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5 Great Portrayals of the Devil in Horror!

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When it comes to horror villains, there are none that are as all-powerful or as epic as the Devil. Sorry Jason, even you went to Hell. Sorry Freddy, but you got your powers from “dream demons“. No baddie really has the pomp and circumstance that good ol’ Lucifer has. After all, when you’re the villain of a religion that boasts over two billion members, you’ve gone from being a cultural icon to one of the most recognized villains in history. Pretty much no matter where you go, people will know who Satan is, if not by name than by concept.

With such a towering entity of evil, it’s no surprise that the horror genre has used the Devil as a character in several films over the years. Obviously, it’s hard to get something like that right but there have been a few instances where the portrayal was something incredible and memorable.

So, let’s go ahead and take a look at some portrayals of actors who brought the baddest of the bad to the silver screen!

Peter Stormare – Constantine

Many consider this to be the best portrayal in movie history. I absolutely wouldn’t go that far but I will say that it’s a damn good one or else I wouldn’t have put it on this list! Stormare may have looked human but there was a strange serpent-like quality about his speech and mannerisms. He plays the role with glee and obviously relishes every moment he has onscreen. After all, if you’re gonna be Lucifer, may as well have fun being bad!


Robert De Niro – Angel Heart

I feel like horror and film noir are two genres that haven’t crossed paths enough times. There’s something delightful about watching a detective movie that feels dour. Plus, horror films are often rather pessimistic, so combining the two seems like a win-win situation. Can you imagine more movies like Lord of Illusions? I’d be 100% into that!

Anyways, Robert De Niro plays Louis Cyphre (Lou Cyphre -> Lucifer), a mysterious man who hires private investigator Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) to investigate the disappearance of a singer by the name of Johnny Favorite. The investigation takes Angel to New Orleans, where a string of murders begin happening and Angel finds himself caught in the middle.

De Niro is 100% classy here. Impeccably dressed and almost aristocratic in appearance, he brings an elegance to the role while still emitting waves of malevolence. It’s a masterful performance.


Al Pacino – The Devil’s Advocate

I feel like someone was watching “Law & Order” and suddenly said, “What if I wrote that but with Satan as the bad guy?” Not that I’m complaining about this film as I think it’s a lot of fun but I was always curious how it came to be.

Pacino is, as always, an absolute delight to watch. It feels like he’s madly in love with playing such a villain and he can’t contain himself. Every moment he’s on the screen is lifted by his exuberance and it makes for one of the most charismatic portrayals of the Devil cinema has ever seen.


Viggo Mortensen – The Prophecy

While this movie, in my opinion, really hasn’t aged all that well, there’s no denying that the brief cameo from Viggo Mortensen is the highlight of the film. He plays the role a bit more subtly than others on this list. Yes, he roars at that weird sycophant by his side but that’s about as far as he goes in his first appearance. Never raising his voice, he knows his presence alone is all it takes to ensure everyone’s attention is set solely on him.


Emmanuelle Seigner – The Ninth Gate

If you thought Satan could only be portrayed by a man, think again. Seigner’s approach to this role is to use seduction, manipulation, and her wiles to get what she wants. It probably helps that her role is kept as mysterious as possible, which only adds to the big reveal. While it’s easy to think of her as a guardian angel for Corso, she’s in reality the means by which the ritual will take place.

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.

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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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