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In the slasher oeuvre, three dudes with proper names stand out as legends of the game. With all due respect to Leatherface’s moniker, it’s clearly a nickname. However, we still have Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Vorhees. Those three, and their film series, have been ranked, assessed, compared, and contrasted over and over. I am going to do that as well, but I’m focusing on the name situation. Which of those three has the best name?
To me, Freddy Krueger is a name that is too “movie name.” Which, to be fair, is fitting with the over-the-top Nightmare on Elm Street films. I don’t like that series, and the ethos of it is found in the name Freddy Krueger. It really feels like “We wanted to choose a name that sounded like a horror movie slasher.” On that front, good for them, but it feels a bit too on the nose, the exertion is clear. Leatherface is that as well, but that works because it is a nickname. This dude was just named Freddy Krueger before he was a dream killer? Also I typed out his name four times before I remember it is “Krueger,” not “Kreuger.” That’s also a negative.
On the other hand, Michael Myers is perhaps a bit too far in the other direction. It is alliterative, at least. It’s also generic. Now, that’s part of the vibe of Halloween. Haddonfield is just some town, but suddenly a killer in a weird white mask is there. Then, it became a film series, and Michael Myers got quasi-supernatural. As that began to happen, suddenly Michael Myers felt a bit flat as a name.
Jason Vorhees threads the needle. It’s a distinct name, to be sure, one that sticks with you, and one that is fairly easy to spell as well. However, it doesn’t feel forced, or like somebody was trying to create a movie monster. After all, in the first film Jason isn’t even the killer. He’s just a kid that drowned. Then, he became the slasher icon with the mask and the machete. Maybe it is that evolution that makes his name the best of this trio.
