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‘Frostbiter’ – The Micro-Budget Vinegar Syndrome Release You Just Might Fall in Love With

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Stop motion. Full body make-ups. Puppets. Matte paintings. Miniatures. Opticals. These gloriously retro effects and more can be found in the regional B-movie jam, Tom Chaney’s Frostbiter: The Wrath of the Wendigo.

Shot over a handful of years in Michigan in the mid-to-late 80s, Frostbiter is another DIY charmer that sees its lineage traced back to Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. Whereas most of the prominent Evil Dead riffs largely reference and pay homage to the original film, Frostbiter takes its cues from Evil Dead 2 (the films even share an editor – Kaye Davis). It’s a zany, comedic little film that wears its influences on its sleeve and wants nothing more than to deliver a good time.

A good time, I’m happy to report, that it very much manages to deliver.

If the title doesn’t give it away, the film is about the legendary Wendigo unleashing its brand of supernatural torments on a group of unsuspecting hunters taking a holiday in a remote cabin. One of the hunters, douchebag supreme Gary (played by, of all people, guitarist for The Stooges, Ron Asheton) accidentally shoots the Guardian keeping the Wendigo at bay, unleashing the beast to wreak havoc once again. Can the hapless hunters survive the torrent of tortures the Wendigo throws at them? Or will it be up to Sandy, an unsuspecting young woman called to take up the mantle of Guardian, to put the evil back in its place?

Seasoned horror fiends know the drill. We love unearthing rarely watched treasures of horror past. Micro budget, regional curios are a fantastic rabbit hole to dive down if you’re so inclined. Sadly, the harsh reality is that sometimes these curios can be a bit rough to sit through despite their no-budget ambition and gumption.

This is not the case with Frostbiter. You never have to wait long for the next fun set piece to arrive. Handcrafted horror films like this rarely deliver the goods so consistently. The film is so fun, Troma themselves committed to distributing it on VHS in the mid 90s with only one change: the title of the movie.

The film wasn’t originally called Frostbiter, but simply Wendigo. Troma felt the new title had more, well, bite. I have to say, I agree with Troma here. The Frostbiter title compliments the vibe of the movie far better than the basic “Wendigo” moniker.

Frostbiter is a true labor of love from all involved, and a standout testament to the go get ‘em spirit renegade filmmaking embodies. The horror genre is the perfect home for these guerilla filmmakers and it’s always a treat to discover one of these films for the first time. They invariably seem to come around at just the right moment; when you think you’ve seen it all and you want something to give you a jolt of glee for the genre.

Frostbiter isn’t without its warts, of course. The soundtrack is nearly wall-to-wall music ranging from heavy metal to twangy country and to comedic rock n’ roll. The sound mix can be a bit much and may irk some viewers, but for others the music will become a character on its own.

While the pacing is mostly jaunty and quick, added footage in the form of a local newscast was shot to fill out the runtime—and it shows. Thankfully these scenes aren’t very long and only interrupt the flow of the film twice.

There is only so much to say about a film like Frostbiter before it just becomes describing all the fun that happens on screen. If these kinds of films are up your alley, then you’re already looking to give it a watch as soon as possible. Thankfully, boutique Blu-ray label Vinegar Syndrome recently released the film, and as usual, the transfer and restoration is above and beyond.

If you’re looking for the next great “Beer and Pizza” horror flick to kick back and have a good time with, give Frostbiter a shot.

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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