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[We Love ’90s Horror] ‘Fallen’ Is a Delightfully Demonic Detective Story

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The ‘90s often get a bad rap with horror fans. After the numerous successful slashers and creature effects films of the ’80s, the ‘90s offered a different variety of horror fare. Though there were plenty of hits, hidden gems, and misunderstood classics, the ‘90s usually don’t get the kind of love that other decades get when it comes to horror. It’s time to change that.

It’s tough to accurately capture just how much horror became entangled with police procedural movies in the ‘90s. Thanks to the success of films like The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, filmmakers felt confident about injecting cop dramas with more overtly genre elements. One film that went fully supernatural with its approach was 1998’s Fallen.

The movie opens with Detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) visiting the execution of Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), a serial killer who has a particular obsession with the detective. After the execution, a series of murders begin to happen that appear to be the work of a Reese copycat. Hobbes begins to realize that the murderer is a body-jumping demon named Azazel that was possessing Reese. Now, Azazel is trying to frame Hobbes for these murders and Hobbes has to find some way to stop him.

Because of its directly spiritual concept, Fallen feels the need to be a little less stylish in its direction and execution in order for audiences to buy into the movie. Fallen is a fairly straightforward detective flick, but that hard-boiled familiarity is welcoming in the best of ways. Director Gregory Hoblit — whose prior film was the widely praised Primal Fear — approaches the material with a grounded sensibility that keeps the whole endeavor on track. With the exception of some highly saturated and distorted demon-vision, things don’t get too crazy in terms of the actual filmmaking.

What does get deliciously kooky is the entire idea of a villain that gets to inhabit tons of different people throughout the movie. Watching various actors get to let loose for a bit is always a treat, and Fallen is littered with these small moments. One such instant involves character actor Graham Beckel (trust me, you know him) who only gets a few lines but steals the scene. You can tell that these actors really enjoyed being totally evil, even if it’s just for a brief scene.

Thankfully, the main cast is equally up to the task. In addition to the eminently watchable Denzel Washington, Fallen boasts an excellent ensemble of dependable actors. Elias Koteas doesn’t hang around too long, but he perfectly cements the personality of Azazel so that the audience understands exactly who this villain is. We also get effective turns from A-list talent like John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Embeth Davidtz. This is a fantastic group of actors, and though they aren’t asked to go too big for the majority of the film, they each get a real moment to shine.

To be frank, most of Fallen moves along at a steady and measured pace. There could definitely be a more bombastic take on this material, but it soon becomes clear that Fallen has an ace up its sleeve when it comes to the story. Even though this movie is over twenty years old, I do want to say that anyone who hasn’t seen Fallen should avoid the next section since it contains SPOILERS for the ending of the film. And the ending of Fallen is something you shouldn’t be spoiled on…

So Hobbes discovers that Azazel switches bodies by touching people, but if his host is killed then he can inhabit the closest potential host without touching them. However, Azazel has a limited time — the length of a single breath — to possess someone if his host is dead. Hobbes creates a scenario where he poisons himself out in a remote location and becomes possessed by Azazel. It’s an extremely clever bit of writing in regards to creating a set of rules for your monster and then figuring out how to use those rules against them. Also, it’s a heroic sacrifice for our main character to make that will leave the audience on a high note. But, Fallen subverts its triumphant ending at the last second and Azazel possesses a cat that walks its way back to civilization. It’s a gut punch finale that’s also tinged with wicked glee. One wonders if such an ending would be okay’ed in a modern take on the story.

Fallen is a solid flick that gets the job done while presenting a few intriguing twists along the way. It’s always cool to see horror play around in other established and formulaic genres. Though Fallen might hew a little closer to its police procedural trappings (I could do without the stereotypical lead character voiceover), its horror surprises are more than worth it. And you’ll never be able to hear “Time Is on My Side” by The Rolling Stones again without thinking of this movie.

Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about film and entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM -- where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor -- Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, Atom Insider, CHUD, Crooked Marquee and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.

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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