The Leprechaun
Created by Mark Jones

Most iconic horror villains have at least one great movie to their name. It’s usually the first film in the franchise, like Halloween, Scream, Hellraiser, Child’s Play, or A Nightmare on Elm Street, but there are exceptions. Jason Voorhees was barely in the original Friday the 13th, and that film was far from the best Friday. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 2003 remake, that is) was the first really good entry in Leatherface‘s franchise, even if the original is considered a classic. Then there’s the leprechaun, a recognizable and well-known character who has never been in a good movie.

Lep’s adventures started off slowly in North Dakota. Following that with Los Angeles and Las Vegas was definitely a step in the right direction. You’d think the action would have peaked with Leprechaun 4: In Space. Is there any setting for a leprechaun more ridiculous than outer space? I don’t think one trip to “the hood” is enough, but two movies may just do it.

I like to cite Freddy Krueger as the best slasher because (among other reasons) the character is consistent, having been played by Robert Englund in every film except the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. The leprechaun is equally consistent; Warwick Davis is the only person to ever play the character. Both Englund and Davis approach their roles as true professionals, doing their characters justice no matter what the film is like. Freddy is Freddy whether he’s on Elm Street or fighting Jason. Lep is Lep whether he’s in Ireland, the hood, or outer space. The characters are exactly the same whether they’re in the best or worst film of their respective series. That’s consistency, and it’s why they’re memorable.

I truly hope the leprechaun’s adventures aren’t over yet. Just two days ago, it was reported that WWE Films is teaming with Lionsgate, who also distributed their film See No Evil, for a Leprechaun remake. There’s little information available now, but you have to assume that WWE wrestler Hornswoggle will be taking over the title role.

It’s impossible to know for sure what the future holds for Lep, but I hope we see him again in one form or another. Send him back to Vegas or space. Send him to Boston or even home to Ireland. Have him study mythology and folklore at Notre Dame while getting into all sorts of college shenanigans. The only thing I’d rather not see is a third trip to the hood. Even so, if that was all we got, I’d happily take it.

Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
Directed by Steven Ayromlooi

Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood is a major departure for the Leprechaun series. While the other films have been even mixes of horror and comedy, there’s much less comedy here. There are fewer stereotypical jokes about “the hood” this time as well, but Lep does smoke a bong (and impale someone with it, too). Most of the jokes come when the leprechaun is on screen, and he gets significantly less screen time than in the previous entries. If you watch the movies in order, you’ll know exactly what to expect by the time you get to Leprechaun in the Hood. This film, though, is not at all what you’d expect.

The plot this time around deals with the leprechaun trying to get his gold back; that much is business as usual. Our main characters are a drug dealer, a stoner, and two girls working as hard as they can to earn better lives for themselves. They happen to find the gold and waste no time before carelessly spending it on themselves. It’s not long before Lep shows up and starts killing everyone he encounters on the way to getting it back. Even though the story is nothing new or all that interesting, Back 2 tha Hood takes itself very seriously, which is something the previous films certainly never did.

Like Leprechaun 3, this feels as though it wasn’t written to be part of the Leprechaun series. It seems more like a completely separate horror film that happens to have the leprechaun in it. It also seems like the filmmakers wanted to make their own film, but couldn’t get it made without including Lep. At the same time, though, there are numerous references to the earlier movies. For example, Lep rips out someone’s gold tooth, which he first did in Leprechaun 2.

I can certainly see why some people consider this the worst of the series. My problem is that the film is so different from all the others, it’s almost impossible to compare. On the one hand, countering the usual cheesy jokes and graphic violence with a story that tries to be semi-serious is a nice change of pace for the franchise. On the other hand, Back 2 tha Hood often feels like it doesn’t know it’s a sequel to the Leprechaun films. Plus, it’s not like this semi-serious plot is any better than the ludicrous ones in the other movies.

It would be a shame if the series ended here. The longest gap between two Leprechaun movies is three years, but it’s been nearly a decade since this was released and, as far as I know, there’s no sign of a seventh film in sight.

Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
Directed by Rob Spera

I’ve often claimed that Leprechaun 3 is the worst of the series. After rewatching Leprechaun in the Hood, I think it may be a stronger candidate for the spot. Not even Ice-T in a prominent role or Coolio making a cameo can save this one. Then again, it does end with the leprechaun rapping in his own music video. The premise of this fifth film may be even more ridiculous than the last one, and that’s saying a lot.

I’ve never been sure of the chronological order of the Leprechaun series. I’m certain Leprechaun 4: In Space is last, since it’s the only one set in the future. I’m also positive that no film ends with the leprechaun being turned into a statue by a magical pendant. Even so, this is the second one to start with him in that state. In fact, it’s both the same necklace and the same statue from Leprechaun 3. What kind of hijinks does Lep get into between movies? We’ll probably never find out.

This film also introduces a new magical item: an enchanted (and enchanting) golden flute. Mack Daddy (Ice-T’s character) has used its power to become a successful music producer. A group of idiots with names like Stray Bullet and Postmaster P steal it and try to become rich and famous rappers. They also release the leprechaun who, believe it or not, wants his golden flute back.

Leprechaun in the Hood features all of the awful jokes implied by such a title. Instead of drinking Irish whiskey, Lep smokes a joint. In addition to his usual rhymes and puns, he also raps about being a love machine.

Fortunately, the film also has the ridiculous gore you’d expect from an entry in the Leprechaun franchise. Unfortunately, the series didn’t say all it could about “the hood” in this movie, and Lep went Back 2 tha Hood in his next film.

Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith

When a movie series relocates its main character to outer space, you know the filmmakers are out of ideas. James Bond and Jason Voorhees did it, but somehow the leprechaun seems like the oddest possible choice for such an adventure. On the other hand, Leprechaun 4: In Space can’t help but take itself lightly, which makes it one of the best films in the series.

The plot is unnecessarily complicated. The leprechaun has kidnapped an alien princess and convinced her to marry him. She gets to be rich, and he gets to be a king. The first problem with their plan is that they’re aboard a ship filled with space soldiers. The other problem is that Dr. Mittenhand is also on the ship, and he’s both a cyborg and a mad scientist (and later a Mittenspider). I’m not sure how all these storylines tie together exactly, but that’s hardly relevant. Most important is that the leprechaun is in space; the rest is just details.

There’s a lot of action in this one, and not much horror. Then again, it’s not like the Leprechaun films are all that horrifying; it’s tough to be afraid of a monster who spends so much time on screen and makes such corny jokes.

In addition to the action vibe of Leprechaun 4, it’s also worth noting that Lep doesn’t rhyme at all in the movie. Not once. He doesn’t rhyme a single time. It’s a crime. Rhyming is one of the character’s signature traits. He doesn’t do it constantly, but leaving it out completely is a mistake. Sometimes Freddy Krueger takes his hat off, and that’s fine. But if he didn’t wear it for an entire film, we’d all be asking what happened to Freddy’s hat.

Leaving out rhymes isn’t enough to make this feel like it’s not a real Leprechaun movie. On the other hand, the outer space setting is a pretty drastic change. I do like Leprechaun 4 (it’s not every day you get to see the same villain explode twice in one film), but it’s not as ridiculous as it could have been. When it comes to cheesy space slashers, Jason X simply did it better. This is still a very close second.

Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith

I’m never sure quite how I feel about Leprechaun 3. Sometimes I’ll watch and think it’s the worst entry in the series. Other times, it’ll seem much better than I remembered. In any case, it begins a new trend of relocating the leprechaun to a ridiculous setting. This time, it’s Las Vegas. I’m glad the filmmakers altered the villain’s backstory for Leprechaun 2, but unfortunately they completely abandoned any continuity with this third film.

The leprechaun begins the film as a statue, imprisoned because of a magical pendant hanging around his neck. Of course, some poor, greedy soul takes the necklace off and unleashes him once again. Our new protagonist is a naive dork named Scott who’s in Las Vegas for the first time in his life. He crosses paths with Tammy, a young and attractive magician’s assistant. He also crosses paths with the leprechaun and takes a gold shilling, which he unknowingly uses to make a wish come true. From here, the staff of the casino where Tammy works take turns stealing the shilling from each other, making wishes, and being killed by the leprechaun. Also, Scott is bitten by the leprechaun and begins to turn into one himself.

I don’t have any proof, but I don’t think this script was originally written to be a Leprechaun film. Why does he begin the story as a statue? Where did the necklace come from? The leprechaun bit a bunch of people in the other movies, so why is Scott the only guy who starts transforming? Most importantly, why is this set in Las Vegas? This film is like a conglomeration of ideas for various horror movies that someone decided would make a good plot for Leprechaun 3.

This may be my least favorite movie of the franchise, but I can’t say why. It’s not like the plot, characters, setting, actors, or any other aspects of Leprechaun 3 are any worse than they are in any of the other films. I guess, in my mind, the series seemed to hit its stride in Leprechaun 2 only to lose it here and never get it back. This is a kind of transition between the first two films (based, at least a little bit, on leprechaun mythology) and the last three films (which feature the leprechaun, but focus more on the setting).

In a way, Leprechaun 3 is the perfect single-film example of the series. It features some loose connections to mythology but also a gimmicky setting. Even so, I just can’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy most of the others. Still, even the worst in a series of hilariously-bad films is still pretty entertaining.

Leprechaun 2 (1994)
Directed by Rodman Flender

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is the best film of the entire series and my personal favorite. Leprechaun 2 is the last one before things start to get really ridiculous. It has almost nothing to do with the original Leprechaun, but it is a much more entertaining film. It throws continuity out the window (the leprechaun that was 600 years old in the last film is now 2,000) but retains the tone of the first film. It’s funny, it’s gross, it’s scary, and it’s good.

One thousand years ago, the leprechaun was going to take a bride. Instead, his slave foiled the plan. The leprechaun vowed to marry the slave’s descendant a thousand years later instead, which brings us to today. Bridget would be the perfect bride if her pesky boyfriend Cody would just leave them be. Worse yet is the fact that Cody ended up with a piece of the leprechaun’s gold.

If you were sick of the leprechaun saying “I want me gold!” after the first film, then you’re in for a rough ride with Leprechaun 2. If nothing else, the character is consistent. Cody and Bridget spend the rest of the movie trying to outsmart and outdrink the leprechaun. In the end, they defeat the monster and he explodes. Don’t worry, I’m not exactly spoiling anything; this isn’t the first or last time the leprechaun dies at the end of a movie.

This film really does have little in common with the original, but none of the other sequels do either. From here, though, the movies are all based on the idea that putting a leprechaun anywhere but Ireland automatically makes it funny. In a way, Leprechaun 2 is like a second attempt to give the villain a legitimate backstory. Instead of establishing anything concrete, however, it instead opened the door to abandon any sense of continuity completely at the start of each new movie.

I don’t know why I like this one so much more than the first Leprechaun. In comparison, the first one isn’t really that bad, and this one isn’t really that good. Maybe I just didn’t enjoy all those shoe-shining scenes in the original. In any case, the series is only going to get more absurd from this point forward.

Leprechaun (1993)
Directed by Mark Jones

Leprechaun and its sequels comprise what is quite possibly the best series of bad horror movies ever made. The first film sets the standard with a bad plot and worse acting countered with decent gore and makeup effects. I’m still not sure how much of the movie is supposed to be horror and how much is supposed to be comedy, and I’ve seen the thing countless times. For every cheesy line of dialogue, there’s a gratuitously-bloody death scene. More often than not, both happen at the same time.

The film starts with Daniel O’Grady returning home from his mother’s funeral in Ireland. While there, he caught a leprechaun and took his gold. Unfortunately for O’Grady, the leprechaun would kill to get the gold back… and he does. O’Grady traps the little monster in a crate where he stays for a decade. When someone finally moves into the old house, the leprechaun is released, and he’s still set on getting his gold back.

The rest of the film follows Tory (played by Jennifer Aniston) and a group of painters as they fend off the murderous leprechaun. The plot sort of meanders to a conclusion without much of a path. The leprechaun drives a miniature car, eats Lucky Charms cereal, and shines just about every shoe he sees, delivering rhyming one-liners along the way.

This leprechaun is not exactly a traditional version of the mythical creature. I’m familiar with the idea of getting a leprechaun’s pot of gold if you catch him or find him at the end of a rainbow. Before seeing Leprechaun, I’d never heard of a four-leaf clover protecting you from a leprechaun, or that they were absurdly-dedicated shoeshiners. Then again, I suppose the cartoony creatures wouldn’t make frightening villains in a horror film without a few alterations.

Leprechaun is a pretty bad movie. Without Warwick Davis as the titular character, however, it would definitely be much worse. He plays the leprechaun enthusiastically even during the most ridiculous scenes, whether he’s shining shoes, riding a tricycle, or crushing a victim to death with a pogo stick. He returns for all five sequels to this film, most of which are actually better than the original. It’s also worth noting that this is Jennifer Aniston’s first theatrically-released movie, and it’s a role she certainly regrets today.

Even though it’s not the best of the series, the leprechaun had to get his start somewhere. From here, he goes to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the “hood” (twice), and even outer space. With increasingly-ridiculous settings in the sequels, it might be hard to imagine that the films get better. The truth is, the more ridiculous the premise, the better the films in this series tend to be.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr.

Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the most controversial horror films of all time, due in particular to the way the film was originally promoted. Even though it was not the first film to feature a killer dressed as Santa Claus, many people were outraged at its existence based on the advertisements alone. I enjoy every film that’s been part of the 13 Nights of X-Mas, but this one’s on a different level. Silent Night, Deadly Night, along with Black Christmas and Christmas Evil, is one of the three best, most important Christmas horror films ever made.

At a very young age, Billy and his parents visit his mentally-ill grandfather on Christmas Eve. The crazy old man talks to Billy when they’re left alone, warning him that Santa Claus not only brings presents to good children, but punishes the naughty ones. Being an innocently-honest little boy, Billy admits that, no, he hasn’t been good all year. He later tells his parents what happened, deciding that he no longer hopes Santa visits him. On the way back home that night, Billy’s parents find a man in a Santa Claus suit stranded on the side of the road. They pull over to help, and Billy watches as the psychopath murders both of them.

Years later, Billy is growing up in a Catholic orphanage. He now despises Christmas and Santa Claus, and he acts out in defiance of the holiday. Mother superior teaches the boy a strict lesson: those who are naughty are always caught and punished, and their punishment is always justified. Haunted by his past, Billy repeatedly acts naughty (usually inadvertently). Mother superior decides that, to finally cure the boy, she will force him to sit on Santa’s lap and thank him for his present. She has good intentions, but needless to say, that particular treatment isn’t particularly effective.

As an adult, Billy gets a job in a toy store’s stock room. He’s great at his job until the Christmas shopping season begins. Things really get bad when, on Christmas Eve, the guy who plays Santa Claus calls in sick. Who better to replace jolly old Saint Nick than the strapping young lad from the stock room?

Things don’t explode like you’d think they would (or, not right away, at least). Children sit on his lap all day, and Billy is able to convince them the importance of being good little boys and girls. That night, however, Billy takes the role of Santa Claus too far. He goes from house to house, giving gifts to those who have been good all year round. Of course, most people have been naughty at least once during the year. They receive the punishment they deserve, and it’s not a lump of coal in their stocking…

One of the best things about the film is seeing all the toys in the toy store. Since Silent Night, Deadly Night came out in 1984, several awesome toys are visible on the shelves. Jabba the Hutt, Castle Grayskull, and several G.I. Joe sets are just the tip of the iceberg. If you grew up in the ’80s, you’re sure to recognize at least one toy from your childhood.

The film was protested before its release, which is a concept I’ll never quite understand. Based entirely on the advertisements for the film, people began speaking out against Silent Night, Deadly Night. A special feature on the DVD release is a gallery of quotes from those who disliked the idea of the film. A protester in New York City called the film “terroristic.” A school principal in Vermont called it “a form of child abuse.” A reviewer in Cleveland said “Silent Night, Deadly Night is a sleazy, miserable, insulting piece of garbage.” Mayors, concerned parents, and everyone else who had only seen commercials despised the upcoming film. A review in the Los Angeles Times predicted that the film would eventually be considered one of the worst of all time. Instead, it appears here as one of the most important Christmas horror films ever made.

In addition to elected officials, reviewers, and upset parents, actor Mickey Rooney was equally outraged. He called the filmmakers “scum.” He must have gotten over his disgust fairly quickly, since he went on to appear in 1991′s sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker.

Black Christmas helped to define the slasher. Christmas Evil told a haunting tale of a man traumatized by Christmas. Silent Night, Deadly Night combines the best aspects of those two films to create one of the best “body count” movies of the 1980s. It has all the necessary elements: blood, nudity, a holiday setting, a masked (or, in this case, bearded) killer, and most importantly, an uplifting montage sequence.

In the end, the film is more than just a great Christmas horror film. It’s also a reminder that not everyone celebrates the holiday, no matter what the greeting card companies would have us believe. Although there are secular aspects, it’s still a mostly-Christian holiday. Not everyone is a Christian. Even of those who are, there are people like Billy from this film and Kate from Gremlins who associate Christmas with a traumatic experience. But, if you are celebrating Christmas, Creepmas, or both, I suggest doing so with a viewing of Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Thanks for reading. Have a Merry Christmas and a Scary Creepmas!

Santa’s Slay (2005)
Directed by David Steiman

There are several Christmas slasher movies, and many of them feature a killer in a Santa suit. Only Santa’s Slay, however, has the real Santa Claus as an overly-muscular, brutal murder machine. Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg stars as Santa, who also happens to be the son of Satan. He lost a bet one thousand years ago and was forced to spread Christmas cheer… until this year.

The film opens with cameos by James Caan, Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan, and Rebecca Gayheart, who are all sitting down for their annual Christmas turkey dinner. When it’s clear none of them remember the true meaning of the holiday, Santa smashes through the chimney and kills every last one of them, drowning them in eggnog and throwing the tree topper like a ninja star.

With the pace of Santa’s Slay set by that first scene, the rest of the film follows Nicholas and Mac as they try to stop Santa. He’s looking for revenge for the last thousand years, and he wants to turn Christmas back into the Day of Slaying he always meant it to be.

I look at Fred Dekker’s Night of the Creeps as a first-time filmmaker’s attempt to do everything he wanted in one movie, just in case he didn’t get another chance. The result is an amazing blend of sci-fi and horror B movie stereotypes and homages. Santa’s Slay, the first and only film by David Steiman, is similarly ambitious. There are references to, and jokes about, every aspect of Christmas from caroling to candy canes. The history of Santa, as ridiculous as it may be, is even told in the style of a stop motion children’s Christmas special.

Santa’s Slay goes above and beyond with its levels of absurdity. The film also manages to criticize Christmas in a number of ways. Characters are selfishly focused on what presents they hope to get. The town’s preacher uses cash from the collection plate to stuff stockings at the local strip club. Even so, because the film is so far over the top, it still manages to be fun and lighthearted, even as Santa kills everyone in his path.

I’m entirely serious when I say there is no Christmas horror film that captures the true spirit of the season like Santa’s Slay. Everything about the movie is fun. If you can’t enjoy Santa’s Slay for what it is, then you’re missing the point of the film. And, just maybe, you’re missing the point of Christmas all together.

And All Through the House (1989)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis

The story of “And All Through the House” originally appeared in issue 35 of a comic book called The Vault of Horror in 1954. It was then adapted as a segment of the 1972 film Tales from the Crypt, which predates the Tales from the Crypt television series by seventeen years. Finally, it was again adapted as the second episode (and one of the best) of that series.

The plot is identical for all three versions of the story. On Christmas Eve, a woman (played by Mary Ellen Trainor in the TV series) murders her husband with a fireplace poker. When she drags the body outside, she misses the news report that a killer is loose in the area. He escaped from the local asylum and went on a killing spree. He also managed to steal a costume from the house of one of his victims, and he’s now dressed as Santa Claus.

When the maniac shows up, staying alive isn’t the woman’s only concern. She could call the police, but how could she possibly explain what happened to her husband?

The Tales from the Crypt episode “And All Through the House” was written by Fred Dekker, who also wrote and directed both Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, who’s probably best known for the Back to the Future trilogy. Two of the best 1980s filmmakers working together on a Christmas episode of an anthology horror series? This is an obvious recipe for success.

Dekker and Zemeckis aren’t the only big names associated with Tales from the Crypt. Just a few of the noteworthy filmmakers who directed episodes are Tom Holland (Child’s Play, Fright Night), Richard Donner (The Omen), Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist), Rodman Flender (Idle Hands, Leprechaun 2), and Mick Garris (who directed several miniseries based on the works of Stephen King, including The Shining and The Stand). Of course, there are also the countless guest stars who made appearances during the show’s seven seasons.

The Tales from the Crypt series was successful because it featured established filmmakers and actors telling stories fit for cheap comic books. Although it’s definitely a horror series, the material is never taken too seriously. Even the darkest episodes have a comedic element, thanks in particular to the Crypt Keeper’s puns at the beginning and end of each story.

There are definitely some episodes that are better than others. “And All Through the House” was only the second to air (and in June, oddly enough). Today, the idea of a crazy killer dressed as Santa Claus sounds far from original. Even so, at a mere half hour, the episode wastes little time and gets right to the good stuff. It’s still one of the best Tales from the Crypt episodes ever made, and it’s also one of the best Christmas horror stories ever told.