Coulrophobia is persistent and irrational fear of clowns. It’s a phobia that seems to affect many more people than you’d think. Whilst it might be an illogical fear, clowns have been a part of genre cinema for decades. Pennywise is undoubtedly the most famous example, but films such as Killjoy, Killer Clowns from Out of Space and Clownhouse prove that he’s no one off. In Terrifier there’s a new clown on the block, and Art is one sadistic bugger.
It has been a long night for Dawn (Catherine Corcoran) and Tara (Jenna Kanell). They’ve been celebrating Halloween in style and stop off at a diner to get some food to sober themselves up before driving home. When a strange looking clown (David Howard Thornton) enters and sits at another table, he’s nothing but a distraction at first. However, he appears to take an unhealthy interest in Tara, and when someone lets their tyres down there’s evil afoot.
Terrifier is a horror film in the grand old tradition of pure genre cinema. Director Damien Leone gives Art a sense of the vaudeville, using mime as his only means of communication. Thornton plays a sadist with an air of manic aplomb. There’s a sense of the theatrical, both in his body language and the gruesome killings. Terrifier is a malevolent romp which delivers both in terms of lashings of blood and savage mirth.
Terrifier is available on Digital now and released on DVD on 9th April.
