Editorials
A Thank You Letter to Ridley Scott, On His Birthday
Dear Ridley Scott,
Back in 1979, you turned a script by Dan O’Bannon and a creature designed by H.R. Giger into what is easily the best sci-fi horror film of all time. But you already know this. Fans have been praising and thanking you for Alien for the past 37 years, and though I’m sure you’ll never tire of hearing such praise, I’m not writing this letter to wax poetic about Alien. I’m writing this letter to thank you not simply for making Alien, but more importantly, for never leaving Alien behind.
In the wake of Alien, your career took off and you became one of the hottest directors in Hollywood thanks to films like Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and most recently, The Martian. But something pretty awesome happened back in 2012. Something I certainly didn’t see coming.
Immediately after working with Denzel Washington on American Gangster, Leonardo DiCaprio on Body of Lies, and Russell Crowe on Robin Hood, you decided to go back to your roots. Instead of gunning for another Oscar nomination, you decided to revisit the Alien franchise with Prometheus: a prequel to the long-running series you launched decades prior and a pretty damn awesome sci-fi film entirely on its own.
Prometheus was nothing short of a huge gift to us Alien fans, both because it brought you back into the franchise and also because it expanded on the mythology we’ll never stop being fascinated with. At the time of its release, many fans said some pretty negative things about the movie, and I’m sorry for that. That’s just the way fans are these days. And I’ve got a good feeling that in the rear-view, Prometheus will become as respected and beloved as it by all means should be. Because it’s an incredible movie, and your return to that world was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced inside a movie theater.
When that Xenomorph was born at the end of the film, I might have cried a little bit.
After Prometheus, you went on to direct The Martian, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. You could’ve done anything you wanted after that, and what did you decide to do? Once again, you decided to return to the Alien franchise. You decided you’d make a sequel to Prometheus, but this time firmly connect it to the original Alien in a way that Prometheus only played around with. Why? Because, I have to believe, that’s what you knew we wanted.
And it’s what you wanted too, because you’re clearly as big of a fan of that universe as we are.
As I sit here writing this letter, I’m eagerly anticipating next year’s release of Alien: Covenant – and I’m super excited that it’s now headed our way in May, rather than August. There’s no other movie coming out next year that I’m more excited to see, and I’ve got a strong feeling that when one of those Xenomorphs pops up on screen – as the teaser poster suggested they will – I will once again find myself wiping away tears of joy. And I will again find myself feeling incredibly thankful that you never forgot about the Alien franchise, nor did you ever forget about us Alien fans.
At 79 years old, you’re still playing with Xenomorphs. And we all love you for that.
Editorials
‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel
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.
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.
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.
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