Connect with us

Editorials

Dear Filmmakers: Subvert A Genre All You Want, But You Have To Respect It First.

Published

on

Black Rock

A little while ago I tossed up an article about the sale of Black Rock at Sundance. In fact, it should be the piece right below this one.

Right after doing so I saw that Devin Faraci, one of my favorite critics, had already filed his review of the film over at Badass Digest so I headed over there to check it out. You can do the same by clicking here.

Now I’m gonna state in bold letters that I have not seen Black Rock. For all I know it could become my favorite movie of 2012. I don’t always agree with Devin (maybe 70% of the time), but he’s one of a handful of about 5 or 6 critics whose reviews are my “go-tos” when I’m deciding what films to spend my time or money on as a consumer (I don’t always see everything for free, especially non-horror stuff). Whether or not I ultimately agree with his take on something, he’s got a knack for thoroughly explaining the reasoning behind his reactions that’s in a language I can relate to.

So I was surprised to come across a couple lines in his piece on Black Rock that echoed something that’s been on my mind for sometime in regard to genre and people who think they’re slumming in it.

Hit the jump to see what I’m talking about. From his review, “I rarely take such things into consideration, but at the Q&A after the movie Aselton said the script was written in 18 hours. I’m surprised it took them that long. There’s something so contemptuous about this movie – such a sense of ‘We can do one of those, no problem, no effort’ – that I find myself going from disliking ‘Black Rock’ to actually hating it. ‘Black Rock’ plays like a movie made by people who have never seen stalk and kill horror films; it’s easy to believe that Aselton and Duplass thought they were doing something unique with the genre by having the girls fight back, but this has been happening in the genre for decades now.

Again – I have not seen the film. And until I do so, I can’t speak to whether or not I personally feel this sentiment applies to it.

But I do feel it’s applicable to more and more genre efforts these days. In the case of horror, it sometimes seems that studios and indie filmmakers alike think of it as a way to just get something made. A product. After all, horror’s often cheap(ish) to make. And there’s a built in audience – you. And a lot of people don’t think you’re as smart as you actually are.

At least half the horror movies I see are made with an utter disdain for the genre and its audience.

It’s often assumed that it requires almost no effort to craft a horror film that will satisfy its audience. I find it especially strange that people who are successful in other genres of filmmaking could somehow believe that making a good horror film is somehow less difficult. As filmmakers in the trenches they have to know by now that making a good film – of any kind – will always require, thought, consideration, sleepless nights and thousands upon thousands of hours of hard work.

Ironically, I think it’s these exact people who have the skill set required to make the very best horror films. While horror is one of my favorite genres, I don’t think it’s possible to make a truly great horror film without embracing a ton of other styles of film and filmmaking as well.

If Alexander Payne were to followup The Descendants with a slasher film I would hope that he’d put as much consideration into the characters he’s slaughtering as he did the King family in that film. If Diablo Cody ever returns to horror (Evil Dead polish aside) after hitting a new creative peak with Young Adult I’d want her to imbue her new protagonist with just as much inner turmoil as she did Mavis Gary. While the genre often dictates that just as much screen time is devoted to kills as it is to character – neither should be skimmed on in terms of effort and imagination.

And that’s not even speaking to the technical/editorial side of things, which I don’t have time to get into right now (and which it sounds like Black Rock bungles as well).

It all boils down to this – anybody working on any film should be always pushing themselves to the best of their abilities and beyond*. It doesn’t always mean the film will be great, but it’s kind of the nature of the game. And it’s part of the nature of paying respect to those paying to see your film.

*As an admitted fan of Friday The 13th: Part 2 I feel somewhat hypocritical saying this. As with anything, there are no absolutes, and I must admit that some films I do like don’t exactly qualify as “pushing the envelope” material.

Some of my favorite horror films (admittedly a muddled mix off the top of my head) where I can feel the filmmakers pushing themselves are: Halloween, The Thing, Friday The 13th: Part 6, An American Werewolf In London, The Shining, Scream, Kill List, Shaun Of The Dead, Seven, You’re Next, Let The Right One In, Psycho, and, of course, Jaws.*

How about you? What are your favorite horror movies that make you taste the filmmakers’ blood, sweat and tears?

*EDIT – perhaps I should clarify that list and clear up some confusion. I don’t mean that all of those films are of equally quality, or are all classics. It’s just that I love them all. I know JASON LIVES is not as good as JAWS.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

Published

on

leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

Continue Reading