One of the scariest scenes in Terrifier 2 was a total accident

As most fans of the “Terrifier” series and Art the Clown know, the deadly actions and mythology of the malevolent murderer are an ever-changing, volatile affair. Creator/writer/director Damien Leone's entire ethos with the character and these films is to constantly shock and surprise audiences, with Art literally and figuratively betraying the bond of past horror and slasher films. Art could appear at any time and without warning, take his own life, resurrect, pull out either a butcher knife or a gun, and generally be so unpredictable as to be extremely unsettling. Given this aesthetic, the “Terrifier” films followed suit: Art's first appearance in a feature film was in “All Hallow's Eve,” an anthology film partially composed of previous short films Leone had already made (including the first “Terrifier “) ” short). Next came the first feature film “Terrifier”, which featured a circular narrative structure. This was followed by “Terrifier 2” from 2022, which (especially for a slasher sequel) has an epic length of 138 minutes and significantly expanding the ensemble and mythology of the series.

With Terrifier 3 hitting theaters on October 11th, the film already promises to continue that ethos of shock and surprise, if early reactions are to be believed. While Leone has spoken in various interviews and op-eds about how he comes up with some of Art's most infamous and violent exploits, he also likes to give his fellow cast and crew members plenty of room to come up with ideas to complement “Terrifier.” “-Stew. It was in this spirit that one of the scariest moments in “Terrifier 2” arose, a scene born out of innovation and necessity. It's a great example of how anything is possible with Terrifier and with Art himself.

At some point midway through “Terrifier 2,” Art already has his sights set on his opponent, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). Knowing that it will take more than just a random attack to defeat her, he has decided to break her spirit by first going after her friends and loved ones, starting with poor Allie (Casey Hartnett), who is doomed is consecrated as soon as Art shows up on their doorstep or treats. In true art form, the murderer is in no hurry to commit his crime, allowing himself a brief respite before committing one of the most heinous murders in slasher history.

Apparently this reprieve wasn't the original plan, as /Film's Jacob Hall learned when he spoke with Leone, co-star Chris Jericho and Art the Clown himself, David Howard Thornton. As Thornton Hall said during Fantastic Fest 2024:

“I remember the second part when it's a scene that we basically made up out of the blue and it was a happy accident. Originally I was supposed to come through that window to stalk Allie and just chase her up the stairs. And when we got the window it was already broken and it was the middle of the night so we couldn't get a new window. And so Damien and a few of us just put our heads together. Something we thought we were halfway through and we thought, “Why don't we just put this here and add some more to where Art is right now.” makes you feel at home and just does it like a sip of water?' And I think that's so much scarier. This guy is so confident in what he's going to do.

As Jericho was quick to point out, the image of an already broken window only added to the eerie tension of the moment, even as Art joyfully grabbed a drink:

“Plus, just the fact that the mirror or window was already broken was much scarier than getting through it. Because when you go downstairs you're like, 'Holy shit, there's something in there. I don't do that.' “I don't know what it is.” It was a great scene.

The moment works on several levels: it adds some much-needed tension to an otherwise humorous installment, and yet the scene as a whole is a clever and mean-spirited way of getting the audience to let up a bit before Leone unleashes the film's most violent sequence them. If there's one scene that encapsulates the spirit of “Terrifier,” it's this one.

The sequence is also a testament to how open and improvisatory the “Terrifier” set is. According to Thornton and Jericho, it seems to be the way Leone prefers to work. As Jericho said:

“And when you have a good relationship, like I said, my scenes with Damien took a day or two of shooting, but you have a little connection. I'm sure you guys have a great connection. Trust each other.” What about that? Try this.' OK. And that's what you want on set, is someone you can go to. He's the fucking boss. But when I have an idea, I'm not afraid to throw it out there because nine times out of ten we've actually improvised some dialogue that we used in one of my scenes and just said, “Let's try it.” So that's it a good relationship. So he’s a very trusting director, which is great for the relationship and the performance.”

Thornton not only echoed these sentiments, but also explained how such an ethos affects both the film crew and the actors:

“He is very actor-friendly, he is willing to hear new ideas and experiments. This doesn't just come from the cast. You'll hear it when we have a crew member come up with an idea for something… At the end of the day.” I think the most important thing for us is to have the best film possible. So he is open to other ideas. Of course he has the final say on everything. And so many happy accidents go wrong on set. He is very adaptable to whatever happens.

While the film's critics will likely use all of this as ammunition against Leone, any creative worth their salt knows that collaboration (within a collaborative medium) often makes the best art. This is especially true when a discerning person like Leone can choose from the best ideas that come his way. After all, drinking water was far from the only big moment in “Terrifier 2” that was improvised. This is something Art the Clown himself inherently understands: When you have so many tools in your pocket, why not use them all?

“Terrifier 3” will be in theaters on October 11, 2024.