Halloween is just several days away, and Marquee Cinemas is home to some of the spookiest and scariest frights and sights around. Last week, we took a look at a particularly infamous clown known for causing mischief and mayhem, but this week we will be examining his darker — and far more gratuitous — doppelganger, Art the Clown from Damien Leone’s “Terrifier” series. Remarkably, the third entry in the continuing series is sitting squarely at the top of the domestic box office, so something in the culture is being reflected by the performance of this independent project.
However, as a work of art, how does Art the Clown elevate the slasher genre, or is “Terrifier 3” just another trick that doesn’t provide any treat? “Terrifier 3” begins by picking up immediately where the last entry left off — with Art the Clown, portrayed by David Howard Thorton, being resurrected by the demon girl who has also possessed the body of Victoria Heyes — portrayed by Samantha Scaffidi. Meanwhile, five years pass as Sienna and Johnathan — portrayed by Lauren LaVera and Elliot Fullam — try to move on with their lives after surviving the massacre of the second film. Sienna is staying with her aunt and uncle, and she bonds with her younger cousin Gabbie, while Johnathan is attending college, where he is a bit of a local true-crime celebrity.
However, the siblings cannot heal while still being stalked and hunted by the demonic duo of Art and Victoria, and the film chronicles.