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[Set Visit] ‘The Nun’ Star Taissa Farmiga on Entering ‘The Conjuring’ Universe Alongside Sister Vera

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When we arrived on the set of The Nun in Bucharest, Romania last summer, we were quietly ushered in as we had gotten there in the middle of a take. We sat down to watch the scene unfold, and once it finished we got some time to talk to one of the film’s stars, Taissa Farmiga about her character, Sister Irene. She started by telling us how she found out about the role.

“My manager sent me the script and the audition a few months ago – I think it was back in March – and I was actually with my sister Vera. She was in town and we were having dinner and the email popped up and I was like, ‘Oh that’s funny, an audition for The Nun, a Conjuring spinoff,’ and she thought that was hilarious,” said Farmiga. “That was on a Friday night and I had my audition on Monday…”

She must have done a good job since she’s co-starring in the movie, but even though her character exists in the same universe as her sister’s character of Lorraine Warren, we were told multiple times over the weekend visit that there was no connection what-so-ever between the two, which may come as a disappointing shock to some. However, Farmiga continued to talk about the role and why she thinks the series latched on to so many people.

“I remember Vera talking about the Conjuring movie years ago and she had such a wonderful time on it and all of a sudden, when I heard about The Nun, they told me there’s an Annabelle spinoff and this and it’s just sort of blown up,” Farmiga exclaimed. “People really love it, people really respond to that elevated horror. I think one of the things that was great about what Corin [Hardy] wanted to do with The Nun is that – a lot of people like the thrill, the scares, and the adrenaline rush – but what makes these movies so wonderful is [that] you really connect to the characters. The human emotion and grounding in these movies are set in the sort of embellished worlds, grounding it with real human emotion.”

We asked if her sister gave her any tips for working on a movie in one of the scariest franchises out there, and she actually had a pretty spooky story to tell.

“Well, I know that she [Vera Farmiga] had a little bit of a hard time sometimes. She was coming home alone at night, so one of the tips that she had given me was to leave it at work,” said Farmiga. “Leave all the stress, the heaviness, and the horror. Try to separate it from yourself. That’s part of the meditation I’ve been doing – controlling your thoughts – it’s not easy, guys, it’s really not that easy. Other than that, she said, ‘Don’t let it get to you.’ There were times when I texted her, ‘I just got home, I have to shut the lights off, I love you,’ and she’s like, ‘Okay, be safe,’ and sent me an angel emoji.”

While on set, the first thing we were taken into was the giant water tank, though once inside I’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the elaborate spiraling dungeon staircase before me and the real thing. It had a damp, mildewy smell and there was even a chill running through the air as we stepped in. Water was dripping down the walls and pooling in the center of the floor. Farmiga explained the scene to us, while also revealing that it kept her awake all night.

“We’ve been shooting – it’s been almost eight weeks now – and honestly, it was about four nights ago that I let my guard down,” Farmiga says. “I had a very terrible night’s sleep and had a hard time just even letting myself relax. It was right after we shot on this set behind us, this beautiful set you can’t see, it was filled with water, a stunt scene, an emotional and demonic scene.”

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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