Top Friday the 13th Kills

I finally decided I needed to make a list of my top kills for the Friday the 13th franchise. Especially seeing as how this is my favorite horror movie franchises of all time. While the task proved daunting, I was ready for the challenge. In the end it was more of a reward than anything just to revisit these kills. There are just so many great kills it was difficult to narrow it down. I ended up picking the best two or three from each movie. I hope you all enjoy the list!

Friday the 13^th

Mrs. Voorhees

Poor Pamela. You almost feel sorry for the old bag. She was just trying to protect other outcast children from suffering the same fate as her precious Jason. Then you remember she's a homicidal maniac that's hacking up horny teens and remorse is sort of out the window. She ends up murdering all the camp counselors and only Alice is left. It ends up being a close fight, but in the end Alice prevails. She takes a machete and cuts Mrs. Voorhees' head off.  It's become a bit of a watershed moment in the series and for good reason. It's the passing of the torch from mother to son. The effects of the head being chopped off are pretty good for the time and the budget, but it's also pretty comical as well. First, if you look closely at the hands you can see black hair. The hands were actually Tarso Stavrakis's (part of effects team). Second, you can actually see the toothpicks that were holding the prosthetic head in place after it's swiped off. Still a needed kill for any top list.

Pamela's face right before Alice brings the pain.

Jack (Kevin Bacon)

The now movie star was a relative unknown in his appearance for Friday the 13th. It was just his 5th movie. He ends up getting an arrow through the throat for his troubles. Jack's death is a staple in my, and many other top kills list. The effects are extremely well done by Savini even though the bubbles coming out of his neck are a result of the effect gone slightly awry. The blood was originally supposed to just seep out, but as a result of Taso Stavrakis blowing through the blood tube, we see bubbles and blood spurting out instead. The end result works very well despite this. It was also pretty graphic and brutal death nonetheless for mainstream horror movies of the time. 

It can't be easy to breath with that in your throat.

Friday the 13^th Part II

Alice Hardy

Well Alice just can't catch a break can she? She survives the first movie, only to be killed in the beginning of the second. After opening her fridge to see Mrs. Voorhees head, she get's an ice pick to the temple from an unknown attacker. One should have to assume it's Jason at this point. Nobody notices a maniac running around the suburbs with a potato sack over his head right? It's not that the death was that great or anything, but come on, it's Alice! The head in the fridge was a nice for a little shock. The reason it makes my list is the fact that you're killing the heroine of the first movie off! Producers usually go with a new group and leave the survivors alone from the previous film. Ironically Alice was being stalked in real life by some maniac. She wanted to be killed off so she could step away from the spotlight and have more privacy. RIP Alice.

That'll give you a headache.

Mark

Next on my list is wheelchair bound Mark. All he wanted to do was get laid by Vickie! Oh well. He ends up getting in dead center in the face with a machete. His lifeless body in the wheelchair proceed to roll down the steps outside. The camera then freeze frames and zooms in on his corpse. The music is great here and it matches the atmosphere very well with this scene. The dread is palpitating. Very effective and creepy.

Dude had enough problems alright!

Friday the 13^th Part III

Andy

What can I say about Andy? Such an awful way to go out. Looking to impress his girlfriend Debbie, he does a handstand walk to go get some beer for them. Probably not the best idea seeing as how Debbie is pregnant, but whatever. Jason ominously appears above him, and ball splittingly chops him in half down the bad spot. This one makes the list due to pain alone. Ouch!

Uh oh!                                                                         Make a wish!

 
Rick

This film was the first and only of the franchise to be released in 3D. It was also the first Paramount Studios film to released as such. His death was done with the 3D concept in mind and it does not disappoint. Rick's head was basically squeezed until one of his eyes pops out towards the screen. If you look closely you can see the wire used to pull the eye out. Still, for it's time it was pretty bad ass in 3D and still works for me to this day. I just can't get enough deaths from Jason using just his bare hands!

I see you!

Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter

Rob
Now this kill is not particularly gruesome or inventive but very memorable in the dialogue that happens while the killing is going on. Rob heads to Crystal lake looking to get revenge for his sister Sandra's murder (killed in part II) . Maybe he doesn't know it's Jason? Rob makes it to near the end of the movie, only to be killed in the cellar of the Jarvis house while trying to protect Tommy and his sister. Now while being killed, he utters the now immortal words, "He's killing me!". lol. What the fuck?! The word "help" didn't come to mind? Those lines have to be the most awesome, yet embarrassing words to go out on. Not to mention he was killed by a freaking garden harrow. I mean come on. It will live on forever as the most inexplicable last words ever!

He's killing me! Lol. Well in this pic he's already dead.

Jason Voorhees

Who says all the kills have to be done by Jason? How about to him? This movie would mark Jason's last appearance as an apparent human...I mean mongoloid, because this time he really does die. Machete style. In part VI when he's resurrected by lightning ala Frankenstein, he apparently becomes a supernatural demon. Works for me. After Tommy pretends to be a young Jason in an effort to distract him, he chops him up to holy hell. The scene and acting are very well done Mr. Feldman, and the gore is terrific. Top notch kill. Thanks Mr. Savini.

Is there something stuck in my head?

Friday the 13^th: A New Beginning

Joey

This poor fat guy. His death also made my list for top moments of the series. Joey doesn't get much screen time, but what little time he does have, is spent annoying the crap out of us, some girls, and crazy Vic. Probably not the best idea to annoy an already unstable individual with an ax in his hands. You almost feel bad for the slob...almost. But with that chocolate smeared all over his mouth and constant pestering  you really want him to get it. He does ultimately get it, but not from Jason. Instead the crazy and unstable Vic has heard enough from Joey and proceeds to hack him to pieces with an ax. You don't actually see much gore (Thanks MPAA!), but it works as a nice shocker to have someone else doing some killing. It also marks the first kill of the series not attributed to Jason, or Mrs. Voorhees. Tommy's kill over Jason excluded.

Before ax work                                                           After. Courtesy of Vic

Junior

Alright, so another mentally challenged guy makes my list. Sue me. This kill is just plain funny and to the point. Meet Junior, the resident hillbilly or special person if you like. After getting his ass whooped by Tommy, Junior runs home to momma crying. Apparently Tommy is a martial arts expert from the looks of that fight. He beats the holy bajeezsus out of him. Junior proceeds to scream and cry while riding his motorcycle wildly through the yard. Jason shows up just in time and cuts his head clean off. Momma gets it right after that. It always satisfying to see the 'townies' getting some Jason love as well.
  
Stop screaming ya big baby. It'll all be over soon.

Friday the 13^th Part VI: Jason Lives

Larry, Stan, and Katie

Another scene that was mentioned in my top moments list. This kill works a couple levels for me. First, it's damm funny. It's almost something that would happen in a three stooges episode, except for you know.....the murder. Second, it's always nice to see Jason take out a few birds with one stone. Larry, Stan, and Katie are out on a business retreat playing capture the flag with paintball guns. They have the misfortune of picking crystal lake as their site for this excursion, however their biggest problem is that they actually run into Mr. Voorhees himself. Jason leaps like a cat from the tree? What? Then he quickly and cleanly takes all of their heads off at once. Triple decapitation. Nice.

The last thing they ever saw.

Nikki

This kill is very inventive sticks out in the chronicles of Jason dispatchery. After Nikki and Cort's romp in the RV they are spooked by a loss of power. They decide to hightail it out of there right then and there. Little do they know Jason is already on board for the ride. Nikki is literally pulled out of her shoes into Jason's arms. Her head is then violently and devastatingly pushed though the wall. As it's being pushed into the wall you can see the outline of the face clearly. Thats gotta hurt! They effect was accomplished by shooting the scene underwater in slow motion and her head is being pushed into a piece of plastic. Pretty simple, but very effective original.

Say aaaaahhhhh!

Sheriff Garris

This kill gives a whole new meaning to the term 'back breaker'. It's just one that just makes you cringe when you see it. Once again Jason decides to get inventive with his bare hands and turns Sheriff Garris into a human pretzel. Mr. Garris  finally finds out the Tommy isn't the killer the hard way. Jason shows up and is after Tommy and Garris's daughter Megan. In an effort to help Megan, he desperately tries to fight off Jason to no avail. Jason takes Sheriff Garris and bends him backwards head to toes. This one was accomplished by having Garris sitting in a hole with a stunt coordinator face down in another hole to serve as his legs.

Does your back feel better or worse now?

Friday the 13^th Part VII: The New Blood

Judy

Due to the MPAA's raping of this film, I can only find one kill that stands out for me. Of course this particular kill would make anyone horror fans top list, and would probably be # 1 or 2. Snug and comfy in her sleeping bag, Judy is just waiting to get laid by her boyfriend. Too bad for her because Jason kills her boyfriend and shows up in his place. Not what she ordered I suppose.Jason proceeds to drag her out of the tent while she's still stuck in her sleeping bag. He then bashes her against a tree, destroying her brain in the process. Kane Hodder has mentioned this as his favorite kill. Now in the theatrical release Judy was bashed several times against the tree and blood can be seen on the sleeping bag where her head is. For the VHS release this was toned down to one hit and very little blood. I'm not sure why they did that, but alright. You can see the uncut version on the on the deluxe DVD version of the film, as well as the other deaths uncut. I have also included the video of the uncut video below. 

Batter up!

Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

J.J.

Jason again takes whatever tool is at hand to administer brutal justice. I like this kill because it involves a guitar. Being a musician, it's nice to see Jason picking up the ax. He doesn't play it, but he sure knows how smash one. That makes him a rock star right? Sid Vicious anyone? J.J. is just jamming out with dreams of being a rock star, but Jason has other plans. He takes her guitar from her and uses it to paint the wall with her brains. I'm not sure if he just didn't like her playing or what. Does it matter?

"Damm. Not with my own guitar!"                           "I'm the real rockstar here bitch!"

Julius

Here is another example of a man fighting for his rights. His right to live that is. I always love a kill in which the person at least puts up somewhat of a fight. Julius is an aspiring boxer, although he never would've guessed he would have to use his skills against Jason. Once cornered on a rooftop, Julius says "Fuck it!", and decides to throw down with our boy. He puts up a valiant effort, but like most others he doesn't last long. Jason only needs one shot to literally knock his block off. Julius's head is sent spiraling off the roof into the trash bin. 
Funny little kill and it always gets chuckles from me.

Mr. Voorhees the next HW champ? Could be. 

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

Deborah and Luke

It has the best of both worlds to make my list. Tits, ass, and gore. This has to be one of the best sex scenes of the series. Usually you have to wait until after the bad and awkward teenage sex for a brutal kill. Not this time. Deborah and Luke are getting busy in the tent with reckless abandon, but little do they know Jason is roaming around looking to get some murder in. He eventually finds these two fornicators and decides to ram Deborah though with a barb wired spike mid riding. That wasn't good enough for him. Jason decides to rip the spike up through the body just for good measure. So nice.

Awww.... young love.

Joey B.

She plays the loud mouth Diner manger, owner, whatever. Resident bitch let's call it. She has some really cheesy lines even for a 90's movie but it works. Joey B. does nothing but make snarky remarks and talk shit throughout the movie. This kill is a cool use of special effects makeup and looks pretty awesome. Possessed by Jason, Richard goes on a rampage through the Diner killing staff and patrons alike. When Joey B. tries to stop him, he nonchalantly turns around to elbow her jaw into her skull. I like it.

I don't think a dentist is going to help you.

Jason X

Adrienne

This kill has to be one of the most inventive of the series. The camera angle point of view from inside the liquid nitrogen container is genius. The gore and CGI are very well done and it’s just another reminder that Jason can and will use anything at hand to kill you. Adrienne was tasked with taking samples from Jason to find out more about him. For some reason she takes one of his eyes out to study. Fair enough I guess. Jason doesn’t take too kindly to that and wakes up a cranky boy. He takes her head and dips her face into the nearby liquid nitrogen container until she’s more than dead. He pulls her head out and violently smashes her now frozen face completely off on the counter. 

"I made a facesicle!"-Jason

Holographic Girls

In a nod to Part VII’s sleeping bag death you get double your pleasure with this kill. While not original in its concept, it works to invoke nostalgia for the good ‘ol days of horror movies. Plus it’s just good for a few laughs. In an effort to slow down and distract Jason, Tsunaron and KM-14 create a Crystal Lake hologram projection complete with two scantily clad teenagers.  The girls proceed to taunt Jason with talk of drugs and sex. All this while getting naked and slipping into their sleeping bags. Jason does what he does best and kills them both. Amusingly he accomplishes this by hitting one of them with the other repeatedly while in their sleeping bags. Hey, it works for me.

Looks like a good time.                                              Take that, and that, and that!

Freddy Vs. Jason

Guard

It’s hard to come up with a kill that stands out in this selection due to it being one of my least favorites. Since I wanted to choose at least one from each movie I had to go with the guard getting flattened by a door. It just has this slapstick quality to it that you’d see in a cartoon. The kill almost seems as though it’s an afterthought to Jason. He's was just trying to get at someone else and that makes it that much more hilarious. Stay out Jason’s way when he’s on the warpath. Actually just stay away in general…..far….far away.

You got in the way sir.

  

Friday the 13^th (2009)

Amanda

Another sleeping bag death! I quite enjoyed this one as well. Again, it’s a bit of nod to part VII. Amanda decided it was time to entice Richie by lathering herself up in oil. It turns out to be a bad idea. It only served to get Jason’s creative juices flowing. He pulls Amanda out of the tent, wraps her up in the sleeping bag, and  then hung over the fire to be slowly cooked to death. Who knew Jason was a secret cook at heart?

Smells like teen spirit? 

 

Richie

This guy doesn’t get it easy. This death scene was pretty effective in that it was slow and painful at first, but then wham! All over. Richie goes out to investigate some sounds. Has this guy ever seen a horror movie? His leg ends up caught in one of ‘survivalist’ Jason’s bear traps. He’s stuck bleeding and squealing like a pig for help. Also not smart. Right before help arrives, a machete comes down on his head almost splitting it two. Brutal kill. Roll opening credits. 

Ouch.                                                                           Double ouch.

I hope you all enjoyed my picks. Let me know what you think. A Nightmare on Elm Street edition coming up soon. Thanks.