Friday The 13th Vs Halloween

They’re two horror heavy hitters battling it out for slasher supremacy! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and in this installment of “Versus,” we’re pitting the “Friday the 13th” franchise against the “Halloween” franchise, to see which frightfully fun series will emerge victorious.

Round 1: Killers

Let’s start with Mrs. Voorhees’ beloved son. Jason was initially presented in flashback and as the shocking imagined end scare of the original “Friday the 13th.” There’s no hockey mask or machete in sight - he’s simply depicted as a young boy with developmental issues who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of camp counselors. As a result, his mother Pamela goes on a killing spree, determined to stop Crystal Lake from reopening at any cost. This tragic backstory humanizes Jason to a degree. Although... the adult Voorhees, who goes on to terrorize teenagers in future installments, is substantially less sympathetic. Wearing a creepy pillow case over his head in “Friday the 13th Part 2” before donning the hockey mask we all know and love in “Part III,” Jason has steadily grown into the terrifying pop culture figure we know today.

The imagery of Michael Myers is comparatively more stable in the “Halloween” franchise. Myers’ appearance changes slightly throughout the series, but usually for the worse: originally, the killer’s mask was one of William Shatner as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, and occasionally it appears more goofy than scary. John Carpenter’s original story leaves a lot more to the imagination when it comes to Myers’ insatiable rage, with only Dr. Loomis’ cryptic statements about Michael being “pure evil” giving us any insight into the character’s motivation. Future installments in the franchise would attempt to expand upon why exactly Michael is driven to kill, but the resulting “Cult of Thorn” storyline is more than a bit convoluted and confusing. Regardless, that looming figure and expressionless mask fill us with fear more often than not.

Ultimately, although he took a little while to get there, Jason proves the more iconic killer, with a stronger backstory and more consistently impressive appearance. So regardless of whether your favorite Friday features Traditional Jason, Zombie Jason or (however unlikely) Uber Jason: this round goes to “Friday the 13th.”

Winner: Friday the 13th 1 / Halloween 0

Round: 2: Body Count

Right off the bat, it must be said that the “Friday the 13th” franchise leaves many of its contemporaries in the dust when it comes to the frequency and severity of its kills. Jason Voorhees murdered over 150 people over 11 films, including the 2009 remake, giving him the clear edge over much of his competition. The “Friday” films also pushed boundaries and blazed trails when it came to cutting edge practical effects work and MPAA-baiting violence - which nearly gave parents heart attacks back in the 1980s.

The “Halloween” franchise, of course, is no slouch when it comes ramping up the tension and racking up the body count either. Michael Myers may have claimed significantly fewer victims than Jason (111 by one estimate), but “Halloween” as a whole possesses plenty of memorably morbid moments, particularly in the genre-defining first film in the franchise. The movies in this series may not be as over-the-top with the red stuff, but their moodiness and atmosphere make up for their comparative simplicity next to “Friday”’s extravagant kills.

Still, we have to recognize Jason’s technique, ingenuity and commitment to his craft. Voorhees has utilized everything from his trusted machete to a seemingly harmless sleeping bag as tools for ending the lives of horny teenagers, making Jason an absolute master of slasher disaster.

Winner: Friday the 13th 2 / Halloween 0

Round 3: Main Musical Themes

The music of the “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” franchises are certainly among the most beloved in the genre. It’s likely that the average person knows the main themes to both series even without ever having watched the films - they’re THAT iconic.

But which is superior? Well, it was composer Harry Manfredini who handled score duties for the multiple entries in the Friday franchise, and he who came up with the echoing vocal effect of “Ki-Ki-Ki-Ma-Ma-Ma.” The sound is often misheard as “Ch-Ch-Ah-Ah,” but according to Manfredini himself, the vocals are supposed to reference Jason’s cries of “Kill Her, Mommy!’ which are heard inside the disturbed mind of his mother, Pamela. Barring the awesome disco theme to “Friday the 13th: Part III” rescored by Michael Zagar, Manfredini’s “Friday” scores are known primarily for their stabbing strings and palpable tension, elements largely inspired by the work of one of his biggest influences, Hitchcock’s go-to composer, the great Bernard Herrmann.

Speaking of tension, what can we say that hasn’t already been said about that simple, yet oh-so amazing “Halloween” theme from director John Carpenter? It’s a foreboding melody played in 5/4 time that’s become inseparably intertwined with Michael Myers himself. This piece of music has either been included, or served as the basis or inspiration for variant compositions, in EVERY film of the franchise. John Carpenter may not have continued to score the films himself – with frequent collaborator Alan Howarth stepping in at one point - but the level of quality has remained remarkably high throughout the franchise’s run.

You don’t need a professionally trained ear to hear these winds changing… Myers, Carpenter and Co. win this round for Halloween.

Winner: Friday the 13th 2 / Halloween 1

Round 4: Remakes & Reboots
The Michael Bay-produced “Friday” remake from 2009 was like many other classic horror revivals of its time. Alongside films like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Hills Have Eyes,” it earned its R rating by amping the blood ‘n boob quotient to an almost ludicrous degree. Indeed, director Marcus Nispel and crew took the series’ voyeuristic and gruesome reputation to new heights of gratuitousness. “Friday the 13th” added some tweaks to the franchise’s mythology, and was perhaps most successful in giving Jason Voorhees back his status as a seriously imposing physical threat. By allowing him to run after his prey, and moving him beneath Camp Crystal Lake via a series of tunnels to track and stalk his victims, he was a formidable killer once more, but this wasn’t enough to compensate for the film’s many other shortcomings.

Whereas “Friday the 13th” proved to be something of a critical dud, the “Halloween” franchise received a much needed shot of life and public interest after it was announced that Rob Zombie would take the directorial reigns and deliver his own spin on the classic story. Zombie’s “Halloween” was released in 2007, and immediately divided fans with its focus on a young Michael Myers and the childhood trauma that would contribute to his eventual crimes. Fan wars aside, Zombie’s first “Halloween” was successful enough at the box office to warrant a sequel two years later - an even more “out there” picture with evocative dream sequences and a Michael Myers who actually speaks!

Regardless of what you think of the sequel, Rob Zombie’s undeniably creative vision thoroughly buries Jason and his underground lair. As horror fans, we’ll take “divisive” over “unremarkable” any day. Halloween takes the round to tie the competition.

Winner: Friday the 13th 2 / Halloween 2

Round 5: Heroes & Heroines

Special effects and set pieces aside, a movie franchise is only as good as its characters, right?

The legacy of “Friday the 13th” is one that revolves around popcorn slasher fun: the violence, nudity and excess that largely defined horror in the 1980s. As such, the series was constantly introducing new characters into the mix, with very few living long enough to make return appearances in other films. Although there were the occasional exceptions to this rule, like Crazy Ralph or Alice Hardy’s brief return in “Friday the 13th: Part 2,” the only main recurring “Friday” character is Tommy Jarvis, a male hero first portrayed by Corey Feldman in “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.” Jarvis appeared in three “Friday” films total, making him arguably the most important character in the franchise other than Pamela and Jason Voorhees.

Meanwhile, the “Halloween” franchise excelled at crafting memorable and textured characters, all of which seemed to grow and mature throughout each film. Although characters like Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode or Sam Loomis don’t appear in every film, fans welcome each appearance like that of an old friend, as both seek a way to stop Michael Myers once and for all. The “Halloween” series also possessed a fine array of minor characters, such as Paul Rudd’s Tommy Doyle, Sheriff Brackett, and the villainous Dr. Wynn, an associate of Loomis who appears in multiple “Halloween” films throughout the series’ history.

It’s safe to say that both series are short on genuine heroes, but hey, it is horror after all. With a greater focus on character, and the strength of both Laurie Strode and Dr. Samuel Loomis, “Halloween” wins the round. And so, in a remarkable comeback, Halloween takes the top spot in our slasher showdown!

Winner: Friday the 13th 2 / Halloween 3

By a score of 3 to 2, the franchise initiated by John Carpenter in 1978 deals a deathblow to Jason and friends. While they’re both two influential and classic horror series, there’s just something about the slow-moving Michael Myers that will always scare us.