Top Ten Horror Movie Kill Scenes: Jason Voorhees

I recently did a short article about the movie Christine and why it resonated so strongly with me. While my mind was wandering down the 80s horror movie path, I started fondly remembering some of my favorite kill scenes starring one of the greatest slasher artists of the time: Jason Voorhees.

So, I decided to put together a top ten list of “Jason Kills”. This list is pulled together from the first eight in the series, so they all fall within the 80s category. This is not an easy task. As the franchise grew, the body count per film seemed to grow exponentially. What can I say, the man loves his work.

1. Part 2 – The wheelchair.

Jason plays no favorites. Nor does he subscribe to any kind of political correctness. Confined to a wheelchair? Such is life, fella.  Jason hits him so hard in the face with that machete that he rolls, ironically, down a flight of stairs. This is hands down my favorite because it’s so wrong.

2. Part 3 – Handwalker.

This is probably one of the most violent and visceral deaths in this film. Andy is on his way back to the bedroom (where he has just had pre-marital sex – the nail in the coffin, so to speak) when he is intercepted by our uncompromising villain. Jason’s backswing goes so far, the tip of the machete practically touches the back of his legs. The momentum and the power literally cleave Andy in half. Then Jason stacks him neatly on a rafter above the hammock where Debbie is resting. I also love the “discovery” kills, where Jason strategically places a corpse for someone to find. As soon as they do, they’re next.

3. Part 7 – The sleeping bag.

While this is not the messiest or bloody, this is one is nearly my favorite. Jason is certainly adaptable and uses his environment to his advantage. He cuts open the tent with his machete (after dispatching the boyfriend) and drags the girl out into the open and slams her into the nearest tree. Simple, yet effective. What’s so great about this is that he actually makes a decision to smash her into a tree instead of the mundane machete chop. A true artist who reinvents and evolves his style.

4. Part 2 – The hammer.

This is just nasty. I cringe every time I see this one. The decision to spin the hammer around and use the claw end instead of the hammer is just mean spirited. Sure, we know the cop is going to get killed because he found Jason’s house, but did he really need to do that? Come on, be a little more humane next time, OK?

5. Part 8 – Face pushed in.

Jason is not one to rest when it comes to being creative when slaughtering wayward teenagers. He ambushes Nikki when she walks past the RV bathroom and shoves her head into the bathroom mirror with enough force to leave an imprint on the other side.

6. Part 3 – Eye pop.

Part 3 is probably my favorite movie in the franchise. I own the 3D version which has some very decent and effective 3D moments, despite being made in 1982. Every kill is inventive and well executed (pun intended). A familiar fallback for Jason is the old fashioned head crush maneuver. In this particular situation, he manages to pop Rick’s eyeball right out of the socket and into your living room. In 3D, this looks amazing!

7. Part 3 (again) – Spear gun.

Whoever packed this little gem for the weekend just wasn’t thinking. If you’re going away for a weekend filled with booze, drugs and sex, what function could it possibly serve? You know nothing good can come from bringing it. Sure enough, Jason uses it to kill Vera while she is fishing for Shelly’s wallet in the lake. She thinks Jason is Shelly pulling another one of his pranks, but realizes just a little too late that it ain’t. Magical 3D of the flight path of the arrow, straight through her eye. . . .goodnight.

8. Part 1 – Kevin Bacon stabbed in the throat.

This kill beautifully illustrates the “why”. Kevin has just had a <very long> sex scene with another deviant camp counselor and is smoking a joint when he gets his ticket punched. Some good prosthetic work here with the skin stretching before the arrow pierces through. The jetting blood is not terribly convincing, but it’s cool because it’s Kevin Bacon.  It’s also the start of a trend – the “killed from under the bed” is used frequently in upcoming installations.

9. Part 5 – Three-fer.

Another moral lesson here. Even if you are in a mental institution, the rules still apply; no smoking drugs and no pre-marital sex as the penalties are pretty strict. Oh, and no voyeurism, that’ll cost you. First up is the creepy workhand who is stabbed in the gut with a branch for spying on Tina and Eddie. Tina gets stabbed in the face with a set of hedge clippers. Through the eyes, no less. Eddie backpedals into a tree and gets his head crushed by a strap that is tightened by a branch. (small continuity error where the strap is being wound counterclockwise, but at the final scene before it snaps, it’s turned clockwise.) The voyeur is killed for peeping, and the two lovers have their eyes destroyed. Interesting.

10. Part 5 – Road Flare.

I like this one for the convincing special effects and the highly unusual choice of weapons. A truly messy and painful way to go, I’m sure.