PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The most talked about horror film in the last three years has got to Terrifier 2 (read our review – HERE). It is a film that has popped up almost daily in my social media news feeds since it was first announced. That’s largely due to my friend Kerry McGuire (she also helps run the Facebook group The Art the Clown Appreciation Society) snagging one of the highly coveted Indiegogo perks to be killed onscreen by Art the Clown, but also because people are genuinely excited for the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 film, Terrifier. How excited are they? Terrifier 2 has one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns I have ever seen, raising over $215,000 (430% of their original $50,000 goal) from 1,230 backers. It’s so popular that admins of the above-mentioned group had to ban the almost daily question, “When is Terrifier 2 coming out?” Well, that day is here. Releasing in theaters across the country on October 6, Damien and crew promise an insane amount of bloodshed, more Art the Clown, and plenty of violence and gore.
I’ve seen the film and I can tell you; they have kept every promise. I cannot wait for everyone to see these incredible practical effects, inventive kill scenes, and enough Art the Clown to maybe, just maybe, sate our appetites until the next sequel (I have no idea if there will be one but we’re all crossing our fingers).
To celebrate the release of the film, I chatted with Art the Clown himself, David Howard Thornton, about stepping back into the character, what fans can expect from the sequel, horror movies, and more!
PopHorror: I watched Terrifier 2 about a month ago, and it is so freaking insane, David.
David Howard Thornton: Thank you!
PopHorror: The amount of gore, the kills… You guys just went balls-to-the-wall and amped it up, and I am here for it.
David Howard Thornton: Thank you, thank you. We kinda had fun!
PopHorror: This is the most anticipated horror film of the year. How does that feel?
David Howard Thornton: That’s high accolades, I guess you could say, because my God there’s a lot of good stuff coming out this year. Especially this October because you’ve got the new Hellraiser, new season of Chucky, Halloween, and Pearl just came out. I heard Barbarian is doing great. We had Scream earlier this year. What a year for horror fans so to be on the top of people’s lists like that, that’s wow!
PopHorror: When you made the first Terrifier, did you anticipate that it was going to be this big?
David Howard Thornton: Oh my God, no. We hoped, but we were just trying to be realistic because face it, we were just a low budget, independent film. We thought we were lucky if anyone just saw it in the first place. This has definitely surpassed our wildest expectations. We didn’t even expect to go to theaters for part two so this is great.
PopHorror: What was it like to slip back into the character of Art the Clown?
David Howard Thornton: It was a little bit more fun this time around. I think all of us were a little bit more comfortable with what we were doing and more confident with what we were doing. I definitely had a lot more fun with him this time around.
PopHorror: It looked like you were having a lot more fun.
David Howard Thornton: Just a little!
PopHorror: What can fans expect from Art in the sequel?
David Howard Thornton: Oh my God. A lot more… I guess confidence and arrogance, and because of that he’s a lot more vicious with his kills. He’s a lot more creative, I think, this time around. And he’s a lot more ambitious. He’s not just confined to one building this time around. He’s going out in society in broad daylight even and going after people and gah. I love it. He’s a lot more fun.
PopHorror: He is! I have to say that my favorite scene is the one in the laundromat.
David Howard Thornton: Oh yeah!
PopHorror: I feel like it made him more vulnerable and a bit more human. To me, he always seemed a bit supernatural so to see him washing his clothes and even just putting the coins into the machine and then sitting there in the nude, that made him vulnerable and more human. That was my favorite scene because it was so different.
David Howard Thornton: Yeah! I love those types of scenes with him, because it makes him more relatable to the audience in a way. Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, you never really see them do everyday stuff. But then you see Art doing this kind of stuff and it’s like, “Oh my God, that’s something all of us do!” But also it’s a little bit scarier because like, “Oh my God, that’s stuff that all of us do,” and this guy can just show up into a laundry mat like that. You could be taking a nap and all of a sudden – BOOM! You’re dead.
PopHorror: You don’t see those other characters caring about their appearance and clothes. You could have just spent the whole movie in dried blood because you know you’re just going to get covered in it again. I love that it showed him taking care of his stuff.
David Howard Thornton: I love those scenes. Every time he writes those types of scenes, it just makes me happy. It’s different. You don’t see that in other slashers.
PopHorror: Really sets it apart. What is it that draws you to horror?
David Howard Thornton: I guess it’s the rush you get from it. It’s a journey you go on with the characters, like this survivalist struggle that you’re going through with those characters. It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. It’s fun but scary and then sometimes you’re laughing. I love it.
PopHorror: I love that about it as well. What is up next for you?
David Howard Thornton: I’ve got the movie Stream that I’ve been filming with a lot of the Terrifier team, that’s going to come out next year. It’s got a lot of horror legends in that form Dee Wallace, Jeffery Combs, Tony Todd, Felissa Rose, Danielle Harris.
PopHorror: Wow!
David Howard Thornton: On and on. There are other actors I can’t even name yet because they haven’t officially announced them. It’s like a who’s who of horror actors, which is amazing to be on that set. So that’s coming out next year. I have, hopefully this year around Christmas, another horror film coming out that’s based on a very popular Christmas story that hasn’t been officially announced yet. It might make your heart grow three sizes, if that gives you a hint. I also have another film I’m going to be filming early next year called The Dead Place. That is going to be having a fundraising campaign sometime in the next few years. I play the villain in that as well, so I’ve got a lot on my plate right now and I can’t complain.
PopHorror: That’s exciting! I love Christmas horror.
David Howard Thornton: It’s pure camp and fun. We know exactly what we are, and we have fun with it.
PopHorror: One last question for you today. What is your favorite scary movie?
David Howard Thornton: Oh boy. I would probably say it’s Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Thank you so much to David for taking the time to speak with us. Terrifier 2 is currently in theaters from Cinedigm in partnership with Iconic Events.
