Damien Leone’s recently released, “Terrifier 3,” has rightfully earned the title of being his most gruesome installation yet. Just like Art the Clown’s skyrocketing kill count, the movie’s success has soared in a similar manner in the box office, making it the most successful of the trilogy. Working with a theatrical budget of 2 million USD, the movie managed to make its revenue back 20 times over.
The “Terrifier” series is making itself known as the most relevant, bloody up-and-coming horror classic of the modern day. David Howard Thornton has been a big help towards this title’s success; his hilarious and unhinged portrayal of the main antagonist Art draws viewers into the film. But, for a horror movie to reel in this big of an audience, effective kill scenes are just as important as having a solid casting. It is clear that there are visionary aspects at play during Art’s murder rampages, but the film’s scare factor is often unfairly boiled down to its monumental use of gore.
In a short film by the same director, “The 9th Circle,” the conceptual character of Art is shown for the first time. Five years later, Leone brings back the mysterious mime for his first feature film, an anthology titled “All Hallow’s Eve” that was screened at a 2013 film festival. After Art was revealed to more onlookers, he made a lasting impression that left audiences craving more. With the support of crowdfunding contributions, Leone was able to rack up the $35,000 he needed to fund his first big-screen movie with Art in the starring role.
In spite of limitations on props and set expansions from the low budget, the movie still garnered a cult following because of its ambition to push the bounds of horror. The controversial success of the first movie bled over into the second, which is now being allotted $250,000 towards its production. While the second movie developed a concrete storyline and more substantial characters, it allowed for Art’s killing to become even more fantastically twisted. With the extra cash, Leone further delved into his concepts, expanding them to be even bloodier and more repulsive than in the first.
Given that “Terrifier 3” was working with millions of dollars, the blood-shed possibilities became endless for Leone. Aside from Art’s taboo choices becoming an increasingly controversial subject, the third film shows Leone’s imagination in its entirety. From the grotesque rats being led down a tube shot to the infamous shower scene, Art’s new murder methods leave viewers questioning how Leone is able to think up such heinous concepts. While these clips may tend to fall short on the side of realism, they are made up for in writing and direction.
Although the shocking taboo topics of the third movie has become its most defining characteristic to the general public, those who watch “Terrifier 3” can’t help but become entranced by the multitude of methods that Leone has given Art to play out. These morbidly crafted scenes are essential to the appeal of the movie. And with a fourth addition in the works, an even bigger budget will be put to play. As more people are increasingly reeled in to witness the innovative techniques in Art’s eliminations, it is clear that even he could not kill this producer’s morbid creativity.
Verdict: Leone’s “Terrifier 3” has found success through its gore usage. But, the key to its box office success is Leone’s mind.
