Joey Magidson
Welcome back to my Home Movies! Today, the final column of 2022 is a horror double feature, as both Halloween Ends and Terrifier 2 are competing for top honors. Which fright flick led the way this week as it hit shelves? Read on to find out…
Terrifier 2
Filmmaker Damien Leone (who I interviewed here) upped the ante with Terrifier 2, his Terrifier sequel. Bigger, bloody, and better in nearly every way, the movie is absolutely insane. Dripping with ambition, as well as gore, it’s a modern classic in the making. My review right here included this bit:
Art the Clown is back! After making a memorable starring debut in Terrifier (technically he appeared in the anthology film All Hallows Eve, but played by a different actor), the murderous clown is returning to take his place as the next great movie monster. Terrifier 2 injects steroids into the tiny horror flick that came before it, making a slasher epic. The bold move results in more gore, more kills, and more scares, but also added mythology and supernatural elements that just don’t really work. You almost never get two hour plus horror films, and this doesn’t earn that length, but it does have a lot of what you want out of a Terrifier sequel, that’s for sure.
Terrifier 2 is on the extreme side, but only really if you don’t know what you’re getting into. Anyone familiar with Art’s previous murderous antics will be prepared for the carnage at hand. So, if you’re concerned about reports of people passing out at screenings, just question if they went in blind or not. Sure, there’s some real gnarly murders here, but nothing so beyond the pale as to have someone require medical attention.
Halloween Ends
This horror trilogy from David Gordon Green did not opt to play it safe with its final chapter, that’s for sure. Halloween Ends goes for it in a new way, to the consternation of some, yet the delight of others. I was more in the latter category than the former, going by my review here:
I appreciate a big swing, especially within a franchise. They can so often be far removed from the biggest bursts of creativity, so when this happens, I’m more than willing to follow along. For a Halloween sequel, you don’t necessarily think about going in a wild new direction. Well, Halloween Ends is here to do the unexpected. Not only is the film quick to show that it’s going to be a different installment, it doubles down on that. The movie is almost more concerned with that than anything else, though it also is very pointed in bringing the series to a close. I was surprised by what I saw, but with it nearly every step of the way.
Halloween Ends is going to prove divisive, mark my words. Whether it’s introducing a new character that gets a lot of the focus, making you wait for what many of you are likely there to see, or it’s overall weirdness, it’s the furtherest removed from what has come before. For my money, that’s a breath of fresh air, even if I loved Halloween and liked the already divisive Halloween Kills. Halloween Ends is a horse of a different color, love it or hate it.
Father of the Bride
Halloween: 3-Movie Collection
Lamborghini: The Man Behind The Legend
The Staircase: The Limited Series (TV)
*No Criterion releases this week, so look for those in the new year!*
Stay tuned for more next week…
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