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GoreZone: Leprechaun |
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Your luck... just ran out
Article by Connie Green, from GoreZone #11 (August 2006)
The second article is almost identical to the Lep 6 set visit report that I originally posted on the page in January 2003, so instead of posting it yet again I decided to provide this link to the original report.
Later on I showed a copy of the first article to Dave Tripet, the executive in charge of production for the first three movies, who had this to say about it"
Well done! The only tidbit I would have added was that it was I thatbrought in Gabe...lol. I had to fight to get him on board. I had to bring him and his partner at the time to do a show and tell of their capabilities a few times. See, most of the execs didn't think you could act with make-up on. I had to constantly explain to the "brain trust" that Gabe wasn't making a mask...he was designing a special appliance. And yes it was Jeff's idea about Warwick. He, Mark Jones and I had to fight for him because of the expense of flying Warwick into the USA. To avoid this the Brain Trust made us see a lot of American little people but unfortunately none had the acting chops that Warwick had. Two of the people on the list we saw were Deep Roy and Arturo Gil, both of whom became stand-ins/stunt performers for Warwick. We also had to get permission from George Lucas as Warwick was on a lifetime retainer. Then the next biggest hurdle was getting a work visa for Warwick in time to shoot him in the movie. We got it in record time and it would have been impossible to do today post 911.
And now, on to the actual article:
What’s small, mean, and green, has six parts, and has an enthusiastically loyal following even though it’s cordially hated by most who see it? The Leprechaun series, of course. Like any good movie monster, the Leprechaun just keeps coming back for more despite the opposition.
It all began back in 1985, when TV series writer/producer Mark Jones wrote a movie script for a children’s horror movie about a killer leprechaun, then spent several years looking for a movie studio who would buy the story and produce it with him attached as director. It wasn’t easy, since most studios dislike first-time directors, and in these pre-Child’s Play days it was hard to convince the execs that a little creature could be evil. The first studio to buy the story let it languish. Jones finally got the property back and made a deal with Trimark Pictures, who thought it had series potential.
It turned out to be an uneasy relationship. Numerous Trimark executives were involved with the movie and had different visions of what the movie ought to be like, so that Jones had to deal with conflicting instructions as well as with a very low budget and a very tight shooting schedule. Even a decision on the movie’s desired rating wasn’t made until the post-production phase, when R was chosen over PG-13. The result was a quirky and rather unfocused little film that nevertheless did far better than expected at the box office, when it became the first movie to be released in the U.S. in 1993. Trimark quickly moved ahead with the series. Mark Jones wasn’t associated with any of the subsequent films, although he continued to receive writing credit for creating the character of the Leprechaun.
Sequels were cranked out at the rate of one per year from 1994 to 1996, although only Lep 2 had a theatrical release and #3 and #4 went straight to video. And then… nothing. For three long years, fans who were accustomed to getting a new Leprechaun fix on a regular basis wondered if there would ever be another one. Finally, the greenlighting of Leprechaun 5 was announced in May 1999, followed by the movie’s release in March 2000. The fan base had grown during the interval between films as more and more people discovered the series, so the straight to DVD movie was an immediate success.
Then silence fell once again, apart from a few internet hoax attempts. But this time it was more worrisome. Trimark was acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment in October 2000, and Lions Gate’s stated goals were to concentrate on films that would generate a high level of ticket sales and/or win prestigious awards like Oscars. Obviously, the Leprechaun series didn’t fall into either one of these categories. Was there any hope for the series to continue?
The answer was yes. Lions Gate is primarily a Canadian company, but the former Trimark was now Lions Gate’s new Los Angeles division, with some Trimark execs still on the staff. In May 2002 there were clear indications that the sixth movie in the series was in preproduction, and the movie was released in December 2003. The director tried to persuade the studio to give the movie a limited theatrical release, but like so many Lep films before it, the movie went straight to DVD.
At least that was the sequence of events for North American Lep fans. UK fans had it much worse. The first two movies were released there without undue delay, but after that no other Leprechaun movies were released until 2003, when #5 was released on DVD. Since then, #3 and #4 have gotten their first-ever UK release, and #1 and #2 were re-released on DVD. #6 is still unavailable, but it seems reasonable to assume that this situation will change in the not-too-distant future.
Will there be a Leprechaun 7? There’s currently another long silence on the subject of the Lep’s future, but no one has ruled it out and the potential is definitely there. In the months following the release of #6 there was an abundant crop of internet hoaxes claiming that #7 had been greenlighted, but there was never any credible evidence that it was being considered.
If the dream of a seventh movie is ever realized, what kind of storyline would the fans like to see? The most popular concept by far seems to be a Lep versus Chucky film, but these franchises belong to different studios and have had significantly different levels of investment in their budget and marketing, so it’s highly unlikely that such a movie will ever be made. There are fans who support the idea of the Leprechaun returning to Ireland, and others want to see him go back to O’Grady Farm, the setting of the first movie. Among the reasonably attainable concepts, the most tantalizing may be the idea of a historical film where the Leprechaun gets mixed up with pirates.
So how does a low-budget series about a killer Leprechaun keep its freshness? Well, a glorious lack of continuity certainly helps. The only character to appear in more than one movie is the Leprechaun himself, and his appearance and behavior vary from film to film. The basic operating rules shift too; what harms the Leprechaun in one movie won’t necessarily bother him in another. It’s never explained how he recovered from whatever disaster may have befallen him at the end of the previous film. Because a new Lep movie isn’t tied to any of the previous ones, the filmmakers are free to go just about anywhere they want with the story line.
As a result, one of the questions that viewers ask frequently is “How many Leprechauns are there? Just one, or several?” The answer is: what difference does it make? These movies are more a display of random craziness than an effort to tell a story, and the key to enjoying them is to abandon logic and questions and just go along for the ride. Not everyone can do this of course, which accounts for the films’ cult status. Don’t expect to actually be frightened, either. The filmmakers have obviously realized that humanity simply doesn’t have a deep-seated fear of leprechauns, so there’s more emphasis on comedy than on horror. Many serious horror fans are driven crazy by the cheerful, cheesy chaos that is the Leprechaun series, but those whose minds are properly twisted think it’s all very entertaining.
Besides the ability to dispense with standard expectations, there’s one other crucial element in appreciating the Leprechaun series: the viewer must enjoy watching the Leprechaun do his thing. There are fans who think that Leprechaun movies are the funniest thing one could possibly watch when drunk or otherwise in a mentally altered state, and fans who think it’s a blast without the use of chemical aids. When you get right down to it, the Leprechaun is the sole reason that the series continues to survive and thrive. The human characters are all disposable, and even the ones who don’t get killed are never seen again after the movie ends. The lightweight plots are basically there to give the Leprechaun something to do. If you don’t like the Leprechaun there’s really no reason to watch all the movies, and there are those who think he’s annoying. But there are also enough people who love the Lep to keep the series going strong.
Mark Jones’ original concept for the character was a murderous, utterly evil slasher, which might have been more pleasing to viewers who want their horror movies to be serious. But alas for them, Jones decided that this was too one-dimensional and went for a character who was more likable and humorous while still being thoroughly evil.
First they had to find an actor for the part. Producer Jeffrey Mallian wanted Warwick Davis of Willow fame for the part and Mark Jones agreed. There were some at Trimark who thought he was ‘too nice’ for the part and wouldn’t want it. But to their surprise he was very interested, and his audition performance was far superior to the other candidates they tested. Warwick got the job.
Then it was up to him to really develop the character and bring the Leprechaun to life, which he did with great success. FX man Gabe Bartalos developed a multi-piece prosthetic makeup that allowed a considerable range of facial expressions, and Warwick worked with a video camera to figure out how to use the makeup to best effect. Warwick and Gabe are the only two people to have worked on every Leprechaun movie, and Warwick’s contract stipulates that Gabe must do the makeup. Warwick doesn’t trust anyone else to do the job!
There’s nothing half-hearted about the way Warwick plays this character, and the people watching him on the set see the impressive amount of mental focus and physical energy that he puts into the role, including performing many of the stunts himself.
So what is the secret of the Leprechaun’s appeal? For one thing, this is the story of a little guy against the world and there’s a vicarious thrill in watching the little guy kick the world’s backside. At the end of the movie it may look like the Leprechaun has lost but he never stays down for long. But the main attraction is the sheer amount of fun the Leprechaun has while he does his wicked deeds. His liveliness is infectious and the fans laugh along with him. The Leprechaun is driven by a spirit of malicious mischief rather than a lust for blood, so he gleefully tricks and toys with his victims before killing them, frequently spouting silly rhymes and acting happier than a kid at Disneyland all the while.
The earliest Leprechaun films used mostly unknown and little known actors to play the human characters, as befits a low-budget series. The first film featured Jennifer Aniston as the top-billed human character in her first leading role in a movie. She’s been trying to live it down ever since, and the movie is frequently not mentioned in interviews discussing her early career. But as time went by the series started to use better-known actors. Tool-Time girl Debbe Dunning from the Home Improvement TV series appeared in Lep 4 hoping that it would give her career a boost. Ice-T starred in Lep 5 and Coolio made an uncredited appearance in that movie as well. #6 starred Tangi Miller from the Felicity TV series.
Merchandising for the series has been almost nonexistent and mostly consists of promotional materials that can occasionally be found on Ebay: posters, a comic book, plastic cups, t-shirts, a cheesy plastic figure, etc. But in tribute to the Leprechaun’s enduring popularity, there are two new figures on the horizon: a custom figure based on Lep 5 commissioned by Warwick Davis himself (release date unknown), and a figure based on the first movie from SOTA Toys, expected to be out in time for Christmas.
The Series So Far
Leprechaun (1993) Starring Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Gorman. Directed by Mark Jones. Leprechaun terrorizes remote farmhouse to retrieve his stolen gold. Noteworthy death: Leprechaun plays pogo on a shopkeeper’s lung.
Leprechaun 2 (1994) Starring Warwick Davis, Charlie Heath, Shevonne Durkin, Sandy Baron. Directed by Rodman Flender The Leprechaun seeks to kidnap a certain young woman in Los Angeles and forcibly marry her. She and her wannabe-boyfriend don’t like this plan, and matters are complicated when the boyfriend finds one of the Leprechaun’s gold coins. Noteworthy death: Lawnmower blades disguised as gratuitous female nudity.
Leprechaun 3 (1995) Starring Warwick Davis, John Gatins, Lee Armstrong, John DeMita, Michael Callan, Caroline Williams. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. The Leprechaun wreaks havoc in Las Vegas while various shady characters seek possession of a wish-granting gold coin. Noteworthy death: The Leprechaun cuts a magician in half… with a chainsaw.
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996) Starring Warwick Davis, Brent Jasmer, Jessica Collins, Guy Siner, Gary Grossman, Rebekah Carlton, Tim Colceri, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Debbe Dunning. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. In the most complicated story line of the series, the Leprechaun wants to marry a space princess so he can be king of a planet. She’s willing to go along with this, but before they can marry the Lep has to contend with space marines and a mad scientist with other ideas for the princess. Noteworthy death: After being ‘killed’ by the marines, the Leprechaun is reborn from an unexpected part of a marine’s body.
Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) Starring Warwick Davis, Ice-T, A.T. Montgomery, Rashaan Nall, Red Grant. Directed by Rob Spera. In the installment that’s closest to a traditional horror movie, three young rappers discover that the Leprechaun’s golden flute can give their music career a big boost. But the Leprechaun wants it back, and so does the music mogul who stole it twenty years earlier. Noteworthy death: A transsexual regrets inviting the Leprechaun into his/her bedroom.
Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood (2003) Starring Warwick Davis, Tangi Miller, Laz Alonso, Page Kennedy, Sherrie Jackson, with Sticky Fingaz and Shiek Mahmud-Bey. Directed by Steve Ayromlooi. Not a sequel to #5, in spite of what the title suggests. The Leprechaun contends with a street gang, a fortune teller, and assorted residents of the hood while trying to retrieve his gold from four young friends. Noteworthy death: Lep rips out gang leader’s heart with his bare hands.
