The director of Terrifier 3 has defended the film against accusations of misogyny, saying that sexism is “so not me”.
READ MORE: Art The Clown: behind the screams with horror’s “feminist”, Mr Bean-inspired icon
The latest entry in the low-budget cult slasher series was released on Friday (October 11), and you can watch the trailer below. The Christmas-set film sees the serial killing Art The Clown pursuing Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) as she attempts to rebuild her life after the events of the previous movie.
Director Damien Leone has come out swinging against some of the criticisms of the ultra-violent film, particularly those who claim that the Terrifier series has a sexist streak running through it.
“I don’t think it’s a funny matter,” he said in an interview with IndieWire, “but it’s so not me that I do find it kind of hilarious.”
“It’s also a trope that I grew up loving. The ‘final girl’ is such a powerful element to these movies, and I don’t think it’s as impactful if it’s a ‘final man’. Men are just more reprehensible in general, and you’re already used to seeing them die [in other genres].”
The film had a successful opening weekend at the US box office, topping the charts and finishing ahead of Joker: Folie à Deux.
The original Terrifier came out in 2018. Written and directed by Leone on a budget of just $35,000, the film about the mysterious clown kicked up a storm on social media thanks to its high levels of gore and earned enough at the box office for Terrifier 2 to be green-lit.
Made for around $250,000, the sequel (again helmed by Leone) built on this reputation, reportedly causing people to pass out in cinemas and taking more than $15million globally. Later, it was submitted for Oscars consideration in a fan-driven campaign led by horror specialist publication Bloody Disgusting, though came away empty-handed.
Last year, writer and director Damien Leone and Priscilla Smith, president and founder of French distributors The Coven, revealed that the third entry in the franchise would amp up the gore even more than its predecessors, and would carry a significantly larger budget.
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