Terrifier 2; Grade: D+
Terrifier 2 tells a story about a murderous serial killing clown named Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), whom is bound to come back to the small town of Miles County where he once went on a murderous rampage not too long ago. Art will be targeting a small family, mainly a teenage girl named Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her younger brother Jonathan (Elliott Fullam). Sienna is sort of a creative artist as she’s designing a costume helmed by her father’s creation for a fictional character he drew up, while Jonathan is obsessive over serial killers and such. What might’ve drawn a killer clown to this random family?! Find out as Art the Clown will make sure his presence is worth wild and most certainly B L O O D Y!
Art the Clown made it’s grand entrance as a mini short for the film All Hallows Eve, which led to Art the Clown having it’s own feature film as Terrifier was born. I personally liked Terrifer, thought it was a flat out entertaining slasher film that brought some disturbing death sequences, while also producing quality humor as well. Art the Clown is quite a unique character in horror, surely we’ve seen killer clowns in the past, but I will say we don’t see one that is simply created, but effective in bringing an unsettling presence as well.
Surely a sequel was bound to happen since the first film has a cult following. I was extremely surprised walking into my 6:30 showing, as I see the theater completely packed… This is a low budget scale horror film, with barely much marketing involved, it may be the most impressive theatrical turnout I’ve seen for a small film ever. Seeing the run time of 2 hours and 28 minutes… I was certainly surprised considering it’s a whole hour longer than the first film. It’s go big or go home as unfortunately… I wanted to go home!
Terrifer 2 is a film you could say caters to the fan base of Art the Clown. Certainly the fans loved the whole extreme violent sequences or the bizarre nature of Art the Clown… So this film went ALL OUT to give them what they want. There is a reason why there has been reports audiences having been puking or passing out while watching this film… The violet sequences… Yeah they don’t let up at all.
Each and every death sequence becomes more severely brutal, as by the time you reach about maybe the hour and forty five minute… You’ve become numb to it all, to the point where it doesn’t phase you much at all. The amount of gore in this film is just utterly relentless, to the point where it becomes overly obnoxious. Don’t get me wrong: I love when horror films are bold and don’t play it safe, I feel there are sequences that were fun especially with the audience reaction. But there has got to be a point to where you have to ease up a bit, to where it doesn’t become overly repetitive and played out you know?! Like I shouldn’t be bored by what I was watching Art the Clown brutally murdering people, I should be entertained as it over did it quite a bit.
I enjoyed the humor of this film whether it be genuine or unintentional. The genuine humor came with the gags and jokes from Art the Clown, I think the funniest bit was when Art the Clown was serving kids candy with a real human’s head… That was a funny pun. The unintentional humor came from the over acting from the actors, but more so the dialogue they were performing especially.
You can tell Terrifier 2 has a fair amount of heart surrounding the picture as well. Terrific Makeup Design with Art the Clown, Costume Design was pretty good, but even the Set Design was also rock solid as well especially with that whole nightmare dream sequence involving the kids and some food truck inspired by Art.
So what went wrong for Terrifier 2 where I just dislike this film as a whole?! It’s simple really: Length. It’s not that the film is just too long… But it feels as if everything involved in this picture is ran on too damn long. They’ll be too many sequences whether it be the dream sequence, the finale, or even the freaking end credit scene… Where it just drags on and on and on and on!! There’s really multiple sequences throughout the film, where scenes just needed to end much much much earlier, as they just go on way longer than it should be, leaving me extremely frustrated, irritated, but worst bored with what I’m watching… I just felt miserable while watching this, when I should’ve been having a grand time.
Don’t get me wrong: When you look at the story on it’s own, how it’s read on paper there is a competent storyline that can evolved into becoming a truly memorable beloved horror film for years to come. You have a fair amount of heart surrounding the film, a main horror entity that is truly diabolical but more so iconic, and boldness in entertaining the audience… This film has the formula into becoming something quite special, the problem is truly in the editing room where no one advises the film maker to cut some of these sequences down. This film should’ve been cut to a One Hour and Forty Minute Run Time, it is just way too long, but more so the sequences drag on WAY TOO MUCH to where it’s insufferable.
Overall, Terrifer 2 was a disappointment for me. I don’t recommend this film, I still feel Terrifer is a much more superior film as a whole.
While acquiring my ticket from the box office, looked over my seat area as it was occupied as possibly I might’ve read my ticket stub wrong. Got clarification that I read it correctly, as I walked over back to my seat which was occupied… Only to find out it was my friend Nick Bizov! What a pleasant surprise for my birthday, especially considering the fact they were in my row and next to my seat and everything. Had a nice time catching up with Nick, meeting his girlfriend as well… He loved the film and I think she liked it too, so I was the oddball of the group. -Mitch Smietana