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Let’s Talk About the “American Horror Story: Roanoke” Connection to ‘Blair Witch’

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Hey, where have we seen THOSE before?!

In the first episode of American Horror Story: Roanoke, some very familiar-looking relics made a surprising appearance. I’m of course referring to The Blair Witch Project‘s creepy “stickmen,” which decorated a house in one scene that immediately had me wondering if, like The Woods, the new season of FX’s hit series was actually some kind of secret sequel. An even larger stickman made an appearance in this week’s Episode 2, so it’s likely we haven’t seen the last of them on the show.

Of course, American Horror Story is known for paying tribute to iconic horror films, so one could easily write off the stickmen as nothing more than just another homage; if you’d prefer to call it a “rip off,” that’s totally your prerogative. But timing is everything, and it’s the timing of this particular homage that left me scratching my head. The first episode of American Horror Story: Roanoke premiered literally the night before Blair Witch hit theaters, and you may have even noticed that the first appearance of the stickmen directly preceded a TV spot for, you guessed it, Blair Witch.

Now I’m not suggesting that there is any actual link between American Horror Story: Roanoke and the Blair Witch universe – it’s of course possible, but not very likely – but isn’t it just a little strange that Blair Witch imagery would be so prevalent in a season of American Horror Story that premiered the exact same time as the release of the first Blair Witch Project film in sixteen years? Is it just an oddly-timed coincidence, or something more?

Ben Rock is the production designer who created the iconic stickmen for the original Blair Witch Project, and so I reached out to him to see if he had any thoughts on this one.

I’m sure it was tied in with the release of the new movie,” Rock speculated, noting that he too found the timing to be something more than mere coincidence. “I don’t have any actual knowledge, but why else? I think brand-wise it could help the new Blair Witch movie just as another way to put that idea in front of a different kind of horror fan – the American Horror Story audience is, I assume (with no actual knowledge) an older audience but maybe one who would remember the original Blair Witch Project.”

I mentioned to Rock that it was possible the creators of American Horror Story had no idea, at the time of filming the new season, that The Woods even was a Blair Witch sequel – after all, that secret was only revealed just a couple months ago – but he posited that non-disclosure agreements could have been signed and FX could very well have been working with Lionsgate for the tie-in marketing.

It just seems like synergy to me. Like it was planned on some level,” he told me. “But honestly I don’t know one way or the other. I’m just speculating.”

Either way, Rock seems delighted that his creation still remains so iconic and relevant.

My design was a work-for-hire – so it’s not like I own it or feel slighted in any way,” he noted. “Lionsgate would be the only rights holder. Obviously I’m flattered and at the same time it’s extremely weird to me that a stopgap idea I had when I was 26 still has any resonance. For me it will always be surreal.”

Be sure to check out Ben Rock’s series 20 Seconds to Live over on Ariescope!

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Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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.

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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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