FearTASTIC Vault O’FUN #137
Terrifier (2016)
Director(s): Damien Leone
Writer(s): Damien Leone
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran
For those who are initiated in the world of the macabre or a run of the mill geek that enjoys reading all kinds of movie news, it’s safe to say that the Terrifier series has made a significant impact in the world of cinema. In fact, it’s been quite a while since a prominent, original horror figure has gotten the amount of mainstream shine as Terrifier’s Art the Clown. If this was a casting couch (get your mind out the gutter pervs), I’d say the character has that IT factor (not Pennywise IT…although, coincidentally, Art is also a clown, okay I’m just confusing myself now). The esthetic? Iconic. The creativity of kills? Disgustingly entertaining. The Scare Factor? I wouldn’t want to run into that sadistic thing in a dark alley.
Yet, as cool as the killer is in this flick, kudos has to be given to the creator/writer/director of this series, Damien Leone. The success of this franchise goes beyond the movie itself, with all three movies being the result of crowd funding and thus, the need for a major studio was not necessary which results in an unadulterated version of the director’s vision…a bloody, disturbing, and hectic vision that the horror audiences absolutely LOVE. There is plenty to enjoy about this movie but just knowing going into this flick that there was no major studio looking over the director’s shoulder giving notes about something being too much or not enough should make any moviegoer excited in general. As a master of the entertaining macabre, the movie itself got an impressive amount of word-of-mouth support from ghouls such as myself, therefore, this movie was already very promising before I had the pleasure of checking it out.
A fun (but short) history lesson; this passion project that we know as the Terrifier series dates all the way back to 2008 through shorts and entries in horror anthology flicks. The character and style of Art the Clown started gaining some buzz and momentum from the horror community resulting in more support from crowd funding and thus, this first full featured flick that (re)introduced us into the insane world of Art the Clown premiered in 2016’s Terrifier. The world was properly introduced to a sadistic, silent figure dressed in black and white, almost like an old-timey cartoon in a way but you can tell from its sinister eyes and smile that you were in for a bloody good time.
The ultra-violent style of Art the Clown played by David Howard Thornton is a revelation in this modern world of horror. As this era of horror flicks shifted more towards the supernatural/paranormal (e.g. the Insidious, Sinister and Conjuring series), the introduction of a gore-centric slasher was both nostalgic yet still felt fresh based on stylistic gore. I love the fact that Art has no real origin story, you don’t really need one for a character like Art the Clown. Like legendary slashers before him, the less you know, the better because all you REALLY need to know that is that this thing LOVES to kill and I mean that sincerely since what makes Art the Clown unique is how creative, yet practical his kills are throughout the movie. The clown literally has a dedicated workshop where he can make weapons of mayhem and carnage and constantly carries them in a garbage bag over his shoulder like a twisted Santa Clause of some sort (ahem, foreshadowing much?).
I’m a fan of how the film is direct in its intentions for the audience from the beginning. The flick starts off with a disturbing image of the kind of carnage you can expect from the flick and cuts to the main story. You have a great lead in Jenna Kanell, who gives all sort of “final girl” vibes from the start with her snark and general edge. Art the Clown is introduced quickly as what seems to be a creepy stalker in the beginning which allows for some dark humor but quickly escalates into an all-out gore-fest with creative and ultimately, disgusting kills (take that as you will).
The film is polarizing, even amongst horror fans because not everyone will appreciate the ultra-violent style of the director. There is one scene/kill in particular that I describe to anyone who asks about the series involving Art, a victim and a chainsaw and if the person doesn’t react squeamishly to the scene in question, then I confidently tell them to move forward with checking out this movie, and series in general. To me, it’s appreciating macabre movie magic in the same way other movie geeks appreciate lighting, editing, etc. I love a good, creative kill and often try to think how they pulled it off, like seeing a magician do a really neat trick and you analyze afterwards on the secret. Regardless of how you feel about gore in general is a preference, but we must give credit to the filmmaker for finding success in having this movie be truly independent and funded from fans so that the vision of the movie can be fully realized.
I truly appreciate this movie’s intentions and pathway and am ecstatic that the fanbase and accolades have significantly increased in the following years since this first flick. This will be PART ONE of THREE reviews I shall be doing on the Terrifier series, so I’ll see you folks for PART TWO!
Life is FAR more interesting when we take interest in things that scare us.