PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Terrifier 3 has moved mountains in the theater circuit. Either you like these films or you don’t. There is no middle ground. I first found the original Terrifier in 2016 and it changed my life, and my view on horror in general. For me, it’s special, I have been watching slashers since I was a little kid, probably about five years old. There is something special about the sub genre. It’s an escape from reality for a lot of us who’ can’t stand their own reality. I am definitely one of those people.
Slasher movies are all ridiculous with bad plots and no storyline. That’s a major reason I love the franchise. In a world of elevated horror and found footage, its a breath of fresh air.
Lets get down to what makes Terrifier fans appreciate this franchise.
For me this franchise means a lot. It’s brought new life to a genre I was getting tired of. You can only make so many slasher movies before the plots become redundant. Over the years we have put a lot of slasher icons on the backburner because a lot of them are overused and eventually it turns into a cash grab. Terrifier dropkicks them all into memories. Bad ones. A lot of fans are here because we were raised on this kind of horror. So many movies in the 80’s had those brutal attacks that made you cringe.
It’s not even so much the films as the family. Have we all come together under one flag? Yes we have. Like dudes in band shirts, we have the same mentality. There is always time to talk Art even if it’s a “cool shirt”. Is it a cult? Nah, we are just passionate about our fandom. Its sometimes a comforting idea, because 99% of fans are the nicest people in the world, unlike sports fans. With Facebook groups like Art the Clown Appreciation Society and even Terrifier memes. We come together as friends over a movie. It touched a lot of our lives, no matter how brutal it is only attracts more after seeing George A. Romero gore scenes, and Terrifier also blew those movies out of the water.
Sometimes people are just looking for a family through the horror genre to make up for lost time being loners. Terrifier is good for our mental health because we can find humor and enjoyment out of each movie. We love Art The Clown because he represents a whole new entity. David Howard Thornton makes Art an iconic character. When he is costume at cons, Art takes over. Being a haunter, I know how to turn that light switch and your mind altered. You become the character you portray in a matter of seconds. I see so much hate for this franchise, But i’ll always be here. I see right through everyone’s opinion and keep it to myself out of love.
Here are some personal anecdotes from other fans:
“First and foremost, David Howard Thornton is one of the most perfect castings ever. The man deserves an Oscar. He IS Art the clown. His energy and personality just shine through and you can tell he loves what he’s doing. Art is such a great character as a concept and finding DHT to play him is just kismet. It was meant to be. I love that it uses practical effects and is a love letter to all the ’80’s slashers. The fact it’s a little indie flick that started off so small and with time and love, blew up and knocked down a major Hollywood film.
I like to see full artistic control and I’m so thankful that’s what Damien Leone has with these. If a major Hollywood corp. had gotten involved, all the magic would have been destroyed. The humor is a big draw for me. I love the look and feel of the movies. They just have a vibe that no one else can replicate. There’s too many things to even list in a single comment” -Lindsay Graff
“I think it’s David’s ability to express himself as Art through body movement and facial expressions despite not speaking. His physical comedy makes up for it.” -Nadia Asfar
“For me it’s the representation of a woman overcoming immense trauma in Siennas character, but also the physical comedy David brings to Arts character. I grew up loving 3 stooges, Peewee Herman, etc so it makes me feel happy and nostalgic to see it.” -Jewels Hardy
“In a world of remakes and reimaginings “Terrifier” entered the arena as an indie heavy weight not looking for approval but for glory, all while not forgetting to tip it’s hat to it’s childhood heroes while strutting to the ring.”-Duke Shoulders
In the End
We are who we are. We bond over a simple movie. A lot of us have maintained serious friendships just by loving a killer clown. There is no denying that we are happier than most horror fans. People don’t get it because of the gore and lack of story lines. To me, it isn’t that hard to piece together. Let others be happy and content with what they love. We are all human in the end. Much love to everyone involved in the fandom, we are legion.
