From Halloween 5 to Howling VII, EJ Moreno on why 1995 may be the worst year for horror and slasher follow-ups…
The 1980s saw horror reach heights never expected. Franchises were continued, proving the power of intellectual property even in genre fare. Things looked terrific, but then the 1990s entered the chat.
Things became murky during this decade, with original horror films needing to carry the weight of lacking IPs. The lowest point for horror franchises is undoubtedly 1995, a midpoint of a middling era. A handful of sequels stunk up the joint this year and almost buried multiple beloved series.
We’ll recount the films in this list of some outlandish entries. Make sure to reach out to our social channels @FlickeringMyth and let us know which of these horror sequels ruined 1995 for you…
Leprechaun 3
If I’m being candid, I mostly enjoy this third Leprechaun entry. The Vegas setting and committed performance of Warwick Davis make it watchable, but sadly, it continues the franchise’s aimless direction.
Not to say that we needed an intense narrative saga for these goofy Leprechaun movies, but a bit of focus would’ve helped these not get so repetitive. The worst part is the “been there, done that” quality of the kills and jokes. That problem would curse the following films in these series; it just became the most noticeable during this Sin City-set outing.
The next entry in the franchise would take things all the way to space, so I eventually came to appreciate Leprechaun 3 for keeping it simple. For this being a low point, it would only get lower.
Howling VII: New Moon Rising
Werewolf movies never get the hype or mainstream attention that vampire movies do, but you feel the magic when they nail it like the original Howling. By the seventh entry, that magic is all tapped out.
If you’re shocked to hear about seven of these werewolf movies, brace yourself to know there’s one more after this. That eighth movie would be a reboot because the Howling franchise was killed after this awful little movie. It’s almost unfair to call this a full movie as it reuses so many scenes from the original that it feels like a sitcom clip show episode.
New Moon Rising is not only disrespectful to the barely-there series The Howling, but it feels like it barely counts as a horror movie. It is just an utter waste and the weakest movie here.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Much like the aforementioned Leprechaun movie, there’s a part of me that enjoys what Candyman 2 attempts, primarily due to the brilliant work of Tony Todd in a more expansive role.
That’s where the praise ends. The film sets so much up with Todd’s Candyman/Daniel Robitaille that it shockingly lets it all down by the final act. As the film comes to a close, any attempt to build up the Candyman character as something more than a horror villain is washed away with its laughably lousy conclusion to the narrative.
With more bloody kills and the Phillip Glass score bumping, you could spend your time with worse movies. It’s just how utterly disappointing they handle the legacy of Candyman…or what could’ve been.
Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
I had never seen this film before writing the article. Maybe it’s because I was unfamiliar with Children of the Corn III, or perhaps it’s just that bad, but it was a pain to watch.
You can see the novel idea of moving this rural set story to the middle of the city; honestly, it should work, and it’s a move I’d look at as a producer or director. But nothing about Urban Harvest works besides moving to the Lovecraft roots that were all over the source material. Not even Charlize Theron’s debut performance makes this fun.
Children of the Corn III survives the franchise as not being the worst, as there are far more awful entries, but it adds to a year of IP-based movies losing their footing and making horror feel passe in the 90s.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Nothing boils the blood of a classic Halloween fan than mentioning the Thorn cult. If you thought the recent Halloween Ends was terrible and the lowest, revisit The Curse of Michael Myers ASAP.
A young Paul Rudd does his best to add some charm to the film, but it’s all to no avail between the Man in Black and the origin story of Michael Myers. Donald Pleasence does turn in a much better performance than in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, but at this point, we are trying to cling to anything good.
The Curse of Michael Myers does nothing for Michael Myers as a character, furthering my feelings that he is far behind his slasher peers. Another timeline refresh a few years later would save this legacy.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
Sometimes known as The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this fourth installment in the slasher franchise isn’t great, but some undeniable craziness makes it iconic.
When you have Leatherface in high-whore drag, Matthew McConaughey’s insane performance, and Renée Zellweger’s committed turn, you can see where you’d have fun watching this. Sadly, it feels so far removed from the grittiness of the iconic original or even the brilliant black comedy that was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2.
Horror fans have tried to give this another pass, seeing it for parody elements and bizarre subplots as something watchable. Sadly, you see the regression of a slasher icon that is saved by a barely-great remake.
EJ Moreno
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