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[It Came From the ‘80s] The Rampaging Pagan God Known as ‘Rawhead Rex’

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With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades laterGrotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.

One of the lesser celebrated monsters of the ‘80s is that of pagan god Rawhead Rex. Between its limited theatrical release in 1987, and Clive Barker’s notorious displeasure with the film, it’s not a surprise that Rawhead Rex slipped between the cracks. Though he wrote the screenplay, adapted from his own short story that appeared in volume 3 of his Books of Blood series, there’s very little resemblance between Barker’s original vision of his rampaging pagan god and the one that appears on screen. Considering the story’s version of the character was an 8-foot tall slender phallus, and the film’s version was a sort of punk-rock bulked out animalistic beast, Rawhead Head tends to be divisive depending on familiarity with Barker’s story.

Though the film adaptation is nowhere near as gory or depraved as the original story, some of the pagan god’s core values remain; Rawhead Rex still pisses on priests, has issues with women, and prefers to munch on kids and babies for dinner. It’s ‘80s rubber-suit monster meets Irish folk horror, as Rawhead Rex is unleashed from the Earth and tears through the idyllic countryside, wreaking havoc along the way.

As is often the case, the limited budget and very limited window of prep work meant the special effects time had a Herculean task of designing and creating Rawhead Rex. The creature design has often been criticized for being just a big guy in a rubber suit and mask with a fixed expression. That’s not exactly accurate. Based on concept art by Paul Catling (AVP: Alien vs Predator, Guardians of the Galaxy), Rawhead Rex was a big guy in a suit, played by ski instructer Heinrich von Schellendorf in his only film credit, but the mask was mechanized. The fiberglass and animatronic head gave Rawhead Rex movement and the ability to emote, and there were fiber optics and deflectors put in the creature’s eyes to give that glowing movement effect. The creature also had animatronic hands for his retractable claws.

The issue was that the limited resources available to the special effects team meant they didn’t have the time or money to spend on the animatronics to give it the level of detail they would have liked, and its scope diminished. The bigger issue, though, was that director George Pavlou never highlighted the full scope of the creature effects. There was often a handful of animatronics engineers and technicians operating Rawhead Rex, but Pavlou didn’t quite seem to know how to showcase the special effects. It was only his second feature, so inexperience likely played a key role in how wooden the pagan god came across.

The production of Rawhead Rex seemed doomed from the start. The budget promised to Pavlou and crew never quite materialized, leaving them struggling from the onset. The rough weather caused delays in a super tight schedule, and money practically ran dry by the time production was poised to shoot the climactic finale, resulting in a lackluster laser light show ending.

Even still, Pavlou and crew managed to pull together a coherent film that’s developed a cult following despite its flaws. Rawhead Rex exists in that weird overlap between folk horror and a punk rock mentality, perhaps the only of its kind. It’s not the visceral gore fest of Barker’s original story, but I don’t think any film could have been at the time. Giant monster penises is a tough sell no matter what era. If not for Rawhead Rex, Barker might not have been pushed into directing Hellraiser, either. As it stands, it’s a perfect example of the many facets it takes behind the scenes to make memorable creature features.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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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