Horror fans may have been shocked to see the magnitude of children in the Terrifier 3 trailer due to the franchise being known as some of the most brutal and gory set of movies in the genre. But director Damien Leone and star David Howard Thornton say they do not have any regrets on the matter and that above all they need to say true to Art the Clown.
"Everything I write has to be true to the character and organic," says Leone in response to whether or not he had any reservations about including children in the movie and in Art’s firing line. One of the biggest debates in horror is whether the inclusion of children is going a bit too far, especially in films as bloody as Terrifier 3. The idea of something so pure and innocent such as a child or animal being in a horror movie and subject to such atrocities has led to the most hardcore horror fans being put off and some movies being banned from certain countries.
But Leone has a more pragmatic approach and believes that whatever his demonic Clown is capable of, is exactly what he will put in his movies. The filmmaker recalls the story of Conan the Barbarian author Robert E Howard who would feel his character loom over him, forcing him to write whatever barbarities his villain would truly act out, no matter how gruesome or utterly hideous, such as killing children. And the same goes for Art the Clown.
"I kind of feel that sometimes with Art," says Leone. "Where I might reach a scene or a taboo subject, and I'm like, 'Oh, what if that's a little much, that's gonna freak people out.' And he'll be like, 'I would do that.' And I have to say, 'You're right, you would do that.' And I have to put it in there." But the filmmaker does know his limits as he admits he often has to remind himself not to go too far. "That becomes a really kind of exciting challenge; can I dabble with these taboo subjects and keep the audience in their seats? We'll see."
However, star Howard Thornton who plays Art did have some worries at the start of filming. "I actually have a background in teaching and so I love kids," explains the star. "But at the same time, these are horror films." Howard Thornton raises a point that clown-centric horror movies have always included children like the 1990 Stephen King adaptation IT starring Tim Curry. "I mean, that was the whole premise of Pennywise. He kills kids, he eats them. It's just like, it's a certain trope."
"I think what's important is that we're not doing some kind of like, you know, alley kill with children in these movies, where I'm not going to be sitting there torching a child, and that's something I would have a problem doing," adds the star. But to make everything a little more comfortable, the star made sure to take care of the kids on set between takes.
"I was constantly apologizing to her. I thought I was mentally scarring her," adds Howard Thornton, referring to a young girl who stars in a rather gruesome scene towards the end of the movie. "I was like, 'Oh my God, I am so sorry.' I thought I made her cry, and she said, 'Oh no, I'm doing great.' I'm like, 'Wow, you were good, you're a fantastic little actress, you had me believing you.'"
All in all, every film buff may not agree on whether having children in horror movies is right or wrong. But at the end of the day, to stay true to the character at hand and the world we live in today, some subjects must be approached. However, it is important to note that there is a line that should not be crossed, and I can say that Leone manages to stay behind that line on this one, if only just.
Terrifier 3 releases on October 11. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year.
