After the success of “Joker”, which exceeded all expectations, the budget for the sequel “Joker 2: Folie À Deux” was almost quadrupled – from 55 to 200 million rumored dollars. It was very similar to the “Terrifier” series, but at a level that was a factor of 100 lower: Here, instead of $500,000 as in “Terrifier 2,” suddenly Damien Leone had to pay two million dollars for “Terrible 3” available. The two psychological clown films were released exactly one week apart in the US – and nobody on the planet would have predicted that they would perform nearly identically at the North American box office .But at second glance, the result makes perfect sense:
Todd Phillips gives his fans the middle finger with “Joker 2,” and they stay home. On the other hand, Damien Leone delivers everything gorehounds could imagine in their wildest blood-soaked dreams in the first 15 minutes of “Terrifier 3” – and then it goes one better! So it’s no surprise that fans of the genre are flocking to the cinemas in droves. Especially since this time the demonic killer is wearing a Santa Claus costume and is often welcomed in holiday horror movies. There was definitely a certain courage multiplier test and FOMO factor as well, because after a very short time nobody was talking about Arthur Fleck and his music numbers anymore, but almost everyone was talking about Art the Clown and his their overkill sadistic splatter part.
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Who would have thought: Arthur the Cloak (David Howard Thornton) is a great Christmas poet in “Terrifier 3”!
In the mid-credits scene of “Terrifier 2” we saw how the dismemberment is complete and now with the news anchor little pale girl Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) reincarnates the severed head of Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) in a mental institution. yes. And really: although Last Girl After Sienna (Lauren LaVera) banished him with her magical sword, the demonic killer clown is back five years later to kill his way through the neighborhood just in time for Christmas. His target remains the same: the deeply traumatized Sienna, who has just been released from psychotherapy and is now staying with her cousin Gabbie’s (Antonella Rose) family…
Damien Leone in “Terrifier 3” starts like an impatient child who can’t wait until Christmas Day and therefore rips all the presents the night before: After less than five minutes, Arthur enters a bedroom someone in a Santa Claus costume. , for example, a ten-year-old boy to dismantle it with an ax using every trick in the book. Meanwhile, the camera stubbornly focuses on the frightened face of his younger sister, who has to listen to the smacking banging sounds outside on the stairs. But no one needs to worry that Damien Leone won’t be able to do it anymore. We see in detail the body parts scattered around the children’s room, and when the parents are immediately murdered, no one turns away when arms, legs or heads are broken or cut off.
Better to bring your own vomit bag
How are you supposed to top this startup, complete with shredded elementary school students? The answer is: not at all! If you made it through the first 15 minutes without throwing up, you’ll probably be able to get through the rest until the end credits. In between there are always scenes with Sienna and her new family to take a breather: although Lauren LaVera (“The Well”) continues to be amazing Last Girl it’s much longer in the trauma redundancy talk with her brother Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), who now lives on the college campus.
You can simply feel that the master of “Terrifier” Damien Leone prefers to sit in his dark basement to work as gore gourmet on new, realistic splatter effects – and in this regard there are some significant innovations even this time: smashed heads limbs look that completely different if they have been previously treated with liquid nitrogen. Not surprisingly, even splatter maestro Tom Savini, the legendary make-up artist for “Dawn Of The Dead”, among others, stops by for a brief cameo appearance to pay tribute to his unofficial successor Damien Leone.
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Art’s version of Santa Claus is likely to boost Halloween costume sales…
If you sit in the cinema with the right audience, when Ghostface, Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees are preparing for the next victim, it can easily happen that the iconic murderers are being distanced from the darkness of the hall. But that’s not really the case with the “Terrifier” movies. Although Art the Clown has come a long way since Halloween thanks to David Howard Thornton’s disturbing performance in the silent film, Damien Leone often takes the violent excesses so far that they are no longer fun. – but they are honestly disturbing.
Even with true-crime anchor Mia (Alexa Blair Robertson), whose death you’d almost applaud otherwise, Arthur lets the chainsaw slide further down when the usual “fun” of the genre is really over. But is this transgressive art? Are these the images needed to wake us up in the time of war in Ukraine and the Re’im supermarket?
In any case, the days of the much more subtle metaphors from the Vietnam War in “Night of the Living Dead” or the hidden aloft symbolism in the final scene of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” are over: in “Terrifier 3” Victoria masturbates at the sight of The victim is scalped by a clown with a glass pin, and with that the blood – probably from excitement – rains down on the floor between her legs. Later, one of the victims enters anally with a chainsaw. subtlety? Puppy cake! So don’t say we didn’t warn you…
Conclusion: Christmas is coming two months early this year – at least for gorehounds! In his third hit, Art the Clown delivers with such ruthlessness that even seasoned horror moviegoers are repeatedly thrown out of their comfort zone. In the scenes without the clown killer, however, one or two lengths creep in.
Interview: Time.news on the Success of “Terrifier 3” with Horror Film Expert Dr. Anna Graves
Time.news Editor: Welcome, Dr. Anna Graves, horror film expert and author of Scream and Shout: The Modern Horror Movement. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the recent unexpected success of Terrifier 3 at the box office.
Dr. Anna Graves: Thank you for having me! It’s a pleasure to be here, especially to talk about such a thrilling genre.
Time.news Editor: Let’s dive right in. Following the monumental success of Joker, which had a budget leap from $55 million to $200 million for the sequel, how do you think this compares to the Terrifier franchise, which operates on a significantly smaller budget?
Dr. Anna Graves: It’s fascinating, isn’t it? While Joker 2 had a gargantuan budget aiming for a blockbuster appeal, Terrifier 3 exemplifies how grassroots horror can captivate audiences. The cost of creating Terrifier 3 increased to $2 million — still minimal compared to mainstream blockbusters, yet it’s a strategic investment given its target audience of gore enthusiasts.
Time.news Editor: Exactly. It’s amazing how both films were released just a week apart and managed to perform almost identically at the box office. What do you believe drove fans to choose Terrifier 3 over Joker 2?
Dr. Anna Graves: There’s undoubtedly a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) factor, particularly among horror fans. While Joker 2 offered musical numbers and a complex character study, Terrifier 3 embraced pure chaos and gore right from the start. People are drawn to the visceral experience — the thrill of shared shock in a packed theater, and Terrifier delivers that spectacularly.
Time.news Editor: Speaking of visceral experiences, audiences have been particularly vocal about the intense opening scenes of Terrifier 3. How important are those initial moments in a horror film?
Dr. Anna Graves: They’re crucial! The first 15 minutes of Terrifier 3 set the tone for the entire film. By presenting viewers with extreme horror immediately, the movie establishes its identity as unapologetic and bold. It invites the audience to either buckle up or exit early.
Time.news Editor: We also see a clever twist in the Terrifier series with Art the Clown adopting a Santa Claus persona. As we know, holiday horror has its own sub-genre. What does this addition bring to the film?
Dr. Anna Graves: Transforming Art into a twisted version of Santa Claus is a masterstroke. It not only plays on familiar tropes of holiday cheer but subverts expectations entirely. This juxtaposition heightens the horror, tapping into a deep-seated fear of something innocent, like Santa, becoming a vehicle for terror. It’s a reminder of how horror can thrive in unexpected settings.
Time.news Editor: Your insights are incredibly sharp! Beyond the screenplay and direction by Damien Leone, what do you think contributes to the success of Terrifier 3, particularly regarding the practical effects?
Dr. Anna Graves: Practical effects have always been a hallmark of successful horror films, and Leone’s commitment to them is commendable. Audiences appreciate the tangible gore and realistic splatter effects; it makes the horror feel authentic. Plus, Leone’s innovation, like using liquid nitrogen for certain effects, showcases his dedication to realism that fans recognize and respect.
Time.news Editor: Horror audiences can be quite vocal about their preferences. In your view, what does the success of Terrifier 3 signal for the future of horror cinema?
Dr. Anna Graves: It signals a renaissance of sorts for the genre. It’s a testament that original, bold choices can triumph even amongst mega-budget blockbusters. Audiences crave authenticity, shock, and unique narratives. If filmmakers continue to listen to what fans want — be it extreme gore or innovative storytelling — we could see a resurgence of diverse horror films on the big screen.
Time.news Editor: Thank you, Dr. Graves, for your engaging insights! It’s exciting to think about the future of horror cinema as we keep watching these films unfold on the big screen.
Dr. Anna Graves: Thank you! I’m excited to see how audiences continue to respond to this thrilling genre.
Time.news Editor: And with that, we conclude our talk. Here’s to more thrilling cinematic experiences to come!