Written by Chris Snellgrove | Published
That day, I decided to rewatch Freddy vs Jasona very cliche grudge match between the most famous faces in the horror world. Normally, I’m a digital guy, but to watch the fight (which was infinitely more entertaining than the match between Mike Tyson and Logan Paul), I had to act like Tommy Jarvis and start digging. I’ve been excavating physical media rather than Jason’s body for a very surprising reason: as of this writing, Freddy vs Jason Can’t find it anywhere on streaming.
Part of what makes this noteworthy is that Freddy vs Jason The film is arguably the most interesting film in horror history, and one that the studios in question have been trying to make since the 1980s. Leading up to its release, fans spent decades imagining how the fight between these two killers would end. It was the terrifying equivalent of a geek debate over whether Kirk or Picard was the better Star Trek Captain. Now, the funniest horror fight ever can’t be streamed, which is a shame because the movie is the perfect embodiment of sloppy fun.
It’s not entirely clear why Freddy vs. Jason at the moment… It’s been available on Max for about a month, and may simply be unavailable while rights holders figure out where to shop it next. Plus, there may have been a window of time to air on Max for October before it disappears back into our dreams after the dreaded month is over. Regardless of the exact reason, it’s a shame this movie isn’t being released online because it has many good qualities, including a great cast.
Cast Freddy vs Jason Kills, in particular A Nightmare on Elm Street Veteran Robert Englund reprises his role as Freddy Krueger. Ken Kirzinger plays Jason Voorhees, and while I miss Kane Hodder’s portrayal of the world’s most violent goalkeeper, Kirzinger gives the character some great gravitas as a counterbalance to Englund’s rambunctious sense of humor. The cast of victims is equally entertaining and includes surprisingly big names like Kelly Rowland (most famous for being part of Destiny’s Child) and Katherine Isabelle (known to horror fans as the scream queen star of Ginger shots).
Freddy vs Jason Likewise, the film grossed $116.6 million against a budget of only $30 million. That’s a much better return than what New Line Cinema saw Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (which earned $19.8 million against an $8 million budget) or Jason x (which earned $17.1 million against a budget of $11-14 million). Crucially, it was more than a flop, receiving an abysmal critical rating of 41 percent, with critics generally noting that the film is enjoyable for fans of the respective franchises but not as much for general audiences.
That’s a fair criticism, but I can’t help but wonder who’s in the movie called Freddy vs Jason Without caring about the honorary fighters. That would be more like seeing Batman v Superman Without caring about superheroes or listening to them Godzilla vs. Kong Without being interested in fighting kaiju. And assuming that, like me, you’ve spent decades enjoying both of these characters, you’ll find a lot to love about them Freddy vs Jasonwhich is simply a better film than most subsequent entries in each franchise.
For example, the story involving Freddy using Jason as a cat’s paw to make the Springwood kids remember him is surprisingly clever. This revolves around another clever plot that involves Springwood isolating anyone who has been exposed to Freddy and giving them a drug to prevent them from falling asleep. Personally, I love the big reveal of how aware the general public is of a mysterious killer like Freddy, and it’s fun to see them take practical steps to effectively isolate him from his dreamland home.
As long as you don’t mind a jittery camera (like what you see in an early music video), the final battle between Freddy and Jason is very entertaining. Not only do they rely on each other’s cutting tools, but the two make clever use of the environment even as the teens prey on their fears (the film introduces the very confusing idea that Jason has a phobia of water and Freddy has a phobia of water). fire). It’s an extended, knockout battle that delivers everything you could want from a horror showdown decades in the making, and is sure to have you grinning through the credits.
Freddy vs Jason It’s an imperfect film, but that doesn’t stop it from providing perfect entertainment if you’re in the mood for the ultimate love letter to 80s horror. It’s not available to stream anywhere, but I highly recommend tracking down physical media. Of course, you can always wait and watch everything in your dreams, but be careful: after such a turbulent year, Freddy has a lot of nightmares to haunt before he comes for you.