Friday Conversation: Deconstructing ‘The Final Chapter’ Ending
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is to many fans the best of the series. The movie not only offers some of the most brutal kills in the horror franchise, but quite possibly the best death of Jason. The machete to the side of the skull of Jason is a definitive image in fan’s minds. However, what if Jason died the original way that writer Barney Cohen intended?
According to Barney Cohen, his original idea was to have the machete swung straight down on top of Jason’s skull, splitting it in half. This would have dealt Jason a definitive blow that would have obliterated Jason for good. However, the kill was changed before filming to what we now have the pleasure of feasting our eyes on. The skull split down the middle could have looked equally as gruesome as the machete swung into the side of Jason’s head.
Along the lines of being gruesome, there was a lot of gore that was left out of Jason’s demise. Many frames of Jason in agony after being struck by the machete as well as buckets of blood gushing from his wound were left out of the final cut of the film. Some people contend that the final cut is perfect as it does not overdo the effect of Jason’s death, however, fans on the other side of the argument would rather have seen the extra gore due to the more realistic effect the scene would portray.
It is interesting to see where fans stand with the ending. Would the ending, as we know it now, be better with all of the deleted gore put back into the final film or would the slightly different original intention of Barney Cohen lend a more brutal ending to Jason Voorhees?
Interesting debate. Honestly I always thought it was great the way it is. Considering they were working with a mechanical head, I think it was better that they left it cut in the manner they did.
Anytime you are working with a fake head (or any fake body part) in a shot back then, I fell its always better to show less to create realism. Extending the scene would have exposed the prosthetic for a longer period of time making it look a bit fake.
Much like magic itself, sometimes it’s the things they don’t show you that fools the mind the most.
Steve
mWd
I dont think the slightly extended version of this ive seen looks any more fake than the original theatrical cut. I say pour on the gore!
Never new they were going to KILL Jason!
I think that “the split in half” scene would off been too much realy. The nding thats shown in the film is much better and more balanced.
“swung straight down on top of Jason’s skull, splitting it in half”
this would’ve been more cringifying. i can just imagine a machete splitting my jaw right between my bottom front teeth. Course, I’d be dead by the time that happened. However, i think the ’sliding down the blade’ was Savini’s idea too and that’s what makes it.
I would have liked a little more blood. I think the intent was to actually make it look a little fake to get by the MPAA. I would’ve liked it more bloody and real and I’ve seen a fan edit where it did look a bit better. In some fan edits it looks wmore fake though. It just all depends on the editing.
It’s a fun debate, but really this movie is perfect as it is.
I would have liked to see the “machete head split” because it is different, and am curious to see what that would have looked like, but, the ending that stands is classic and creative. Not only does Jason get a machete to the side of the head, but he slides down it. OUCH!!! Now that’s just perfect. Plus, I think you can show just a little bit more gore without ruining the shot. Of course, I’m glad they went with the machete slide. Had they completely obliterated Jason, how could he have come back for more sequels, which we all love.
Since this was supposedly the “Final Chapter” they were trying to destroy Jason for good, so making him have a more gruesome death by splitting his skull would have made Tommy Jarvis the killer in other Friday the 13th movies to come. Even though I would like to how this whole sequence played out I’m kind of glad they did’nt ended up using it because that would have been the definitive end of Jason.
As someone who was there in the theater when it came out I can say without a doubt that the ending as it was shown got the exact reaction I’m sure Savini and Zito wanted. Maybe if it came out now it would look differently but make no mistake this worked like a charm. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I like the ending as it is too. However, imagine that machete splitting downward in the middle of his head and then as he falls to his knees and leans forward, the machete sliding down the middle of his head!
Thats interesting. But I think they way the machete goes through the side of Jasons head is a better idea. I love the way His head slides down on the machete, I mean its perfect. Although I wish it couldve been more gore as well as the kills in the movie. But MPAA has to rape great horror films, what can You do? Everytime one of My friends request I put on a Jason movie, its usually part 4. And they always get a kick out of that scene where Jasons head slides down the machete. Its classic. If Tommy wouldve chopped Him through the top of the head, we might not have had that great scene where Tommy goes machete happy on Jason screaming “Die, Die, Die”. Which is just awesome. It really shows how much Tommy understands Jason and how He doesnt die too easily. But one thing I always wanted to see was how Jason looked after Tommy finished. Nobody is really quite sure how long Tommy went at it. Couldve been 10-20 mins for all we know. And did Trish finnaly stop Him? Or did Tommy just wear out or collapse. Anyway, part 4 is and will always be my favorite installment of the series. I like how Jason dies. I just wish they wouldve kept that dream sequance at the end where Trish finds Her Moms body. The hospital scene at the end is kind of weak (minus when Tommy looks into the camera all evil like). But it doesnt take away from the blood and creative kills of the film.
Anybody know why they changed it, anyway? Even still, I dig the machete to the side of the head ending.
Barney Cohen mentioned that his belief was that Paramount was planning to make another sequel and that his original written death would have made it impossible. So, the powers that be had the death changed. Who knows if that is exactly the truth, but that is what the writer said.
Im a big fan of realism, and a machete wound like that would have severed many blood vessels in the face, scalp and brain. It would be pretty bloody, so it might have been nice to have some more drippage like in the deleted version.
Considering how small Tommy was in that scene I think it’s more believable that he’d swing and hit Jason in the side of the head. Unless Tommy was at the right angle I don’t think he could have sliced Jason from top of the head down. Unlike the cut/extended scenes in My Bloody Valentine (the extended Dryer scene, jeez) I don’t think it would have added anything to it if anything I think it might have shown too much to the point where the effectiveness of the Jason animatronic would be compromised IMO.
Just a little fact I thought was interesting: Barney was a writer for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe back in the 80s. One of the episodes he wrote was Evilseed. Evilseed was inspired by Barney’s intended death for Jason. That’s why Evilseed has an artichoke for a head.
@Jasonsfury
“planning to make another sequel and that his original written death would have made it impossible.”
You know it’s funny when we look back and think about that now, because if you look at how they brought him back you wonder if it really mattered if his head was in two pieces or not haha. I mean if you can be resurrected from decomposition , a slit head is child’s play.
Interesting in knowing they were at least concerned at the time about something transferring logically from one movie to another one in the series. (thought that would be the first time if you catch my drift..)
Steve
mWd