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In Defense Of ‘Sorority Row’

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Sorority Row

A common complaint about this series of editorials is that we are apparently defending movies that don’t need a defense. I would just like to point out that we are writing these “In Defense Of” pieces not because we think they are bad movies, but because we really enjoy them and have had personal experience with people bashing them to our faces (or in the comments section of a message board). So today I will defend Sorority Row, a movie that is not beloved by even those of us in the horror community. It received a slightly above-average review right here on Bloody-Disgusting but it currently stands at a paltry 22% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 24 score on Metacritic. And I love it. So let’s dive right in, shall we?

Sorority Row has a pretty generic plot that has been use several times before (think I Know What You Did Last Summer), but the plot isn’t really the point of the film. This is a funny, bitchy and gory film that exists solely to entertain and I would argue is better than about 80% of the slashers that have come out in the past decade. I know the whole “it’s not trying to be good” is kind of a lame defense but hear me out: if you think of this movie as a cross between Mean Girls and Scream I think you might be able to see it in a different light and really enjoy it. I believe Sorority Row suffers from the same issue that Drag Me to Hell suffered from upon its release earlier that year: being marketed with a trailer that made it look like a legitimate horror film. Also, The Hills alum Audrina Partridge was in it (although she dies about 15 minutes into the film).

I really love the trailer, but it definitely makes it look like more of a straightforward slasher than it actually is. Like I mentioned in my defense of Drag Me to HellSorority Row is a horror comedy that was marketed as a scary movie. Studios need to learn that you cannot do that because, while the horror fans may get it (though clearly they didn’t make it to the theater for this one), the mainstream does not. At least DMTH made some money. Sorority Row only made $11.96 million domestically on a $12.5 million budget (international box office was $15.24 million which is something, I guess).

I only happened to catch Sorority Row in theaters because I got free tickets for it. I took two of my friends and we pretty much all went in with zero expectations. Once the credits started rolling I looked at one of my friends and asked him if he thought it was as much fun as I did. His response was a very reluctant (but equally enthusiastic) “YES. But no one is going to believe me.” True story. The film never caught on and it has yet to become a cult hit (and I don’t think it will).

The cast is mostly great, thanks to all of the female actresses involved (they certainly look the part of sorority girls). The male characters in the film are reduced to horny douchebags but the girls all have their own distinct personalities (or stereotypes if you want to go negative) and none of them got on my nerves (except maybe Rumer Willis’ Ellie, but at least the movie makes fun of her constant whining). I get that self-aware films are not to everyone’s taste but I think it’s better when a movie can take the criticisms that an audience member would throw at it and lampoon them. Sorority Row does just that.

Leah Pipes is a revelation in Sorority Row and I’m kind of bummed she hasn’t gotten more steady work. She channels her inner Heather Chandler/Regina George to play  Jessica and delivers most of the film’s acidic one-liners. My personal favorite being this exchange when her and Cassidy (Briana Evigan) are hiding in a bathroom only to find Megan’s (Audrina Partridge) rotting corpse in the shower:

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Cassidy: Oh my God it’s Megan!
Jessica: Oh she looks terrible…

That doesn’t really do the scene justice but I busted out laughing the first time I saw that. The dialogue is fantastic in this movie and there are SO MANY biting quips that I don’t know how anyone is not entertained by it. Then again, that may be part of the reason why people weren’t such huge fans. I actually thought the dialogue was really witty and clever, but maybe I’m just easy to please.

One thing I would like to suggest all of you do (if you like the movie) is watch the commentary with director Stewart Hendler and actresses Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis and Margo Harshman (Jamie Chung was unable to attend because she was filming Grown Ups, of all things). It’s very conversational and shows that the crew had a good time working on it. I just think it’s refreshing to see the actresses be so down to earth and really into the film.

***SPOILERS***

Oh and the KILLS! One thing that I’ve found in a lot of post-2000 slashers are that the deaths aren’t really that creative (excluding the Final Destination series, of course). While the deaths in Sorority Row aren’t the best ever, they at least show some imagination. Also, since it’s R-rated, they can actually show some gore (though the film isn’t really what I’d call super gory). Sadly, the film does peak early with Chugs’ death, involving a Riesling bottle being shoved down her throat. It’s shame this moment was ruined in the trailer (and that Chugs was the funniest character in the film). That aside, there are flares in mouths, axes in heads and tire irons blades in mouths and shoved up chins. They didn’t hold back on this one.

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As for the ending, I can honestly say that I did not see the reveal of the killer coming. The entire time I was in the theater I thought it was going to be Kyle, Jessica’s politically-motivated boyfriend who had clearly been set up to be the killer. Looking back, this was obviously a red herring, but because I went into Sorority Row thinking that it was going to be another dumb slasher I thought that was all the ambition the filmmakers had so they were just going to take the obvious route. They even have a whole bit at the end with Kyle actually having a mental breakdown and chasing Jessica and Cassidy with an ax. When Cassidy’s boyfriend Andy “saves the day” and kills Kyle with said ax, I was really let down and kind of bummed that that was the big reveal I had spent the whole movie waiting for. Then BAM! Andy’s actually the killer and his motive is that he wants to get rid of all the people involved in Megan’s murder so she can have a bright future with him.

It is completely ridiculous makes no sense but I think it’s fantastic. It’s not the best motive or reveal ever but I think that because I was really expecting something predictable, I had the rug pulled out from under me. I read a lot of reviews and comments saying that the movie was predictable and I just didn’t feel that way. But maybe it’s just me? I hope you don’t think I’m a fool for falling for Sorority Row’s trick, but I confess to being taken completely off guard.

So what say you? If you have seen the Sorority Row but weren’t that impressed, feel free to tell me why. And if you saw it and were as surprised as I was at how much fun it was, feel free to offer me some validation in the comments. Let’s try to be nice and avoid any rudeness or sarcasm though, because:

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A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Editorials

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

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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.

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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.

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