As everyone knows the Friday the 13th franchise was one of the most popular horror movie franchises in the 80s. It seemed like every year during that decade Paramount was churning out a new sequel to cash in on the popularity of their new horror icon, Jason Vorhees. No matter what happened to our beloved hockey-masked hero he was always able to return for more.

The Final Chapter (which happened to be part IV in the series) left our favorite villain with his skull split wide open and then subsequently chopped into ground beef. So then, how was it that he was able to make a triumphant return in Friday the 13th part V: A New Beginning? The answer to that question is also the reason why most Friday fans hate this film. In fact, Part V is often considered the worst sequel in this franchise. I couldn't disagree more.



If you've seen the movie then you are well aware that Jason was not the villain of this film. Instead we had Roy. Yep, Roy. Roy did his best to mimic Jason, even going as far as wearing a bald cap. However, as you can see from the pic above, his hockey mask was just a tad bit different. Instead of the classic red chevrons on Jason's hockey mask Roy's chevrons were blue. If you can't figure it out Google Chevrons.

Using a copycat killer was a bold move for the filmmakers. A bit too bold considering most fans rejected the idea. However, this new copycat Jason, in many ways, carried his own against the legendary "real" Jason. He certainly had big shoes to fill. I mean how do you outdo squashing someone's face into a shower stall (part 4); Impaling two lovers on a cot (part 2); Or how about chopping a guy in two pieces with a machete (part 3)?

Fear not. Roy, in many ways, topped Jason in his choice of killing techniques. With his use of hedge clippers into the eyes of one of his female victims to crushing a guy's face with a leather strap, Roy was more than willing to assure Jason fans that he could live up to their violent expectations.


Friday V also had an awesome cast of crazy-ass characters. Quite literally speaking, since the film took place at a half-way house. Kevin Bacon's character (Friday the 13th, 1980) may not be in this film but that's okay. Instead we had character like Joey and Violet.

Although he has very little screen time, Joey's character is pivotal to the plot of the story. His murder is what sets Roy off to become the Jason wannabe. You see, Joey is Roy's retarded son. In case you are wondering those are chocolate stains on the sides of his mouth.

Poor Joey, all he wanted to do was help out but his annoying banter only serves to infuriate another "resident" who in turn turns poor Joey into a human chopping block.

Up next we have goth girl, Violet. Violet was goth before goth was cool. She also had this really cool robotic dance. When she was not dancing like a robot she was usually getting pissed off at someone, be it the guy who confronts her about her table setting skills or our friend Joey who ends up getting chocolate all over her freshly washed laundry.

Let's not forget about Demon. Demon's scene involved a van, enchiladas and a port-o-potty. What else is there to say?

There are for more characters to discuss but due to time constraints we'll have to stop here. Maybe I'll do a part 2 sometime. So in closing, let's focus on one of the best scenes that this film had to offer... A machete vs. chainsaw battle! Bad ass!

Every Friday movie has its "final girl" but how many have the final girl confronting Jason in a machete vs. chainsaw duel? It's short, sweet and close to the film's final climax, but it's worth the wait. With a scene like this how could anyone talk bad about Friday V?

Is Friday the 13th part V: A New Beginning the best Friday film in the franchise? Probably not but it certainly isn't the worst. That title could easily go to the unwatchable Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Friday V offers everything a fan of these movies could hope for. If you haven't seen it yet and you like these type of films, give it a view. You won't regret it.