What are your MUST SEE movies for Halloween?

[MoonSylver]

Been lax about keeping up, but have watched F13th 1-5 over the past few days: #1 - A lot of F13th purists would crucify me for this, but I have very *meh* feelings about the first one. Maybe it's because my intro to the series was #2 and on, but the 1st only leaves me so-so. It's a decent enough slasher/thriller, with an unexpected payoff the 1st time you see it back in the day (I'm sure any horror fan worth their salt knows who the killer is now). It's a bit slow in the beginning, but unlike "Halloween", I don't feel the slow build of tension. The showdown at the end is a bit anti-climatic (to me). But I still watch it out of loyalty & for the Tom Savini SPFX (plus the "big scare" at the end, which is still classic). #2 - One of my favorites. I saw this one a BUNCH on cable in the early 80's. Does a very good job of recapping the 1st, so TEHCNICALLY you could skip it, unless you're a purist like me. Does a good job of intro-ing a varied enough cast that they don't feel like "generic kids". Good build up to Jason in the campfire scene, & there's enough going on up until the final onslaught that it doesn't drag or get boring to me. Lot's of nice little touches in this one that are unique, such as the path to Jason's shack, the shack itself, the alter to his mother. Plus this is a Jason you never see again: Hillbilly Jason, with his bib overalls & sack head. . This one sets down the formula that will be followed for a while in the series. Viewed as the first act in a 3 act series this is great. #3 - This is my favorite in the series, for a number of reasons, above & beyond the fact this is the first one I saw in theatres. I like the cast themselves, really varied & lots of colorful personality (even if they are caricatures, in a movie like this that can be forgiven if not expected). This is the one where Jason picks up the trademark Hockey Mask, & they way it's intro'ed & the lead up to it are nice. This is my favorite Jason of the series, for some reason. I just like the look. The locations themselves are the best in the series. From Higgen's Haven itself (where most of the action takes place), to the General Store in the opening, they all have a great "feel" to them. The inclusion of the bikers is a nice touch as well & adds some color & variety. The final showdown at the end is great, with lots of chases in & out & around Higgen's Haven. The 3-D in this one was used rather gimmick-y, but I remember it working QUITE WELL when I saw it in theatres. Just love everything about this one. #4 - This is a fairly good one. On it's own it's ok, paired w/ 2 & 3 it rises a notch. The cast in this one is honestly a little annoying, except for Tommy & his family, & the "fearless Jason Hunter" which I thought was a really cool idea (if underutilized). When Jason finally shows up, it's pretty impressive. The staging of the bodies is a nice touch in this one, pretty good chase, & the final showdown with Jason is one of the most memorable in slasher move history. Unfortunately, this is where they kill Jason off. Why I do not know, as they had hit a pretty nice stride with the series, & obviously people still wanted to SEE them, as look at how many more they went on to make... So this is the end of "human" Jason. #5 - I used to hate this one, because it wasn't REALLY Jason in it. Viewing it with fresh eyes, it's a decent-to-mediocre enough entry. They did a good job at showing the trauma Tommy suffered because of Jason (a fact that they, unfortunately, discard in #6). This was supposed to be the segue to intro Tommy as the new Jason. Unfortunately (for them), the public wanted JASON as Jason! M Which leads to #6... ...To be continued...

[Mike70]

#2 - One of my favorites. I saw this one a BUNCH on cable in the early 80's. #3 - This is my favorite in the series, for a number of reasons, above & beyond the fact this is the first one I saw in theatres. I like the cast themselves, really varied & lots of colorful personality (even if they are caricatures, in a movie like this that can be forgiven if not expected). This is the one where Jason picks up the trademark Hockey Mask, & they way it's intro'ed & the lead up to it are nice. me too, on both accounts. i have a very soft spot for both of these films. it is totally a nostalgia thing and completely out of whack with how good (or bad depending on your view point) these flicks are. to jump ship back to the series: john lemay is also the only person to act in both a movie in the series and the tv show. he is also one of the few folks who survive a prolonged physical altercation with jason (at the end of jason goes to hell), which is kinda of funny since he is roughly my size.

[MoonSylver]

...To be continued... Fell behind again (curse you real life!), but I did squeeze in #6-8, JGTH & FvJ before Halloween Night. #6 "Jason Lives" - I really enjoyed the movie a lot in the 80's. I still do, but in some ways it has not aged as well as the earlier movies in the series. It is a VERY 80's movie. As an older guy, I noticed a lot of quibbles my younger self did not have. Thom Mathews didn't make a great Tommy Jarvis. His acting just came across as more wooden in this one. I couldn't get beyond "Hey, it's the guy from ROTLD playing Tommy!" Maybe it's a product of the writing but all of the "damaged , traumatized survivor" from #5 is gone. Instead he is played as a very "Leading Man/Hero" type. The resurrection of Jason is very contrived (but if you follow a lot of the fandom, there are lots of explanations that make this one more plausible [yeah, I know...] so this I can overlook.). The Jason resurrection scene is pretty well done though. The close up of his worm ridden eye popping open, to his rise out of the grave, nicely done. The rotted, corpse makeup is really good. Covered in worms & maggots, rotted & desiccated, draped in cobwebs, he looks very much like a Fulci zombie. All of the other characters are painted in very broad, stereotypical, brush strokes as well. All the cops are dicks, the deputy inept, the Hot Sheriff's Daughter of course has a thing for The Hero because he's "cute" (even though he's raving like a maniac about a dead serial killer. Then the bodies start turning up. Gee, who would a REAL person suspect...), kids in either "smart alec/precocious" or "sweet & innocent" flavors, Cort the "heavy metal, ripped jeans, walkman" teen, etc. We're then treated to a variety of set pieces interspersed of various folks in the woods for Jason to kill, everyone from office pool "weekend warriors" playing paintball (which is actually a good one. Jason acquires a new machete here, as well as a "utility belt" that is fun.), to a drunken cemetery caretaker (another stereotypical character, but a fun & funny one, so I'll give him a pass), to moonlight picnicking yuppies, looking for a place to get it on. Finally, we have a police chase, capture, a contrived jail escape, camp counselors killed, and a final showdown to "lay Jason to rest" armed with the knowledge obtained from a stack of paperback occult tomes that I suspect were bought at the local Waldenbooks. It sounds like, based on all of this, that I don't like #6. Quite the contrary. It's a great piece of cheesy, 80's fun, & along w/ #7 is probably the best of the "undead" Jason series. However, it marks the change of tone in the series as well as "Jason-as-unstoppable-undead-engine-of-destruction". As a teenage power-gamer I dug this. As a more "mature adult" I find it less interesting to an extent. #7 "The New Blood" - I like a lot. It's simple, uncomplicated, & straight forward: Jason vs "Carrie" is how it's been described, & that's pretty much it. However, if you buy that premise, it's a lot of fun. Now that Jason has been turned into an unstoppable juggernaut, no one can stand up to him PHYSICALLY, so this seems almost like a logical step (& a nice juxtaposition) to have a GIRL engage him in battle on equal terms with MENTAL powers of psychokinesis. She really puts him through his paces & it's a pretty epic fight. The ending is a little farfetched, w/ Tina's dead daddy popping up out of the water to take Jason down (nice nod to J & Mr's V's in #1 & #3). I've seen the speculation that this was a visualization+manifestaion of Tina's power & I can buy that. The Jason makeup in this one by John Carl Buechler (who also directed) is FANTASTIC. VERY detailed. He looks appropriately rotted & waterlogged, with ribs & spine & all showing through rotten flesh. The face under the mask is great as well. Unfortunately it's a look they abandon in #8 for a more "basic", & no doubt cheaper & easier, look. #8 "Jason Takes New York" - A great premise (take the boy outta the woods & turn him lose in the big city) & a missed opportunity. They could have called this one "Jason Takes a Cruise", as 1/2 of it takes place on a ship, which actually could have been an interesting setting for a WHOLE movie, but as is, we end up with almost two "half" movies. Once he DOES get to the city, we unfortunately get to see very little of the REAL city (& Jason in it) as I assume location shooting was too expensive. Instead we get a number of "grimy back alley" sets. There are a few amusing vignettes of Jason encountering various "crime ridden New York'er" stereotypes, which are fun, if too brief. A whole movie of Jason loose in the city & his interactions with various locations & "New York Types" would have been great. Then we come to the problematic ending: from "they flood the sewers at night with toxic waste" (Really? REALLY?!?!? ) to "Jason turned back into a kid" (which we have to assume is really a hallucination/psychic vision, which the heroine HAD been having through out the movie. It's the only way to even remotely accept plausibility, or a continuation of the series.). Probably the weakest of the series, which is sad, as this unfortunately (?) is the end of the "Classic" F13th series from Paramount. After this New Line acquired the rights to the character, which leads to... "Jason Goes To Hell" - Ugh. I tried to watch this one again, with a fair & objective eye for the purposes of completeness & these reviews I'd been doing, but after 10-15 min I HAD to turn it off. It really is a horrible movie. One of my all time worst movies EVER. I made it through the opening "FBI ambush"/death of Jason, which I remembered as being A LOT more fun than it IS. Jason roaring like a caveman & looking like a swollen mutant (presumably due to his encounter w/ toxic waste @ the end of #8) with a HORRIBLE make-up job by KNB (?!?!) for which they should be ASHAMED. After that, I just couldn't take any more. And this is before all of the "Jason body switching" crap even STARTS. IMO, New Line only made this stinker so they could "send Jason to Hell" to set up the movie they REALLY wanted to make... "Freddy vs Jason" - I debated on if I should watch this one at the end of my ANOES marathon, or this one. I probably should have done it in ANOES, as I've come to the conclusion it really does feel more like a "Freddy" movie now. This one feels a little "new school" to fit into a "old school" F13th marathon. Having said that, I REALLY like this one (probably more than I should.) The look & take on Jason isn't 100% faithful to the "classic" series, but it IS interesting & different, & I like it (for this movie anyway). It's very "Frankensteins Monster"-like. And the image of a flaming bonfire Jason, calmly walking through a cornfield, leaving a swath of destruction in his path, before being doused & launching into a full out slaughter at the rave being held there, is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. They lavished a decent amount of time & attention to this one & it does show, across almost all aspects of the production. The final battle (2 actually, one in the Dream World on Freddy's turf in the boiler room & round 2 in the Real World at Camp Crystal Lake on Jason's) is spectacular & fitting of what you would expect of two undead serial killers who can't die. When I was young & these series were new, the rumors of this kind of "vs" movie were legend. Guys of my age, who are/were fans of these series, never thought we would live long enough to SEE such a thing happen. To have it come true? This was our "Frankenstein vs The Wolfman", our "seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan". So maybe that's why I'm willing to overlook any incongruities. But I love this movie. So there it is for now. I still have "Jason X" (yes I know it should have been after JGTH, but since it takes place in the future I ALWAYS watch it last) & the Reboot to go. So, Halloween be damned, I'm gonna keep going!