Summary
Slasher fans often compare kill counts and how gory each new movie is, and many have been impressed by theTerrifierfranchise for those reasons. Sure, ahorrormovie doesn’t have to be bloody to be good. There are plenty of scary supernatural films and impressive suspenseful slow burns. But for those who want something darker,Art The Clown’s rampage has been memorable. It’s impossible to even glance at his creepy grin and not feel at least a little bit freaked out.
Two years ago,Terrifiercreator Damien Leone, who wrote and directed all three movies and isworking onTerrifier 4, participated in afascinating and fun Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). He answered one question in particular that will make horror fans see Art The Clown, and the franchise in general, in a new light.
What Did Terrifier Creator Damien Leone Say In A Reddit AMA About Art The Clown?
When Damien Leone participated in aReddit AMAin 2022, Redditor @howisbulletinaword asked:
“Where does Art’s motivation come from? What made him wake up one day and wanna cause utter chaos?”
Leone replied:
“The fact that he finds it funny of course!”
This is fascinating to hear sinceArt The Clown is such a violent killer. The idea that he is amused by the killing spree that he goes on in each movie allows audiences to see theTerrifierfranchise in a different light.It’s possible to look at theTerrifiermovies as a satire of the slasher genre andArt The Clown’s scenes as comedic.Most people would say that theTerrifiermovies are dark and serious. However, some horror fans have always found the movies to be hilarious, and so they would agree with Leone’s assessment. When viewed through the lens of the writer/director’s comments, theTerrifierfranchise becomes even more compelling. Yes,Terrifier 3is shocking, and Art The Clown doesn’t hold back when attacking and killing the other characters. But he’s also meant to be funny, at least in some scenes. He’s having a blast and enjoying the havoc that he wreaks. He’s also laughing at the fact that so many people are scared of clowns.
In an interview withThe AU Review, Leone talked aboutthe lighter moments in theTerrifierfranchise. He said:
“David Howard Thornton and I, he plays Art the Clown, we always try and inject the right amount of levity into the character, sometimes even pushing the boundaries of the levity, seeing if we can get away with a little more.”
In some ways,Art The Clown is following in the footsteps ofPennywise from Stephen King’sItandGhostface from theScreamfranchise. He kills people in more brutal ways than either one of those classic slasher villains. But he does havethe same goofy vibe, at least in some scenes. That does help makeTerrifier,Terrifier 2, andTerrifier 3a bit easier to watch. Sure, if people aren’t big fans of gore, they aren’t going to want to sit through this franchise. But even those who are used to watching bloody scenes want some lighter moments to balance everything out. Art The Clown likes seeing what he can get away with and he pushes the boundaries. It will be interesting to see what he will be like inTerrifier 4.
What Else Did Damien Leone Share In His Terrifier Reddit AMA?
Damien Leone’s Reddit AMA had other great revelationsabout hiscareer as a filmmaker and his love of the horror genre. He shared that he is a big fan ofFriday the 13th,Halloween, andTexas Chainsaw Massacre. TheTerrifiermovies are definitely some ofthe most engaging modern slasher moviesand it’s fun to learn about the writer/director’s favorite films.
Leone mentioned thatfans will learn more details about Art The Clown with each movie. He said:
“I think Art’s mystique is essential to his effectiveness but I am revealing more and more as I go.”
Leone also answered a question about saying he couldn’t include all the gruesome kills that he had thought up inTerrifier 2. He said there was one kill that was just too much and explained, “As a writer/creator you can’t help but to think of extremes and throw wild ideas around, especially with a character like Art.” Whether reflecting onthe ending ofTerrifier 2orthe conclusion ofTerrifier 3, horror fans can definitely agree thatArt is one of the most savage and vicious slasher villains.
