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Movies
Friday the 13th (1980):
- On a general standpoint, Sean Cunningham, Victor Miller and fans alike say that the film wouldn't have worked as well as it did if it wasn't for the soundtrack by Harry Manfredini, the so-considered Poor Man's Substitute and Spiritual Successor to Bob Cobertnote due to their similar scoring styles.
- The opening theme
, a slow, suspenseful build to a frantic arrangement of strings and horns. - The fake out closing theme, which is a slow, sweeping cue that indicates the terror is over. And then Jason pops out of the lake and drags Alice in...
Friday the 13th Part 2:
- Harry Manfredini returns as this film's composer and manages to create a score that's even more lively and creepier than before. Ginny Under the Bed is a particular standout.
- Flashback. A slow, foreboding cue that blends the dreamlike atmosphere fitting to Alice's nightmare with the frantic violins of Part 1.
- The cue that plays when Ginny "tricks" Jason at his shack. Incredibly spacey and trippy, but equally suspenseful.
Friday the 13th Part III:
- The disco main theme, no matter how unfitting it may feel for the film.
- The music that plays during the final confrontation between Chris and Jason is equal parts chilling and exhilarating. Easily some of Manfredini's finest work.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter:
- Although a majority of the music was recycled from the previous three films, the few new cues Manfredini composed are still noteworthy, such as the opening theme, which helps build the hype as it plays over footage of the first 3 movies with Paul's narration from Part II. It's suspenseful and dreamlike in the beginning, and keeps getting intense and frantic as it progresses, perfectly fitting the end of the franchise... at the time at least.
- The track that plays at the beginning of the film. Simplistic and eerie.
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning:
- Pam and Reggie Meet Jason, one of the most intense pieces Manfredini's ever composed for the franchise.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives:
- "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" by Alice Cooper makes the ending scene so much cooler.
- Manfredini's soundtrack in general is pretty awesome. He ramps up the suspense and action more so than before and delivers a truly engaging and bombastic soundtrack. Special mention goes to tracks like "Here We Go Again (Opening Titles)", "The Survivalists", "Paula Feels the Tension" and "The Rescue / Finale".
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood:
- While Fred Mollin's score is generally considered not as strong as Harry Manfredini's work on the previous six films, the title credits theme is simple, yet effective.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan:
- The jazzy piece that plays when Rennie and Sean are in Times Square is so bittersweetly beautiful it can bring tears to your eyes.
- Metropolis' "The Darkest Side of the Night", used to both open and close the film. The song itself literally screams mid to late '80s and that it fits quite very well with the opening of the film as it shows both the landscape and atmosphere of New York City at night.
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday:
- Harry Manfredini's score for this movie may be...incredibly silly, to put it kindly, but the opening track that plays before and during the FBI scene is still a noteworthy cue for fans as it, much like the opening scene itself, emulates that old school feel of the earlier Friday movies.
Jason X:
- Though still not on par with his first six scores, Manfredini still manages to deliver a score less annoying than its predecessor. The opening theme itself has a very epic feel to it.
Friday the 13th (2009):
- The opening theme recaps the events of Alice decapitating Pamela in 1980. It's as intense as it is high-octane.
Games
Friday the 13th:
- The "Cabin" theme is mysterious, creepy and cool all at once.
Friday the 13th: The Game:
- XIII by Crazy Lixx, as seen in the trailer, a perfect 80s throwback with the same style of music from the era of the original movies. Double points for Crazy Lixx and their song "Killer", used for another trailer showcasing Jason's big kill animations.
- Mitch Murder's chiptune song that plays whenever Retro Jason is used ("Return to Camp Blood") was also praised by many people, especially as it evokes the spirit of the NES game.
- Harry Manfredini returns to the franchise through this game, as while it is synth-based, much like Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X, here it is as scary and intense as ever and pays a Genre Throwback Homage to his scoring back in The '80s. The score is strengthened by additional music by Jason Graves from Dead Space (the first game in said series featured Peter Mensah, who played Sgt. Brodski in Jason X).
