Three Franchises Combined

You really didn't think I would end October on that piece of trash, Vampegeddon, did you? As much as he'd love to, I'm not going to let Newt Cox completely destroy Halloween for both me and those who come to this blog. Plus, after focusing on nothing but schlocky and bad films, I'd like to end on something that's somewhat positive. I decided to do this as a little bonus for the month some time early this year, and I'll freely admit that it's not an idea I came up with on my own. Cody Leach, a guy who does movie reviews on YouTube and who has gone through all of the major horror franchises (I highly recommend you check out his videos, by the way), came up with the idea of capping off October of 2018 by combining the Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises into one gigantic list just to see where each individual film would fall, especially since the ranking depends on which franchise you personally like the most. I figured that was a pretty interesting way of doing things and wondered how things would turn out if I did that very thing. He also got some friends of his to do their own ranking videos to see how their individual lists would measure up and I tried to get Newt to do this with me as well, but he instead opted to do something else. So, it'll just be me doing it, but Cody Leach is doing another combined list like this with other franchises, so be sure to check that out come Halloween.

In preparing this ranking, I instantly knew which films would go on top and which would be at the bottom, but the middle portion took a lot of thinking and brainstorming. However, I think I did order the movies in a manner that reflects my opinion well. Except for Halloween 2018, I've reviewed all of these individual films, so check out those posts for more in depth thoughts on these flicks. Also, just remember that this is my personal opinion and nothing more. There are both placements that people will very much agree with and others where they'll be like, "What?!" If that happens with you, try to compose yourself and hear me out before you start ranting and raving. However, those who've read my overviews of these individual franchises and have been around long enough to know my tastes will probably have a good idea about what will go where. Anyway, let's begin, shall we?

31. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010): As bad as some of these movies get, this, without a doubt, is the absolute bottom of the barrel to me, as it's as unoriginal, boring, and by-the-numbers as a film can be, remake or not. Jackie Earle Haley had a lot of potential and could have easily made the role of Freddy Krueger his own, but the odds are too stacked against him. This is a totally soulless and unimaginative retelling of the original story that Wes Craven created, with actors who don't give a damn, especially Rooney Mara, nightmare sequences that are nothing that haven't been seen before, laughably bad CGI, and constant references to the past movies that will make you wish you were watching them instead. And trying to make Freddy a possibly sympathetic villain was not only ill-advised but not executed in a way that was satisfying at all. This really feels like it was done simply because all of the other major horror films from the 70's and 80's were remade. It's not surprising that there never was a sequel and I honestly hope there never is anything else done with Freddy, as this movie killed any further interest I may have had in it completely.

30. Halloween (2007): This movie is a notch above the Nightmare on Elm Street remake because I will give Rob Zombie credit for at least trying to take it in a completely different direction. But, it's not a direction that I'm a fan of. I'm not that big on Zombie's extreme, sleazy, white-trash take on things anyway, and I really didn't want to see it applied to the story of Michael Myers. I didn't think it was necessary to tell the story of Michael's childhood but I was willing to go with it, until I saw the opening scene of this film, with his stripper mother, bitchy sister, and foul-mouthed, abusive stepfather, and it didn't get any better from there. I didn't mind the actual portrayal of Michael, both as a kid and as an adult, I didn't mind Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode, I thought Malcolm McDowell was serviceable as the new Dr. Loomis, and I do think the theatrical version is more tolerable than the director's cut, but it's still not a movie I enjoy sitting through, as I don't care about any of the other characters because of how utterly loathsome they are. Yeah, it has a lot of brutal kills and Zombie brings his trademark grittiness and intensity to it, but the movie feels way too long, with the latter half being a lesser retread of the original John Carpenter film, and by the time you get to the climax in the old Myers house, I find myself wishing it would just end. I know there are a number of people who do like this film, especially fans of Rob Zombie in general, and that's cool, but his vision of Halloween just isn't my cup of tea.

29. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991): Many feel that Nightmare 5 is the worst Elm Street movie outside of the remake but for me, as bad as that movie is, this is so much more unwatchable. Everything about this movie is so cartoonish and stupid that I find it downright annoying. I know Freddy was really getting silly by this point anyway but they dialed it up way too much here, I hate the depiction of the town of Springwood and what's happened to all of the adults, the effects are horribly dated, and I find the dream sequences and deaths to be both really underwhelming and dumb, with so little gore to them that this could have been rated PG-13 were it not for the profanity and some aspects of the plot. I also really don't care for any of the characters and the subplot with Freddy now having a daughter makes me roll my eyes. And the movie is so goofy that, when they do try to get serious, like with Tracy's backstory involving her being molested and the look into Freddy's past, it makes it impossible to get into. It's a good thing this ultimately wasn't the last Freddy movie, as this would have been the worst possible way to go out.

28. Halloween II (2009): Of the two Rob Zombie Halloweens, this is the one I can tolerate the most, even though I'm still not crazy about it. This time around, I knew what I was in for, and I do give Zombie credit for deciding to just go for broke and do whatever he wanted. I don't know if the stuff he came up with works for Halloween but there are some memorable images and sequences that are well shot, it has more of the feel of the Halloween season than Zombie's first one, thanks to his shooting it on 16mm, and it's definitely the most brutal of the entire franchise, with some great makeup effects work. Plus, there are good performances, especially by Brad Dourif (the moment where he finds that his daughter has been murdered really does get to me), Danielle Harris, and Malcolm McDowell, even if the latter makes his depiction of Dr. Loomis utterly despicable this time around, only for him to suddenly try to redeem himself at the last minute. But, all that said, I still don't like the white trash angle, with the amount of sleaziness and profanity becoming especially egregious, I think the movie is often needlessly sick, and the subplot involving Michael Myers seeing visions of his mother encouraging him to kill, one, feels like something more appropriate for Jason Voorhees, and two, was likely just another way for Zombie to get his wife in there, as he always has to. Speaking of Jason, Michael really feels like him here: a big, savage, grunting brute, which is the exact opposite of the silent, calculating Shape that John Carpenter created and which I prefer. To sum up, more interesting to me than Zombie's first one, but still not great by any means.

27. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989): Someone once really took issue with my not liking this film, as they feel it's one of the best outside of the original. I have no problem with that person feeling that way but this has always been my least favorite Halloween movie outside of the Rob Zombie ones, especially after Halloween 4 was so good. So much is wrong with this movie: Jamie Lloyd is suddenly mute for half of the film, Rachel is killed off far too early, Dr. Loomis is made quite unlikable in what he does, Tina is annoying as hell, you have two comic relief cops that aren't necessary, the look of the film isn't that interesting, the Myers house is now a Gothic mansion rather than the normal-looking house it was before, none of the kills and makeup effects are that special, Michael Myers cries, and it introduces a number of elements, chiefly the Man in Black, that are not all that interesting and which the filmmakers admitted they threw in there without knowing what they meant. There are some good sequences, like the car chase at the farm and the climax in the Myers house, especially when Jamie is trapped in the laundry chute (though, by that point, the movie feels like it's going on too long and I find myself wishing it would end), Danielle Harris does manage to give a good performance overall, especially when she regains her voice, and Don Shanks, despite being a bit too big and brutish, does make for a good Michael (although his mask could have been better), but overall, it's not one of the more enjoyable Halloweens for me.

26. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989): While I don't think it's as bad as Freddy's Dead, I get why a lot of people dislike this one, as it's not good. It has an interesting and fairly disturbing core story, with Freddy trying to get revenge on Alice by haunting the dreams of her unborn child, I like the Gothic art direction and atmosphere they went with, I enjoy some parts of the score, I like that they didn't bring Alice back only to kill her off, and I do like some of the newer characters (unfortunately, they're the ones who die), but it's all badly hampered by a portrayal of Freddy who not only looks bad, makeup-wise, but is so goofy that he doesn't fit with the tone and architecture. Plus, the nightmare sequences and deaths aren't that memorable (except for maybe the motorcycle one involving Dan, which was badly cut by the MPAA), with the comic book one being especially bad, and they involve a lot of visual and mechanical effects that look horribly dated. The subplot involving Amanda Krueger and trying to find her remains could have been done better, and the ending is ridiculous, as Freddy is basically defeated by the kid, Jacob, barfing on him. It had the potential to be so good but, as it stands, it's far from one of the series' shiniest moments.

25. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993): The Friday the 13th franchise is a rare example of a series where I can sit down and watch any of the entries without it being excruciating. That said, though, this is my least favorite of them. While I won't deny that the unrated version has a lot of good gore and creature effects (the tent kill is definitely among the series' best), it goes at a good pace, and has some fun sequences, the idea of Jason's soul jumping from one person's body to another is so out there and stupid, even for this franchise. Also, while I don't mind John D. LeMay as the lead, I don't care for many of the other characters, especially his ex-wife, nor do I particularly like the music score, and the look of Jason here isn't among my favorites. But, Adam Marcus' attitude about the movie and those who don't "understand" it is probably the thing that really turns me off the most, as he always comes off as so pretentious and thinks his movie is something special and even intellectual, when it's not. Again, I don't hate this movie, but it has a lot of factors that make it my least favorite of this particular franchise.

24. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998): This movie is held in such high regard that I know many are going to be shocked to see that I have it rated so low but, truth be told, even though this was one of the first Halloweens I ever saw (the third after the original two), I've never been that enamored with it. I like it a bit more now than I use to but it's still one I barely watch. I think Jamie Lee Curtis is really good, as are the other actors (I actually don't mind Josh Hartnett, and I usually can't stand him), and I like the idea of it being set within the confines of a private school, but the story isn't as satisfying as it should be, as it feels like the confrontation between Laurie and Michael Myers just kind of happens rather than it being built up, a byproduct of this movie being as short as it is. On top of that, there are way too many false scares, I'm not a fan of John Ottman's music (though, to be fair, a good chunk of it was replaced with music from other movies, like Scream and Mimic), none of the kills are memorable, and the depiction of Michael in this film doesn't feel right, as he comes off more like a typical serial killer than the unkillable embodiment of pure evil that he's always meant to be. The climax is pretty entertaining but for me, it's too little, too late, and while they were already planning to retcon the ending when they were making it, knowing how they explained away her chopping his head off in the following film really takes the piss out of what's supposed to be a true cheer moment.

23. Jason X (2002): First off, yes, as stupid as this movie is, I'd rather watch it than Halloween H20. Second, this is, by far, the best of the movies to send a horror franchise villain into space, as it embraces what a dumb concept it is anyway and just runs with it. While I don't care for how the movie looks, as it comes off as rather cheap (even though this was the most expensive Friday the 13th at that point), the CGI looks awful, a lot of the kills are fairly unimpressive, and Uber Jason is not used as effectively as he could have been, it's still a hoot. I don't mind the characters (Kay-Em and Sergeant Brodski are both awesome), the setting on the spaceship is an interesting one, I like the virtual reality Camp Crystal Lake environment, there's an enormous body count, the head smash kill is awesome, and Kane Hodder, in what ended up being his last portrayal of Jason, is still in top form. It may not be high art and it has a lot of flaws, but it's an entertaining 90 minutes, which is all I ask for from this series.

22. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988): Out of the classic era of Friday the 13th in the 80's, this is my least favorite, mainly because of how horribly butchered it was by the MPAA. Were it at all possible to insert the deleted gore footage back into the movie, it would go up a few notches, but as it stands, it's badly neutered. I also don't care for the way the movie looks, as it feels like a cheap TV movie. But, again, like all of the Friday the 13ths, I can find things about it to enjoy. On the plus side, it does introduce Kane Hodder as Jason, with a great design to him (especially his face, when he's unmasked), I don't mind the characters, including the lead of Tina, it's really entertaining to see her use her telekinetic powers to take on Jason during the third act, and I enjoy the music score.

21. Halloween: Resurrection (2002): Here's where my credibility with people starts to crack, as this is probably the most universally hated Halloween and one of the most reviled of any of these franchises. Yes, I agree, the way they retcon the ending of H20 is ludicrous and it sucks to see Laurie get killed during the opening, but once that's out of the way, I can enjoy the movie as a dumb slasher flick. I like the idea of it being set entirely inside the Myers house, with a reality TV angle; I do like the characters, including Busta Rhymes (so shoot me, I think he's actually funny); I think it's actually well-shot; I really like the music score, especially the rendition of the Halloween theme; I think the kills are decent; and I like the depiction of Michael Myers here more than the one in H20, right down to the mask. Should it have been made? Probably not. Is it a great movie? No, not at all, and I do understand why so many people hate it. But I still find it to just be flat-out entertaining and I'm not going to apologize for that.

20. Friday the 13th (1980): While it may be arguably the most prototypical slasher film, even more so than Halloween, that doesn't mean that the original Friday the 13th is a really good movie. In fact, I've always felt it's among the weaker of the franchise. Granted, it's unfair to say that, as there was no intention of creating a franchise, and also, this movie is a completely different animal from all those it spawned, but I don't have as much fun with it as I do many of the others. I will say, all of the characters are likable and classic in their own right, Tom Savini's gore effects are really good, as are the actual kills, there is some a fair amount of mood to be had here, the music score is classic, and the third act with Mrs. Voorhees and Jason coming out of the water is definitely a highlight. But, on the other hand, the movie is really slow, with sequences that are far too drawn out; the cinematography, while good during the daytime, gets a little too dark once night falls; and the murder mystery doesn't work, as the appearance of Mrs. Voorhees near the end when you haven't seen her at all beforehand is a dead giveaway. James Rolfe said it best: while it certainly is a classic, that status is more for what it started than what it is.

19. Friday the 13th (2009): Again, get your tar and feathers ready, as I enjoy this much more than the original movie from 1980. Yeah, it is a typical Friday the 13th movie in every way, with little new except for the notion of Jason kidnapping a woman and holding her hostage, and it really amps up the gore and sleaziness, but that's what I like about it. While I totally despise the character of Trent (granted, that's the point) and I think the movie relies too much on shaky camerawork and fast editing during the attack scenes, I always find myself enjoy this flick when I pop it in. You've got a number of really brutal kills, some memorable moments, like the girl water-skiing topless, an opening that would make for an awesome Friday the 13th short film in and of itself (I kind of wish they had kept going from there), and Derek Mears playing the most brutal, vicious, and pissed off Jason there ever has been. While the ending is very generic and predictable, I enjoy the climax and I also don't mind the music score, even if it is a bit blah. Overall, although I think Marcus Nispel made a better film with his 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I do feel he did a fine job here. It's just a shame this movie didn't lead to anything.

18. Freddy vs. Jason (2003): This is another example of a movie that I do agree is very flawed but, regardless, I think is a very entertaining watch. While the characters aren't much to write home about, especially the two leads, some of the visual effects are a bit wonky, and the portrayal of Jason, from his slow, Frankenstein monster-like walk and fear of water to his getting the short end of the stick during the battles, not to mention that it should have been Kane Hodder, could have been better, there is still much to love here. Robert Englund is in good form as Freddy; the film has a colorful, comic book look to it, especially in regards to the dreams, with deep reds and blues; it moves at a really good pace and is never boring; there is gore galore, most of which are courtesy of Jason; there are a number of memorable sequences and deaths, like the folding bed kill, the massacre in the cornfield, and the sequence at the institution; and the music isn't too bad, either. Finally, you have the fights between Freddy and Jason, which may take a while for the movie to get to but, once it does, God, are they great! They're bloody, crazy, brutal, and everything you'd want, especially the final battle at Camp Crystal Lake. Flaws aside, this is just a glorious horror movie mash and it sucks that we never got a rematch.

17. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987): Like Halloween H20, this is another much lauded franchise entry that many will probably be shocked to see ranked fairly low. Trust me, I do like this film and consider it to be one of the better Nightmare movies, as well as one of the most well-made among this entire batch. I just like the movies I'm going to put above it more. While I'm not the biggest fan of Nancy Thompson's portrayal here (she's not bad, but I wish she had more to do than being a mentor to the kids) and I think the actual score is just so-so, the movie more makes up for it with a variety of ingredients, chief among them a good number of really likable characters, from Kincaid, Joey and Will to the very likable Kristen and even the character of Dr. Neil Gordon manages to avoid being the stereotypical douchey adult character. You also have Robert Englund giving one of his best performances as Freddy, some really memorable and classic dream sequences (the puppetting with tendons, the giant Freddy snake in Nancy's old house, "Welcome to prime-time, bitch!", and Joey getting tongue-tied, to name a few), really ambitious special effects and sets for the budget, a great climax in the dream world, the disturbing subplot of what happened to Freddy's mother, and, of course, the soundtrack (while Dream Warriors is a good song, I prefer Dokken's other song, Into the Fire). Most notably, this movie managed to walk a fine line between making Freddy more comical while still managing to be quite dark in look and tone, something the later movies ended up failing at. I understand perfectly why this movie is so loved and I do agree that it's very good but, just remember, this is my list.

16. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995): Yes, not only do I like watching this more than Nightmare 3 but I'm also someone who prefers the theatrical cut more than the much more lauded producer's cut. Regardless, while I agree that giving Michael Myers any kind of backstory or explanation is not a good idea, and him being under the control of a cult is especially ill-advised, I've always enjoyed this film. Yes, the production was a huge mess and the end result was something of a compromise, but I think the movie is well-shot, has decent bits of atmosphere, I like the score, I care about the characters of Tommy Doyle and Kara Strode, I think some of the kills in the theatrical version are quite good (my personal favorite being John Strode's head blowing up), and I enjoy the climax, where Michael goes postal at Smith's Grove. While Dr. Wynn's ultimate plan in the theatrical version isn't all that clear and the producer's cut certainly has richer character stuff, I like the theatrical version's third act more because of how uncontrollable Michael is and I appreciate the removal of the cult, the idea of Jamie having been impregnated by her own uncle, and the sight of Michael being stopped by some runes placed on the floor (deeper meaning or not, the sight of him frozen by a bunch of stones is ridiculous). That said, I don't like that the character of Jamie went out the way she did either way, and I kind of wish Dr. Loomis wasn't in this film, as he ultimately doesn't have much to do and I hate seeing Donald Pleasence looking and sounding as bad as he did, but still, there's always been something to this flick that I've liked.

15. Halloween (2018): This was a movie that I was definitely interested in from the get-go, and the trailers and TV spots piqued my interest more, but even then, I didn't expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. I think a lot of that had to do with how there hadn't been a Halloween in almost ten years and that it was a return to the original continuity, which I didn't think I would ever see again after the Rob Zombie films, but still, I do genuinely enjoy this film. Aside from flaws like the idea of Michael having been captured immediately after the ending of the original movie, which I didn't like when I heard it, and the weird direction they took with the Dr. Sartain character, I thought the movie had a lot going for it. I like how Laurie Strode was made into a Sarah Connor kind of figure, I didn't mind the supporting cast, I thought the kills were well done and nicely brutal, I really liked the score John Carpenter did with his son, Cody, and Daniel Davies, and, most importantly, Michael Myers truly felt like the Shape for the first time since the first two movies. He looked right, acted right, and because they eliminated the brother/sister angle, he was back to being the motiveless embodiment of evil he was originally meant to be. It's not perfect by any means but I do really enjoy it and felt like it really got the series back on track after a number of missteps. (Although, I wish they'd called it something other than just Halloween. Now, we have three movies that are just called Halloween and two called Halloween II. It's so needlessly confusing.)

14. Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985): This is another much loathed franchise entry that I've never hated. In fact, it was actually the first Friday the 13th I saw from beginning to end, so it's kind of special to me in that regard, and I also knew from the get-go that Jason wasn't the killer, so that helped smooth things over. While the whodunit approach didn't have a good payoff (mainly because the reveal is done so clumsily that you're unlikely to even know who it is) and the character of Tommy Jarvis gets pushed into the background when he should be the main focus, all that is ultimately meaningless because of how crazily entertaining this flick. It's got so many memorable characters, chief among them Ethel and Junior, an enormous body count that consists of some really good kills (too bad the MPAA came down with their shears again), it's sleazy as all get-out, and is ultimately just so bonkers and insane that you can't help but have fun with it, especially during the climactic chase and confrontation. Like a lot of other movies on here, it has an ending that was not built upon at all, but in this case, it doesn't detract from what a nutty good time this flick is.

13. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981): The movie that introduced Jason Voorhees as the chief villain of the Friday the 13th movies also happens to be among the first that I saw when I really started to get into the franchise when I was in high school. For me, this one takes everything that the original film did and does it better, with slightly higher production values, more characters who I really like, especially Amy Steel as Ginny and John Furey as Paul, some really good kills (the double impalement and Mark getting a machete to the face before getting pushed down the stairs are definite highlights), and a great final chase between Jason and Ginny. Speaking of Jason, while I love the hockey mask, I think his getup here, with the sack over his head, is a bit more eerie-looking, as it feels more like what some crazy guy living in the woods would find to wear, and I like that he runs and is a bit more cunning than how he would often be portrayed later. Also, I think the scene at the shack he's made into his home is genuinely eerie and atmospheric. While the movie was a bit neutered by the MPAA and the ending is rather confusing, it's always been one of the more enjoyable Fridays to me.

12. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985): I think it's clear by now that I have a tendency to like the more oddball, kind of problem child entries in franchises and Nightmare 2 is most definitely that. It was, fittingly, the second one that I saw, with the first having been the original, and so, it's another that I hold close to my heart and I genuinely think is a good movie. Yeah, it's got that weird homoerotic layer to it that's been talked about to death but I don't think that should keep people from liking it, as there's so much to like. I really like the lead character of Jesse, as I do Lisa and Grady; I find the depiction of Freddy here to be one of the darkest and least humorous ever, even more so than in the original; I don't mind the idea of him coming out of the dream world (he affects stuff in the real world all the time and has been pulled into the real world in other movies, so why is it a big deal here?), as it leads to a great massacre scene at the pool party; there are some great special effects, chief among them when Freddy claws his way out of Jesse's body; and I really enjoy the music score that Christopher Young composed. The climax is a bit problematic, in that there are some things there that don't make sense, and there are scenes, like Jesse cleaning his room, him going to the S&M bar, and the stuff between him and Coach Schneider at the school, that are very eyebrow-raising, but I still enjoy this flick and feel that it doesn't deserve the flack that it continues to get.

11. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988): Dream Warriors may be a better movie in terms of characters and storytelling but, because I saw this one first, I've always personally enjoyed it more. Yeah, Freddy really started to get goofy here with the one-liners and jokes but it's not the extent that he would be in later movies, and while it was a really dumb idea to kill off the remaining Dream Warriors so quickly, I like the new characters they introduce, especially Lisa Wilcox as Alice, that I can deal with it. Bottom line, this movie has such a sense of fun and visual splendor about it that I can't help but eat it up. For one, it has some of the best dream sequences in the whole franchise, like the junkyard that covers the entire planet, the beach scene where Freddy reenacts Jaws, leading into his boiler room, the classroom with Freddy as a truly sadistic teacher, Alice getting sucked into a movie screen and ending up in a hellish version of the diner where she works, the soul pizza, the cockroach scene, and the Gothic cathedral where the climax takes place. It has some really good makeup and special effects, like the aforementioned pizza and cockroach moments, Freddy's resurrection and death scenes, and the design of Freddy's makeup here might be my personal favorite. In addition, I really like the third act and the final battle between Alice and Freddy, the music score is really good, and I do enjoy the songs on the soundtrack. There are some clunky parts, like the weird mechanical hand that features briefly in the classroom scene and the scene where Rick has to fight an invisible Freddy, and it may not be as rich as its predecessor, but I just have so much fun with this one that I had to put it this high.

10. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984): Four sometimes seems to be a magic number for franchises, as we now have the fourth Friday the 13th which, while far from the "final chapter," is definitely one of the best. So much about this flick works. For one, you actually have a number of characters and actors whom you give a crap about, like Kimberly Beck as Trish, Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis, Lawrence Monoson as Ted, and Crispin Glover as Jimmy. For another, you have some truly brutal kills courtesy of Tom Savini, like the coroner's head getting twisted completely around, the nurse getting split down the middle, the hitchhiker with the knife through the back of her neck, the impalement up through the raft, Jimmy getting a corkscrew through the hand and a meat cleaver to the face before being strung up in a doorway by his hands, and Doug getting his head crushed in the shower. Third, you have some truly capable direction by Joseph Zito and a fairly dark atmosphere, especially given the tone of Harry Manfredini's music this time around. Fourth, you have Ted White giving one of the meanest, most hard-edged and intimidating portrayals of Jason ever. And finally, the final chase and confrontation is so great, especially Jason's ultimate death. Just a really well-done slasher flick all-around and one of the franchise's shining moments.

9. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Yeah, yeah, I know, how dare I not put a classic like this near the top of the list, but I still believe it deserves its classic status and is a really awesome movie all-around. Some of the acting is a little rough, like Heather Langenkamp at points, not all of the effects work, and the ending is very problematic due to all of the interference Craven received from Bob Shaye, but so much else about it is great that it doesn't matter. The story is well-told, Wes Craven's direction is solid, the nightmare sequences and deaths are all well-done and intense (my personal favorites are Tina's death, Nancy's first encounter with Freddy, the bathtub scene, and Freddy chasing Nancy through the streets and into her house), Robert Englund is spot-on in his first portrayal of Freddy and is shot so darkly that he comes off all the creepier, the music score is classic, and the climax is just awesome, especially when Nancy pulls Freddy into the real world and into the house that she's filled with booby-traps. It is indeed a slightly rough jewel but a jewel nonetheless and one of Craven's best films for sure. Nothing else I can say that hasn't already been said countless times before.

8. Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982): This is where I feel the Friday the 13th franchise really found itself and, even though I've never seen the movie in 3-D, which I'm sure is a hoot, I've always enjoyed it regardless. The acting may not be the greatest and Chris is far from one of the series' best leads but the movie makes up for it with some memorable characters, like Shelley, the stoner couple, the biker gang, and the two store owners in the opening; I really enjoy the location of "Higgins Haven," with the big house as the main hub; I think Richard Brooker does a pretty good job as Jason and is significant in that he's the first one to wear the hockey mask; the kills are quite good, like the harpoon in the eye, Andy getting sliced from groin to head, and Rick getting his head crushed, with his eyeball popping out; so help me, I like the kind of disco-themed main title piece; and the final chase between Chris and Jason is one of the most exciting for me. The 3-D moments do look cheesy when you're not actually seeing the effects and some of the makeup effects, like the fake head used for Rick's death, are a bit wonky, but regardless, this is a quintessential Friday the 13th flick and one I recommend for anyone to check out if they want to know what this series is all about.

7. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989): Yeah, I'm expecting to get a lot of flack for putting this one so high, as this is often cited as the worst in the Friday the 13th series. The kills may not have that much gore because of the MPAA, there are Nightmare on Elm Street-like elements to the story that were not needed at all and don't fit, and the ending is a major WTF moment, but this is another flick that I've always enjoyed and had a lot of fun with ever since I first saw it. Yes, I know, only the last third of the movie takes place in New York, which is actually Vancouver for the most part, while most of it is set on the ship, but regardless, I still enjoy the change of scenery for Jason and I like what happens when he finally makes it to Manhattan, like knocking the guy's head off, his scene in Times Square, and his little rampage in the diner. In addition, I do like the lead characters here of Rennie and Sean, I think Kane Hodder once again brings it as Jason, there are some good kills (the guy getting the hot rock through his chest, the rocker chick getting smashed in the head with her own guitar, and Charles McCulloch getting dunked in a vat of toxic waste), and while it's not Harry Manfredini, I do like the music that Fred Mollin came up with and think the song, The Darkest Side of the Night, isn't that bad. It's not likely to be so high on anyone else's list but, as they say, different strokes for different folks, and I'll always enjoy this movie.

6. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986): Here we are, my personal favorite Friday the 13th movie and one of the most fun slasher movies ever, in my opinion. I just love this movie. It's entertaining, with a great sense of style and humor to it; it has very capable direction by Tom McLoughlin, and I love the Gothic touches he brings to the franchise, especially with the opening scene in the cemetery; CJ Graham is really good as Jason and I love how they decided to just go ahead and make him an undead killing machine, reviving him in the old Frankenstein style; there are a number of great kills, like the triple beheading, the double impalement, heads getting twisted off and crushed, knives stabbed into heads, and so forth; there are some fun sequences, like the paintball scene, the RV that ultimately crashes, and the car chase set to Hard Rock Summer; Thom Matthews is quite good as the adult Tommy Jarvis; the music score and soundtrack, with the songs by Alice Cooper (The Man Behind The Mask is so awesome), are top notch; and I really love the climactic battle between Tommy and Jason out on the lake. It's a movie where the few problems that I have are so minute that they're not even worth mentioning, as I just love this flick so much.

5. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982): Ironically, the Halloween movie that sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the franchise because it doesn't feature Michael Myers and was once hated by the majority of the fanbase is the one that the most to do with the holiday. This film is absolutely steeped in Halloween, both in its Celtic, witchcraft origins and the decor of it, with the idea of deadly masks, trick-or-treaters, and horror movie marathons, and that's one of the main reasons why I love it. Aside from that, it has a great cast, consisting of Tom Atkins and Dan O'Herlihy, very well-done direction by Tommy Lee Wallace that could make you think John Carpenter was in the director's chair, a great sense of atmosphere, some truly nightmarish imagery involving the masks (the infamous moment where the TV signal is tested won't leave your head any time soon), a great, creepy score by Carpenter and Alan Howarth, and an ambiguous ending in the same vein as that of Carpenter's The Thing. Michael Myers or not, this is required viewing every year, along with the first two films.

4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988): This, to me, is the best Halloween film outside of the original two. It has everything you would want in a film in this franchise: great, likable characters, chief among them Rachel Carruthers, Jamie Lloyd, and Sheriff Meeker, as well as a welcome return by Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis; a well-done mood and atmosphere, with the opening scene in particular capturing the feeling of the Halloween season perfectly; great kills, like the paramedic getting Michael's thumb through his forehead, Kelly Meeker getting impaled to the wall with a shot gun, Brady getting his neck snapped, and Earl's throat torn out; really memorable sequences, such as the one at the gas station between Michael and Loomis, the chase through the Meeker house and up on the roof, and the climax with the pickup truck; a really good score, involving some eerie, atmospheric music by Alan Howarth along with the traditional Halloween themes by John Carpenter; and a great, shocking ending, even if it wasn't properly followed up on. Granted, when you get down to it, it is a fairly by-the-numbers film that doesn't do much different, and I'm not the biggest fan of the depiction of Michael Myers here, as he's too big and bulky and I don't like the mask, but those are minor cons to what is, otherwise, a really well-made and entertaining return to first principles after the commercially unsuccessful experiment that was the third film.

3. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994): This is both my favorite Nightmare on Elm Street movie and my favorite film of Wes Craven's, as I just think it's brilliant all-around. I really love the idea of Freddy being this ancient demon that's managed to escaped the confines of fiction after the Nightmare series petered out, that the only way to stop him is to make one more movie, and that Heather Langenkamp, whether she likes it or not, is the one thing that stands in his way. The acting is all great (I think this is Langenkamp's best performance and I also like Miko Hughes as her son), Freddy, though you don't see him that much, is quite scary and intimidating, I think the way Craven weaves the historic notion of scary stories and mythology and how they relate to horror movies into this film is really smart, the film has high production values, there are some good special effects, the sequence on the highway is absolutely thrilling to me and I love the recreation of Tina's death in the original film with Dillon's babysitter, and I love the music score by J. Peter Robinson. The climax in the demon's world is just kind of so-so but, otherwise, I have no problems with the film at all and think it's one of the best of the 90's, as well as one of the best in this whole batch of movies.

2. and 1. Halloween (1978) and Halloween II (1981): If you've been with me for a long time, then you'd know that this was coming. As much of a cheat as it is, I can't pick one of these movies over the other, as I love them both so much, and also because I first saw both of them together (on Halloween, no less). The original Halloween by John Carpenter is a true classic in every sense of the word, from the characters and acting, the suspense, the inspired direction and legendary music score by Carpenter to the great cinematography by Dean Cundey, the well done, less is more approach to the murders, and the mystery and terror of Michael Myers, the Shape, as this faceless, unstoppable force of pure evil. While it is good all-around, the later half is especially great, starting with the murders of Bob and Lynda and leading to Michael's pursuit of Laure Strode across the street and to the Doyle house. And the great, open-ended ending was the most perfect way they could have wrapped it. They may not have intended to do a sequel, and nobody particularly wanted to do one, but I think the sequel that did come about is just as classic as the original and fits so well that you could easily put them together as one, three-hour horror movie. It really does feel like it's on the same night and that the original movie is still going, which is why I personally just can't separate them. I really like the hospital setting, as that's always a great location for a horror film, I like that Dr. Loomis has more of a role in the action, I think it's still pretty suspenseful and creepy, with an added visceral edge to it with the amped up blood and more gruesome kills (the hot-tub death and the needle in the eye really get to me), the movie looks just as good as the first one, I enjoy the music score that Carpenter did again, this time with Alan Howarth, and I think there are some truly great sequences, like Michael chasing Laurie through the hospital and the climax that ends with the operating room getting blown up. People complain about Jamie Lee Curtis being comatose for most of the movie and, of course, this sequel introduces the brother/sister angle to Michael and Laurie that is believed to have taken away from the former's creep factor but, while I can see where they're coming from in those regards, I think there's more than enough good in Halloween II for it to be considered just as much of a classic as the original. And because of that, I think these two are the king of the crop in this very diverse farm.

And with that guys, my October marathon is concluded. Happy Halloween, and I'll see you again this time next year.