March 17th, 2012
The Leprechaun
Created by Mark Jones
Most iconic horror villains have at least one great movie to their name. It’s usually the first film in the franchise, like Halloween, Scream, Hellraiser, Child’s Play, or A Nightmare on Elm Street, but there are exceptions. Jason Voorhees was barely in the original Friday the 13th, and that film was far from the best Friday. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 2003 remake, that is) was the first really good entry in Leatherface‘s franchise, even if the original is considered a classic. Then there’s the leprechaun, a recognizable and well-known character who has never been in a good movie.
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March 16th, 2012
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
Directed by Steven Ayromlooi
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood is a major departure for the Leprechaun series. While the other films have been even mixes of horror and comedy, there’s much less comedy here. There are fewer stereotypical jokes about “the hood” this time as well, but Lep does smoke a bong (and impale someone with it, too). Most of the jokes come when the leprechaun is on screen, and he gets significantly less screen time than in the previous entries. If you watch the movies in order, you’ll know exactly what to expect by the time you get to Leprechaun in the Hood. This film, though, is not at all what you’d expect.
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March 15th, 2012
Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
Directed by Rob Spera
I’ve often claimed that Leprechaun 3 is the worst of the series. After rewatching Leprechaun in the Hood, I think it may be a stronger candidate for the spot. Not even Ice-T in a prominent role or Coolio making a cameo can save this one. Then again, it does end with the leprechaun rapping in his own music video. The premise of this fifth film may be even more ridiculous than the last one, and that’s saying a lot.
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Tags: In the Hood
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March 14th, 2012
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
When a movie series relocates its main character to outer space, you know the filmmakers are out of ideas. James Bond and Jason Voorhees did it, but somehow the leprechaun seems like the oddest possible choice for such an adventure. On the other hand, Leprechaun 4: In Space can’t help but take itself lightly, which makes it one of the best films in the series.
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March 13th, 2012
Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
I’m never sure quite how I feel about Leprechaun 3. Sometimes I’ll watch and think it’s the worst entry in the series. Other times, it’ll seem much better than I remembered. In any case, it begins a new trend of relocating the leprechaun to a ridiculous setting. This time, it’s Las Vegas. I’m glad the filmmakers altered the villain’s backstory for Leprechaun 2, but unfortunately they completely abandoned any continuity with this third film.
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March 12th, 2012
Leprechaun 2 (1994)
Directed by Rodman Flender
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is the best film of the entire series and my personal favorite. Leprechaun 2 is the last one before things start to get really ridiculous. It has almost nothing to do with the original Leprechaun, but it is a much more entertaining film. It throws continuity out the window (the leprechaun that was 600 years old in the last film is now 2,000) but retains the tone of the first film. It’s funny, it’s gross, it’s scary, and it’s good.
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March 11th, 2012
Leprechaun (1993)
Directed by Mark Jones
Leprechaun and its sequels comprise what is quite possibly the best series of bad horror movies ever made. The first film sets the standard with a bad plot and worse acting countered with decent gore and makeup effects. I’m still not sure how much of the movie is supposed to be horror and how much is supposed to be comedy, and I’ve seen the thing countless times. For every cheesy line of dialogue, there’s a gratuitously-bloody death scene. More often than not, both happen at the same time.
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December 13th, 2011
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the most controversial horror films of all time, due in particular to the way the film was originally promoted. Even though it was not the first film to feature a killer dressed as Santa Claus, many people were outraged at its existence based on the advertisements alone. I enjoy every film that’s been part of the 13 Nights of X-Mas, but this one’s on a different level. Silent Night, Deadly Night, along with Black Christmas and Christmas Evil, is one of the three best, most important Christmas horror films ever made.
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December 12th, 2011
Santa’s Slay (2005)
Directed by David Steiman
There are several Christmas slasher movies, and many of them feature a killer in a Santa suit. Only Santa’s Slay, however, has the real Santa Claus as an overly-muscular, brutal murder machine. Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg stars as Santa, who also happens to be the son of Satan. He lost a bet one thousand years ago and was forced to spread Christmas cheer… until this year.
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December 11th, 2011
And All Through the House (1989)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
The story of “And All Through the House” originally appeared in issue 35 of a comic book called The Vault of Horror in 1954. It was then adapted as a segment of the 1972 film Tales from the Crypt, which predates the Tales from the Crypt television series by seventeen years. Finally, it was again adapted as the second episode (and one of the best) of that series.
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