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I've only watched the top video but I can already tell im in for a good time here! xD great stuff! 
I'm going to put aside some time and work through these
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I've only watched the top video but I can already tell im in for a good time here! xD great stuff! I'm going to put aside some time and work through these
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I started a podcast with my older brother Scott Moore, and, on the first episode, we went ahead and shared our thoughts on Stranger Things 2: -
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The storms were really bad, and so, I wasn't able to keep most of what I recorded this week (the rain was about as loud as my voice and I couldn't use most of it). Here's my written review of Terrifier, with the video review set to come out on Tuesday:
Terrifier (Written Review)
Rabies and germs, welcome to Taking a Stab where I discuss all things horror and horror-related, here on Mishmashers.com, and this is the third edition of Horror Tuesdays. For today’s edition, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the recently released film Terrifier.
In late-2013, Damien Leone directed All Hallows’ Eve, his directorial debut, the direct-to-video film comprised itself of short-films from Damien Leone, and a wrap-around meant to establish continuity and affiliation between the short-films that were other-wise unrelated. This isn’t uncommon, with V/H/S amongst others finding success with the concept. I wouldn’t say that All Hallows’ Eve set the world aflame, which shouldn’t be the goal-post for a low-budget concept as such, but I did leave it thinking it had grimy, exploitative charm to it akin to a lot of horror films from yesteryear, and although, the approach opts to shock above all else, I did leave All Hallows’ Eve with interest in what Leone might do thereafter, in-particular, with Art the Clown, a character that appears in said film. In March 2018, through home-video and distribution from the horror website Dread Central, whose other films like Zombie World, are a low-budget, more carefree variety, not really boasting a whole lot of precision in execution but providing a charm in their own right because of that.
For perspective, I would say that All Hallows’ Eve was a step higher than Zombie World in-terms of production-value and effectiveness, although, they’re below something like Tales from Halloween or Trick R Treat. I would, maybe, even place this film someplace just above Laid to Rest and below Victor Crowley, as far as budgetary restraint is concerned. This new film had a rocky start up to say the least, one that I paid mild attention to. I first heard about the prospects of a Terrifier film a little after I first watched All Hallows’ Eve, and, by that time, a sequel had already been released called All Hallows’ Eve 2, which holds a similar concept to its predecessor, but is ultimately unrelated to the first film. In October 2016, Terrifier had its premiere at a horror film festival, and it was thereafter that it had a limited theatrical release and was picked up by Dread Central and Epic Pictures, finally being made available on home-video almost two years after its premiere.
Terrifier follows a maniacal clown named Art who terrorizes unsuspecting victims on Halloween night. And, in all honesty, although, I would normally elaborate on-said premise to provide a better preview of what to expect, that covers everything anyone needs to know about the film. This is something intentionally done by the director, who, in interviews, talked about how often slasher films find themselves bogged down by shoehorning in hackneyed, archetype characters, when audiences are more interested in the pay-off of the film. He said something along the lines of the fact that the best part of every slasher film is the final fifteen-or-twenty minutes, and that Terrifier was meant to elongate that into a feature-length film. Although this might be peculiar to some, Terrifier isn’t the first slasher film to approach things with this perspective. When John Carpenter’s Halloween arrived, it was soon after that Friday the 13th borrowed heavily from the concept, and, at the same time, stripping away much of the characterizations and, in a lot of ways, goaded audiences into rooting to see Jason wreak havoc in the goriest of ways possible.
Although, this is how Terrifier is meant to be perceived, I would argue after having watched the film, that it carries a lot of the cliched characters it looked to void, and even, on-occasion, feels as though it has characters I could have dealt without. For instance, the film features a more eccentric woman who walks around with a baby-doll, treating it as though it’s a living child, and I find that her entire character altogether I could have done without. The acting isn’t awful in this film. I’ve name-dropped a lot of horror titles in this review thus far and that was intentional, as I wanted to mention that, although, with some of those films, they have inconsistent delivery from characters, in this film, even if certain characters are stereotypical, some of them being unlikable, seemingly meant to make me root for their demise, they mostly play true to their characters and they feel on-point. The only dismaying aspect is that they aren’t at all intriguing characters and they’re really pigs being led to the slaughter. And, with that in mind, it almost makes me wonder why to even bother setting up the scenarios in the first place, as opposed to dropping us off right into the midst of Art the Clown’s massacring and keeping the tension high-stakes, allotting time for more of the perceived “good stuff”. The only answer I can find for why not to do that is because it wouldn’t feel like a feature film as much as it would a highlight reel, in which case, it’d be easy to say that if the first short film from All Hallows’ Eve was a showcase of what Art can be in a feature film, the Terrifier film comes off like an elongated version of what Art the Clown could do in a feature film, propped up only by a paper-thin story-line to establish continuity. In-terms of narrative, it keeps Art shrouded in mystery, but, if Art is shrouded in mystery and the characters are deliberately made to lack character, the only real substance is violence for the sake of it. Which is something I think can be enjoyed. In the same way that individuals like seeing zombies swarm unsuspecting crowds of people or we liked Michael Myers chasing after Laurie Strode, and in that latter respect, Michael Myers, like Art the Clown, is built around what isn’t known about him. The only difference is that, in Halloween, we were made to care more about the characters he targeted, all while Dr. Loomis and others helped build Michael Myers as a symbol of evil incarnate, legitimizing him as a threat.
The lighting and music benefits this film. The colorful aesthetics of the shadows and the eerie sound strumming or being keyed in the background, it isn’t too heavy-handed with it, and the lighting itself keeps likely budgetary restraints from being noticeable and adds a little bit of stylization to the aesthetic. I think that, more than anything, as I suggested, the leading appeal of Terrifier will be in its special-effects and its high amount of bloodshed. The character of Art the Clown has a creepiness about him that verges from, at the times, an over-the-top, B-movie horror vibe to something more ambitious, moments when he is particularly jarring in his eccentricities and bewildering behavior, he has a lot of shock-value behind him, and some of it comes off well with the presence and portrayal of the character. The violence in this film is in high amount. A lot of gruesome looking slaughters and a lot corn syrup coating the screen with depictions that can feel like they’re straight from an 80’s slasher film or something from an exploitation film like Cannibal Holocaust. For those this appeals to, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Terrifier captures the aesthetic well, especially for the budget they had to work with.
In the end, this film isn’t the next slasher icon, but could be a cult favorite, and, for what it’s worth, although, I would say that Terrifier is a below-average film altogether, I would say that Terrifier is an above-average slasher film, all things considered, simply because its sharp fangs and the way it feels uniquely different with a memorable antagonist, willing to go directions that other horror films don’t often tread. I wouldn’t recommend it to a casual moviegoer and maybe not even a casual horror-fan, but if you enjoyed All Hallows’ Eve, or are someone who enjoys the thrill of the chase and the vicarious thrill of a psychotic clown wreaking havoc, this might be a film worth checking out. As for me, although, I can’t say it hit all the right notes or checked the boxes, like All Hallows’ Eve, it left me thinking great things can still come for Damien Leone as a director, be it in his maturity with the Art the Clown character or a new project entirely.
Did you watch Terrifier? What were your thoughts on the film? Feel free to let me know in the comment section below or share a video review of your own, I’d love to know what you think! Thanks for watching this edition of Taking a Stab and I’ll see you next time.
Terrifier (Written Review)
Rabies and germs, welcome to Taking a Stab where I discuss all things horror and horror-related, here on Mishmashers.com, and this is the third edition of Horror Tuesdays. For today’s edition, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the recently released film Terrifier.
In late-2013, Damien Leone directed All Hallows’ Eve, his directorial debut, the direct-to-video film comprised itself of short-films from Damien Leone, and a wrap-around meant to establish continuity and affiliation between the short-films that were other-wise unrelated. This isn’t uncommon, with V/H/S amongst others finding success with the concept. I wouldn’t say that All Hallows’ Eve set the world aflame, which shouldn’t be the goal-post for a low-budget concept as such, but I did leave it thinking it had grimy, exploitative charm to it akin to a lot of horror films from yesteryear, and although, the approach opts to shock above all else, I did leave All Hallows’ Eve with interest in what Leone might do thereafter, in-particular, with Art the Clown, a character that appears in said film. In March 2018, through home-video and distribution from the horror website Dread Central, whose other films like Zombie World, are a low-budget, more carefree variety, not really boasting a whole lot of precision in execution but providing a charm in their own right because of that.
For perspective, I would say that All Hallows’ Eve was a step higher than Zombie World in-terms of production-value and effectiveness, although, they’re below something like Tales from Halloween or Trick R Treat. I would, maybe, even place this film someplace just above Laid to Rest and below Victor Crowley, as far as budgetary restraint is concerned. This new film had a rocky start up to say the least, one that I paid mild attention to. I first heard about the prospects of a Terrifier film a little after I first watched All Hallows’ Eve, and, by that time, a sequel had already been released called All Hallows’ Eve 2, which holds a similar concept to its predecessor, but is ultimately unrelated to the first film. In October 2016, Terrifier had its premiere at a horror film festival, and it was thereafter that it had a limited theatrical release and was picked up by Dread Central and Epic Pictures, finally being made available on home-video almost two years after its premiere.
Terrifier follows a maniacal clown named Art who terrorizes unsuspecting victims on Halloween night. And, in all honesty, although, I would normally elaborate on-said premise to provide a better preview of what to expect, that covers everything anyone needs to know about the film. This is something intentionally done by the director, who, in interviews, talked about how often slasher films find themselves bogged down by shoehorning in hackneyed, archetype characters, when audiences are more interested in the pay-off of the film. He said something along the lines of the fact that the best part of every slasher film is the final fifteen-or-twenty minutes, and that Terrifier was meant to elongate that into a feature-length film. Although this might be peculiar to some, Terrifier isn’t the first slasher film to approach things with this perspective. When John Carpenter’s Halloween arrived, it was soon after that Friday the 13th borrowed heavily from the concept, and, at the same time, stripping away much of the characterizations and, in a lot of ways, goaded audiences into rooting to see Jason wreak havoc in the goriest of ways possible.
Although, this is how Terrifier is meant to be perceived, I would argue after having watched the film, that it carries a lot of the cliched characters it looked to void, and even, on-occasion, feels as though it has characters I could have dealt without. For instance, the film features a more eccentric woman who walks around with a baby-doll, treating it as though it’s a living child, and I find that her entire character altogether I could have done without. The acting isn’t awful in this film. I’ve name-dropped a lot of horror titles in this review thus far and that was intentional, as I wanted to mention that, although, with some of those films, they have inconsistent delivery from characters, in this film, even if certain characters are stereotypical, some of them being unlikable, seemingly meant to make me root for their demise, they mostly play true to their characters and they feel on-point. The only dismaying aspect is that they aren’t at all intriguing characters and they’re really pigs being led to the slaughter. And, with that in mind, it almost makes me wonder why to even bother setting up the scenarios in the first place, as opposed to dropping us off right into the midst of Art the Clown’s massacring and keeping the tension high-stakes, allotting time for more of the perceived “good stuff”. The only answer I can find for why not to do that is because it wouldn’t feel like a feature film as much as it would a highlight reel, in which case, it’d be easy to say that if the first short film from All Hallows’ Eve was a showcase of what Art can be in a feature film, the Terrifier film comes off like an elongated version of what Art the Clown could do in a feature film, propped up only by a paper-thin story-line to establish continuity. In-terms of narrative, it keeps Art shrouded in mystery, but, if Art is shrouded in mystery and the characters are deliberately made to lack character, the only real substance is violence for the sake of it. Which is something I think can be enjoyed. In the same way that individuals like seeing zombies swarm unsuspecting crowds of people or we liked Michael Myers chasing after Laurie Strode, and in that latter respect, Michael Myers, like Art the Clown, is built around what isn’t known about him. The only difference is that, in Halloween, we were made to care more about the characters he targeted, all while Dr. Loomis and others helped build Michael Myers as a symbol of evil incarnate, legitimizing him as a threat.
The lighting and music benefits this film. The colorful aesthetics of the shadows and the eerie sound strumming or being keyed in the background, it isn’t too heavy-handed with it, and the lighting itself keeps likely budgetary restraints from being noticeable and adds a little bit of stylization to the aesthetic. I think that, more than anything, as I suggested, the leading appeal of Terrifier will be in its special-effects and its high amount of bloodshed. The character of Art the Clown has a creepiness about him that verges from, at the times, an over-the-top, B-movie horror vibe to something more ambitious, moments when he is particularly jarring in his eccentricities and bewildering behavior, he has a lot of shock-value behind him, and some of it comes off well with the presence and portrayal of the character. The violence in this film is in high amount. A lot of gruesome looking slaughters and a lot corn syrup coating the screen with depictions that can feel like they’re straight from an 80’s slasher film or something from an exploitation film like Cannibal Holocaust. For those this appeals to, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Terrifier captures the aesthetic well, especially for the budget they had to work with.
In the end, this film isn’t the next slasher icon, but could be a cult favorite, and, for what it’s worth, although, I would say that Terrifier is a below-average film altogether, I would say that Terrifier is an above-average slasher film, all things considered, simply because its sharp fangs and the way it feels uniquely different with a memorable antagonist, willing to go directions that other horror films don’t often tread. I wouldn’t recommend it to a casual moviegoer and maybe not even a casual horror-fan, but if you enjoyed All Hallows’ Eve, or are someone who enjoys the thrill of the chase and the vicarious thrill of a psychotic clown wreaking havoc, this might be a film worth checking out. As for me, although, I can’t say it hit all the right notes or checked the boxes, like All Hallows’ Eve, it left me thinking great things can still come for Damien Leone as a director, be it in his maturity with the Art the Clown character or a new project entirely.
Did you watch Terrifier? What were your thoughts on the film? Feel free to let me know in the comment section below or share a video review of your own, I’d love to know what you think! Thanks for watching this edition of Taking a Stab and I’ll see you next time.
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Taking a Stab's Horror Tuesday - April 10th
Terrifier (Movie Review)
Taking a Stab's Horror Tuesday - April 17th
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (Movie Review)
Terrifier (Movie Review)
Taking a Stab's Horror Tuesday - April 17th
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (Movie Review)
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