PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I am not going to lie, I am a little bit (lotta bit) picky when it comes to movies. It doesn’t have to be well thought out. I love BAD movies. Following a well-thought-out movie with great acting for me is rare, I need a lot of “exciting” moments. Lots of money, means lots of CGI stuff and talking? That idea is crap to me honestly. I need something to keep me entertained. That means a lot of “HA! DID YOU SEE THAT?!” That’s just horror and I love it. I thought. the genre was dead, even if there were a lot of b movies I love, Terrifier is something different, it’s almost a cult following and I am all for that.
Those Eyes
You can keep the movies about weird cultish neighbors that aren’t even somewhat fantasized. I come from the land of wolfmen, rotting corpses that come out of the ground, and killers that leave marks. Not a ghost face mask with 20 alter egos, or a killer with some biblical purpose. I am talking monsters. Images that scar your memory. Nightmare men have one purpose: hurting you.
I encountered Art the Clown before I even saw the movie, in a grainy meme that happened to be a shot of him in the pizza shop. with the caption “He can’t wait to meet you”. I will never forget the first time I saw his face staring back at me, it brought back every uncomfortable feeling I had ever had about anything. He was the dude in my dreams. I love quiet killers, and when those quiet killers come in clown form it’s a recipe for success very very few can pull off. Tim Curry wasn’t even a very scary clown for the most part to me. Not that I don’t like IT (1990), but I always saw Pennywise as Kind of corny. Then again, who am I to say that? I watch a lot of trash movies. I love them, and Art stole my heart (get it?).
Synopsis
After two women return after a night out, someone is watching them. As Tara struggles at every moment from needing a bathroom break. What they get in return were slashed tires Tara calls her sister to pick them up. Art the Clown is ready for torment while everyone is trying to survive. Tara called her sister whn they find the time to pick them up. Victoria agrees and from there on, it becomes bonkers as Art gets his vengeance on whoever he might see. While Vicoria makes her way there, Tara is forced into survival mode, beating the Clown who wants her to die painfully. Who will survive the night? Only time tells.
I will admit, I saw All Hallows Eve first, and though I was delighted by the movie, I didn’t really get the spook until I FINALLY got to see Terrifier I remember the anticipation, and the fear of being let down. What I got, changed my entire outlook on clowns, and being alone in the house.
Everybody loves a clown, so why don’t you?
Terrifier is not just a horror. It is almost a lifestyle. Terrifier is a movie for the last of the Renegades. Damien Leone and friends have created a character that deserves to be held in the same regard as Lugosi’s Dracula in stage presence. Art the Clown’s presence was brutal when portrayed by Mike Giannelli in All Hallows Eve. In Terrifier, however, dominance was established in a totally singular and biased opinion, I can’t help it. I still LOVE All Hallows Eve!
I can say one thing, no movie villain has ever given me the creeps until David Howard Thornton put on that costume. The man is a legend, in whatever he does, whether he is portraying The Joker in off-the-wall fan movies, or you know, smiling at you. *shudders* Just kidding, he is one of the most genuine, good-hearted, down-to-earth people to ever exist. Along with Damien Leone, the two spend their days interacting with fans and keeping them informed. You don’t find that in the horror culture too much these days unless you are spending good money at a convention (ya lucky suckers!). Anyways moving on, back to the creeps.
Now I wanna say, I sadly didn’t have high expectations for Terrifier. I had figured it was the same actor and those spooky shots were gonna be like the one or two shots of this clown that I would get. After seeing All Hallows Eve I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. What I got was unimaginable.
The first 5 minutes of the movie are honestly what did it for me. I know there are a lot of famous scenes that will go down as epic here but the initial first few minutes of this movie messed me up. And then there was more. So… Much… Moreover, two other movies defined themselves for me in the first five minutes. Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things. I was, and am entrapped every time I watch it!
Work Of Art
It doesn’t take very long at all to get familiar with Art. Very familiar, enough to make you relieved when he fades off into oblivion, waiting. As you can tell, I am trying hard not to give spoilers for those who haven’t seen it but it’s hard. There is so much going on at once. Terrifier isn’t exactly intact with sanity and a flowing story, it doesn’t have to be.
Terrifier is proof that some things just make themselves. With lots and lots and lots of hard work from everyone involved! From prosthetics on down the line. It is true to the core horror. Damien Leone doesn’t sit in a seat making demands, just as Romero didn’t, you can’t help but naturally respect that. The movie quickly turns from uneasiness to “Holy Geez!” in seconds, Literally, seconds, and we are carving pumpkins. Moving along! This is fandom on a slight review basis so you watch the damn movies if ya haven’t!
Face The Music
Faces? They make a person for me, I am HUGE on facial expressions, and David Howard Thornton has so many faces he wants to show you. Say what you will about Terrifer and its acting but you are wrong. I am not even gonna argue the issue. Art’s faces make the entire movie (I mean besides the kills), they have to, killers are quiet mostly, but through his expressions, he has so much to say! You learn his disgust, and his glee, and his “Grandma Wolf” looks, deceiving you, always.
As you delve further down the rabbit hole of a movie, it takes you on a faster-spinning, bloodier Ferriss Wheel. There is confusion and mistrust on what is going to happen next, with a main cast of about oh… six people give or take. Sometimes bad people just do bad things. Sometimes, they ain’t people. The building of the movie begins with a having to pee and ends with so much to leave you to think about. A true fight to the death, with twists and turns and brick walls! Let’s put it this way, if he scares ya from looks, imagine you and him locked in a morbidly dim warehouse: his own God damn playland.
Even when we take a sudden turn paying homage to the likes of Ed Gein and friends in the most iconic of ways, the movie still holds the same energy. And you learn quickly that this boy ain’t playing around, and you don’t wanna see what’s in his sack of goodies…. at all. If you love being scared, welcome to being scared on a whole new level. From the intro to the very last edge-on-your-seat second. If you love horror, you will love this.
Final Thoughts
So many ask if Terrifier is worthwhile, and the fight begins. The cultured folks say it’s cheap and trashy. The people who love horror the true horror fans, know differently. Take our advice, and give it just one try. That’s about as much advice as I can give. It’s been out for 8 years and it’s on streaming platforms like Tubi. so there isn’t one reason you can’t see it if you want to!
