Terrifier & Terrifier 2 — Terrifier & Terrifier 2(Blu Ray)

Here’s a two Blu-Ray release of brutal ‘n’ nasty killer clown slasher films 2017’s Terrifier, and its 2022 sequel. It’s a fairly barebones release on the extras side, as we get two making-offs/behind-the-scenes featurettes…but boy do you get a lot of brutal ‘n’ intense gore/violence over the two films' runtime.

Both films are directed and written by Damien Leone- who seemingly started out in film doing effects work.  And on the whole, I think he does a good job with both films, featured and I certainly can’t wait for a third film.

Terrifier appeared in 2017 focusing on the lesser-visited grimy & sleazy side of the 1980s slasher genre. The film is based in the modern world, with mobiles/ cells & the internet, but it has a distinctively 80’s vibe running through it, which thankful steps over many of the clichés connected with 80’s retro focused.

The plot focuses on two girlfriends who are out late at night in the city after Halloween celebrations, and they are taunted by Art the Clown- to bloody & at times quite brutal results. The character of Art the Clown originally appeared in the 2013 anthology film All Hallows Eve, which saw a series of decidedly mixed stories wrapped around by the tale of Art stalking a babysitter- Art was really the most memorable & interesting thing about  All Hallows Eve.

I’m not normally bothered or freaked out by clowns- though I do like the idea of them, enjoying both the original IT, its remakes and killer clown movies in general. But Art the Clown has to be one of the most unsettling & unbalancing Clown killers ever. He’s mute, skinny & scruff-looking, with simple black & white makeup & suit- and as the film progresses his attire gets more & more splattered with gore. At times he seems completely non-responsive, at others his face is lit with derange & devilish intent.

Terrifier is a short, often sharp & brutal film- that comes in just over one hour and twenty mark. The plot & the flow of the film is fairly basic, after a brief connection back to Art's original appearance we meet the two main female characters, and pretty much straight away we are into the stalk ‘n’ slash action. The murders are often extremely brutal- bringing together manic stabbings, body sawings, decapitations & more- which are all (I believe) practical effects.  And throughout the mood is kept nasty, nihilistic & sleazed- so if you are looking for comfortable & campy slasher 80-ness- you won’t find it here.

The two young women feel like real & relatable characters, so this is a bonus. And the whole idea of coming across weird or unbalanced people after a night on tiles is highly believable, as I myself have come across a few in my time. For the most part, the pace & tension of the film is kept taut & edgy, with the more blocky & throbbing synth soundtracking enhancing the whole thing.

On the less positive side- due to its tight & cut to bone structure, it does lack a little depth, and on a few fleeting moments, I felt the actor playing Art let his intensity slip…but these are fairly minor quibbles. As on the whole Terrifier nasty ‘n’ bloody ride of a film.

 

Appearing six years after the first Terrifier 2, really does what any great slasher sequel should do- amp up the kills and intensity of things. And boy it certainly does, I saw reports of folks feeling ill, throw-up and fainting when the film played in US cinemas- and of course, I just shrugged this off as fake hype. But my word, as a (very) seasoned horror fan, accustomed to extreme gore- I reeled and smarted more than a few times in the film…and to be honest, I’m shocked that it got through the BBFC.

The film picks up a year after the first picture. And we focus on the Shaw family- taking in mother Barbara (Sarah Voigt), her late teen daughter Sienna (Lauren LaVera), and her a few years younger son Jonathan( Elliott Fullam). A few years back the family's father committed suicide- so this understandable rather tainted the family's life. When we first meet Sienna, she is making and spraying up an armed 'n' spiked angel costume- we find out this is a character her father drew when she was a young girl- so she making it to pay tribute to him at the coming up in a few days Halloween party.  Jonathan on the other hand has a rather unhealthy obsession with Art the Clown- and is making his costume to look like the deranged killer.

Meanwhile Art- played once again by David Howard Thornton- has been resurrected at the local morgue- mutilating the coroner with a metal hammer. Just after this, in a wonderfully surreal scene, going to a laundromat to strip off his bloody 'n' brain matter-smeared suit- before interacting nude to a weird mini female Art- who reappears throughout the film, as a way of voicing and helping the clowns' gory mayhem.

The film runs on paper way too long two hours and eighteen minutes- but surprisingly it never lagged or dragged- yes, it’s not the most complexly plotted film, but it is eventful throughout.  Moving onto the gore and violence side of things- and as already mentioned this is intense, and very extreme for a formal certificate film, and I think I safely say it stands as one of the most gruelling and nasty mainstream films ever. We move from the already mentioned metal hammer attack- which sees relenting head smashing and eyeball plucking. To a gruelling scalping, limb snapped and bloody broken off kill- which is finished off with deep knife slashes, before bleach is poured in the cuts. And throughout the films gore remains intense and truly brutal- and really you on edge expecting what violent atrocity Art will do next.

As with the first film, we still get the effective vibe of the ’80s sleazed unsettlement and nasty uneasiness- but this time is added to a brighter and more buoyant synth core, which mainly occurs around the Sienna character.

Surprisingly for a slasher film- the cast is excellent, and of course, this adds to the intensity of the violence and nasty atmosphere. Most surprising was Elliott Fullam- who many may know for interviewing those from the heavy metal genre on the Little Punk People Youtube Chanel- he really sells the character of Jonathan very well.  Both LaVera and Voigt are very convincing as mother and daughter, and Thornton as Art is once again gleefully deranged and creepy. 

All told Terrifier 2 is a great sequel- which tops and intensifies the first film, but also adds in its own twists and flavour….and I do hope Art will return again, as he truly is the nastiest and most deranged slasher killer of all.

 

So, in finishing if you enjoy the more nasty, brutal, and extreme side of the slasher form- this double disc set is most certainly a must….and here’s very much looking forward to Terrifier 3!.