Friday the 13th: Top 13 WTF Moments

Steve Barton |

Apr 12, 2012

1. Toxic waste flood! (Friday the 13th part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan)

I know. This isn’t all that creative. I can remember begging my father to take me to see Jason Takes Manhattan in the theater when I was ten years old. He dragged his feet for a week or two and when he finally acquiesced it was too late. The damn thing was out of the theaters and I was completely crushed (he got his when he had to later take me to Jason Goes to Hell instead).

Especially when I had to hear about it from a bunch of eighth graders who’d been able to sneak in on opening weekend. When I told my father that it ended with Jason drowning in a flood of toxic waste in the NYC sewer system, he responded with, ”that sounds like a bunch of bullshit.”

And he was right.

But, c’mon, there’s an inimitable charm to that kind of ending. Something a modern film wouldn’t have the cajones to attempt for fear of crashing the Internet. If someone tweeted today that an upcoming horror sequel ended with a killer bested by a flood of toxic sludge that rockets through the sewers every night at midnight it wouldn’t be pretty.

It’s dumb, nonsensical (why is that city worker down there a minute to the flood?) and amazing. And there’s no way it couldn’t take the number one spot on this list.