Jason Myers Takes Haddonfield: Part Umpteenth: 2-D! ... PART TWO!

Part one here, or below this post: http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2008/01/jason-myers-takes-haddonfield-part.html Now actually to the point of this rant, comparing the franchises directly. First off, I would say - over-the-piece - Friday 13th has more interesting sequels than Halloween ... and well, yes, more in number, but it does mean that the Friday franchise isn't devoid of dufters...but let's get on with it! Halloween: Cinematic classic, even if it is in debt to Black Christmas - a film which is unceremoniously ignored far too often in various countdowns, lists and appraisals of the slasher genre. Myers is at his filmic best. Friday the 13th: Almost no Jason at all, but it too is a genre classic. Dark, gory, scary and iconic. Halloween 2: Continuing the same night as the first is compelling, the best sequel of the franchise, Myers is still scary. Friday the 13th Part 2: Jason comes forth, the franchise is young, in shadow and dispensing the gore with gleeful abandon. Manfredini's score is nerve-shredding. Halloween 3 Season of the Witch: No Myers ... bit of an odd plot ... Tom Atkins rules ... still has that Carpenter feel, which was so important to the franchise. Friday the 13th Part 3 3D: Continues from #2, the icon is complete, Jason is played brilliantly despite the goofy 3-D gags. Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers: Crap mask, crap plot, crap characters ... but at least Pleasence is entertainingly unhinged. Friday the 13th Part 4 The Final Chapter: The best Friday franchise sequel, Jason is utterly awesome, Savini is back in town, they kill the killer and the plot continues on from #2 and #3. Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers: Crap mask remains, crap plot continues, crap characters are still hanging around ... but at least Pleasence is even more entertaingingly unhinged. Friday the 13th Part 5 A New Beginning: No real Jason, generally quite dodgy ... cack robot dance. Halloween 6 The Curse of Michael Myers: Decent mask, decent-ish plot, decent-ish characters, decent Myers portrayal...sad to see Pleasence go. Friday the 13th Part 6 Jason Lives: Zombie Jason! Series gets a bit out-there from here-on-out, but solidly entertaining. Whatever happened to Thom Matthews? Alice Cooper! Halloween H20: Idiots ended up calling it 'Halloween Water' by mistake, Myers at his fourth-best portrayal (behind #2, 2007, and the original), continuation of the story (and ignoring that cult gubbins) is great ... a bit too Scream-like. Myers IS killed off in a proper ending. Friday the 13th Part 7 The New Blood: Zombie Jason versus ... telekinetic-flung couches. Severe lack of gore, damn you censors! Kane Hodder takes over with perfect gusto ... BEST. UNMASKED. JASON. EVER. Halloween Resurrection: Can't even be considered true franchise canon. Reeks of corporate greed. Rapper trying to act and that guy from American Pie looking thoroughly out-of-place. An utterly, irredeemably stupid film. Friday the 13th Part 8 Jason Takes Manhattan: Actually, Jason takes a boat ride and then sight-sees for 20 minutes. Hodder is still awesome ... violence is still horribly censored, weak, tame and lame all-in-one. Odd ending, even though the drippy-goo-faced Jason shot is pretty cool. ...I've run out of Halloween movies (RZ's is coming up, do be patient!)... Jason Goes To Hell The Final Friday: Sold on to New Line, franchise loses its proper name. Cack plot with all that body switching. Just dodgy. Gauntlet thrown down for a future (and shite) combo-sequel-punch-up. Jason X: I personally enjoyed it, but it's so far removed from what the franchise once was (and should be) that, as a Friday/Jason movie, is just not good enough. If 'Michael Myers IN SPACE!' was rejected, why wasn't 'Jason IN SPACE!' as well? ... Halloween 2007: 3rd best/tied-second-best film from the franchise. True, it is a remake, but from Rob Zombie - so it's done properly. It stays true to the source material, but shows us something new through a considered, fresh viewpoint ... shame about the rocky production. Tyler Mane is the best Myers/"Shape" since Nick Castle and successfully makes Michael Myers scary again! ... Now, this brings me on to the question of a Friday the 13th franchise reboot...would I be in favour considering my love of Rob Zombie's reboot (and justified, well achieved killing off, come to think of it)? Yes and no. Yes if it was rebooted by Rob Zombie, which is unlikely ... or at least rebooted by someone who is willing to put the graft in and really analyse what the films and the character is really about. Someone who is willing to take the time (two hours) to show us what we haven't seen before, as well as successfully rework the formula Casino Royale-style. Give the insane man his balls back for goodness sake! These films may be 'just slashers', but the fans are invested, lovingly pedantic and ultimately deserve the best film that can be mustered.