Its not even Halloween yet, butTerrifier 3is about to pack theaters chock full ofblood-drenched holiday cheer.
Note: well have more from io9s interview later this week; this part of the conversation is spoiler-free.
How deliberate has your plan been in revealing these pieces over time?
© Jesse Korman/Dark Age Cinema
Will we eventually learn the whole story in a future movie?
Damien Leone:Very deliberate.
Certainly by design, because I want to make a few films.
Damien Leone (left) on the set ofTerrifier 3. © Jesse Korman/Dark Age Cinema
Which, listen, many people would absolutely love.
Im sure theyre already wishing thats all these movies were.
But to me, thats exciting.
© Jesse Korman/Dark Age Cinema
And I think that sets it apart from a lot of other slashers.
So its just a matter of, is it one movie to tell that story or maybe two more?
I dont see it being more than that.
io9: So your ideal would be five movies?
But I dont think it would be more than that at this point.
Theyre not as good as the ones that came in prior.
Arts not as funny anymore.
Do you set boundaries on yourself?
Leone:Yeah, I do set boundaries on myself.
But then youre really going to alienate everybody.
I think theres a lot more a lot more to these movies.
Like people getting physically ill watching your movie?
Is that a point of pride?
Leone:It is.
I do take it as a badge of honor, especially at this point.
But at this point, itsTerrifier2, 3you should know what youre in for at this point.
And like you said, even in part three, I set it up.
I let you know what youre in for within the first five minutes of this movie.
I do take it as badge of honor because its a testament to the filmmaking.
The practical effects are very effective.
It means theyre working.
It means the way its edited and the sound design, its all creating this very visceral experience.
And thats what were aiming for.
Did you always want to start off the movie with a scene plucked from the middle of the story?
The audience is just there to see, and they still are there to see, Art the Clown.
Theyre there to see him kill as many people as possible.
Thats how I was when I was a kid.
And I was watching Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, thats the hero of the movie.
But I dont want the audience to be comfortable with this character.
First and foremost, he should be just cruel, sadistic, and evil.
And I think the moment we lose sight of that, I dont think anything works anymore.
So that was my intention with with the opening, the cold open, so to speak.
io9: What are your favorite Christmas horror movies?
Because clearly you probably have some favorites.
Leone:I love that subgenre.
My favorite film isBlack Christmas, of course the original.
And we pay a lot of homage to that film in this one.
I love the atmosphere of thatcertainly Art in the attic, looking out the window in the rocking chair…
But my favorite Christmas horror episode of a show isTales From the Crypt.
It was actually made in a movie first in the 70s.
That is theultimateiteration of the maniac Santa Claus.
And thats more more than anything else.
So I wanted to see if I could take my stab at that.
And that makes the maniac Santa Claus fresh again and makes the whole thing new.
So it just seemed very exciting to go in this direction.
Terrifier 3hits theaters October 11; well have more from io9s interview with Leone later this week.
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