Latest news with #Terrifier
Perth Now
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'It's just constant tension': Damien Leone doesn't find movies fun to make
Damien Leone doesn't think filmmaking is "fun". The 41-year-old filmmaker has enjoyed success with his slasher franchise 'Terrifier' and explained that the process of getting a movie onto the big screen is a lot less glamorous than people think. Speaking on the 'Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum' podcast, Damien said: "Movies aren't fun to make. People think you're having the time of your life. "It is hard work. It is constant pressure. You don't want anybody to feel bad, but it's just constant tension." Damien's movie 'Terrifier 3' caused a stir with its violence when it was released last year and the director explained that he frequently argued with producer Phil Falcone during the making of the flick – which had greater funding after the success of 'Terrifier 2' in 2022. The 'All Hallows' Eve' filmmaker said: "We were on the phone arguing all day long. It was not a fun experience making part three just because of so many other external factors. So much more pressure, so much more money." Damien explained that he is planning to bring the 'Terrifier' series to an end after the fourth movie and revealed that he has plenty of other projects in the pipeline that he could make in the meantime, although he will only board a film if he can have a hand in the writing process. He said: "I have so many original ideas. There's a bunch of potential projects. If one of these other projects is ready to happen and that'll take me away from 'Terrifier 4' I'll do it. "All of these potential movies would involve me at least co-writing, because it's really how you shape some of these things." Damien doesn't have a "strict formula" when it comes to writing scripts but does seek to put in key ideas that he has dreamed up. Asked if he skips to the horror element when it comes to penning scripts, he said: "Not necessarily. I also don't write in a linear way so if I feel like writing the ending, I'll write the ending. I have all the ideas on my phone that I know I have to weave into the story somehow if I'm in love with that set piece. "There's no strict rule or formula in terms of how I write the script. I bounce all over the place." Leone accepts that the 'Terrifier' franchise is likely to be the creation he has best remembered for. He said: "It's certainly lightning in a bottle. I'm not delusional, there's a great, great, great chance that when I die I'll be known as the creator of Art the Clown."
Perth Now
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Damien Leone wrote Terrifier 2 script in his old job delivering flowers
Damien Leone wrote the script for 'Terrifier 2' as he delivered flowers. The 41-year-old filmmaker has recalled how he crafted the script for the second movie in his ultraviolent slasher franchise whilst working in his previous job. Damien told the 'Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum' podcast: "I literally wrote the entire movie of 'Terrifier 2' when I was delivering flowers. Almost all the ideas came to me as I was driving that van." The filmmaker explained that he never wanted to lock himself out of the movie industry before he went on to find success with the 'Terrifier' franchise. Leone said: "I didn't want to dive into a career that would keep me away from filmmaking. I needed a 9 to 5 job that I could break away from any time I would get a freelance gig doing makeup effects on a movie or if I was gonna make my own movie." The 'Terrifier' franchise features the iconic antagonist Art the Clown and Damien revealed that the murderous character was conceived when he was making his first short film. He said: "I wish it was a cooler story. It was when I was gonna make my first short film, I said, 'Why is anybody going to watch this?' "I'm a makeup effects artist, so I'm gonna try and pack this thing out in 10 minutes with creatures and some makeup effects gags and sort of generic characters that I enjoy and creep me out. "Clowns always creep me out. I didn't have a particular fascination with killer clowns, they didn't scare me. "I knew I could put a spin on the clown and make a cool version of one at least and then it comes down to the process of creating it. "It was very quick (to create). I sketched him. That's why his name is Art. I kept referring to him as that. There was never a second name. Things like that just click, you feel like they happen for a reason." Art the Clown is portrayed by David Howard Thornton in the film series and Leone knew immediately that the star was right for the role because he had the perfect physicality. The filmmaker said: "He was the sixth person to audition. I knew instantly. "There's a good chance I would've cast him just on his physicality alone when he walked in the room. As soon as I saw him I said, 'He's just gonna look great.' I was looking for a tall, skinny person with a big smile." The director explained that the actor behind the antagonist couldn't be any more different from the role he plays. The 'Frankenstein vs. The Mummy' helmer said: "He's a walking cartoon character, he couldn't be any more different to Art the Clown, it's incredible." Damien also revealed that he had to curb the enthusiasm of star Lauren LaVera – who plays the role of Sienna Shaw – when it came to doing stunts for the flick. He recalled: "She was so psyched about it and she read the script. She's a stunt performer, so she couldn't wait to get in and do all the physical stuff. She wanted to do stunts that I wouldn't even let her do."
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Splatter that splits the sides
Photo: Shauna Townley/IFC Films/TNS Director: Eli Craig Cast: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso Rating: (R16) ★★★+ REVIEWED BY AMASIO JUTEL Despite the very silly title, Clown in a Cornfield (Reading) has the feel of a Texas Chainsaw slasher paired with the slapstick sentiment of Terrifier's ridiculously costumed clowns who, without fail, wear size 100, squeaky clown shoes at every killing. A fire in Kettle Spring's maple syrup factory has relegated it to "flyover country" and the town's older residents suspect a group of troublesome teens are guilty of the arson. A masked killer dressed as "Frendo", the maple syrup mascot, has it in for the teens, who've cried wolf too many times for anyone to believe their story. Clown in a Cornfield is a solid entrant into the revitalised contemporary horror/slasher canon of equal parts fright and laughter — think Terrifier and Heart Eyes. Like Texas Chainsaw, highly aesthetic, filmic quality is not lost on the director — like the sunrise-orange horizon shots that scream Days of Heaven. The film is formally innovative (marking its singularity from the first title card) and cinematically creative (maybe my favourite was the long "oner" camera shot kill sequence), but where the film particularly shines is its narrative sophistication — even the "mean girl blonde" has some solid characterisation as a creepypasta horror YouTube director. Although slightly sanitised for an R16 rating, the horror and kill sequences are ferocious and fun. And while the speechifying villain felt extraneous, the formalist flair, narrative excellence, and slapstick humour packed into the short, sweet runtime means one can hardly complain.
Geek Tyrant
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Art the Clown Goes Academic: TERRIFIER Horror Franchise Getting Its Own Scholarly Conference — GeekTyrant
That's right! Art the Clown is officially entering academia. Move over, Shakespeare and Hitchcock, because the Terrifier franchise is now being treated as an object of scholarly importance. The University of Warwick in the UK is hosting the first-ever Terrifier academic conference in 2025, and yes, this is a real thing. According to a press release from Signature Entertainment, The Terrifier Conference 2025 'will welcome global scholars to Warwick to take an alternative approach to enthusiastic critical dismemberment by engaging with the Terrifier film franchise as an object of scholarly importance.' The conference aims to dig into the series' gloriously over-the-top use of horror tropes, from how women are portrayed in the genre, to the use of practical gore, the influence of religion, and, of course, the 'unsettling visual creepiness' of Art himself. Scholars from Brazil, France, the U.S., and beyond will bring their brains to bear on a franchise best known for, well, removing brains. And while the in-person conference runs Saturday, May 3, one day will be streamed online internationally on Friday, May 2, so even if you're nowhere near the UK, you can still get in on the blood-spattered academia. Born from a 2011 short, Damien Leone's Terrifier has morphed into one of horror's most outrageous modern success stories. With Art the Clown, played with sadistic glee by David Howard Thornton, taking center stage, the franchise went from cult curiosity to box office beast. Terrifier 3 alone raked in $90.3 million worldwide on just a $2 million budget. Each film pushes the boundaries a little further, and Terrifier 2 introduced us to fan-favorite final girl Sienna (Lauren LaVera), and Terrifier 3 traded Halloween for a twisted take on Christmas. While Terrifier 4 doesn't have a release date yet, it's rumored to be the blood-soaked finale. Also happening at the conference, Signature Entertainment's Head of Publicity will be leading a seminar on the viral marketing strategies behind Terrifier 3 's surprise domination in the UK and Ireland. Spoiler alert: gore sells. So yeah… Art the Clown, college lecturer. What a time to be alive (unless you're in Miles County).
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The director of 'Terrifier' built his horror movie franchise as a side gig while working as a delivery driver. Now the films have made over $100 million.
The "Terrifier" franchise has given audiences a new horror icon with the serial killer Art the Clown. Damien Leone spent 10 years delivering flowers while writing "Terrifier" and "Terrifier 2." Now, after "Terrifier 3," the franchise has made almost $100 million worldwide. The director Damien Leone said he spent 10 years working as a flower delivery driver while writing the "Terrifier" movies. Now, the ultra-gory franchise has made over $100 million worldwide. The supernatural slasher movies revolve around Art (David Howard Thornton), a silent and brutal serial killer. To some horror fans, Art the Clown is now as iconic as the likes of Ghostface, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger. The 2018 movie "Terrifier" made $420,000, and 2022's "Terrifier 2" earned $15 million as the hype around the character grew. Then, in 2024, "Terrifier 3" upped the gore — and the returns. The third installment grossed $90 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. Collectively, Leone's twisted creation has now made $106 million. Leone told Tuesday's episode of "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" that many aspiring filmmakers ask him about his path to success in the industry. "My favorite thing to tell them is, 'Dude, I was writing the script to 'Terrifier 2' in a flower van," he said. "That was my primary job for 10 years, because I knew I didn't want to dive into a career that would lock me up or keep me away from filmmaking," he added. The director said that the role was flexible enough that he could focus on freelancing within the film industry, while writing "Terrifier 2." He added: "I knew I needed a nine-to-five job that I could break away from any time I would get a freelance gig doing makeup effects on a movie or if I was going to go make my own movie, but I would always go back to the flower van. "I literally wrote the entire movie of 'Terrifier 2' when I was delivering flowers. Almost all the ideas came to me while I was driving that van." Leone is working on finishing the series with "Terrifier 4," which will dive further into the mythology surrounding the franchise's heroine Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) and Art the Clown. He said: "I'm going to wrap it all up in the next installment." Read the original article on Business Insider
