PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s March, which means everything is turning green: green beer, green stockings, green shamrocks and little green leprechauns are prancing around looking for their pot of gold. In honor of the cheeky bastard, PopHorror has decided to look back on each film in the Leprechaun franchise, listing the things we loved and the things we didn’t like, as well as fun facts and more. The next one up on the list is the first sequel to the original: Leprechaun 2.
Directed by Rodman Flender and co-written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien with characters by Mark Jones. Released on April 8, 1994, Leprechaun 2 is also known as One Wedding and Lots of Funerals and is the last in the series to receive a theatrical release. It had an estimated budget of around $2 million and made around the same at the box office. Although it didn’t make a huge profit or become a huge hit among fans, one can’t deny that this sequel had its perks, including a fun story-line, wicked kills, overall cheesy demeanor, and a familiar cast starring Warwick Davis, Charlie Heath, Shevonne Durkin, Sandy Baron, Adam Biesk, James Lancaster, Kimmy Robertson, and Clint Howard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn7uGDDnJB4
Official Synopsis:
On his one thousandth birthday, an evil leprechaun selects the descendant of one of his slaves to have as his bride (Durkin), leaving it up to the girl’s boyfriend (Heath) to save her.
The story is clearly a ridiculous concept, but they all are, aren’t they? That is unless you really believe little men dressed in green with a hankering for gold are running amok on St. Patrick’s Day. If you do, I won’t argue with you. I don’t have any four leaf clovers, I’m barely Irish, and I have no luck… so better to play it safe.
Moving on, Leprechaun 2 is a fun story because, beyond his thirst for gold, the Leprechaun now desires the perfect bride. Of course, it has to be a more complicated than that… she has to be the decedent of one of his slaves from the past that he’s been waiting years to take revenge on after he messed up the whole “3 sneezes deal.” Didn’t he ever hear The Beatles song, “Can’t Buy Me Love?” I guess not. It’s also the only Leprechaun film in the entire franchise to take place on St. Patrick’s Day.
The characters are extra cheesy and lovable in Leprechaun 2. As always, Warwick Davis does a fantastic job at portraying the Leprechaun with witty humor and sick and twisted motives. I think that’s why I enjoy this franchise, just like I favor A Nightmare on Elm Street, because the main villain is cheesy and delivers great one-liners along with unique and interesting kills. They each hold a special place in my heart. Can you imagine a Freddy Vs. Leprechaun film, though?
The main characters, Claire (Shevonne Durkin) and Cody (Charlie Heath), don’t have the greatest on-set chemistry, but I loved their roles separately. I also enjoyed the small parts by Kimmy Robertson and Clint Howard who play quirky tourists.
The blood, gore, and kills are constant throughout the film, but one sticks out above the rest – the famous boob/blades kill scene that everyone loves. In this particular scene, Ian (Adam Biesk) has a lust for Bridget, but when she denies him, the Leprechaun decides to have a little fun. He creates an illusion to fool the pitiful Ian into believing that Bridget wants him to kiss her as she stands there topless, but as he gets closer to press his lips against hers, the illusion disappears and he is destroyed by a pair of lawnmower blades that demolish his existence. To me, it’s one of the best kills in the franchise. The rest will be covered an upcoming article!
Some of my favorite quotes:
- “Nothing tastes as good as a free pizza. Now if I could only figure out how to get free beer.”
- “Scream as you may! Scream as you might! If you try to escape, you’ll be dead on this night.”
- “She sneezes once, she sneezes twice, she’ll be me bride when she sneezes thrice.”
- “Gold Card, Visa, Master, I’d prefer cash, but maybe you’re a little short.”
- “Kiss me, I’m Irish!”
- “Cry as you may, cry as you might; it’s going to be one hell of a wedding night.”
Overall, Leprechaun 2 is definitely not the greatest in the franchise, but it has fun and memorable moments. It’s cheesy and has plenty of laughs, along with booze, blood, and lovely boobs. If you get a chance, make sure to watch this one as well as the rest of the franchise during the month of March and stayed tuned for the next article in the series!
