Terrifier — Terrifier(DVD)
I’ll have to say I’ve started become more than a little jaded by the reliance of 80’s vibes in modern horror, and film-making in general. The use of both Carpenter type synth scoring, neon tipped back drops, and clichéd characters with stuck-on 80’s traits has become so tired. So it’s nice to see a film like Terrifier taking the lesser used grimy & sleazy side of the 80’s, and using it as both its tone & feel. 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.
The plot focuses in on two girlfriends who are out late night in the city after Halloween celebrations, and they taunt Art The Clown- to bloody & at times quite brutal results. The character of Art The Clown original appeared on 2013 anthology film All Hallows Eve, which saw a series of decidedly mixed stories been wrapped around by the tale of Art stalking a babysitter- Art was really the most memorable & interesting thing about the All Hallows Eve- so it’s great to see him get his much deserved full-length feature here.
I’m not normally bothered or freaked-out by clowns- though I do like the idea of them, enjoying both the original It, it’s remake & killer movies clowns in general. But Art The Clown has to be one of the most unsettling & unbalancing Clown killers ever. He’s a mute, skinny & scruff looking clown, 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 short, often sharp & brutal film- that comes in just over one hour twenty. The plot & the flow of the film is fairly basic, after a brief connection back to Arts 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 through-out 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 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 it’s tight & cut to the 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.
Since seeing All Hallows Eve back in 2013, and then hearing the announcement that Art was getting his own film I eager to see Terrifier. And it’s great to find for once that a horror film ones looking forward to holds up, and doesn’t disappoint.