes to Hell!! I almost walked out of the theatre when I saw it. Up to that point, there had been some stupid moments in the franchise, but overall I was still a huge fan of the character and had seen them all as they were released in the theatre. From the moment I saw Jason blown up and then proceeding to "possess" other bodies and eventually being shown as a worm creature, I was disgusted by how bad that film was. It was beyond ridiculous. That was NOT Jason. When watching all of the films I typically skip that one. I just don't get any enjoyment from it. Jason X may have been silly, but it still felt like Jason! It was good campy fun.

I understand disliking a time travel premise but I think this type of thinking ("Not MY Jason!") is part of the problem with...well, Hollywood and how people are taught to "consume" film. Jason Goes To Hell's Jason is just as much Jason as any other "Friday the 13th" film's version of the character. Might that version suck? Sure. But when people reduce these characterizations only to established norms (more often stereotypes), they reduce the storytelling potential. Hollywood loves to sell us the same stories over and over and, in fact, that's what they attempt to do for most franchises. Friday the 13th seemed smarter than that and unfairly maligned as far as I was concerned. The stereotype became that horror fans, and particularly Friday the 13th fans, were unthinking consumers that loved to watch the same "garbage" over and over. That's why I appreciated that 1-6, 9, 10 and Vs. actually did something different with the character/premise each time. Now I often see people acting like if it's not "zombie Jason" from 7 and 8, it's not "really" Jason. Like I said, this notion was so ingrained in some people that Jason running in the remake trailer was treated like it was sacrilegious and defied the one we know from the original films (even though he clearly does run in the original series). Why is it that the Jason from the particularly "negative stereotyping" and two films that roughly "did nothing with the character" are the Jason that people cling to? It starts to seem like there was quite a bit more truth to the negative stereotyping of the series/fans than I thought.

Why do people want to see the same film again? When I go see sequels and they feel like hollow retreads, I don't typically leave the theater cheering. I usually feel cheated and like it's indicative of Hollywood's lack of creativity. I'd rather see somebody try something different/interesting and fail than just give me mindless "garbage."

[Blu Myers]

Originally Posted by ashedmaniac

I understand disliking a time travel premise but I think this type of thinking ("Not MY Jason!") is part of the problem with...well, Hollywood and how people are taught to "consume" film. Jason Goes To Hell's Jason is just as much Jason as any other "Friday the 13th" film's version of the character. Might that version suck? Sure. But when people reduce these characterizations only to established norms (more often stereotypes), they reduce the storytelling potential. Hollywood loves to sell us the same stories over and over and, in fact, that's what they attempt to do for most franchises. Friday the 13th seemed smarter than that and unfairly maligned as far as I was concerned. The stereotype became that horror fans, and particularly Friday the 13th fans, were unthinking consumers that loved to watch the same "garbage" over and over. That's why I appreciated that 1-6, 9, 10 and Vs. actually did something different with the character/premise each time. Now I often see people acting like if it's not "zombie Jason" from 7 and 8, it's not "really" Jason. Like I said, this notion was so ingrained in some people that Jason running in the remake trailer was treated like it was sacrilegious and defied the one we know from the original films (even though he clearly does run in the original series). Why is it that the Jason from the particularly "negative stereotyping" and two films that roughly "did nothing with the character" are the Jason that people cling to? It starts to seem like there was quite a bit more truth to the negative stereotyping of the series/fans than I thought.

Why do people want to see the same film again? When I go see sequels and they feel like hollow retreads, I don't typically leave the theater cheering. I usually feel cheated and like it's indicative of Hollywood's lack of creativity. I'd rather see somebody try something different/interesting and fail than just give me mindless "garbage."

I agree with this. I think studios should take chances, but take the time to put together an interesting story that will work and still satisfy the core audience...not an easy task. I think the Halloween franchise handled this situation quite well without veering off into "crazy territory", at least until Zombie got hold of the franchise.