It’s been a long journey for Ed Boon since he shook up the world of video games by bringing his pixelated gore to the arcades in 1992. The fighting franchise has gone through a lot of changes since its inception. New fatalities, new finishers (remember Friendship? How about Babalities?), and plenty of guest stars.Mortal Kombat 11keeps up the habit of adding more, more, more, right up to itsimpressive DLC characterreveals, like the latest one presenting Rambo alongside old fan favorites Rain and Mileena.
What started in 2011 as a natural fling between thehorror genre and a violent fighting gamehas now evolved into a showcase for some of the 80’s and 90’s most iconic franchises. So many have now joined the roster that it’s possible to useMortal Kombatas inspiration for a Halloween movie marathon. Read on and letMortal Kombat’sfine taste deliver a classic Halloween.
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Freddy Krueger |A Nightmare On Elm Street(1984)
So slasher movies fit in just right inMortal Kombat, go figure. But while good old Freddy’s home franchiseA Nightmare on Elm Streethas 9 entries in total, the original film bearing the same name is the best place to start as it encapsulates the horror side better than any other in the series.
Jason |Friday the 13th(1980)
Jason is theMortal Kombatrep suffering the worst case of “sequelitis” so the originalFriday the 13th Part 2is the go to option here. Why not the original? Because as anyone who’s ever watchedScreamknows, Jason isn’t the killer in the first Friday the 13th, his mom is. Even so,Friday the 13th: The Final Chapteris also a more than decent option. Or go withJason Xif you want to laugh along with the kills, because that movie is justpriceless.
Predator |Predator(1987)
Predator’sfirst entry stands heads and shoulders above the rest in the franchise by a significant margin. It’s one the greatest action movies of all time, yet it doesn’t take itself that seriously and there’s no better proof of this thanthe “Epic Handshake” meme.
Leatherface |The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974)
1974’sThe Texas Chainsaw Massacreis an absolute marvel that made a 10,000% return on its very low budget ($700,000 adjusted for inflation) and it’sgenuinely scary without relying on gore. Even Stephen King thinks so. The 2003 remake is its complete opposite in almost every way.
Xenomorph |Alien(1979) orAliens(1986)
There are solid arguments on each side in settling whetherAlienor its sequel is the better movie, but there’s no debate in saying both are sci-fi masterpieces. They are very different, with Ridley Scott’s original work excelling more at slow-paced suspense and James Cameron’sAliensbeing much more action-packed. The first one has the classic chestburster scene, the second one has “Get away from her, you bitch!” Eh, just watch both.
Terminator |The Terminator(1984) orTerminator 2: Judgement Day(1991)
The Terminator(1984) was James Cameron’s breakout movie and a must see for anyone, yetTerminator 2made solid on the promise that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be back, only bigger and better. To top that off,Mortal Kombat 11is even more packed with references to the sequel. Another case where watching both is simply necessary.
Joker |Batman: The Killing Joke(2016)
A bit of a left field pick, however, considering how prevalent Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s roles still are in recent memory, but perhaps it’s time to give another Joker a chance. The animated film digs into one of the many story arcs forThe Joker and it features Mark Hamill voiceoverwork that is sorely missed inMortal Kombat.
Spawn |Todd McFarlane’s Spawn(1997)
Spanning three seasons from 1997 to 1999,Spawn: The Animated Seriesis the comic book antihero’s only well-received appearance, given the disastrous results of his 1997 film. Its legacy is backed up by current development of an animatedfilm also under the tutelage of Todd McFarlane.
RoboCop |RoboCop(1987)
Another one of the all time greats when it comes to action movies,RoboCophas aged incredibly well by foreshadowing events like Detroit’s bankruptcy, the militarization of the police force, privatization of public services and poking fun at the corporate America of the 80’s.
Rambo |First Blood(1982)
If the irony of having Vietnam war veteran John Rambo joinMortal Kombatis somehow lost among gamers, thenFirst Bloodis due homework. Not really a Halloween movie, butFirst Bloodis a sobering reminder of the terrible consequences of war and also the best way to start brushing up on Rambo movie references before the man himself lands in the world of Netherrealm.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
IsMortal Kombata good film? Well, no, but it has a great claim to the title of “best fighting game movie”, though that doesn’t say much when competing against the likes ofStreet Fighter,Tekken,Dead or AliveandDragonball Evolution. Even if the plot fails to deliver the theme song sure will, as legend has it that while many have tried to get the sound of “Techno Syndrome” out of their heads, it is a feat at which very few have succeeded.
