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[Editorial] Why Are We So Against Romance In Horror?

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Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds… true love?” – Count Dracula (Bram Stoker’s Dracula 1992)

There was a time in horror when romance was an integral part of the story, where love and the actions that characters would take for it were what moved the plot forward. Films such as the aforementioned Bram Stoker’s Dracula spring to mind as do many of the classical Universal monster films, Cronenberg’s The Fly, Carpenter’s Big Trouble In Little China, and countless more.

With tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, I thought that I would share my thoughts on the topic of romance in horror and why it seems to have faded.

If we look at some of the great horror films for examples, we can see that many of them used romance as the foundation for the story.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula – The moment that Count Dracula sees the picture of Mina that Jonathan Harker carries with him, she becomes his ultimate mission. She is a physical copy of his beloved Elisabeta, his wife who committed suicide after false reports said that he had died in battle. Everything from this point on in the film centers on his belief that she is the reincarnation of his wife.

The Fly – What begins as a story of a journalist shadowing a scientist on what might be the most important invention of modern science turns into the story of two people falling in love. However, as with most films of this nature, something gets in the way and it just so happens to be the fact that Dr. Seth Brundle is turning into a giant fly. Still, throughout the entire transformation as his body literally falls apart and mutates, one things remains unchanged: his love for Veronica Quaife. And in the end as he lays on the ground, an aberration of nature, it is by her hand that he begs for release. Weeping, she grants him his final wish.

Big Trouble In Little China – I can already hear many of you scoffing and picking at this selection. Is it horror? Is it a love story? Let me clear the air by saying that this IS a horror film just as it is a comedy, action, romance, martial arts, fantasy film that is easily one of my favorite films of all time.
But coming at this from the prospective of horror and romance, let’s take into account the depths that both Jack Burton and Wang Chi for their personal romantic interests. Chi, from the beginning of the film, is infatuated with Miao Yin, the woman for whom he has saved every penny for years. Her being kidnapped in front of Chi and Burton is the impetus for the story. Chi’s only mission now is to do whatever it takes to get back Yin, even if it means going through the Hell Of The Upside Down Sinners, facing The Three Storms, and even entering the lair of Lo Pan.
Meanwhile, Burton has TWO love interests in this film: his truck (which is stolen by Wing Kong) and Gracie Law. In the end, the truck wins over Law, but Burton sure does have to go through a hell of a lot to get both of them. But as Jack Burton always says, “It’s all in the reflexes.”

And let’s not forget about the fantastic Shaun Of The Dead, the romantic comedy with zombies in it. The entire purpose of this movie is to show a “Guy who will do anything to show his love for the woman of his dreams,” and it just so happens to be during a zombie apocalypse.

What these movies have is a protagonist (or multiple protagonists) who makes it very clear that love will drive them to do anything, which is honestly somewhat terrifying if you think about it. Throughout literature, cinema, and even history, people have done insane things for love.

But somewhere along the lines, horror lost the element of romance. Instead, vengeance, family, or self-preservation became the focus. If we look at some of the most popular films of the past several years, we see that romance is not what drives the film.

For example, Scream is about a boy whose family disintegrated because of his father’s indiscretions. His vengeance upon Sydney and her family result from his own pain. Saw is about a man frustrated that people do not appreciate the value of the life they have. Cabin In The Woods is simply about saving the human race at the cost of a few souls.

Now, I’m not saying that the mixture of horror and romance isn’t a big box office draw. Just look at the Twilight saga or Warm Bodies, the former of which has drawn in over $3.3 billion dollars in worldwide box office while the latter surprised the industry by coming in number one on opening weekend with $19.5 million.

There is obviously a connection between the ideas of romance and horror but I would be completely wrong if I were to say that the audiences were the same. After all, the standard Twilight fan wouldn’t know the original A Nightmare On Elm St. if Freddy came into their dream and slaughtered them mercilessly.

I can’t say what it was that made love and romance in a horror film so repugnant and vile. Was it simply a fad, much like many of the other fads that horror goes through (such as the current found footage craze we’re in or the “torture porn” era)? Or is it something else, something deeper? Have our ideas of romance changed so dramatically in the 100 years of popular storytelling that film has given us?

If so, that’s a damn shame. Because just like how a person would do anything to save their family (such as in The Hills Have Eyes), the things a person would do for love are just as intense and visceral. After all, remember High Tension?

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

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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