Final Friday Thoughts: Was It a Great Cinematic Experience?

The ultimate goal I had, aside from whether or not I could sit through them all, was to see if I agreed with film critic Alex Jackson's statement that the Friday the 13th series is one of the great cinematic experiences. First off, I should probably say I was surprised how much I got into it as a whole. Every time I'd start a chapter and the Paramount logo would appear, I'd feel a tinge of excitement. I never, ever expected to have a reaction like that when preparing to watch a Friday the 13th picture, but to my amazement, the series did turn out to be a building process (at least for the first four). I loved getting to pick out the similarities from one to the next, finding where the inconsistencies were, and most of all following Jason as he developed as a character. Like many others, I wouldn't have thought there was anything to Jason, but it turned out I was wrong. Just read the reviews and you'll see my point.

While it may be true that the movies themselves were, for the most part, hit and miss affairs, when you take it as a collective whole, it is quite unique and undeniably fascinating. So much so, that I would gladly sit through all of them again (I might leave out Part 8) just to see what I might have missed while my pen was furiously scribbling on the notepad. Who knew that a series of movies made with such simplicity could turn out to have so much appeal? This is certainly not to say every person will get the same thing out of a Friday the 13th picture. In fact, many will probably watch one and feel that it is an empty and monotonous experience. But for those willing to totally give themselves to the series, as a true fan of cinema should do, the reward could be greater than you think.

So, do I agree that the series is a "great" cinematic experience? Not quite. I would almost say that Parts 6 and 8 hold it back, the former because of how it destroys the rich and interesting Tommy Jarvis character and turns Jason into an infantile joke, and the latter because of how it abandons the expected pleasures of a Friday the 13th movie. In the end, call it a very admirable cinematic experience, one that I will gladly revisit if the opportunity arises again. Now that I've completed the Paramount years, I must say that I'm gonna miss hanging out with Jason. Who knew?

Note: Even though the image above was from a chapter I did not like, it's the most entertaining one I could find. If only it had been in Part 7...

*You can read Alex Jackson's reviews of the series by clicking on the link labeled "I Viddied it on the Screen" under my "Reading Material" header.


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