Connect with us

Editorials

[Butcher Block] Quirky Slasher ‘The Mutilator’ is Splatter-filled Fun

Published

on

Butcher Block is a weekly series celebrating horror’s most extreme films and the minds behind them. Dedicated to graphic gore and splatter, each week will explore the dark, the disturbed, and the depraved in horror, and the blood and guts involved. For the films that use special effects of gore as an art form, and the fans that revel in the carnage, this series is for you.

For fans of gory slashers, it’s hard not to fall for the quirky splatter charms of The Mutilator. The opening scene establishes the movie’s strange tonal blend of obtusely sweet and darkly violent, and essentially sets up the entire plot as well. It begins with a quaint depiction of a family celebrating the patriarch’s birthday; mom is in the kitchen baking a birthday cake and only child Ed Jr. is in the living room cleaning dad’s gun as a surprise. Except, young Ed Jr. didn’t realize the gun was still loaded and manages to kill poor mom. Cut to many years later, where a well adjusted though not so bright Ed Jr. is in college and in need of a vacation spot for his buddies over the fall break. His dad unwittingly offers up the beach condo, and the friends are off. Too bad, of course, there’s a killer on the loose.

Directed and co-written by Buddy Cooper, his only film credit, and a cast comprised of actors who also only ever worked on this film, The Mutilator doesn’t play by many of the slasher rules of its era. In short, it’s kind of a mess, and yet it’s endearing because of it. The film’s lead protagonist, Ed Jr. (Matt Mitler), and his friends might win the prize as the most oblivious characters in a slasher ever. They arrive at the condo and seem to take no notice of how strange the décor is; massive fishing gaffs and weapons adorn the walls, and then there’s the weird photo of Ed Sr.’s dead friend. As in, his corpse. When Ed Jr. comments, “That’s strange. My dad’s battleaxe is missing,” with a shrug and then continues about his day, well, it’s no surprise his group didn’t catch on to the killer despite it being no secret at all.

There’s even an oddly fit theme song, “Fall Break,” which was also the film’s original title. Its upbeat, catchy tune and lighthearted lyrics is more apropos of an after school special than one of the decade’s goriest slashers. And boy is it gory. The slasher announces its killer’s identity pretty much right away, leaving only the intended victims clueless that they’re in any danger until it’s too late. Lucky for us this killer has a serious grudge and a penchant for mixing up his weapons.

The deaths are slow and gloriously brutal. A disembowelment by chainsaw, decapitations, machetes to the face, pitchforks to the throat, fishing gaffs where no fishing gaff should ever go, are drawn out in excruciating detail and yet none of it holds a candle to the insanity that’s the finale. The kills are fun, but more than that they look good. That’s because Mark Shostrom was involved. The mega talented artist behind the special makeup effects of beloved classics like Evil Dead II, Phantasm II, and so much more elevated a plucky slasher into something the MPAA was afraid of. Shostrom and special effects makeup artist Anthony Showe (Chopping Mall) split up the kills when it came to designing them.

The excessive gore meant the MPAA wanted to give The Mutilator an X-rating. Releasing it unrated meant it was difficult to secure screenings, and eventually Cooper trimmed it down to an R-rating. From there it fell into obscurity on VHS for years, only recently getting a legitimate high def release. The Mutilator is an offbeat slasher that stands out because of its unique sense of fun and its excessive gore. It’s the rare film where its flaws actually work in its favor, and the special makeup effects work is stellar.

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading