This guy is consistently the most balanced and refreshing youtube film critic I've seen. No gimmicks, honest critiques and a good understanding of what he's reviewing and of film as a whole. Even when I disagree with him, he makes his case without seeming condescending or spiteful.
He’s literally the best. Also like moviebob. Usually don’t name drop on other channels but those 2 are literally the only reviews I care about on UA-cam
Dan, As a major fan of this series, much respect for you giving these a chance, deciding they weren't for you, and saying nice things about the work that went into them anyway. You were under no obligation to review them and you did anyway. That can only help a film grow, and should be what matters most to the people who made it. Hope you're doing okay!
It's perspective as a reviewer that always keeps me coming back. It's perfectly great criticism to highlight what is good, but not like simething overall. It's rarely something most people don't do.
Never heard of this guy before, but I really respect when reviewers are able to admit something just isnt for them. Decided to subscribe after this video even though I personally disagree with it.
Roger Ebert said in his review of John Tucker Must Die "Sometimes a movie critic just has to acknowledge that he does not fall within a particular film’s target demographic."
I LOVE horror movies and am also not squeamish about blood and gore and violence, but I watched the first Terrifier and knew straight away, this movie was not for me. It's gore for the sake of gore with little substance. I didn't enjoy it and felt no need to see the 2nd or 3rd. Thanks for confirming I made the right call.
@@LolaDelMarCaribe exactly. Most people, even fans agreed that the first one isn’t a very good movie at all, but Art and the practical effects were good. Terrifier 2 is honestly a revelation and is really the reason the franchise is popping off so hard right now.
I’m just not a fan of extreme sadistic violence for shock value. I’ll never watch Terrifier, even though I know it’s far from the most depraved movies out there (which I won’t be watching as well). I love thrillers and even some slasher movies, but there’s a line where the content won’t leave my brain, and it’s too gruesome for me to handle. I refuse to watch things with drawn out torture scenes, SA, explicit child abuse or just weird, violence fetish stuff.
Well said. It´s important to know our limits. I´ve always liked dark fictional stuff while being a very curious person. This has led me to a few attempts at raising the bar and trying to see some infamous and extreme films out there, you know, just to see how far I could take it. I remember when I finished watching Cannibal Holocaust and it felt like a rite of passage. Little did I know that it was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to movies considered disturbing. I pushed a little more and got to films like August Underground. It really started messing with my head. I had found my limit. lol I did a 180 and went back to my campy horror. heheh
I rarely turn movies off halfway through, but I gave up on this series during the scene where Art saws a naked girl in half while another girl is tied up and forced to watch. I agree with everything you said. The effects work, design , and physical performance are top-notch, but the violence crossed into “not fun” territory for me. And it’s not even just the violence itself. The film treats the violence, especially against women, with a sort of revelry that I found distasteful. Art is such a hateful character, but he’s absolutely the protagonist of these films. And it seems like the movies don’t want the audience to fear or hate Art, but rather they want to create a sense of morbid curiosity about exactly how Art will torture and mutilate his next victim. The movie asks us to revel in the violence alongside Art, and that’s not a ride I want to be taken on. I get how some people, especially hard core horror fans, can appreciate the films for pushing the envelope but this movie is 100% not for me and it was clear early on. Based on your description of the second and third movies, I think I made the right decision.
My biggest dislike of the series is the acting & the lack of a story (especially one to justify part 2's runtime). They're just bad movies save the effects work
I watched the 2nd movie and I will say that at the very least that one wasn't necessarily "on his side". The final girl in that is genuinely good and I ended up despising what Art was doing so much that I have rarely rooted for a final girl to the degree that I did in that one hahaha. But yeah there was still this kind of weird reveling in it kind of sadistic shit going on in that one which bugged the hell out of me.
I don’t mind a movie pushing limits and taking risks. We wouldn’t have great cinema without it. The only limits Terrifier wants to push though is violence and even that fails what has came before in foreign films. Those foreign films though have the violence serve the story. What does Art represent? He doesn’t represent crime coming into the suburbs after white flight like Michael Myers or capitalism marketing towards kids like Chucky. Art just represents violence.
I saw the first one with my family and we all started screaming hysterically for someone to fast forward during that scene lmao in the end my younger brother managed to fast forward while covering his eyes and we all happily continued watching 🤣💀🤷🏻♀️
Finally a reviewer that doesn't act like these movies are normal. Everywhere I go people talk about these movies like they are some fine art and a super enjoyable thing. I was beginning to think I am the weird one. Thank you Dan for admitting they are a bit too much for you. They are too much for me as well to a point that I don't even want to watch them. And I'm a 35 year old guy. I hate that there is almost an apologetic tone when someone is rejecting these movies as if these were some delicious tacos when in fact you're rejecting a two hour long compilation of people being tortured to death!
As a fan of these movies I can safely say that they are absolutely not for everyone. I don’t see them as some fine art, I see them as over the top gory slashers with some cool lore thrown in there and that will either be far too much for some people or not nearly enough for some people. Like what you like, don’t what you don’t!
@Deeperdetecting see this is kinda the problem I have with these movies they're basically the live action equivalent of an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon from the Simpsons except the kills in Itchy and Scratchy were so ridiculous and over the top and were involving cartoon animals that were obviously a parody of things like Looney Tunes that I found it easier to see the joke. I don't really find the kills in the Terrifier movies that funny or scary. They come across in a similar way as Tarrantinos thing with feet except far more prominent. I guess it's sort of similar for me to watching a Harold and Kumar movie with one of my friends who roars with laughter at all the poop jokes
Hearing ppl complaining about females being "exploited on film" is so tiring, especially when you never say the same thing when men are tortured. The actresses are being paid, they know what to expect when they sign up give the virtue signalling a rest
Good point, no one really seems to worry about men being tortured, guy gets a chainsaw up his butt in Terrifier 3, but no one says that's a worry how violence against men is depicted
I don’t think of the Terrifier movies as horror movies. They’re not scary. They’re more like porn, meant to illicit some kind of bodily response. That is most evident in the two scenes you referenced from the first two movies, which are just rape fantasy scenes from the darker corners of the internet. I will be accused of being a prude even though I like some pretty gruesome entertainment, but when that entertainment is about watching people suffer with no broader context, it is a bit worrying about what it says about the people who enjoy that.
Yeah ppl are all over UA-cam like these movies are so scary & brutal , after watching the second terrifier the other day I’m just like ok 😐 it’s too over the top but good movie I guess ? Wasn’t even scary
@@walt776 I wouldn’t go too far with that suggestion. There’s plenty of horror fans that enjoy the most disturbed films but don’t hurt people and advocate for human rights while the most pious seeming men can be plotting to purposefully put people in harms way for money, power, or influence.
@@Kevo6492 Not sure that is the iron-clad argument you think it is because it doesn’t address the base question of the value of the entertainment-just that good people can enjoy bad things. I mean, just because a good person enjoys videos of puppies getting stomped on doesn’t automatically make the videos good as a result. Anyway, I was thinking about Bone Tomahawk, which has a similar scene to the first Terrifier with a person getting graphically chopped in half. But in Bone Tomahawk, the scene isn’t sexualized like in Terrifier, and not just because the victim is a man. The audience’s empathy is with the main characters, who have been established through good characterization and dialogue, and not the killers. The death is cruel but it is carried out rather workmanlike, and the film doesn’t relish in it. But more to the point, the movie isn’t just about the gruesome scenes. There is a very strong film set around them. The same as the most recent Evil Dead movie. Terrifier only exists for its over-the-top torture scenes, kind of like how old porn movies tried awkwardly to shove in a plot between the sex scenes.
Watching this just reinforces why I think you are one of the best active movie reviewers. You recognized that these films aren't for you but still gave credit to things that you appreciated. Too many reviewers would just slag and dismiss it. Keep up the great work and sending you well wishes good sir.
I remember when Jacob Tremblay got killed in Doctor Sleep, it’s an obviously horrific scene in a great movie, but because the act is perpetrated by the villain characters who eventually get their comeuppance, it didn’t cross that line for me. When the “main character” Art the Clown is killing kids, it doesn’t have the same effect because we know these movies aren’t going to give Art his comeuppance in the same way. There will likely be several more of these movies.
@@DanMurrellMovies I recently rewatched Halloween 3 where a kid is killed by the mask witchcraft. I agree, treating it as a horrific event is an important component for ensuring that it is artfully done.
I think when there are acts like that in media, you have to be saying something. Similar to the sexual assault at the end of Joker 2. It wasn't actually saying anything. That's why it works in It and Doctor Sleep. That said, Terrifier IS saying something in the metatextual sense as Dan notes. But since it's just metatextual, I think it's fair game to criticise it.
@@DanMurrellMovies even 1975 JAWS where Alex is swimming in the far distance and Bruce the Great White Shark ate Alex and we saw blood and that's really shocking and even traumatized parents who have childrens would watched different horror for children.
What I found interesting about Terrifier 2 & 3 is that it turns a slasher trope on its head. Most slashers are filled with awful, unlikable characters that leave you rooting for the villain to take them out. The Terrifier films have likable characters who may be complex, but they aren't the cartoonish villains we get in most slasher films. Then after the movie gets you to like the characters it makes you watch as they're brutally killed. It honestly makes you totally uncomfortable the entire film as you're praying they don't die horribly.
@@DarkestStarASMR whenever I ask someone to expand on this, the good vs evil thing, it seems to largely be “the main character wore an angel costume” and some half developed drawing subplot. I feel like it’s just a thrown together add on to not get the torture-porn label
It’s drawing upon Greek Mythology with Sienna being basically Valkyrie and the way the demonic forces work in this one. They go even further with 3 by even getting clearer with what Art could be and minor Spoiler, set up the idea of the 9 levels of hell established in the classic tale of Dante’s Inferno.
I hate meanspirited horror and Terrifier seems right up that alley. Not for me, but good on those that enjoy it. I'm always put off by people that take their kids to see this type of stuff though
Watch the second. Brutal? Absolutely. Story isn't as meanspirited though and the main character doesn't get sliced and diced. She actually get some great moments
@@hanyolo2041I would say the story is mean spirited if the director specifically keeps adding and adding upon the infamous death of that one character even though it serves no purpose to the story. That’s behind the scenes, he kept making her death worse for the brutality, not for any meaningful expression.
@@tharealje2306If you bring a child to Terrifier 3 and allow a child to watch the first 2 Terrifier movies, then you’re just a bad parent. It is actually very bad for a child’s psyche to watch violence like that especially with how extreme it is in these films.
dan is by far the best reviewer on youtube. hes always fair and honest but tries to be as nuanced as possible and trying to find positives in films that doesnt work for him.
I’ve only seen Terrifier 2, and I can say with confidence that the only reason the film worked for me was the humor. Without it, the film would have been a 0 star endurance test of agony. However the humor balanced the film enough to get me through, and just barely be glad I did. However I know I won’t see Terrifier 3. I have a 7 year old son, and seeing children being killed is too much for me. That’s fine if other people want to see it, but that alone makes the 3rd an easy pass for me.
The 2nd one is the only one I watched. I genuinely wish the movie wasn't as sadistic and mean-spirited as it was because of how amazing the special effects were, how likeable the final girl was, and how iconic and humorous of a character that Art the Clown was.
I finally watched the 2nd one yesterday and honestly it wasn't as bad as I expected. I was feeling sick because of the anxiety from what everyone kept saying about THE scene but when it came, it was bad, but it just felt funny at some point I just kept screaming whyyyy like its so over the top I found it somewhat funny. I was like dieeeeee pleaseeee. But in comparison I never made it through the sawing scene in the first one so idk
Why add the part about being fine with people who find this entertaining? Are you not capable of calling them depraved lunatics? That's what they ARE. Disgusting, sickening, revolting people who shrug off the most horrifying physical thing that could possibly happen to a child. It's FINE to dislike them and call them what they are. Grow a backbone.
I think the best (good faith) way to view these films as real life Itchy & Scratchy cartoons. They’re so ridiculous and absurdly over-the-top that I honestly end up laughing at the kills than being terrified. Especially how comedic David Howard Thornton’s performance is where he’s genuinely funny at times that surprised me and my audience. These movies aren’t for everyone, but it is pretty cool that such a niche horror franchise has managed to grow organize popularity and now we have a situation where a $2.5 million budgeted unrated horror film could upset a $200 million Joker sequel at the box office in its second weekend. If that’s not a comment on how movie culture is slowly changing and people are branching out to different movie experiences, than I dunno what is.
Joker 2 sucks. The word was out on it before it hit theaters. Once it had confirmation, it was going to be a flop. I think any movie would have beaten it if they were released this weekend.
This is a lot of my issue. It's kind of like the Saw/Hostel/Human Centipede effect. Every sequel needs to be more extreme. And at some point, it begins to feel like the filmmaker has lost the lead. It's more about having headlines that say, "People threw up and fainted at the premiere." than it is about crafting the lore and story.
Eh. Ppl complain about Saw and Hostel but those franchises have storylines and even reoccurring characters. Twists and turns even. Terrifier is something different entirely and gore is the only thing it has in common with the movies you mentioned.
@@MissAlmostFine yeah, but Saw's marketing was built on, "What kind of bizarre and extreme traps will we get in this one?? Have to go see it to find out!"
@@MissAlmostFinei would still classify Saw as torture porn because it does want to linger and revel in the gore, but I'll grant you that if you remove that aspect of those movies, you do still get a somewhat interesting crime thriller with a thought provoking antagonist, at least in half of them anyway.
saw is a great example of just trying to ramp everything up. First one movie is great and 2nd is okay but after they did the 2nd one they had to find a way to beat the reverse beartrap device, and then jsut kept doing it for each movie.
To me Terrifier just comes off as trying to be super edgy and over the top. It feels like a 13 year old trying to gross out his little sister with images of dead bodies from the internet. Just not sure what the point is outside of "Hehe look! Look how disgusting and taboo and messed up this is! Look!" 🤷
Smh it's horror schlock, it really isn't that serious and no Terrifier fan goes in expecting Hereditary or The Shining. They want a murder spree by a goofy villain and it's fun for those into that sort of story.
You nailed. Actually, the "13-year-old" bit is the first thing I thought while watching the first movie (won't bother watching the other two). It reminded me of what I and my friends would come up with when telling horror stories at that age: just gruesome murders (because their cool and rad) with zero actual story behind them and characters that didn't have any actual personality (more like NPCs). I was actually surprised to find out the creator of this movies was already in his 30s when he made the first instalment. I don't think that guy can be a normal funcioning adult in real life, to be honest.
@@georgezee5173 yet stuff like that happen in real life but some how it is 13 year old fantasy ? lol ok "won't bother watching the other two" at least know what you are talknig about to make an actual opinion
I’m fine with whatever people want to watch, I’m with Dan on this. My only beef with this franchise is how they are marketing it for towards kids. At Sprit Halloween stores, Art is front and center. They even have kid/teen themed costumes. I think that’s a bit much.
this was such a thoughtful and thorough review. you think of things that i rarely, if ever, see other movie reviewers talk about because they don’t think about it beyond a surface level. love this channel and thanks for another great review. 💜
I’m a horror fanatic. I love a gory kill as much as the next guy. But the Terrifier series is essentially watch this guy in a hyper violent way kill people. It’s ultra mean spirited. Amazing showcase of VFX However it’s not really something I care to watch a whole movie about. But I love that it exists and totally can understand why someone would enjoy these films.
For me the Terrifier movies are like if someone made a live action Itchy and Scratchy movie. But just like Itchy and Scratchy I never found the joke of the kill that funny.
I have no issues with gory or violent films. The saw franchise is one of my biggest guilty pleasures and I often get frustrated by what I perceived as purse clutching squares who would be outraged at these films. However, something about the Terrifier films just doesn't sit right with me. I've just got back from seeing the third one after giving them all a chance. It doesn't make me squeamish at all but I find that it has an inescapable misogyny that I find difficult to digest, and I think the increased need for stimulation through more and more violent content is something I find deeply troubling.
Same. It's hard to put your finger on but it's exploitative and in poor taste. Hostel and Saw and Final Destination have dramatic tension... I get so little of that from the Terrifier flicks. It's either boring to me or repellant.
@@dante6985 Yeah, at least those films make some attempt at artistry. I mean, the Saw films have a lot of creativity and end up being silly and fun. These films have little artistry on a filmmaking level outside of impressive practical effects. And yeah, these films tend to oscillate between boring and repulsive.
false information and you know it the main hero is a woman and there are many victims that are men so don't spread false information specially if you watched all 3
I was a pretty heavy horror fan in the past, and then the older I got the more it actually horrified me and affected my mental health. I had to stop completely when I got pregnant. I can stomach the occasional silly kind of film, like Nightmare on Elm Street or something, but I just don't enjoy the way most horror movies make me feel anymore. Thanks for watching these so I don't have to 😅
Damn, times have changed. Nightmare on Elm Street was like considered hardcore! I guess as time progresses all horror gets the same treatment as golden age monsters. There was a time where Frakenstien was probably controversial
I’ve only recently heard anything about these movies and I’ll pass. Hurting others, esp. kids, w/o a decent reason won’t make me a fan. I could just watch the news for that.
I wanted to walk out of T3 in the opening but I stuck with it. I wanted to walk out because it felt like a ride that I couldn’t get off. But I adjusted quickly and actually liked this one the most of the 3. I know what I’m getting with these films and appreciate them taking it there
I found that the first Terrifier, for me; was a waste of time. It was gratuitous violence with virtually no real story that excited me. Part 2 I was forced to watch but I’m glad my friends told me to watch it because I found the character of Sienna to be exceptional. Her story is the reason I loved the second one. Going into the 3rd one, I enjoyed it even more than part 2. I felt that Art was funnier, and more absurd than ever. The scene with Santa Claus was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while. His ability to say so much without saying a word speaks volumes! And of course Sienna once again being the ultimate final girl! I was pleasantly surprised by the father/daughter relationship that expanded on her story more. In hoping that the conclusion brings more of that since that is what has personally made me a fan of this series. Love your honesty, Dan. It’s refreshing to see in this movie talk space! Great reviews and much respect!
My problem with them is they just aren't very good movies.....if not the for gore and Art they would live in obscurity. Also, the violence is mean spirited to the point it isn't fun anymore. If you want a recent movie with similar brutality, but it's much better done and fun to watch, go watch Thanksgiving.
I couldn't agree with you more. I just don't see the "point" of depraved gore with no explanation other than "he's a bad guy." I'm a horror fan, especially of the old school, 70s and 80s practical effects slashers but Art the Clown has no backstory or explanation which lends to bad story telling. IMHO
lol yea the 1st 2 stories were very bare the 3rd was a little better to me. But I think its supposed to like 80s slashers where the story is plain and everyone is there to see the killer do his job.
yea the first movie writing i hated because everytime someone would stab art they would stop and then run. That was like 5 different people that did that atleast. Someone would decide to continue to stab Art or bash his head in. I would also throw out Evil Dead Rise. as a brutal movie but with great writing. Special Effects in Terifier are well done and Art acting is really good becuase he is mute and its all phyiscal acting
This film exceeded my expectations, delivering an exceptional cinematic experience. Sharing it with seven colleagues, I observed that despite not having seen the first two installments, they thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The film constitutes a stylized festival of violence, reminiscent of the criticisms leveled against horror movies in the 80s and 90s. Its aesthetic and execution evoke an era when the horror genre was defined by its audacity and originality.
My main problem with these movies ain’t the movies themselves, but what they’ll do to other upcoming horror villains. If those movies don’t have as brutal kills, people won’t take them seriously because they’ll be using Terrfier as the benchmark. If villains aren’t as evil and malicious as Art the Clown, people won’t consider them worthy.
@@GenZealous I don’t think that will be a problem considering the influence art house horror has been having ever since it broke out like a decade ago. People still enjoy Longlegs, Late Night With the Devil, Immaculate, Cuckoo, etc. Maybe for slashers but I don’t even think then.
People already don't take horror seriously. You're talking as if the standard horror film has any value at all...they don't. It's all jump scares and bad writing. Horror as a genre is completely off the rails right now. It DESPERATELY needs this kind of kick in the A to show studios that this Disney level "door moved by itself 45 minutes in, insert spooky sound" crap isn't cutting it ... nor does it have to be high brow all the time either (as the alternative). But Terrifier is barely even horror at all...I'd go as far as to argue it's just not. It's a splatter movie, which is actually an offshoot of dark comedy rather than horror. You don't watch splatter flicks to get scared, you watch them to laugh at these ridiculous over the top eviscerations and chuckle with your friends over it.
Hereditary doesnt have much violence and it was highly praised. I think Terrifier is for super hardcore horro/gore fans and ther movies will still be welcomed. People want something new and interesting and the 2 movies I just mentioned do that in very different ways.
This review is interesting for me because how you feel about these movies is how I feel about this entire genre. I feel like all the sadism is too much, all the violence is over the line. I feel like the desire to cater to these impulses in people is a really bad thing societally speaking. Perhaps that puts me in the camp with Ebert, but I just think it is one thing to enjoy being scared by something, and it is another to enjoy watching people doing violence to other people. I truly believe violence is erosive to the soul, and enjoying that is included even if it doesn't rise to the level of performing violence yourself. I think we would be better off with entertainment that was suspenseful, or thrilling, without being gory and violent. Because I do think you can get desensitized, as evidenced by the escalation in these very movies.
Another small point is that a movie (or any art) can be misogynistic regardless of the creator. You don't have to know anything about the director to say he ended up making misogynistic art, even if that was totally not his intention or desire.
@@floristfindspeaceYeah true crime seems like such a horrible thing. Like just imagine all the families realizing the story of their family members being murdered was turned into a podcast people listen to for entertainment.
I pretty much agree completely. I don't even think kids should even be on a set like this and I really believe that these movies should be NC-17. As much as people try to say that this concept is "banning" it. With that said, I really respect Leone's artistic abilities with his special effects and I love Art the Clown as a horror character. So it really irritates me how much these movies cross the line with certain things. I want to be able to watch an Art the Clown horror movie without this really over the top insanity at every turn.
The director has used the IT movies to justify the killing of kids in the film. Even though the murders in IT are really upsetting, at least it has something to say, and has a point to it. There are all kinds of metaphors for child abuse and children losing their innocence. And it is a big plot device and serves as motivation for the main character, of losing his younger brother.
Something similar happened to me with that new movie The Substance. My morbid curiosity got the best of me and I looked up the full plot and watched some clips. I really didn't need that ingrained in my head.
Dan… why are you too good? Like, it’s so refreshing for such an incredibly fair review towards something that you very clearly didn’t enjoy. You’re the critic we need, not the one we deserve! ❤️
Kids and animals are a horror red line for me as well. As usual, Dan, this is a balanced and reflective review: just why I always want to know what you think of a movie.
3:55 as a writer, author, and horror movie connoisseur, I always find it telling when people complain about the treatment of women in horror movies when male characters are RARELY good or live to the end. They call them the "Final Girl" and not the "Final Boy" for a reason, and I feel that this trope has gotten even worse in modern day where I actually give a horror movie extra points if it has at least one major male character who isn't a monster or horrible person. I try not to hold it against a movie, especially if it's otherwise good (The Substance, for example), but there are some movies that just feel like it's deliberately hateful of men (Blink Twice) where in the Terrifier films you are always meant to sympathize with the women and care about them when they die, while male characters are almost routinely made out to be a-holes so you cheer their deaths, unlike the female characters.
@@sk8rboy True, horror is predominately a female protagonist genre, but that's not the point. It's like in romance films, they follow the "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" trope; the midpoint breakup is usually a guy's fault, he's the one who ruins the relationship and has to make the mad dash to the airport and confess his love to the woman. It never happens in reverse, or it's extremely rare. In horror, especially lately, there are almost no good male characters, whereas in the 80s and 90s there was at least 1-2 good guys whether they lived or not. It's because if we like them, we might feel bad for them when they die, and contemporary filmmakers don't want that; they want you to cheer for violence against men, and that's more likely if the men are bastards. I remember when I saw MaXXXine and a woman cheered at the ball crushing scene because that guy was set up as a bastard. No matter how evil a female character is, you will not see guys cheering for her genital mutilation.
Imo 3 was the perfect case of more money doesn't necessarily mean more quality, tbh I didn't feel terrifier 3, I just thought it was sloppy and unfocused, think they leaned too much on the shlocky christmas angle. Technically yes excellent movie but plot wise and the writing were a bit of a let down imo.
yup different Art actor, stories dont tie into Terrifier, no memorable kills that i recall. It was a good warmup for the director and a neat after the fact curiosity for super fans, but The Terrifier series is the real deal
I watched all three in one day and I personally didn't feel numb - I was mostly drawn to the series because of the design of Art the Clown - because mostly, over the past 15 years or so there's been this trend of trying to make clowns as ~*scary as possible*~ but one of the reasons why Tim Curry's Pennywise endured is because he looked like a normal clown for the most part you'd find at a fair or carnival. I hated the remake Pennywise because while he had a Victorian clown look, they tried too hard. Art is simple and that's what makes him an iconic design. As for the gore, I don't usually watch slasher or splatter horror films, I like psych horror the most and found footage - but because PRACTICAL effects were used as opposed to CGI and it's obvious it's not as realistic as some try to make these films, I was able to enjoy them for what they were. I viewed the first one as just 'here is Art the Clown in his current canonical series' and then 2-4 films as the narrative. The narrative is a little simple - in my eyes at least - but I don't mind simplicity and I don't need to take any lessons away from anything and I don't need something to be a soaring epic like Lord of the Rings. They're obviously not Oscar-bait movies and I just kinda enjoy them for what they are. As for children - there's a loooot of other horror movies that kills them so I just kinda took it in stride. If the people at the Clown Cafe in the second one weren't older but children and Art took the Tommy Gun to them yeah I would have been like'oh yeeeeesh' So - I think the biggest things that made me like these movies is simplicity, good character design, and good practical effects. But it did take me yeeearsss to finally relent and watch them haha. I completely understand why some folks just ... can't do it. Not their thing and it's not what they're looking for in films which is totally fair.
@@MrVitamincpp Ik I’m just saying that don’t skip the prequels next time when your watching another movie so far because your not going to know what’s going on, lol.
I loved that the children weren't safe. My biggest problem with the Jurassic Park franchise, is all the children who were protected by plot armor. Terrifier 3 is my favorite and I'm so excited with how much harder they went with 3.
For extreme gore and violence, I always like to ask: how is it compared to The Boys? That show has over the top violence, but it's more the like fun sprinkles on top of a sundae. More for the audience to go "haha eww gross". But the actual sundae of The Boys (imo) is the characters, their relationships and motivations. I don't mind extreme gore in that context. Seems like these Terrifier movies are not that, so the violence would be unappealing to me, it would seem from Dan's review.
Dan this kind of review is why I've followed you all these years. Incredibly well done. Well I could tell it wasn't for you, your summarized these enough for me to know that a morbidly curious person like me would enjoy these movies. I took your advice and spaced them out over a couple of days and man, thank you Dan lol For as enjoyable as I found them if I had 2 and 3 as a double feature I would have been toast 😂 I see a lot of horror movies in my town, but this is the only horror film I've seen where I was the only dude in the showing I went to. (there were only 8 people at 2pm on a Thursday but still) I think it speaks a lot to how strong a character the lead actress in these movies are. Dameon Leone said he wanted to craft a final girl as iconic as Art to stand toe to toe with him. And I think the demographic shows how successful that was.
I really don’t vibe with these movies and critics seemingly treating these movies as regular, everyday movies and minimizing the violence in it. I think the makeup people will have jobs for life but I don’t see anything extra worthwhile about the series or why it rises above the torture porn movies of the 00’s. It’s not particularly scary and Art is just another clown in a genre over saturated with them so if violence is the only selling point, I’m not with it. I’ve seen people try and say there’s deep lore involved but it all seems to come down to “the girl in T2 wore an Angel costume that one time”
I find that a lot of woketurds hate this movie and falsely accuse it of “misogyny”. They did the same thing to Michael Myers, crying homophobia over Halloween Kills.
In my opinion these movies are so violent it becomes comical to me. The film has a comical/over the top feel to it and is not set in reality whatsover so the violence is just comical. The horror films that bother me are the ones that are more based in reality and have more graphic/realistic violence in it like the legs breaking in Misery. That bothers me more.
Same here. As brutal as the kills can get (Terrifier 3 really goes hard in this aspect) and as visceral as they can be, even genuinely getting a physical reaction out of me at times, it never feels quite real. It all feels like movie magic. And that paired with Art’s sense of humor is what keeps me from categorizing them as pure brutality for the sake of brutality, I think.
Terrifier is not for everyone. It’s for hardcore horror fans with a dark sense of humor. The movies cross a lot of lines that’s only alleviated by david howard thorntons hilarious performance as Art the clown. If you’re not a horror fan this isn’t for you Even if you enjoy horror this might not be for you 😅
When I heard about the upside down saw half way through the body scene, this whole franchise was a write off. To hear kids are murdered in the 3rd is disgusting. Sorry but anyone who's a fan of this must have barely 3 brain cells
There is a strong misogynistic undercurrent. They spend minutes brutally decapitating pretty girls but kill guys off screen. I fundamentally don't understand people who enjoy this type of "film".
@@masterelmstreet5886 That type of content isn't entertaining to me. The fact that it is to you speaks for itself. You're the type of audience that enjoys videos where the creator pays money for homeless to do self-harming things then makes a UA-cam comment like "I'm the real man. I can stomach and appreciate this." *slow clap* bro
I went and say Terrifier 3 today and I loved every minute of it. But then, I do have a mean streak a mile wide when it comes to horror movies. What you said is perfectly understandable and totally justified. There were reports early on of people leaving the theater because of the violence. I can attest to that, as the row behind me packed up and left half-way through the movie. Terrifier is a franchise where you kind of need to have a sadistic side to enjoy it the way I did. I knew from the moment I saw the first movie, that this franchise was not going to be for everyone, and it really shouldn't be, either, in my opinion. This is a very audience-specific kind of slasher, and I love what Damien Leone did with it. My biggest issue with the second movie was the length. Slasher movies really don't need to be closing in on the 2.5 hour mark. 2 hours tops, so I'm glad that film number 3 clocked in at 2 hours. It shows the Leone is evolving his craft, especially when it comes to editing. Looking at the box office results, Terrifier 3 is going to be a massive hit for Leone, and he should be proud of it. It looks like it's going to bring in about 18 million this weekend on a 2 million dollar budget. Regardless of how you feel about the movie, you have to admit, that's a huge win for a low-budget indie horror film. When they win, EVERYBODY wins.
I regret my curiosity but these Terrifier scenes are all up on UA-cam with no restrictions at all. How is it that UA-cam allows this kind of content (e.g. what Dan referenced, the clip of a woman being sawed in half from the genitals while hanging upside down naked). How are these violent clips up on UA-cam able to be viewed without any restrictions but UA-cam places restrictions on random stuff like documentaries or real life news coverage? Truly disgusting.
Honestly if Art (Btw that name is weak) didn't have funny and quirky moments, his movies would most likely not have gotten this far even with the top-of-the-line gory kills in my opinion. Thank goodness his support cast held up their part too. His lore is a bit small since he started as a background character, he doesn't offer much but I guess it worked out. At least Sienna's family is pretty interesting. I'm 50/50 with Art sometimes. Love or hate him I believe he definitely held a memorable spot in the horror genre.
@@ericsilva-gomez2481 I respect the skill involved in the film, and it is very up front with what it is, so I respect that. To each his own, but not for me. I can't say the same Trump, but I get where you're coming from.
I saw the 1st, didn't care for it. Saw the 2nd in theaters (mostly to support a small gore film being released) and realized that my love for the gore horror genre is over. It wasn't that it was bad (it is) but is got no enjoyment watching it, despite once loving this genre
I’ve seen the first two. Didn’t enjoy the first one but the second one surprised me. That film was only made for 250K, quite impressive. As a film fan, I appreciate the work done in these films.
Just wanted to add, Godzilla Minus One is another showcase of how did they achieve that with so little. Films like Terrifier and Minus One impress me more than the next Marvel product.
I do think the franchise is going in an interesting direction though. They're building out the backstory and the lead actress is doing an amazing job. Art the clown has also become a horror icon. For me, there's just enough to keep me interested.
I love how you reviewed these movies. Although I love the terrifier films (the 2nd and 3rd one, anyway), I totally get why some people would not like it and wouldn't want to watch them. My only issue comes when people act like those who do enjoy it are freaks/weirdos, or they just label the movie as "torture porn" and nothing else. If it was just a gorno with nothing else to offer, it would not be nearly as successful as it currently is. That's why you don't see movies like Guinea Pig topping the box office. Although the gore is definitely a huge factor, the extensive lore/speculation and the incredibly charismatic performance from David are equally important. Not to mention the amazing performance from Lauren LeVera (who is one of the best final girls of all time now). This is also why the movies didn't take off until the 2nd one. The first terrifier is the closest to being pure "torture porn", but the 2nd introduced such fascinating lore elements that really made the franchise feel like more than just a series of extreme kills.
Violence against children is also a red line for me. If it's going to be done it has to be in that "as close to tasteful as reasonable" way that something like IT Chapter 1 handled it. If I'm expecting to see in Terrifier 3 the kind of violence depicted in its predecessor then I have no interest in seeing that kind of violence inflicted upon a child. Hard pass for me.
Major respect!! This man is the MVP of movie UA-cam reviewers!! He is expressing his honest opinion about these films and it is genuine and real!! I loved these movies but I KNOW they are not for everyone Also, the theater I saw this film at was filled with VERY YOUNG CHILDREN talking single digit children with their parents and these kids wouldn’t stop talking. This film is borderline NC-17, idk how they got let in by security or the doorman
Terrifier 3 was unrated, meaning that there was technically no restriction on the age of who could attend. Theaters could choose to formulate and enforce their own admittance policy regarding age, but clearly they decided not to. That's disappointing.
@@DanMurrellMovies oh my goodness man I’m geeking out I’ve been one of your biggest fans since your movie fights days!! Thank you for what you do!! You’re a true legend!! I know u living Arkansas which is awesome, I’m from Tennessee and am currently trying to build a name for myself in the world of film discussion. I just graduated from the University of Memphis with a film and video production degree and also am a 4 year Movie Theater Manager
Dan bending over backwards so far that his spine snaps in half trying not to offend the people, whose sole reason to wake up in the morning is to offend other people.
Yeah this was disclaimer city haha. I don't blame him though the internet is full of people who will take absolutely any opportunity to twist people's words
@@desertsuede4damn even when he is just trying to be nice you found a reason to mock him. No wonder he puts out a disclaimer. After getting death threats over a movie like he has in the past, I would do the same thing.
Thanks for taking the time to review these, Dan. I really appreciate your perspective. I've seen the first two films and am on the fence about watching 3.
Terrifier is the ONLY film I have ever gotten up and turned off on the basis that it has no redeeming artistic, entertainment, or educational value. Anyone that tells me they love these films immediately becomes someone I would not trust around children, animals, my home, and someone I have no desire to talk to or associate with...to the point I would ask them to leave my home.
One doesn't have to like film to respect the film. I appreciate what it does for the horror community, it's just shitty writing all around so the bar is set low for others. Which is better for us
As someone who loves movies like Saw, Terrifier 3 feels devoid of reason to exist. The practical effects are cool and all. The story is just not compelling enough and it seems devoid of theme. It is so violently theme-less that is circles back to feeling pretentious
Im shocked "horror fans" who get offended or upset by Terrifier. Its always done with tongue in cheek. And why not kids? Its a MOVIE! People are to easily offended. Sigh..
I appreciate you reviewing these films and giving them a chance instead of writing them off as grindhouse trash. I’ve seen Terrifier 3 twice and will go again before it leaves! This organic groundswell of support and box office growth via word of mouth makes me so happy to be a horror film fan
We were worried that this is where horror films were headed - low-rent sadistic torture porn. For years we wondered if we’d finally hit the bottom but here we are now. It’s actually a little disheartening to hear Dan work so hard to avoid offending people who enjoy this contemptible brand of dehumanizing garbage. If you can’t just call it what it is then don’t give it oxygen.
They’re are a lot of people who enjoy horror in almost aspects especially the special effects and consider it art. Also these movies are meant to be campy and funny not even meant to scare you in that way. If you can’t understand the concept of makeup and make believe than that’s on you. I’ve seen Hollywood movies with way more horrific scenes like needless SA with women and children or depict racism and violence which we would consider much worse than a campy horror movie 🤷🏻♀️
Dan I don’t necessarily love the gore, but for me, I have a very hard time being scared of slashers or paranormal. The gore isn’t the appeal on its own, it’s knowing what art can and will do to someone that makes him scarier to me. Knowing that art is stalking someone causes so much more fear and tension for me than any other killer, because any other killer would be a mercy compared to art. To me, this was the first killer that delivers on their initial frightening appearance.
I respect your opinion Dan. These types of movies aren’t for everyone. As someone who’s into hardcore horror myself, there’s actually worse out there than Terrifier so avoid 70’s Italian films or 2000’s Japanese. My main problem with Terrifier and Art the Clown in particular isn’t the violence but the violence being meaningless. Even with movies like Ichi the Killer or Audition, they are insanely violent but the violence serves a purpose to the story. Instead, with the Terrifier films, the story serves as a purpose to the violence.
Another great review! Just finished Terrifier 3. It was a bit much for me too-but you are spot-on, fans of the franchise will love it. The design and creative gore is in a league of its own.
You're right. Horror is so subjective. I am the polar opposite of you. I really enjoy the Terrifier films, while I don't care for movies like Hereditary or most A24 stuff at all.
omg thank you for the trigger warning, after the past year i dont think i could stomach a child being killed gratuitously on the big screen. will NOT be watching
I’m all for these movies watched them all within like 24hrs and had a great time. Something I appreciated across the movies was that the characters were making less and less infuriatingly terrible decisions. That first one I wanted to turn off so many times I was getting so mad 😂 I do love the lead and I’m so intrigued where things will go next with how this one ends.
Huge horror fan, grew up during the 80s hey day, but I agree with you on many points. I was questioning my own stance on things while the whole audience roared with laughter as children are being murdered. And yes, runtime was exhausting. I'm afraid how they can move the needle further for the next installation, which is already in the works.
I agree. My view is that it's a movie and it shows things other films referenced without issue. Stephen King's IT is a prime example. Richie dies horribly in the novel and it's barely shown in the films.
I love 'em and find them all hilarious. It's slapstick at its heart, if it had a heart. But yeah, it doesn't pretend to be for everyone. It's an esoteric genre and I'm so happy someone is out there making it work.
I think part of the appeal of these movies is that they create that nervous feeling in you that...what you'll see next is probably going to mess you up. I agree, these aren't movies I'd every want to watch again, but I have to be honest, the dread I feel before and during I see them is something else.
This guy is consistently the most balanced and refreshing youtube film critic I've seen. No gimmicks, honest critiques and a good understanding of what he's reviewing and of film as a whole. Even when I disagree with him, he makes his case without seeming condescending or spiteful.
He’s literally the best. Also like moviebob. Usually don’t name drop on other channels but those 2 are literally the only reviews I care about on UA-cam
Good point 👍🏿
Get out more 😊
Dan,
As a major fan of this series, much respect for you giving these a chance, deciding they weren't for you, and saying nice things about the work that went into them anyway. You were under no obligation to review them and you did anyway. That can only help a film grow, and should be what matters most to the people who made it. Hope you're doing okay!
It's perspective as a reviewer that always keeps me coming back. It's perfectly great criticism to highlight what is good, but not like simething overall. It's rarely something most people don't do.
Never heard of this guy before, but I really respect when reviewers are able to admit something just isnt for them. Decided to subscribe after this video even though I personally disagree with it.
@@darksoulsthanos9940if you heard of Honest Trailer, he was editor/writer on that for several years
I know! I loved this review not only because he stated his unbiased opinion but mostly because he did so in such a respectful way.
@@darksoulsthanos9940 welcome to the party, pal.
Roger Ebert said in his review of John Tucker Must Die "Sometimes a movie critic just has to acknowledge that he does not fall within a particular film’s target demographic."
The same hypocrite called Friday the 13th "Immoral irehensible trash" screw that hack!
Roger Ebert was my fav critic. Rip to a legend!
The target demographic for the terrifier films are sadists…💀
Horror already went through the torture pron phase this isn't anything groundbreaking.
@@Sigmundfrued I'm sure even Dan wouldn't make such a sweeping statement.
I LOVE horror movies and am also not squeamish about blood and gore and violence, but I watched the first Terrifier and knew straight away, this movie was not for me. It's gore for the sake of gore with little substance. I didn't enjoy it and felt no need to see the 2nd or 3rd. Thanks for confirming I made the right call.
The first one is bad. The second and 3rd feel a lot more like legit movies.
Your missing out most fans of the Terrifier movies prefer the second due to actual having a story line with gore and a great final girl.
@@LolaDelMarCaribe exactly. Most people, even fans agreed that the first one isn’t a very good movie at all, but Art and the practical effects were good.
Terrifier 2 is honestly a revelation and is really the reason the franchise is popping off so hard right now.
I saw the second and it doesn't get better.
These movies have a strange surreal quality to them the style is somewhat European which means theyre better than most American movies
I’m just not a fan of extreme sadistic violence for shock value. I’ll never watch Terrifier, even though I know it’s far from the most depraved movies out there (which I won’t be watching as well). I love thrillers and even some slasher movies, but there’s a line where the content won’t leave my brain, and it’s too gruesome for me to handle. I refuse to watch things with drawn out torture scenes, SA, explicit child abuse or just weird, violence fetish stuff.
Well said. It´s important to know our limits. I´ve always liked dark fictional stuff while being a very curious person. This has led me to a few attempts at raising the bar and trying to see some infamous and extreme films out there, you know, just to see how far I could take it.
I remember when I finished watching Cannibal Holocaust and it felt like a rite of passage. Little did I know that it was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to movies considered disturbing. I pushed a little more and got to films like August Underground. It really started messing with my head. I had found my limit. lol
I did a 180 and went back to my campy horror. heheh
Ur a snowflake just say that
Same
I believe some of that material can also be damaging to the psyche
I'm exactly the same....can't stand sadistic, drawn out torture scenes.
We should never again ask why the Romans flocked to the Colliseum.
Oh yes
lolll so true
Well, to be fair, there almost never any killings in the colliseums. It was more like modern day wrestling.
I rarely turn movies off halfway through, but I gave up on this series during the scene where Art saws a naked girl in half while another girl is tied up and forced to watch. I agree with everything you said. The effects work, design , and physical performance are top-notch, but the violence crossed into “not fun” territory for me.
And it’s not even just the violence itself. The film treats the violence, especially against women, with a sort of revelry that I found distasteful. Art is such a hateful character, but he’s absolutely the protagonist of these films. And it seems like the movies don’t want the audience to fear or hate Art, but rather they want to create a sense of morbid curiosity about exactly how Art will torture and mutilate his next victim. The movie asks us to revel in the violence alongside Art, and that’s not a ride I want to be taken on.
I get how some people, especially hard core horror fans, can appreciate the films for pushing the envelope but this movie is 100% not for me and it was clear early on. Based on your description of the second and third movies, I think I made the right decision.
My biggest dislike of the series is the acting & the lack of a story (especially one to justify part 2's runtime). They're just bad movies save the effects work
I watched the 2nd movie and I will say that at the very least that one wasn't necessarily "on his side". The final girl in that is genuinely good and I ended up despising what Art was doing so much that I have rarely rooted for a final girl to the degree that I did in that one hahaha.
But yeah there was still this kind of weird reveling in it kind of sadistic shit going on in that one which bugged the hell out of me.
I don’t mind a movie pushing limits and taking risks. We wouldn’t have great cinema without it. The only limits Terrifier wants to push though is violence and even that fails what has came before in foreign films. Those foreign films though have the violence serve the story. What does Art represent? He doesn’t represent crime coming into the suburbs after white flight like Michael Myers or capitalism marketing towards kids like Chucky. Art just represents violence.
I saw the first one with my family and we all started screaming hysterically for someone to fast forward during that scene lmao in the end my younger brother managed to fast forward while covering his eyes and we all happily continued watching 🤣💀🤷🏻♀️
Cry more u sensitive little clown
Finally a reviewer that doesn't act like these movies are normal. Everywhere I go people talk about these movies like they are some fine art and a super enjoyable thing. I was beginning to think I am the weird one. Thank you Dan for admitting they are a bit too much for you. They are too much for me as well to a point that I don't even want to watch them. And I'm a 35 year old guy. I hate that there is almost an apologetic tone when someone is rejecting these movies as if these were some delicious tacos when in fact you're rejecting a two hour long compilation of people being tortured to death!
As a fan of these movies I can safely say that they are absolutely not for everyone. I don’t see them as some fine art, I see them as over the top gory slashers with some cool lore thrown in there and that will either be far too much for some people or not nearly enough for some people. Like what you like, don’t what you don’t!
lol also a 35 yr old male here and I love these movies.
It’s fucking hilarious and I’m 30
@Deeperdetecting see this is kinda the problem I have with these movies they're basically the live action equivalent of an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon from the Simpsons except the kills in Itchy and Scratchy were so ridiculous and over the top and were involving cartoon animals that were obviously a parody of things like Looney Tunes that I found it easier to see the joke. I don't really find the kills in the Terrifier movies that funny or scary. They come across in a similar way as Tarrantinos thing with feet except far more prominent. I guess it's sort of similar for me to watching a Harold and Kumar movie with one of my friends who roars with laughter at all the poop jokes
It's subjective it's fine. Have a soy latte tell yourself it's only a film and move on.
Hard agree with basically all of this. At some point in 3 Gabby yells “what is going on!” And I was like “girl, me too.”
These movies suck. Not scary. Why were these movies even made.
@@kiaadams104 because they are good movies and Art is a modern icon being made in front of our eyes deal with it
Hearing ppl complaining about females being "exploited on film" is so tiring, especially when you never say the same thing when men are tortured.
The actresses are being paid, they know what to expect when they sign up give the virtue signalling a rest
Good point, no one really seems to worry about men being tortured, guy gets a chainsaw up his butt in Terrifier 3, but no one says that's a worry how violence against men is depicted
I don’t think of the Terrifier movies as horror movies. They’re not scary. They’re more like porn, meant to illicit some kind of bodily response. That is most evident in the two scenes you referenced from the first two movies, which are just rape fantasy scenes from the darker corners of the internet. I will be accused of being a prude even though I like some pretty gruesome entertainment, but when that entertainment is about watching people suffer with no broader context, it is a bit worrying about what it says about the people who enjoy that.
@@walt776 It is porn. Torture porn or gore porn. Which is already a shit subgenre.
Completely agree with this.
Yeah ppl are all over UA-cam like these movies are so scary & brutal , after watching the second terrifier the other day I’m just like ok 😐 it’s too over the top but good movie I guess ? Wasn’t even scary
@@walt776 I wouldn’t go too far with that suggestion. There’s plenty of horror fans that enjoy the most disturbed films but don’t hurt people and advocate for human rights while the most pious seeming men can be plotting to purposefully put people in harms way for money, power, or influence.
@@Kevo6492 Not sure that is the iron-clad argument you think it is because it doesn’t address the base question of the value of the entertainment-just that good people can enjoy bad things. I mean, just because a good person enjoys videos of puppies getting stomped on doesn’t automatically make the videos good as a result.
Anyway, I was thinking about Bone Tomahawk, which has a similar scene to the first Terrifier with a person getting graphically chopped in half. But in Bone Tomahawk, the scene isn’t sexualized like in Terrifier, and not just because the victim is a man. The audience’s empathy is with the main characters, who have been established through good characterization and dialogue, and not the killers. The death is cruel but it is carried out rather workmanlike, and the film doesn’t relish in it. But more to the point, the movie isn’t just about the gruesome scenes. There is a very strong film set around them. The same as the most recent Evil Dead movie. Terrifier only exists for its over-the-top torture scenes, kind of like how old porn movies tried awkwardly to shove in a plot between the sex scenes.
Watching this just reinforces why I think you are one of the best active movie reviewers. You recognized that these films aren't for you but still gave credit to things that you appreciated. Too many reviewers would just slag and dismiss it. Keep up the great work and sending you well wishes good sir.
I remember when Jacob Tremblay got killed in Doctor Sleep, it’s an obviously horrific scene in a great movie, but because the act is perpetrated by the villain characters who eventually get their comeuppance, it didn’t cross that line for me. When the “main character” Art the Clown is killing kids, it doesn’t have the same effect because we know these movies aren’t going to give Art his comeuppance in the same way. There will likely be several more of these movies.
Same as Hereditary, one of my favorite movies - a child is killed, but it's shown as a horrific event. It's all about context.
@@DanMurrellMovies I recently rewatched Halloween 3 where a kid is killed by the mask witchcraft. I agree, treating it as a horrific event is an important component for ensuring that it is artfully done.
I think when there are acts like that in media, you have to be saying something. Similar to the sexual assault at the end of Joker 2. It wasn't actually saying anything. That's why it works in It and Doctor Sleep.
That said, Terrifier IS saying something in the metatextual sense as Dan notes. But since it's just metatextual, I think it's fair game to criticise it.
Yeah but also every single Jason or Freddy or Slasher sequel movie ever.
@@DanMurrellMovies even 1975 JAWS where Alex is swimming in the far distance and Bruce the Great White Shark ate Alex and we saw blood and that's really shocking and even traumatized parents who have childrens would watched different horror for children.
What I found interesting about Terrifier 2 & 3 is that it turns a slasher trope on its head. Most slashers are filled with awful, unlikable characters that leave you rooting for the villain to take them out. The Terrifier films have likable characters who may be complex, but they aren't the cartoonish villains we get in most slasher films. Then after the movie gets you to like the characters it makes you watch as they're brutally killed. It honestly makes you totally uncomfortable the entire film as you're praying they don't die horribly.
Let's be honest. These movies really don't have anything to offer other than the over the top gore.
Shock value with no substance always feels gimmicky.
Hello, The Human Centipede!
If you arent blinded by the gore they actually have a very interesting story about good vs evil with a great lore
@@DarkestStarASMR whenever I ask someone to expand on this, the good vs evil thing, it seems to largely be “the main character wore an angel costume” and some half developed drawing subplot. I feel like it’s just a thrown together add on to not get the torture-porn label
It’s drawing upon Greek Mythology with Sienna being basically Valkyrie and the way the demonic forces work in this one. They go even further with 3 by even getting clearer with what Art could be and minor Spoiler, set up the idea of the 9 levels of hell established in the classic tale of Dante’s Inferno.
@@theprowler18 Valkyries are from Norse, not Greek mythology
I hate meanspirited horror and Terrifier seems right up that alley. Not for me, but good on those that enjoy it. I'm always put off by people that take their kids to see this type of stuff though
Watch the second. Brutal? Absolutely. Story isn't as meanspirited though and the main character doesn't get sliced and diced. She actually get some great moments
@@hanyolo2041I would say the story is mean spirited if the director specifically keeps adding and adding upon the infamous death of that one character even though it serves no purpose to the story. That’s behind the scenes, he kept making her death worse for the brutality, not for any meaningful expression.
Soft.... and my kid knows real life from fake movies
@@tharealje2306If you bring a child to Terrifier 3 and allow a child to watch the first 2 Terrifier movies, then you’re just a bad parent. It is actually very bad for a child’s psyche to watch violence like that especially with how extreme it is in these films.
@@DanV900I just saw 3, and I am suffering from a little “Terrifier Fatigue.” If you take your children to these movies you’re an idiot.
Not for me, but glad folks are enjoying it and happy for the people who make them.
I love the Terrifier movies, but there are so many of my friends and family I wouldn't recommend it to them cause I know it's not for them.
i ain’t watching all that, i’m happy for u tho, or sorry that happened
@@raymondzrike😂
Same. Number two just too much for me
Dan's look on the thumbnail. It truly is
*TERRIFYING*
Which one is Dan tho
dan is by far the best reviewer on youtube. hes always fair and honest but tries to be as nuanced as possible and trying to find positives in films that doesnt work for him.
I’ve only seen Terrifier 2, and I can say with confidence that the only reason the film worked for me was the humor. Without it, the film would have been a 0 star endurance test of agony. However the humor balanced the film enough to get me through, and just barely be glad I did. However I know I won’t see Terrifier 3. I have a 7 year old son, and seeing children being killed is too much for me. That’s fine if other people want to see it, but that alone makes the 3rd an easy pass for me.
The 2nd one is the only one I watched. I genuinely wish the movie wasn't as sadistic and mean-spirited as it was because of how amazing the special effects were, how likeable the final girl was, and how iconic and humorous of a character that Art the Clown was.
I finally watched the 2nd one yesterday and honestly it wasn't as bad as I expected. I was feeling sick because of the anxiety from what everyone kept saying about THE scene but when it came, it was bad, but it just felt funny at some point I just kept screaming whyyyy like its so over the top I found it somewhat funny. I was like dieeeeee pleaseeee. But in comparison I never made it through the sawing scene in the first one so idk
Why add the part about being fine with people who find this entertaining? Are you not capable of calling them depraved lunatics? That's what they ARE. Disgusting, sickening, revolting people who shrug off the most horrifying physical thing that could possibly happen to a child. It's FINE to dislike them and call them what they are. Grow a backbone.
I think the best (good faith) way to view these films as real life Itchy & Scratchy cartoons. They’re so ridiculous and absurdly over-the-top that I honestly end up laughing at the kills than being terrified. Especially how comedic David Howard Thornton’s performance is where he’s genuinely funny at times that surprised me and my audience.
These movies aren’t for everyone, but it is pretty cool that such a niche horror franchise has managed to grow organize popularity and now we have a situation where a $2.5 million budgeted unrated horror film could upset a $200 million Joker sequel at the box office in its second weekend. If that’s not a comment on how movie culture is slowly changing and people are branching out to different movie experiences, than I dunno what is.
That is how I look at them. I also enjoy them as "R&D" films.
It is cool to see what you can do today with practical effects.
Nah, these movies are twisted and the third movie proves Damien is a sicko. There are lines you don't cross
@@orpheus0108 It doesnt matter.
Broad consensus is that Joke 2 majorly sucks. I wouldn't draw too many conclusions about tastes changing from comparing the box office sales.
Joker 2 sucks. The word was out on it before it hit theaters. Once it had confirmation, it was going to be a flop. I think any movie would have beaten it if they were released this weekend.
This is a lot of my issue. It's kind of like the Saw/Hostel/Human Centipede effect. Every sequel needs to be more extreme. And at some point, it begins to feel like the filmmaker has lost the lead. It's more about having headlines that say, "People threw up and fainted at the premiere." than it is about crafting the lore and story.
Eh. Ppl complain about Saw and Hostel but those franchises have storylines and even reoccurring characters. Twists and turns even. Terrifier is something different entirely and gore is the only thing it has in common with the movies you mentioned.
@@MissAlmostFine yeah, but Saw's marketing was built on, "What kind of bizarre and extreme traps will we get in this one?? Have to go see it to find out!"
@@MissAlmostFinei would still classify Saw as torture porn because it does want to linger and revel in the gore, but I'll grant you that if you remove that aspect of those movies, you do still get a somewhat interesting crime thriller with a thought provoking antagonist, at least in half of them anyway.
saw is a great example of just trying to ramp everything up. First one movie is great and 2nd is okay but after they did the 2nd one they had to find a way to beat the reverse beartrap device, and then jsut kept doing it for each movie.
@@STE9LTH final destination as well
Terrifier reminded me that I could still be repulsed by horror, that I still have a soul.
Haha me too! That's refreshing at least
Wym. Shit looks like jello. None of this is traumatizing like real life
@@joes.4149 if you’re not disturbed by these movies, cool. some people are. that shouldn’t be shocking.
I would never watch these movies, I know I would hate them,
I always watch Dan's reviews, I know I'll love them.
To me Terrifier just comes off as trying to be super edgy and over the top. It feels like a 13 year old trying to gross out his little sister with images of dead bodies from the internet. Just not sure what the point is outside of "Hehe look! Look how disgusting and taboo and messed up this is! Look!" 🤷
Good point. I equate it to a kid chasing you with a fingertip full of green boogers. 👃🤧 Not cool or funny. Just gross and dumb.
Smh it's horror schlock, it really isn't that serious and no Terrifier fan goes in expecting Hereditary or The Shining.
They want a murder spree by a goofy villain and it's fun for those into that sort of story.
You nailed. Actually, the "13-year-old" bit is the first thing I thought while watching the first movie (won't bother watching the other two). It reminded me of what I and my friends would come up with when telling horror stories at that age: just gruesome murders (because their cool and rad) with zero actual story behind them and characters that didn't have any actual personality (more like NPCs). I was actually surprised to find out the creator of this movies was already in his 30s when he made the first instalment. I don't think that guy can be a normal funcioning adult in real life, to be honest.
@@georgezee5173 yet stuff like that happen in real life but some how it is 13 year old fantasy ? lol ok
"won't bother watching the other two" at least know what you are talknig about to make an actual opinion
That's exactly what I was thinking. It reminds me of Where the Dead Go to Die, where the only goal is to be as edgy as possible.
I’m fine with whatever people want to watch, I’m with Dan on this. My only beef with this franchise is how they are marketing it for towards kids. At Sprit Halloween stores, Art is front and center. They even have kid/teen themed costumes. I think that’s a bit much.
this was such a thoughtful and thorough review. you think of things that i rarely, if ever, see other movie reviewers talk about because they don’t think about it beyond a surface level.
love this channel and thanks for another great review. 💜
I’m a horror fanatic. I love a gory kill as much as the next guy.
But the Terrifier series is essentially watch this guy in a hyper violent way kill people. It’s ultra mean spirited.
Amazing showcase of VFX
However it’s not really something I care to watch a whole movie about. But I love that it exists and totally can understand why someone would enjoy these films.
For me the Terrifier movies are like if someone made a live action Itchy and Scratchy movie. But just like Itchy and Scratchy I never found the joke of the kill that funny.
I have no issues with gory or violent films. The saw franchise is one of my biggest guilty pleasures and I often get frustrated by what I perceived as purse clutching squares who would be outraged at these films. However, something about the Terrifier films just doesn't sit right with me. I've just got back from seeing the third one after giving them all a chance. It doesn't make me squeamish at all but I find that it has an inescapable misogyny that I find difficult to digest, and I think the increased need for stimulation through more and more violent content is something I find deeply troubling.
Same. It's hard to put your finger on but it's exploitative and in poor taste. Hostel and Saw and Final Destination have dramatic tension... I get so little of that from the Terrifier flicks. It's either boring to me or repellant.
@@dante6985 Yeah, at least those films make some attempt at artistry. I mean, the Saw films have a lot of creativity and end up being silly and fun. These films have little artistry on a filmmaking level outside of impressive practical effects. And yeah, these films tend to oscillate between boring and repulsive.
false information and you know it
the main hero is a woman
and there are many victims that are men
so don't spread false information specially if you watched all 3
@@dante6985 poor taste ? lol ok and it is funny comparing it to hostel
@@elijahryan2934 but terrifier has creativity with the kills ? but ur bias i get it
I was a pretty heavy horror fan in the past, and then the older I got the more it actually horrified me and affected my mental health. I had to stop completely when I got pregnant. I can stomach the occasional silly kind of film, like Nightmare on Elm Street or something, but I just don't enjoy the way most horror movies make me feel anymore. Thanks for watching these so I don't have to 😅
Damn, times have changed. Nightmare on Elm Street was like considered hardcore!
I guess as time progresses all horror gets the same treatment as golden age monsters. There was a time where Frakenstien was probably controversial
this is also how i feel about true crime. i don’t understand being entertained by real traumatic murders, and the way that loved ones suffer.
I’ve only recently heard anything about these movies and I’ll pass. Hurting others, esp. kids, w/o a decent reason won’t make me a fan. I could just watch the news for that.
I wanted to walk out of T3 in the opening but I stuck with it. I wanted to walk out because it felt like a ride that I couldn’t get off. But I adjusted quickly and actually liked this one the most of the 3. I know what I’m getting with these films and appreciate them taking it there
I found that the first Terrifier, for me; was a waste of time. It was gratuitous violence with virtually no real story that excited me. Part 2 I was forced to watch but I’m glad my friends told me to watch it because I found the character of Sienna to be exceptional. Her story is the reason I loved the second one. Going into the 3rd one, I enjoyed it even more than part 2. I felt that Art was funnier, and more absurd than ever. The scene with Santa Claus was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while. His ability to say so much without saying a word speaks volumes! And of course Sienna once again being the ultimate final girl! I was pleasantly surprised by the father/daughter relationship that expanded on her story more. In hoping that the conclusion brings more of that since that is what has personally made me a fan of this series. Love your honesty, Dan. It’s refreshing to see in this movie talk space! Great reviews and much respect!
I highly recommend watching all hallows eve first because it gives context to how art came to be.
This review is why Dan is the best film critic I know of. Incredible work.
My problem with them is they just aren't very good movies.....if not the for gore and Art they would live in obscurity. Also, the violence is mean spirited to the point it isn't fun anymore. If you want a recent movie with similar brutality, but it's much better done and fun to watch, go watch Thanksgiving.
I couldn't agree with you more. I just don't see the "point" of depraved gore with no explanation other than "he's a bad guy."
I'm a horror fan, especially of the old school, 70s and 80s practical effects slashers but Art the Clown has no backstory or explanation which lends to bad story telling. IMHO
lol yea the 1st 2 stories were very bare the 3rd was a little better to me. But I think its supposed to like 80s slashers where the story is plain and everyone is there to see the killer do his job.
yea the first movie writing i hated because everytime someone would stab art they would stop and then run. That was like 5 different people that did that atleast. Someone would decide to continue to stab Art or bash his head in. I would also throw out Evil Dead Rise. as a brutal movie but with great writing. Special Effects in Terifier are well done and Art acting is really good becuase he is mute and its all phyiscal acting
Thanksgiving was great
It's just terrible writing and gore.
This film exceeded my expectations, delivering an exceptional cinematic experience. Sharing it with seven colleagues, I observed that despite not having seen the first two installments, they thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The film constitutes a stylized festival of violence, reminiscent of the criticisms leveled against horror movies in the 80s and 90s. Its aesthetic and execution evoke an era when the horror genre was defined by its audacity and originality.
My main problem with these movies ain’t the movies themselves, but what they’ll do to other upcoming horror villains. If those movies don’t have as brutal kills, people won’t take them seriously because they’ll be using Terrfier as the benchmark. If villains aren’t as evil and malicious as Art the Clown, people won’t consider them worthy.
@@GenZealous I don’t think that will be a problem considering the influence art house horror has been having ever since it broke out like a decade ago. People still enjoy Longlegs, Late Night With the Devil, Immaculate, Cuckoo, etc. Maybe for slashers but I don’t even think then.
People already don't take horror seriously. You're talking as if the standard horror film has any value at all...they don't. It's all jump scares and bad writing. Horror as a genre is completely off the rails right now. It DESPERATELY needs this kind of kick in the A to show studios that this Disney level "door moved by itself 45 minutes in, insert spooky sound" crap isn't cutting it ... nor does it have to be high brow all the time either (as the alternative).
But Terrifier is barely even horror at all...I'd go as far as to argue it's just not. It's a splatter movie, which is actually an offshoot of dark comedy rather than horror. You don't watch splatter flicks to get scared, you watch them to laugh at these ridiculous over the top eviscerations and chuckle with your friends over it.
Hereditary doesnt have much violence and it was highly praised. I think Terrifier is for super hardcore horro/gore fans and ther movies will still be welcomed. People want something new and interesting and the 2 movies I just mentioned do that in very different ways.
@@thelocust619 yea the movies during he previews were all jumpscare driven lol theyll never seem to get away from that.
@@thelocust619bingo. Nailed the appeal of the series to a tee. And why it’s making bank this weekend.
This review is interesting for me because how you feel about these movies is how I feel about this entire genre. I feel like all the sadism is too much, all the violence is over the line. I feel like the desire to cater to these impulses in people is a really bad thing societally speaking. Perhaps that puts me in the camp with Ebert, but I just think it is one thing to enjoy being scared by something, and it is another to enjoy watching people doing violence to other people. I truly believe violence is erosive to the soul, and enjoying that is included even if it doesn't rise to the level of performing violence yourself. I think we would be better off with entertainment that was suspenseful, or thrilling, without being gory and violent. Because I do think you can get desensitized, as evidenced by the escalation in these very movies.
Another small point is that a movie (or any art) can be misogynistic regardless of the creator. You don't have to know anything about the director to say he ended up making misogynistic art, even if that was totally not his intention or desire.
that’s how i feel about true crime.
@@vlogerhood the word misogyn is so overused and it is literally false information here
@@floristfindspeaceYeah true crime seems like such a horrible thing. Like just imagine all the families realizing the story of their family members being murdered was turned into a podcast people listen to for entertainment.
Another video I'm watching ONLY because Dan is doing it.
I pretty much agree completely. I don't even think kids should even be on a set like this and I really believe that these movies should be NC-17. As much as people try to say that this concept is "banning" it.
With that said, I really respect Leone's artistic abilities with his special effects and I love Art the Clown as a horror character. So it really irritates me how much these movies cross the line with certain things. I want to be able to watch an Art the Clown horror movie without this really over the top insanity at every turn.
They're Not Rated, which means that the MPA has not designated a rating. That leaves it to theaters to determine admittance policies.
The director has used the IT movies to justify the killing of kids in the film.
Even though the murders in IT are really upsetting, at least it has something to say, and has a point to it. There are all kinds of metaphors for child abuse and children losing their innocence. And it is a big plot device and serves as motivation for the main character, of losing his younger brother.
@@leopardprints nice false information there do you want me to list to u how many kid meet this fate in 100000 movie ?
Yeah, I don't think these are for me, either. I saw the bedroom scene from part 2 online and regretted it.
Something similar happened to me with that new movie The Substance. My morbid curiosity got the best of me and I looked up the full plot and watched some clips. I really didn't need that ingrained in my head.
@@gbrow1604 the substance is the best movie of 2024 give it a try to don't just watch some clips
Dan… why are you too good? Like, it’s so refreshing for such an incredibly fair review towards something that you very clearly didn’t enjoy. You’re the critic we need, not the one we deserve! ❤️
Kids and animals are a horror red line for me as well.
As usual, Dan, this is a balanced and reflective review: just why I always want to know what you think of a movie.
its interesting as Jaws nicked em both within 2 minutes of each other
@@LastTorgoInParis Jaws was actually good.
3:55 as a writer, author, and horror movie connoisseur, I always find it telling when people complain about the treatment of women in horror movies when male characters are RARELY good or live to the end. They call them the "Final Girl" and not the "Final Boy" for a reason, and I feel that this trope has gotten even worse in modern day where I actually give a horror movie extra points if it has at least one major male character who isn't a monster or horrible person.
I try not to hold it against a movie, especially if it's otherwise good (The Substance, for example), but there are some movies that just feel like it's deliberately hateful of men (Blink Twice) where in the Terrifier films you are always meant to sympathize with the women and care about them when they die, while male characters are almost routinely made out to be a-holes so you cheer their deaths, unlike the female characters.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Could also be because men are rarely the protagonists of these movies in the first place. Kinda hard to survive if you aren’t the main character
@@sk8rboy True, horror is predominately a female protagonist genre, but that's not the point. It's like in romance films, they follow the "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" trope; the midpoint breakup is usually a guy's fault, he's the one who ruins the relationship and has to make the mad dash to the airport and confess his love to the woman. It never happens in reverse, or it's extremely rare.
In horror, especially lately, there are almost no good male characters, whereas in the 80s and 90s there was at least 1-2 good guys whether they lived or not.
It's because if we like them, we might feel bad for them when they die, and contemporary filmmakers don't want that; they want you to cheer for violence against men, and that's more likely if the men are bastards.
I remember when I saw MaXXXine and a woman cheered at the ball crushing scene because that guy was set up as a bastard. No matter how evil a female character is, you will not see guys cheering for her genital mutilation.
Dan the man always with banger reviews
Imo 3 was the perfect case of more money doesn't necessarily mean more quality, tbh I didn't feel terrifier 3, I just thought it was sloppy and unfocused, think they leaned too much on the shlocky christmas angle. Technically yes excellent movie but plot wise and the writing were a bit of a let down imo.
Throwing more money at bad writing doesn't make it good.
@@Dru2037how is it bad writing? The story is not finished yet
Everyone forgets 'All Hallows Eve' (but I get it)
yup different Art actor, stories dont tie into Terrifier, no memorable kills that i recall. It was a good warmup for the director and a neat after the fact curiosity for super fans, but The Terrifier series is the real deal
I watched all three in one day and I personally didn't feel numb - I was mostly drawn to the series because of the design of Art the Clown - because mostly, over the past 15 years or so there's been this trend of trying to make clowns as ~*scary as possible*~ but one of the reasons why Tim Curry's Pennywise endured is because he looked like a normal clown for the most part you'd find at a fair or carnival. I hated the remake Pennywise because while he had a Victorian clown look, they tried too hard.
Art is simple and that's what makes him an iconic design.
As for the gore, I don't usually watch slasher or splatter horror films, I like psych horror the most and found footage - but because PRACTICAL effects were used as opposed to CGI and it's obvious it's not as realistic as some try to make these films, I was able to enjoy them for what they were. I viewed the first one as just 'here is Art the Clown in his current canonical series' and then 2-4 films as the narrative.
The narrative is a little simple - in my eyes at least - but I don't mind simplicity and I don't need to take any lessons away from anything and I don't need something to be a soaring epic like Lord of the Rings. They're obviously not Oscar-bait movies and I just kinda enjoy them for what they are.
As for children - there's a loooot of other horror movies that kills them so I just kinda took it in stride. If the people at the Clown Cafe in the second one weren't older but children and Art took the Tommy Gun to them yeah I would have been like'oh yeeeeesh'
So - I think the biggest things that made me like these movies is simplicity, good character design, and good practical effects.
But it did take me yeeearsss to finally relent and watch them haha. I completely understand why some folks just ... can't do it. Not their thing and it's not what they're looking for in films which is totally fair.
I've just watched 3 without seeing 1 and 2 and I do not like it at all. Violence without any reason and plot. It is not terrifying, just plain stupid.
Then watch the first and second. You can’t just say it didn’t have a plot when you don’t even know about the other movies lol.
@@Ugh-r8m you must be joking, I would never watch similar movie, no way :)
@@MrVitamincpp Ik I’m just saying that don’t skip the prequels next time when your watching another movie so far because your not going to know what’s going on, lol.
@@Ugh-r8m I've only seen the first movie and it definitely has no plot. It's gore p0rn and nothing else.
@@georgezee5173 the second one had a plot. The third one kinda of had a plot.
I loved that the children weren't safe. My biggest problem with the Jurassic Park franchise, is all the children who were protected by plot armor. Terrifier 3 is my favorite and I'm so excited with how much harder they went with 3.
For extreme gore and violence, I always like to ask: how is it compared to The Boys? That show has over the top violence, but it's more the like fun sprinkles on top of a sundae. More for the audience to go "haha eww gross". But the actual sundae of The Boys (imo) is the characters, their relationships and motivations. I don't mind extreme gore in that context. Seems like these Terrifier movies are not that, so the violence would be unappealing to me, it would seem from Dan's review.
It's like if you took the most extreme scenes from The Boys and made a whole movie of that. Three of them, actually.
Except sadistic and brutal, not borderline slapstick like the boys imo
@@simbolicdunksman1746 it's borderline slapstick
Dan this kind of review is why I've followed you all these years. Incredibly well done. Well I could tell it wasn't for you, your summarized these enough for me to know that a morbidly curious person like me would enjoy these movies. I took your advice and spaced them out over a couple of days and man, thank you Dan lol
For as enjoyable as I found them if I had 2 and 3 as a double feature I would have been toast 😂
I see a lot of horror movies in my town, but this is the only horror film I've seen where I was the only dude in the showing I went to. (there were only 8 people at 2pm on a Thursday but still)
I think it speaks a lot to how strong a character the lead actress in these movies are. Dameon Leone said he wanted to craft a final girl as iconic as Art to stand toe to toe with him. And I think the demographic shows how successful that was.
I really don’t vibe with these movies and critics seemingly treating these movies as regular, everyday movies and minimizing the violence in it. I think the makeup people will have jobs for life but I don’t see anything extra worthwhile about the series or why it rises above the torture porn movies of the 00’s. It’s not particularly scary and Art is just another clown in a genre over saturated with them so if violence is the only selling point, I’m not with it. I’ve seen people try and say there’s deep lore involved but it all seems to come down to “the girl in T2 wore an Angel costume that one time”
i also think it’s not so much that they have a deep lore, but that we as humans can find meaning in things.
I find that a lot of woketurds hate this movie and falsely accuse it of “misogyny”. They did the same thing to Michael Myers, crying homophobia over Halloween Kills.
In my opinion these movies are so violent it becomes comical to me. The film has a comical/over the top feel to it and is not set in reality whatsover so the violence is just comical. The horror films that bother me are the ones that are more based in reality and have more graphic/realistic violence in it like the legs breaking in Misery. That bothers me more.
Same here. As brutal as the kills can get (Terrifier 3 really goes hard in this aspect) and as visceral as they can be, even genuinely getting a physical reaction out of me at times, it never feels quite real. It all feels like movie magic. And that paired with Art’s sense of humor is what keeps me from categorizing them as pure brutality for the sake of brutality, I think.
how does that not make you start to dissociate though?
Terrifier is not for everyone. It’s for hardcore horror fans with a dark sense of humor. The movies cross a lot of lines that’s only alleviated by david howard thorntons hilarious performance as Art the clown. If you’re not a horror fan this isn’t for you
Even if you enjoy horror this might not be for you 😅
When I heard about the upside down saw half way through the body scene, this whole franchise was a write off.
To hear kids are murdered in the 3rd is disgusting. Sorry but anyone who's a fan of this must have barely 3 brain cells
There is a strong misogynistic undercurrent. They spend minutes brutally decapitating pretty girls but kill guys off screen. I fundamentally don't understand people who enjoy this type of "film".
@@masterelmstreet5886 That type of content isn't entertaining to me. The fact that it is to you speaks for itself.
You're the type of audience that enjoys videos where the creator pays money for homeless to do self-harming things then makes a UA-cam comment like "I'm the real man. I can stomach and appreciate this." *slow clap* bro
I went and say Terrifier 3 today and I loved every minute of it. But then, I do have a mean streak a mile wide when it comes to horror movies. What you said is perfectly understandable and totally justified. There were reports early on of people leaving the theater because of the violence. I can attest to that, as the row behind me packed up and left half-way through the movie. Terrifier is a franchise where you kind of need to have a sadistic side to enjoy it the way I did. I knew from the moment I saw the first movie, that this franchise was not going to be for everyone, and it really shouldn't be, either, in my opinion. This is a very audience-specific kind of slasher, and I love what Damien Leone did with it. My biggest issue with the second movie was the length. Slasher movies really don't need to be closing in on the 2.5 hour mark. 2 hours tops, so I'm glad that film number 3 clocked in at 2 hours. It shows the Leone is evolving his craft, especially when it comes to editing.
Looking at the box office results, Terrifier 3 is going to be a massive hit for Leone, and he should be proud of it. It looks like it's going to bring in about 18 million this weekend on a 2 million dollar budget. Regardless of how you feel about the movie, you have to admit, that's a huge win for a low-budget indie horror film. When they win, EVERYBODY wins.
I regret my curiosity but these Terrifier scenes are all up on UA-cam with no restrictions at all. How is it that UA-cam allows this kind of content (e.g. what Dan referenced, the clip of a woman being sawed in half from the genitals while hanging upside down naked). How are these violent clips up on UA-cam able to be viewed without any restrictions but UA-cam places restrictions on random stuff like documentaries or real life news coverage? Truly disgusting.
Some people have uploaded p0rn type videos on UA-cam and it takes them *ages* to take it down. Unless you report them, they will remain.
UA-cams policy is total trash. If you say shit in the first 7 seconds of a video you can get age-restricted but insane violence is totally fine
Go watch youtube kids then
I'm guessing because it's all fake, it's allowed. But the full nudity alone should've at least gotten an age restriction.
@@Cap_Briggsy dawn's death is censored so their is no full nudity on youtube when it comes to terrifier
Honestly if Art (Btw that name is weak) didn't have funny and quirky moments, his movies would most likely not have gotten this far even with the top-of-the-line gory kills in my opinion. Thank goodness his support cast held up their part too. His lore is a bit small since he started as a background character, he doesn't offer much but I guess it worked out. At least Sienna's family is pretty interesting. I'm 50/50 with Art sometimes. Love or hate him I believe he definitely held a memorable spot in the horror genre.
So Terrifier is now "mainstream" enough that even Dan is having to review it.
Yeah because it was number one at the box office. But just because Trump won an election doesn’t mean it wasn’t a regrettable decision
@@ericsilva-gomez2481 I respect the skill involved in the film, and it is very up front with what it is, so I respect that. To each his own, but not for me.
I can't say the same Trump, but I get where you're coming from.
I saw the 1st, didn't care for it.
Saw the 2nd in theaters (mostly to support a small gore film being released) and realized that my love for the gore horror genre is over. It wasn't that it was bad (it is) but is got no enjoyment watching it, despite once loving this genre
I'm terrified of all the people commenting before watching the video
Lol what are they saying haha I haven't read them yet
I just want to say, as a fan of the series, thank you for giving your opinion without judging people who do enjoy the movies.
I’ve seen the first two. Didn’t enjoy the first one but the second one surprised me. That film was only made for 250K, quite impressive.
As a film fan, I appreciate the work done in these films.
Just wanted to add, Godzilla Minus One is another showcase of how did they achieve that with so little. Films like Terrifier and Minus One impress me more than the next Marvel product.
3 is even better, can’t wait to see it again
I do think the franchise is going in an interesting direction though. They're building out the backstory and the lead actress is doing an amazing job. Art the clown has also become a horror icon. For me, there's just enough to keep me interested.
The real Joker.
Not
I love how you reviewed these movies. Although I love the terrifier films (the 2nd and 3rd one, anyway), I totally get why some people would not like it and wouldn't want to watch them. My only issue comes when people act like those who do enjoy it are freaks/weirdos, or they just label the movie as "torture porn" and nothing else. If it was just a gorno with nothing else to offer, it would not be nearly as successful as it currently is. That's why you don't see movies like Guinea Pig topping the box office. Although the gore is definitely a huge factor, the extensive lore/speculation and the incredibly charismatic performance from David are equally important. Not to mention the amazing performance from Lauren LeVera (who is one of the best final girls of all time now).
This is also why the movies didn't take off until the 2nd one. The first terrifier is the closest to being pure "torture porn", but the 2nd introduced such fascinating lore elements that really made the franchise feel like more than just a series of extreme kills.
Is there a reason the movies can't be *both* torture porn and have interesting lore and charismatic performance? Those don't seen mutually exclusive
Let’s gooooo been waiting for this!
Violence against children is also a red line for me. If it's going to be done it has to be in that "as close to tasteful as reasonable" way that something like IT Chapter 1 handled it. If I'm expecting to see in Terrifier 3 the kind of violence depicted in its predecessor then I have no interest in seeing that kind of violence inflicted upon a child. Hard pass for me.
I think Terrifier is a love/hate franchise. I love it, but I can 100% see why others don't.
Major respect!! This man is the MVP of movie UA-cam reviewers!! He is expressing his honest opinion about these films and it is genuine and real!! I loved these movies but I KNOW they are not for everyone
Also, the theater I saw this film at was filled with VERY YOUNG CHILDREN talking single digit children with their parents and these kids wouldn’t stop talking. This film is borderline NC-17, idk how they got let in by security or the doorman
Terrifier 3 was unrated, meaning that there was technically no restriction on the age of who could attend. Theaters could choose to formulate and enforce their own admittance policy regarding age, but clearly they decided not to. That's disappointing.
@@DanMurrellMovies oh my goodness man I’m geeking out I’ve been one of your biggest fans since your movie fights days!! Thank you for what you do!! You’re a true legend!! I know u living Arkansas which is awesome, I’m from Tennessee and am currently trying to build a name for myself in the world of film discussion. I just graduated from the University of Memphis with a film and video production degree and also am a 4 year Movie Theater Manager
Dan bending over backwards so far that his spine snaps in half trying not to offend the people, whose sole reason to wake up in the morning is to offend other people.
Yeah I really wish he'd stop prefacing any opinion with a long disclaimer about how it's opinion etc. Jesus Christ grow a spine.
Facts.
Yeah this was disclaimer city haha. I don't blame him though the internet is full of people who will take absolutely any opportunity to twist people's words
@@desertsuede4damn even when he is just trying to be nice you found a reason to mock him. No wonder he puts out a disclaimer. After getting death threats over a movie like he has in the past, I would do the same thing.
@@lawrencescales9864 yeah, putting out disclaimers about every opinion will surely prevent death threats.
Thanks for taking the time to review these, Dan. I really appreciate your perspective. I've seen the first two films and am on the fence about watching 3.
Terrifier is the ONLY film I have ever gotten up and turned off on the basis that it has no redeeming artistic, entertainment, or educational value. Anyone that tells me they love these films immediately becomes someone I would not trust around children, animals, my home, and someone I have no desire to talk to or associate with...to the point I would ask them to leave my home.
well apparently people watch these films and laugh at the death scenes!
One doesn't have to like film to respect the film.
I appreciate what it does for the horror community, it's just shitty writing all around so the bar is set low for others.
Which is better for us
@@RealStoriesBank it has no redeeming artistic, entertainment, or educational value. Period.
@@adamgroszkiewicz814 Unless your playing art the clown in call of duty
@@RealStoriesBank Fair point. Though I'd contend CoD is the hogslop of FPS's.
As someone who loves movies like Saw, Terrifier 3 feels devoid of reason to exist. The practical effects are cool and all. The story is just not compelling enough and it seems devoid of theme. It is so violently theme-less that is circles back to feeling pretentious
Blood and gore just for the hell of it and now kids to. I won't watch them anytime soon.
Im shocked "horror fans" who get offended or upset by Terrifier. Its always done with tongue in cheek. And why not kids? Its a MOVIE! People are to easily offended. Sigh..
usually because most people don’t want to watch a kid get murdered. fictional or not.
Why is nobody reviewing All Hallows' Eve, the first Art the Clown movie? No one even mentions that Terrifier was the sequel
different art actor, stories did not carry over into terrifier.
It was an anthology of short stories featuring Art.
I appreciate you reviewing these films and giving them a chance instead of writing them off as grindhouse trash. I’ve seen Terrifier 3 twice and will go again before it leaves! This organic groundswell of support and box office growth via word of mouth makes me so happy to be a horror film fan
We were worried that this is where horror films were headed - low-rent sadistic torture porn. For years we wondered if we’d finally hit the bottom but here we are now. It’s actually a little disheartening to hear Dan work so hard to avoid offending people who enjoy this contemptible brand of dehumanizing garbage. If you can’t just call it what it is then don’t give it oxygen.
They’re are a lot of people who enjoy horror in almost aspects especially the special effects and consider it art. Also these movies are meant to be campy and funny not even meant to scare you in that way. If you can’t understand the concept of makeup and make believe than that’s on you. I’ve seen Hollywood movies with way more horrific scenes like needless SA with women and children or depict racism and violence which we would consider much worse than a campy horror movie 🤷🏻♀️
Is Dan ever wrong? I mean, the man just gives rational respectful opinions and elevated breakdowns about any movie.
You and Damien could be Brothers actually 😁
I've seen some interviews with him, and he has a great sense of style.
Dan I don’t necessarily love the gore, but for me, I have a very hard time being scared of slashers or paranormal.
The gore isn’t the appeal on its own, it’s knowing what art can and will do to someone that makes him scarier to me. Knowing that art is stalking someone causes so much more fear and tension for me than any other killer, because any other killer would be a mercy compared to art.
To me, this was the first killer that delivers on their initial frightening appearance.
I respect your opinion Dan. These types of movies aren’t for everyone. As someone who’s into hardcore horror myself, there’s actually worse out there than Terrifier so avoid 70’s Italian films or 2000’s Japanese.
My main problem with Terrifier and Art the Clown in particular isn’t the violence but the violence being meaningless. Even with movies like Ichi the Killer or Audition, they are insanely violent but the violence serves a purpose to the story. Instead, with the Terrifier films, the story serves as a purpose to the violence.
Another great review! Just finished Terrifier 3. It was a bit much for me too-but you are spot-on, fans of the franchise will love it. The design and creative gore is in a league of its own.
You're right. Horror is so subjective. I am the polar opposite of you. I really enjoy the Terrifier films, while I don't care for movies like Hereditary or most A24 stuff at all.
omg thank you for the trigger warning, after the past year i dont think i could stomach a child being killed gratuitously on the big screen. will NOT be watching
Oh a killer killed a women…….
I actually think 3 was the best just because they added a lot more comedy to it especially with art and his facial expressions
I’m all for these movies watched them all within like 24hrs and had a great time. Something I appreciated across the movies was that the characters were making less and less infuriatingly terrible decisions. That first one I wanted to turn off so many times I was getting so mad 😂 I do love the lead and I’m so intrigued where things will go next with how this one ends.
Huge horror fan, grew up during the 80s hey day, but I agree with you on many points. I was questioning my own stance on things while the whole audience roared with laughter as children are being murdered. And yes, runtime was exhausting. I'm afraid how they can move the needle further for the next installation, which is already in the works.
Art The Clown is the Horror Icon we all need! 🤡😈
He's not
I agree. My view is that it's a movie and it shows things other films referenced without issue. Stephen King's IT is a prime example. Richie dies horribly in the novel and it's barely shown in the films.
I love 'em and find them all hilarious. It's slapstick at its heart, if it had a heart. But yeah, it doesn't pretend to be for everyone. It's an esoteric genre and I'm so happy someone is out there making it work.
...Gorefests are an esoteric form of entertainment. There is no hidden or deeper meaning to them.
Hilarious and slapstick isn't horror.
@@Dru2037 Horror has many subgenres, obviously. I think you'd struggle to say Terrifer doesn't belong in the horror genre as a top-level category.
@@Dru2037 you don't define horror buddy
terrifier succeeded at belnding horror with slapstick mime humor
I think part of the appeal of these movies is that they create that nervous feeling in you that...what you'll see next is probably going to mess you up. I agree, these aren't movies I'd every want to watch again, but I have to be honest, the dread I feel before and during I see them is something else.
Dan is being way too generous here imo. The films are sick and it's wild how many people are into that. It's torture porn.
Im a big Terrifier fan, they're 100% not for everyone but I'm glad ya gave it a shot. Enjoyed the review