Every Friday The 13th Film Ranked From Worst To Best

1988's seventh Friday is known to have been one of the most troubled entries in the series, with plans to make the franchise's biggest film yet, but behind the scenes disagreements about the direction it should take. Paramount had initially hoped this film would be Freddy Vs Jason, but were unable to reach an agreement with A Nightmare on Elm Street rights-holders New Line (who, as previously mentioned, instead purchased the Friday rights a few years later).

So with Freddy off the table, they hit upon the idea of pitting Jason against a Carrie-like character; a troubled teenage girl with telekinetic powers. As a result, The New Blood became the most FX-heavy entry yet in the series, making John Carl Buechler a logical choice for the director's chair given his history as an FX artist.

The psychic/psychiatric elements get a little tedious, but The New Blood still delivers enough of the classic Friday the 13th fun to work. It's also noteworthy for being the first appearance of the longest-serving Jason actor Kane Hodder, who would take the role in the next three entries, and wears one of the best Jason make-up jobs here.

Alas, The New Blood is also notorious for being one of the most heavily censored Friday the 13th movies, with a number of gory scenes trimmed to avoid an X-rating, which have only been released since in rough deleted scenes footage on DVD. Fan hopes for a remastered, uncensored director's cut have not come to fruition at present.