31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: TERRIFIER

A HORROR ICON WAS BORN

I can talk about this movie and Art the clown for pages and pages. I know many think it’s just a pointless gore fest. But it’s so much more! I am not speaking in hyperbole when I think we will talk about Art in years like we do about Freddy, Jason and Myers. I’m not afraid to say he has skyrocketed to that stratosphere organically. Though movies that have developed, found their own identity in gore parties, and awed viewers with Art’s antics organically. Arts feature length debut in Terrifier after All Hallows Eve did not disappoint. It was a brisk length film and got straight to the point for its viewers. You immediately know he is going to be violent as he is crafting a mace-like weapon with scalpels and blades. Who the fuck thinks of harming someone that way!

THE KILL HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

This was something that really drew people in. They stayed for Art, but the saw kill was unlike anything I have seen. I know Bone Tomahawk has a similar kill, but the sawing of a woman straight down the middle starting at her Vag was as brutal as you can imagine and extremely drawn out here. Almost like he was actually hitting obstacles like organs and bones that interrupted the sawing. It was magical. All the blood too. It’s everything you’d want in an iconic kill. It’s one of the best kills I’ve ever seen even with most work done offscreen. Honorable mention is him scalping and dechesting (if that’s a word, I know it’s not but roll with me) that woman and wearing it around dancing as he stalks the girl. Truly disturbing shit as you see the lady suffering on the ground.

ART’S MANNERISMS AND CHARACTER WORK IS SECOND TO NONE

As a clown, I would make a serious argument that David Howard Thornton is better at being a clown that Bill was as Pennywise. It’s a mix of a terrifying clown and mime. It’s perfect and nothing is like it in the world of horror and film. His actions carry multiple scenes and you don’t need dialogue at all when you have art doing his thing over the terrifying score. From the body slouch, the wave, and the popping smile, it’s stuff of nightmares if you are scared of clowns like many are. The wildest part, David could not be a nicer person having met him and talked with him a few times. How he flips the switch to become Art is that much more impressive. His success as Art carries heavily into Terrifier 2. And continues to rise into the anticipation of Terrifier 3!

C. A. ROETHLE

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