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Looking Back at the Unofficial ‘Texas Chainsaw’ Sequel from Italy!

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A couple weeks ago I wrote an article detailing the numerous unofficial “sequels” to The Evil Dead released in Italy. Those films, the La Casa series, are ultimately the tip of the bloody iceberg that was the copycat culture of low budget cinema at the time. In America, we were gifted numerous carbon copies of Alien/Aliens. Italians just took their ripoffs one step further by recycling titles and releasing a glut of “sequels”. Sometimes several different movies were released with the exact same title! The Church, The Ogre, and Black Demons were each christened Demons 3 in various territories.

Beyond some of the more well-known examples, such as Fulci’s Zombi 2 (marketed as a sequel to Romero’s Dawn of the Deador the infamous Cruel Jaws, there are some of much lesser notoriety. In the comments section of the previously mentioned La Casa article, a reader by the name of Giacomo Calzoni drew my attention to a film that had managed to elude my watch-list all these years, Non aprite quella porta 3 (AKA Night Killer). That title roughly translates to Don’t Open That Door 3. Huh? Say you’ve never heard of that series? Sure you have!

Tobe Hooper’s 74′ classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was released as Non aprite quella porta in Italy, because…sure, why not? Released in 1990, the same year as the legit sequel, Leatherface, this attempted cash in on the franchise was directed by Claudio Fragasso. Yes, the man behind Troll 2 dared throw his name in the ring with the Chainsaw legacy. This film actually sent me on a Fragasso kick. Yes, I am a masochist. With films like Zombi 4: After Death and Monster Dog, I can honestly say the man gets a bad wrap. Yes, they are far from “well made”, but they carry a certain charm that you can’t find in many other films.

With Night Killer being released as an unofficial sequel, it’s unclear if Fragasso or anyone else involved in the production had actually seen the previous two films in the series as the plot bares no resemblance to the exploits of Texan cannibals or otherwise. There’s certainly no chainsaw in sight. In fact, the killer actually has long, razor sharp claws for fingers not unlike another popular big screen boogeyman.

Night Killer is a bizarre blend of Giallo and more straightforward slasher elements with several “Shade of Grey” thrown in by way of a few baffling sub/dom sequences. This truly is a “Franken-film” cobbled together from bits and pieces of far superior works. Those at all familiar with my tastes know that this type of trash is right up my alley. The script, written by Fragasso and his wife (Rosella Drudi), potentially shines some intriguing light on the duo’s relationship. At its core, Night Killer is a tale of rapey love conquering all, but we’ll touch on that in just a bit.

The film opens with a leg warmer and leotard drenched dance crew preparing for a big performance. Their director/choreographer quickly becomes the first victim to the most poorly designed monstrosity you’ve ever seen condemned to celluloid (see below). Seriously, you guys, this “monster” makes the goblins of Troll 2 look like Rob Bottin creations. Mercifully, it’s revealed very early into the film that this in fact not a supernatural entity but a psychotic maniac in a mask (a really bad one still) who has been murdering woman all across town. Thankfully, despite incessant claims from police and reporters that the victims are all sexually assaulted, our Night Killer only seems interested in ripping out hearts and slicing throats. Thanks Fragasso for sparing us that detail.

In a surprisingly intense scene (with a twist ripped from a late 70’s thriller and classic Canadian slasher) our heroine is presented as a sexually frustrated divorcee. Her daughter has just left and now Melanie is all alone when threatening calls begin coming in one after the other. The raspy voice on the other line is the Ripper, and he’s got his pervy claws set on her. Fragasso manages to choreograph the scene for ample suspense despite the obvious nature of where it’s all headed. Melanie survives the attack because we’re only about twenty minutes into the film, so…yeah. The only problem is she’s suffering severe memory loss. Despite having seen the killer’s true identity, she can’t for the life of her remember who it was.

From here the film falls into two separate pieces. One side of the coin, we have Melanie slowly losing her grasp on reality as she tries to come to terms with the trauma she’s experienced. Ultimately, she’s taken hostage by a sleazeball named Axel who may or may not be the Ripper himself. It’s unclear, shaky moral ground as Melanie’s bond with Axel escalates from unwilling hostage to ride or die chick over a few sweaty nights in a locked up hotel room. Is this a case of Stendhal Syndrome or poor screenwriting? You decide!

The other half of the plot is a string of random slayings, each feeling more like a traditional American slasher than a stylish black gloved Giallo caper. These moments truly shine through, however. Each set-piece is given time to breathe and build tension. Fragasso proves himself adept at suspense, and I’m now contemplating how amazing it might’ve been if he’d been brought on to direct a Friday the 13th back in the day. A moment featuring a chase through a darkened aquarium is a true highlight with a nice, bloody payoff.

Night Killer is a wacky, kooky flick that culminates with a twist so absurd that Shyamalan would shake his head in disapproval. That said, the moment everything comes together had my jaw on the floor. You simply won’t know what hit you, and for that – I’ve got to give Fragasso and Drudi credit for concocting such a bonkers conclusion to the story.

No, this has nothing in common with TCM, and you have to wonder just what drove the decisions of some Italian producers. Oh, wait, it was money. Nevermind. The biggest takeaway from the film is that Fragasso wasn’t completely incompetent in the director’s chair. He crafted several moments that rose above the cheese and had me jumping from my seat. If you have a penitent for 80’s sleaze, do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this oddity.

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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