I Miss Horror Crossovers
Will we ever get something like Freddy vs. Jason again?
Don’t get me wrong, horror movies are definitely going in the right direction.
Get Out (2017), Saw X (2023), Skinamarink (2022), and all the other super cool modern horror movies that I can’t think of. Sure, there’s always going to be a Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) that’ll leave a bad taste in your mouth, but for the most part, modern horror has been on a good path.
Yet…
In the era of cinematic universes, I can’t help but miss the iconic crossover movies of the past. Marvel and DC will always have their characters interacting with one another, and in a time where superhero fatigue is starting to set in, the gimmick has began to wear off.
The Avengers (2012) was a big deal. I remember watching the ragtag team of heroes all come together on the big screen, with my eyes wide and my heart pumping in excitement. I was around eleven years old at the time, so seeing my favorite heroes all together was pretty special.
Now, though, I don’t really get those same feelings. I don’t really care about Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange’s movie, because Marvel has already established these crossovers as the norm.
All these superheroes, but whatever happened to the crossovers of horror? Perhaps I could dig into the video game depths and count Dead by Daylight or even Mortal Kombat X as recent crossovers, but film wise? Where did they go?
Crossovers on Reel
The Golden Age of Horror brought us the Universal Monsters, with classics like Dracula (1931), The Invisible Man (1933), and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Through merchandise and haunted houses, we see these monsters together almost all the time. Back then though, it was much more rare.
While there were plenty of Abbott and Costello collaborations with these guys, there was a lack of actual monster crossovers. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) even featured a small scene with Dracula, Wolfman, and the Monster, but as far as actual movie crossovers?
One that comes to mind is Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).
So, yes, there’s one! Two iconic monsters sharing the same screen, all for the masses to admire. The Wolfman and the Monster duking it out for our entertainment. Universal would then follow this with House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945), both films which feature crossovers of the classic monsters together.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see many more of these created. Hell, we didn’t even get to see the reboots of these considering Universal’s “Dark Universe” initiative was a flop.
The Screaming 60s
The 60s came with classic hits, dances, and a resurgence in horror. Drive-in theaters brought us the iconic giant monster films we know today, where people snacked on popcorn and relaxed in their car while Mothra destroyed cities.
With those oversized creatures also came one the most prolific crossovers ever: King Kong vs Godzilla (1962).
The mightiest of them all. What an event, right? Such an event we ended up getting an updated CGI version in 2021. I mean, most people will pay to see two giants fight it out after all.
But… there was also another crossover happening too. One that was less about city destroying monsters and more about, well, the normal-sized ones.
In 1964 came The Munsters sitcom, which brought together a family made up of classic monsters. Herman Munster looks like Frankenstein’s Monster, Lily Munster and her father are vampires, and Eddie Munster is a werewolf.
While it may not be a proper crossover, it does essentially bring together the Universal Monsters, even if it might be by parody. Even so, the Munster Family themselves have become just as much as horror icons as those who came before them.
From Then On…
The 80s birthed the slasher genre. Obviously, these are some of my favorites (as I’m sure you can tell from the name of this here newsletter)—from Michael Myers to Freddy Krueger, many of the wonderful names of horror we all know and love came from this era.
There were a few films here and there that weren’t primarily slashers though, such as The Lost Boys (1987) or An American Werewolf in London (1981). And, as far as crossovers are concerned, there was The Monster Squad (1987).
The Monster Squad (1987) put the classic monsters together on screen again, featuring Dracula, The Mummy, The Gill Man, and Frankenstein’s Monster. The film is a fun homage to Universal’s horror icons, and definitely itches The Avengers level ensemble.
And as fun as the film is, I’d be silly to mention the slasher era only as an introduction. In fact, there’s probably a crossover you’ve been waiting for me to mention this entire time.
The Fame and Glory
Enter Freddy vs. Jason (2003).
I like to say that this is the horror crossover event. The film features two of the biggest names in horror, after all. Freddy Krueger, the quippy burn victim, and Jason Voorhees, the bullied mama’s boy of terror.
People wanted to know how this would play out. Jason had brute strength, but Freddy had the dream world to his advantage.
And as much as the critics weren’t a fan of this movie, it’s an important part of horror history. Plus, it’s entertaining to watch, and the kills are fun, and seeing two slashers try to murder each other is always worth the ticket.
The crazy thing about this film is that it was hinted at far before anyone realizes. Actually, the hints started without Jason even being in the picture.
In the original A Nightmare Before Elm Street (1984), The Evil Dead (1981) can be seen playing on TV. Cute, right? Then, in Evil Dead II (1987), Freddy’s glove can be seen hanging in the basement of the infamous cabin.
Okay. That’s all really cool, but what does Evil Dead have to do with Jason? I’m getting there.
In comes Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), in which the ending scene shows Freddy’s claws grabbing at Jason’s mask. Thus, leading into Freddy vs. Jason (2003) all Marvel style. But that’s not everything: this movie also included the Necronomicon, and the director himself says that Jason is, apparently, a Deadite.
So, then we get Freddy vs. Jason (2003), but that’s still not the end of the story. Originally, it was supposed to lead into a Hellraiser crossover, but that sadly got axed.
More importantly, the film led into a comic series called Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. Now me mentioning the Evil Dead stuff makes more sense, huh?
(By the way, if you haven’t read it, I definitely recommend it!)
The Fame and Glory and Aliens
Alright. Freddy vs. Jason (2003) is out of the way.
Now let’s talk about Alien vs. Predator, which came out a year after Freddy vs. Jason (2003).
A sci-fi horror crossover based on, again, two of the most iconic franchises in the genre. This one was a little different in how it ended though.
While other “vs” films typically had, er, somewhat of a clear winner, Alien vs. Predator (2004) led into something a lot more interesting. At the end of the film, a chestburster comes out of a Yautja’s chest.
I think that’s all I need to say.
Bringing the Rest Together
2016 brought Sadako vs. Kayako. For those unfamiliar, these two are very big names in Japanese horror.
These characters were given American remakes in the early 2000s with The Grudge (2004) and The Ring (2002). Yes, those two.
I haven’t actually watched this one yet, but I think the concept is pretty neat and definitely worth the mention.
The last one I’ll be talking about here is Glass (2019). Glass (2019) brought together the cast of both Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016), which ended up being somewhat of a twist crossover. Nobody really expected these films to be connected, but it was at least a cool conclusion to see.
Is Now the Right Time?
Should we get another crossover anytime soon? I’m not sure.
Would it be with our beloved slashers? Or maybe modern characters? I really don’t know.
But do we really need one with all these production companies trying to make everything into the next MCU? Honestly, a horror crossover might just be the next Barbenheimer event. Or, it could be a total flop.
Who knows, but it would be interesting to see.
We almost had an Ash vs. Freddy vs. Jason movie with Bruce Campbell and Robert Englund. That would have been epic.