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Celebrate World Tourism Day by Venturing Into Foreign Lands…and Dying!

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Today is World Tourism Day, a day meant to make people aware of the benefits of international tourism. It’s a way for people to experience other cultures and to see how other parts of the world function, broadening our horizons both literally and figuratively. Having had the good fortune to have traveled to some incredible places around the world, I can tell you firsthand just how important I believe experiences like the ones I’ve had are. They’ve shaped me to become the person I am and allowed me to appreciate things I never would’ve otherwise known.

But when it comes to traveling in cinema, it doesn’t always end well for the tourists. Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s downright deadly to venture outside your front door, much less when going to a brand new destination!

So, in the spirit of seeing the world and all the wondrous things it has to offer, let’s take a look at several horror films that prove you should respect where you are…and what you do!


An American Werewolf in London

How could I start this list and not make this the first choice? Two guys go backpacking through England only to offend some locals at a small pub. Deciding not to incur the wrath of several pissed off Brits, the pair go back into the night against the warnings of several patrons. Also not heeding the advice to stick to the road, the two aimlessly wander into the moors, where they are set upon by a werewolf. One dies, the other is bitten and so begins his transformative tale.

Moral of the story: Local superstitions might seem silly to you but they’re there for a reason. Pay heed and be respectful.


Cannibal Holocaust

A film that revolutionized the found footage genre almost two decades before The Blair Witch Project, it conveyed a similar message the that film: be very, very careful what you wish to document. Creepy with in the woods? Cannibal tribes in the Amazon? Guess what? No one wins in the end!

Moral of the story: Pick and choose your battles. If death is a possibility and you’re not willing to risk your life, don’t even try it.


Hostel

Look, I’m all for traveling the world on a whim and, perhaps more appropriately, on a lean wallet. Any chance you can take for a cheap, good deal, I say go for it! But maybe pay a bit of attention to how things begin playing out? After all, if you think something is too good to be true (such as several gorgeous women suddenly taking an interest in you out of the blue), it probably is. Stick to your group, go to the safe parts of town, and check out a museum or two.

Moral of the story: Think with the brain above your shoulders, not the one below. It’s better for everyone that way.


The Serpent and the Rainbow

Not many people mention this film when talking about the works of Wes Craven, which is a shame. I remember it being okay but highly imaginative and definitely unpleasant.

The idea here is that Bill Pullman is sent to Haiti by a pharmaceutical company to obtain large quantities of a drug used in local Voodoo rituals for potential medicinal applications. That alone should be enough of a red flag to anyone thinking this is a good idea.

“Hey Bob!”
“Yeah Jim?”
“We should piss off potential Voodoo practitioners and take their drugs for our own means!”
“I can’t think of A SINGLE THING that could go wrong with that idea!”

Moral of the story: Learn from those around you when traveling. And don’t try to steal their shit.


Chernobyl Diaries

A group of tourists think it’s smart to venture into the most irradiated place on the planet.

Moral of the story: Don’t be a fucking idiot.


Turistas

Once again, a group of backpackers run across the wrong kind of people in their travels. It all begins when the group parties it up at a beachfront bar only to have their drinks spiked, resulting in them passing out and waking up the next morning with nothing but the clothes on their backs. In this movie, it’s not only their lives that they’re in risk of losing, it’s their organs as well!

Moral of the story: Keep a close eye on your stuff. Tourists get robbed all the time, so be ever vigilant about taking care of yourself and your belongings!


The Ruins

Two couples join some people who are trying to find their missing friend. Their search leads them to a Mayan ruin where they are held hostage by local tribes who keep them at the site, refusing to let them step foot off the ancient structure. It turns out that the vines growing in and on this building are carnivorous and the locals will do anything to make sure it doesn’t spread.

Moral of the story: Spend a little time learning about the flora and fauna of the place you’re visiting. You never know what might bite!


Jaws

Alright, so this one might be a bit of a stretch because the tourists aren’t the ones who get the brunt of the attacks. Instead, it’s the residents of Amity who are put under the dark pall of a killer shark. However, it’s up to Sheriff Brody to figure out how to stop these shark attacks before the tourist season kicks in, which is why I’m going to let this one slide.

Moral of the story: Listen to local authorities and don’t disobey their commands. Oftentimes, a place is shut down for a very good reason.


JeruZalem

Two friends decide to go to Israel to soak in some fun, some sun, and just have a good time. Originally planning on going to Tel Aviv, they instead are convinced by a local to go to Jerusalem, who claims that it’s the real party city. Having been to Israel many times, I can tell you that’s a bold-faced lie. Tel Aviv is WAY better!

Getting back to the point, the women end up in Jerusalem just as the apocalypse begins and the Gates to Hell open, pouring forth demonic creatures. People start going crazy, the IDF are doing their best to contain the supernatural threats, and no one makes good decisions.

Moral of the story: Take the time to read about local history and religion. It’ll give you a great foundation when talking to people!


Hatchet

Mardi Gras! Time to drink it up, get laid, and make some bad decisions! When a couple of friends decided to take a haunted swamp tour, they realize that they’ve booked it with a guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing, resulting in the boat hitting a rock and sinking. It is there that the local legend Victor Crowley beings attacking them, killing them off one by one.

Moral of the story: Check online ratings when picking a tour. You want to be sure you’re getting a great experience!


Piranha 3D

After a small quake lets loose prehistoric piranhas, a small party town is beset upon by these carnivorous aquatic monstrosities, whose appetites are seemingly insatiable!

Moral of the story: Always wait 30 minutes after eating or drinking before swimming!

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.

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.

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