08 - The Greatest Jason

It’s Friday the 13^th Friday again, and this time I’m expanding on one of the horror lover challenge questions:

25: Best version of Jason Voorhees

Let's start by narrowing down what I mean by best. Best actor? Kane Hodder, no question. Ask either of the guys who’ve done it since, they’ll probably tell you the same. Kane Hodder’s Jason has a very specific body language that the others don’t have (though I wish they had).

It’s the heavy breathing as he stands still, the turn of the head before turning the body, the wide stance, sudden movements coupled with methodical walking pace. This isn’t just some stuntman in a mask and a boiler suit, this is a proper performance.

The trouble is, as evidenced by sources of the clips above, Kane Hodder’s Jason was in the worst instalments of the franchise.

Next, we move on to costume. Jason’s had a lot of looks over the years; let’s take a look over them:

I like Jason in battered but not shredded clothes – this is more a constant of the latter films, Jason X onward. I think I’d give this one to the Freddy vs. Jason version. Least favourite is probably Jason Goes to Hell. Best look for Kane would be the opening scenes of Jason X.

A key element of Jason’s look is the mask, obviously. Here’s a close-up guide to all the masks:

There’s actually a lot more variation there than the casual observer would expect. Again, I think the prize would go to the more recent entries, FvJ and the remake, with the remake just edging it out. The mask has a better shape and looks battered and aged without being broken. It has a better fit than the early masks, and the weathering rids it of some of the sheen of the early versions. Kane’s best version is probably Jason X again, but that one has a weirdly flattened nose which merges with the mouth part. Least favourite is probably JGTH again – I really don’t like that broken look.

The ultimate Jason then would be Kane Hodder in the FvJ outfit with the remake mask, but as we’ll never get that let’s go for flatface Jason from the start of Jason X. Runner up in all categories (with the potential to someday be the best if the gets the chance to do it again) is Derek Mears, remake Jason. Least favourite would be either JGTH battered Jason or Jason X’s Uber Jason.

And that’s about as nerdy as I get. Thank goodness I don’t have any readers; I’d have lost them all.