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M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ is a Smash Hit; Let’s Talk About it!

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Writer/director/producer M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN returns to the captivating grip of ”The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and ”Signs” with ”Split,” an original film that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s (JAMES MCAVOY) fractured, gifted mind.

I don’t report on the box office very often anymore simply because it’s not only irrelevant to us, but it’s often misreported. And because a film’s success or failure is tough to gauge based on public information, its impact on future films is also hard to assess. Nit-picking a smaller movie’s small box office “take” is like kicking a dog that we aren’t really sure is down, which is why it’s way more fun to report on one’s monstrous success.

M. Night Shyamalan was once considered frontrunner to become the next Spielberg. The Sixth Sense set the bar so high that he’s never been able to reach it again, and honestly was never even close. Since the 1999 blockbuster, which is one of the biggest genre box office hits of all time, Shyamalan has floundered…and although you’ll find a lot of people who love Unbreakable, Signs or even The Village, I’d be hard pressed to find supporters of Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and even After Earth.

It took 15 years for Shyamalan to lower his own bar, and for audiences to stop expecting him to out-twist them. Instead, on the heels of the 2010 Devil (which he produced), the director appears to be more focused on just telling an engaging story. I am a huge, huge, huge fan of the first season of “Wayward Pines” and thought The Visit was a solid horror flick, held back by the found-footage approach that many of us are tired of. This weekend’s Split is really the first time he’s directed something mainstream for us genre fans since 2008’s The Happening, allowing almost a decade of healing between films. It’s been so long, really, that younger audiences don’t even know who Shyamalan is. There’s no expectations anymore, which is allowing him to focus on one thing and one thing only: making a good movie. Sure, he’s still trying to force a twist into his product, but I don’t think general audiences care anymore, which is allowing him to fly again.

[Fantastic Fest Review] James McAvoy is the Reason to See M. Night Shyamalan’s Split

Split is proof. Being back in Chicago allows me to really vibe a film’s awareness. I can tell if a movie is going to break through simply by how many people are talking about it. Everyone was talking Split, and surprisingly I never once heard anyone mention Shyamalan or “twists”. It just looked fun, engaging and interesting, which is something a lot of us needed this past weekend.  People showed up, in troves, propelling Shyamalan back to stardom. I can only hope that this time he puts his mistakes of past behind him and gets behind a project that meets his expectations, not ours….

With that said, it’s being reported that Split is estimated to take in $40 million this weekend on a $10 million budget. Since nobody else breaks it down, here’s the best guess: $10 million budget, minimum of $10 million marketing, with a 50/50 split (no pun intended) with the box office puts Split at break even after just one weekend. The full domestic life of Split, assuming there’s no surprise boost (word of mouth should be strong) or drop, could land it over $100 million, putting it well into the profit range. This doesn’t even include international numbers, which I couldn’t even pretend to guesstimate.

This is a huge win for horror because this success isn’t based on twists, Shyamalan’s name or expectations, but knowing that people will show up to see a movie that’s being supported by the press, and that just “looks good”. While it did cost $10m and star James McAvoy, Split does give hope to independent filmmakers that their little film could be the next to break out, would a studio give it a chance. What a wonderful way to kick off 2017…

Writer/director/producer M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN returns to the captivating grip of ”The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and ”Signs” with ”Split,” an original film that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s (James McAvoy) fractured, gifted mind.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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.

LEPRECHAUN

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.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

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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