10 Vindicated Horror Films
Jeff Kirschner
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Trick ‘r Treat:
Then:
This one was barely given a chance to get off the ground floor. The anthology flick set on All Hallows’ Eve and loosely connected by the character Sam was supposed to be released theatrically in 2007. However, instead of seeing the darkened light of the multiplex, Trick ‘r Treat was relegated to studio limbo for two years before being dumped unceremoniously onto home video in 2009.
Now:
As the years go by, Trick ‘r Treat fandom continues to grow as new fans discover the film. It sits at 86% “Fresh” on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and was even given 5 stars out of 5 by this very site. Sam is a popular Halloween costume and has been merchandised as both an action figure and a high-end collectible. Director Michael Dougherty has announced an upcoming sequel, Trick ‘r Treat 2. Hopefully that one will receive the theatrical respect that the original so sorely deserved.
Army of Darkness:
Then:
Yep, Army of Darkness. The third film in the Evil Dead franchise and the one that spawned just about every eminently quotable catchphrase which Ash-heads spout today was dead on arrival when it hit theatres in 1992. Made for $13 million, Army of Darkness only recouped eleven of those, despite having the widest release of any Evil Dead film. Critics weren’t too kind either. Entertainment Weekly gave the film a middling C+, and Roger Ebert (again) wrote, “The movie isn’t as funny or entertaining as Evil Dead II… maybe because the comic approach seems recycled.” Furthermore, the film’s release was held back by the studio for a year while they tinkered with it and re-edited it.
Now:
Screw the critics. Army of Darkness is the shit! There isn’t one horror film that’s quoted more than this one. The film has sprouted a cottage industry of merchandise, comic book adaptations and video games. Fans of Evil Dead rightly reclaimed this one, and even though it’s much more comedic than the pure horror of the first, it sits proudly next to its predecessors as part of one the best trilogies in the genre.
American Psycho:
Then:
Bret Easton Ellis’s uber-disturbing 1991 novel was long deemed unfilmable, although that didn’t stop studios from trying. Initially Stuart Gordon was set to direct, with Johnny Depp in the lead role of the homicidal, designer clothing and Huey Lewis and the News obsessed Wall Streeter Patrick Bateman. Next it was David Cronenberg and Brad Pitt. Eventually, Lionsgate obtained the rights, and it was to be Oliver Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. When they too dropped out, eventual director Mary Harron insisted on casting the then relatively unknown Christian Bale.
The film was released to a shitstorm of controversy in 2000, and critical notices were all over the map. Roger Ebert actually liked this one, but Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turran called it a “…stillborn, pointless piece of work.” Easton Ellis himself was critical of the cinematic gestation of his source, and the film grossed a much lower than expected $15 million.
Now:
If the Dark Knight is Bale’s most iconic character, Patrick Bateman is running up the rear in an extremely tight photo finish. Horror hounds have adopted Bale’s Bateman as their own, and the character has been merchandised on t-shirts and as action figures. Music videos have paid homage to the film, and academic work has been written which examines it as a cogent and vital piece of social criticism.
