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[Set Visit] ‘The Nun’ Star Demián Bichir Opens Up His Demon-Hunting Kit for Us

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When we visited the set of the upcoming Corin Hardy-directed The Nun in Bucharest, Romania last summer, the film was just about to wrap up. Demián Bichir (Alien: Covenant) sat down to talk to us while he took a break between takes of a scene set towards the middle of the film when his character, Father Burke and Taissa Farmiga‘s character, Sister Irene, are just about to enter the abbey where the Nun resides.

“This scene right here, when we arrived to the actual cloister, we had contacted the Abbott and told her what we need and why we are here. She had asked us to come back the morning after if we wanted to talk to the Sister and the rest of the nuns so we can find out what happened and inquire about the recent death of the nun,” Bichir said. “So the only way in to this cloister is through a woman and it has to be a nun, and that’s why we recruited Sister Irene, the wonderful Taissa [Farmiga]. So she’s going in and that’s almost like saying goodbye to your kid the first day of school. It’s really… you just worry about her and you don’t really know what’s going to happen, so that’s what’s happening now.”

We actually got to watch a few takes of the scene from different angles, and it did seem like Father Burke was more than a little apprehensive about splitting up with Sister Irene. He’s been at this a long time, and he knows how dangerous it can be. Bichir went on to talk about the motivations for Father Burke.

“My own demons, my own private, personal demons from my own past experiences as a demon hunter, as a miracle hunter,” Bichir added. “I’ve dealt with demons before and that marks you, whether you are a priest or any other type of human being. I think that’s one of the things I love about the story, it relates to all of us very easily. We all carry those demons in many different ways and some of us choose to deal with them and face them and some of us just put it in a drawer in your heart or mind and that’s probably not a good idea because they will hunt you down later on. Father Burke carries those particular burdens so it’s not an easy life for him, but it’s the life he’s been called for – he accepted it from day one and he knows that’s pretty much his mission on this planet. He will probably die fighting demons.”

I really liked how much Bichir seemed to understand his character. Let’s be real here, having personal, deep characters isn’t an aspect that a lot of horror movies focus on. However, if you’ve seen Corin Hardy’s other feature film, The Hollow, it makes sense why the talent in The Nun had to put in a little extra legwork to learn as much about the characters they’d be playing as possible. As Birchir continued, he likened Father Burke to a soldier with a demon hunting toolkit. He then went on to explain some of the tools he would bring to the demonic battlefield.

“When you sign up to be a soldier of Christ you become that, a soldier,” Bichir said.

“In any military type of environment you need to be well trained, you need to know what your tools are, but I think the most important thing for any soldier is to understand that your life is not yours anymore and that you will die sooner than later, right? Once you understand that you become braver and more courageous and fearless because you know that the worst thing that could happen to any human being, which is dying – it’s okay with you, you’re okay with that. So you become a stronger type of soldier and in order to fight demons I have my own tools, my own AK-47 would be my holy water, to begin with, that’s obviously powerful in any special occasions. My own crucifix, I have a couple that are my favorite, like any cowboy or soldier, I have my own favorite weapons and that’s all you need; holy kit and holy books, that’s all you need to save the world one demon at a time.”

The Nun releases September 7, 2018.

Jimmy Champane is a horror YouTuber who loves Halloween. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @jimmychampane.

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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