Criticism of ‘Terrifier 2’, wild gore on the big screen

Since Oscar Méténier inaugurated the Grand Guignol theater in the Pigalle district of Paris in 1897, horror has been forged as an experience bordering on panic and orgasmic excitement, bathed in macabre humor and fierce naturalism. The publicity for ‘Terrifier 2’, based more on the number of fainting and vomiting per row of seats than on the intrinsic quality of the film or the work of its performers, unknown to the general public, is a reliable example that the Méténier’s legacy, as well as authors such as André de Lorde, Guy de Maupassant or Maurice Level, still have a place in the narrow but elastic margins of the present.

Terror as an experience, as nauseating and extreme as possible, far from intellectual, sociopolitical or qualitative alibisand seed of subgenera such as slasherhe British horrorthe giallo, the torture pornhe body horroror the most important works by Wes Craven, Pete Walker, Tony Maylam, Sean S. Cunnigham, William Lustig or, especially, Tobe Hooper, who has a special connection to this sequel and its predecessor, not so much because of his classic ‘The Massacre of Texas’, but for the excellent and joyfully grandguignolesca ‘House of Horrors’ (1981). The first ‘Terrifier’ was framed in this same tradition, bastard son and gore of the homonymous short filmed also by Leone, a modest, grotesque and funny slasher canonical that became an unexpected success and, curling the Parisian curl through the limits of humor, had more to do, especially in its delirious misogyny, with the sticky ‘Sardú’ (Joel M. Reed, 1976) than with any of the hits of the recent fantastic.

Bigger, longer and with (bloody) cuts

It seems clear that, when it comes to expanding the battlefield of his monster / anti-hero six years later, Damien Leone has come up against it. All good, but there are at least three factors that should represent alarm signals for the seasoned cinéfago. The first, the duration: from the concise 85 original minutes to about two hours and 18 minutes that, to be sure, are not suffered. The second, that it has been applauded by the same immaculate bib critics who hated the first. And, finally, his need to compensate for the atrocities of the clown Art, brought to life by a disturbing David Howard Thornton, with a conventional narrative line, a little strip of empowerment and revenge with a highly unlikely heroine (carnal and steamy Lauren LaVera) who functions as an elusive link to the universe comic bookswith the EC Comics and ‘Creepy’ spirit that Leone wants/needs to evoke and with the stories of the Golden Age of pulp like those signed by John H. Cox or Frederik C. Davis. No problem, except that its director and writer seems too often, ugh, ready to take the joke too seriously. Trifles that will set fire to the head of the boomers and they will bring it to the heave to centennial enjoy, but that this lost son of generation X has no choice but to point out.

Because of balance, our friend the psychopath with the painted face is as creative and wild as in his best human fights, in the same way that hardcore street ugliness so typical of titles such as ‘The Eyes of Evil’ (G. Dark) survives. , 2006). So things, This vigorous sequel works because it is for what it is and is what it is: a fast-paced and sick train of the witch for armored stomachs and playful spirits., seasoned with livers and red sauce in a geyser style, ideal to be savored to the bone among colleagues and cuddles, with popcorn, beer or other less legal condiments, which corroborates the need and survival of the “cinema experience” in the golden age of cancellation. If you are looking for just that, there is no doubt: ‘Terrifier 2’ does not disappoint.

For those who are convinced that terror has more to do with emotion than with speech

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DATA SHEET

Address: damien leone Distribution: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt Country: USA Year: 2022 Release date: 24–2-2023 Gender: Terror Script: damien leone Duration: 138 min.

Synopsis: After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where he must hunt down and destroy a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.