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Best & Worst of 2009: The Year’s Best One Sheets

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Before any footage from a film is seen, typically a teaser or full one sheet is released by a studio. This is an incredibly important, even detrimental process as it is the first thing the consumers will see and identify with a movie. If the poster stinks, the consumer might write it off all together, while a good poster could lead to them checking out the official website, trailer and best case scenario, hanging it from their wall (the most personal relationship any of us have with a movie). To say the least, posters are damn important. As part of our year end coverage, we present to you the year’s best theatrical posters.

BEST ONE SHEETS OF 2009

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Posters listed in no particular order

Frozen (Anchor Bay)


Carrying inspiration from other top-notch one sheets like Open Water, the poster for Frozen is remarkably eye-catching. Anyone who catches a glimpse of this in a theater is sure to walk over and ponder on it for a second. It’s also quite representational of the flick and is sure to get people marking their calendars for the February release.

The Crazies (Overture)


A breath of fresh air from the previous one sheet that was incredibly confusing. The imagery is frightening, and more importantly, the tagline is awesome. “Fear Thy Neighbor.” Bing, bang, boom.

The Stepfather (Sony Screen Gems)(


I’m not a very big fan of Screen Gems’ posters where they render an image to look like a painting, but for some reason I think the one sheet for STEPFATHER works. It’s eye-catching, simple and actually a little unnerving. Too bad the movie wasn’t half as entertaining as the poster.

My Bloody Valentine (Lionsgate)


I loved Lionsgate’s one sheet for their remake of MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Outside of us hardcore horror fans, the average theatergoer has no clue who the killer is. The poster gives us a clear look at the slasher while also highlighting the 3-D aspect by creating two other slightly transparent versions. Good stuff.

Halloween II (Dimension Films)


After Dimension’s nauseating one sheet for the remake, Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN II was blessed with this violent and chaotic masterpiece of wall art. Like the movie or not, the marketing was well done – too bad it had to go up against THE FINAL DESTINATION, a film that delivered a brutal blow at the box office.

Friday the 13th (Warner Bros. Pictures)


Whether it’s by name or image, everyone knows who Jason Voorhees is, therefore there’s no reason to keep him in the shadows. Warner Bros. released this stunning one sheet for the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake that features a full shot of the infamous masked killer in all of his powerful glory. Whether that translated to film is up to you to decide.

The Wolfman (Universal Pictures)


With the movie looking to finally hit theaters in February, Universal Pictures released this gorgeous blue-tinted poster for THE WOLFMAN. Again, who doesn’t know the Wolfman? So why not let him tear it up in this action-packed one sheet that has serious bite.

Clash of the Titans (Warner Bros. Pictures)


To our surprise this has been one of the most popular and well-received poster debuts here on Bloody Disgusting. While CLASH OF THE TITANS is a fantasy film, there are some horrific elements like the three blind witches, the Kraken, and of course that sexy snake-headed Medusa. This one sheet screams for your attention. It’s bold, strong imagery is captivating and the color scheme blends beautifully with our hero. Aces.

Drag Me to Hell (Universal Pictures)


With a film titled DRAG ME TO HELL it doesn’t hurt to display exactly what the film is about on your poster. I enjoy Universal’s choice in drowning out the background images and bringing our star to the forefront with the fire and brimstone. And for those of you who read the little tagline… how can you beat, “But in three days, she’s going to hell”?

The Haunting in Connecticut (Lionsgate)


A terrible, terrible film that features probably the single best one sheet of the year. Too bad you could only see it at the comfort of your home on your computer screen. Lionsgate released this “motion poster” that’s one of the first to actually do something. Vomiting ectoplasm? Yes please.

Saw VI (Lionsgate)


When I first saw the poster for SAW VI at the San Diego Comic Con, it blew my mind. The imagery is striking, eye-catching and bold. How incredibly arrogant is it (have to appreciate it) to feature a giant VI without even a single mention of the title. It quite simply says, “you know it, you got it, here’s it comes.”

Jennifer’s Body (20th Century Fox)


Megan Fox’s long legs and a school shirt=WIN.

Daybreakers


Again, not a fan of artistic renderings, but the color scheme and creepy image are beyond eye-catching. This poster calls for your attention and begs you to come over and spend a few seconds seeing what it’s all about.

Antichrist (IFC Films)


There’s nothing better than a poster that tells you exactly what you’re going to see in theaters. IFC’s one sheet for ANTICHRIST says “sex in a creepy place, over and over again.” Don’t be shocked when you see a bloody penis.

The House of the Devil (Magnet Releasing)


Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing created a series of “retro posters” for the release of Ti West’s 80’s horror period piece THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. They’re all amazing, especially the one with the hand reaching out for you.

CHECK OUT THE WORST ONE SHEETS OF 2009

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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