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Saturday, February 5, 2011

10 FRANCHISES THAT GET WORSE BY THE SEQUEL


OVER THE YEARS HORROR HAS CONTINUED TO SHOOT THE DEAD HORSE IN THE FACE BY RELEASING SEQUEL AFTER SEQUEL AFTER SEQUEL. WE HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF FRANCHISES THAT GET WORSE BY THE SEQUEL.

 


 ALTHOUGH THIS FRANCHISE HAD A VERY PROMISING AND THOUGHTFUL BEGINNING, THIS FRANCHISE QUICKLY FELL INTO A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. PSYCHO GAVE US AN AMAZINGLY SHOCKING PSYCHOLOGICAL PIECE OF ART; PSYCHO II CONTINUED THE STORY AND GAVE US A SEQUEL THAT LIVED UP TO THE ORIGINAL. PSYCHO III FELL FLAT OFF THE CREATIVE WINGS OF THE ORIGINAL AND WENT STRAIGHT TO HELL. A FEW YEARS LATER WE GOT A NEW LOOK AT NORMAN BATES IN PSYCHO IV, WHICH WAS A PREQUEL AND SEQUEL TO THE OTHERS, YET, IN SOME WAY, THIS WAS A HUGE TURD.
 THE ORIGINAL FILM OF THIS FRAN-CHISE WAS A RIP OFF OF JOHN CARPENTER'S HALLOWEEN. DURING THIS FILMS PERIOD IN TIME EVERYONE SET OUT TO MAKE THEIR OWN HALLOWEEN JUST TO CASH IN ON THE RECENT SUCESS OF HORROR. PROM NIGHT FIT PERFECTLY INTO THAT CATEGORY, HELL THEY EVEN CAST JAMIE LEE CURTIS AS THE FILMS HEROIN. PROM NIGHT WAS A TERRIBLY PUT TOGETHER FILM WITH A MORE THAN CONFUSING PLOT. PROM NIGHT II UPPED THE ANTY AND JUST MADE THINGS WORSE. PROM NIGHT III WAS ALMOST UNWATCHABLE, AND THEN IT GOT A DOUBLE FEATURE RELEASE WITH PROM NIGHT IV, WHICH MOST PEOPLE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN, AND SHOULDN'T. THIS SERIES STARTED IN THE TOILET AND ENDED UP IN THE SEWER. IT'S FUNNY HOW IRONIC THE RESULT OF TRYING TO COPY A SUPERIOR FILM ENDS UP.

 THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE WAS A MASTERPIECE AND DEFINATELY DESRVES RESPECT. EVEN THE SEQUEL, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2, LIVED UP TO THE ORIGINAL AND CONTINUED THE STORY WITH A DEFINATE CHANGE IN DIRECTION. LEATHER FACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III WAS AN OK FILM SAVED BY KEN FOREE AND A QUICK (AND SHORT-LIVED) APPEARANCE BY CAROLINE WILLIAMS (TCM 2'S SURVIVOR), BUT AT THIS POINT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE SERIES WAS RUNNING INTO THE GROUND. THEN CAME THE GREAT IDEA FROM ONE OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE ORIGINAL TO CREATE A RE-IMAGING OF THE FIRST FILM. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION WAS A HORRIBLE TAKE ON THE CONCEPT OF THE ORIGINAL THAT TURNED BELOVED LEATHERFACE INTO A LOW-LIFE TRANSEXUAL SKANK. AND BY THE END OF THIS FILM IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE HOPEFUL FRANCHISE WAS DEAD (LIKE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF RENEE ZELWEGER). THE SERIES WAS REVIVED IN THE EARLY 2000's WITH A PLEASING REMAKE THAT WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A SUCESSFUL PREQUEL. LEATHERFACE WILL BE MAKING HIS WAY BACK ONTO THE SCREEN IN 2011/2012 IN A 3D INSTALLMENT.

 THERE IS LITTLE TO BE SAID ABOUT THIS SERIES. JENNIFER ANISTON STARRED IN THE ORIGINAL LEPRECHAUN AND ITS FOLLOW-UP, LEPRECHAUN 2. THINGS THEN GOT TRICKY WITH MORE STANKY SEQUELS INCLUDING LEPRECHAUN IN SPACE, LEPRECHAUN IN DA HOOD AND LEPRECHAUN BACK 2 DA HOOD. HOWEVER, THE ORDER OF THE FILMS IS QUITE TRICKY, AND PRETTY MUCH UNKNOWN.
                      
 PUMPKINHEAD WAS AN OK-ISH FILM, BUT THINGS GOT STRANGER THROUGHOUT THE SEQUELS. ASHES TO ASHES AND BLOOD FUED WERE TWO SEQUELS WITH CONFUSING PLOTS THAT SEEMED TO INTERWINE BUT HAD CONFLICTING TIME FRAMES. PUMPKINHEAD THROWS MOST FANS OFF BY BEING SET IN THE FARAWAY PAST, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT OBNOXIOUS.
  
THE ORIGINAL WRONG TURN WAS A SHOCKING FILM FOR ITS TIME PERIOD. IT SHOWED GRAPHIC DEATHS IN A BALLS TO THE WALL FASHION WITH AMAZING SPECIAL EFFECTS. WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END WAS JUST AS SHOCKING AS THE ORIGINAL. THE GORE IS MORE OVER THE TOP, BUT THE WOUNDS AND INTRAILS ARE POORLY CRAFTED, AND O-SO-OBVIOUSLY LATEX. THE OVERALL STORYLINE IS GREAT BUT THE ACTING WILL HAVE YOU SPLITTING IN HALF (PUN INTENDED). WRONG TURN 3: LEFT FOR DEAD IS A POORLY CRAFTED, LOW-BUDGET PICTURE THAT REALLY TESTS THE WATERS WITH REALLY BAD CGI BLOOD EFFECTS. WITH AMAZINGLY BAD ACTING AND 29 FALSE ENDINGS, THIS FILM DESTROYS ANY CHANCE OF THERE BEING ANOTHER GOOD WRONG TURN.


FRIDAY THE 13TH WAS A GREAT FILM WHEN THERE WERE FEW SLASHERS AROUND. THE FIRST FRIDAY WAS AN INNOVATIVE LOOK AT THE ULTIMATE BAD DAY. THE FILM WAS SCARY, INTENSE AND SHOCKING. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 TIED UP ALL THE LOOSE ENDS AND BEGAN THE CYCLE ONCE AGAIN. THIS FILM THRUSTED JASON VORHEES INTO SOCIETY AND SHOWED HIM AS AN ABANDONED CHILD SEEKING VENGANCE FOR THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3D INTRODUCED THE INFAMOUS HOCKEY MASK AND MADE JASON INVINCIBLE. THE FINAL CHAPTER TRIED TO DESTROY JASON FOREVER, BY THE START OF THE NEW BEGINNING IT WAS OBVIOS THAT JASON WAS HERE TO STAY. BY THE TIME JASON LIVES CAME AROUND JASON HAD LOST HIS TOUCH. THE NEW BLOOD TESTED THE LOYALTY OF FANS WHO HAD GIVEN UP BY THE TIME JASON TAKES MANHATTAN POPPED UP. DESPERATE TO GET FANS BACK PARAMOUNT DEICIDED IT WAS TIME FOR JASON GOES TO HELL, AND BY THE BEGINNING CREDITS IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE FRANCHISE WAS DEAD, BUT STILL IT WAS NECESSARY FOR JASON X. THEN CAME  
 FREDDY VS JASON AND A SUCESSFUL REMAKE WITH THE SAME LEGENDARY TITLE. JASON (MAY) MAKE HIS WAY BACK INTO CINEMAS SOON IN A SEQUEL TO THE REMAKE.
                                                                      JOHN CARPENTER'S HALLOWEEN STARTED IT ALL. WITH THE THRUST OF A KNIFE AND THE RISE OF A SCREAM A HOLLYWOOD LEGACY WAS MADE IN BLOOD. THE ORIGINAL FILM SHOWED HOW EVIL WOULD DESTROY ANYTHING IN IT'S PATH TO TERRORIZE AN INNOCENT VICTIM. HALLOWEEN II CONTINUED THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF HALLOWEEN AND SHOWED THAT THE NIGHTMARE WAS FAR FROM OVER. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH WAS THE FIRST LOW POINT OF THE SERIES BECAUSE IT IGNORED THE LEGENDARY MICHAEL MYERS. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS BROUGHT THE SERIES (AND AUDIENCE) BACK. MICHAEL NOW HUNTS HIS NIECE (THE AMAZINGLY HOT DANIELLE HARRIS) JAMIE LLYOD SINCE HIS SISTER, LAURIE STRODE, DIED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT AND LEFT JAMIE AS MICHAELS ONLY RELATIVE. ONCE AGAIN THEY DESTROYED MICHAEL ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT HE HAD SURVIVED. MICHAEL COMES BACK IN HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS AND MERCILESSLY HUNTS DOWN JAMIE(HARRIS). BY THE COMPLETION OF THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS FANS WERE PISSED AS THE SERIES DECLINED ONCE AGAIN AND MICHAEL BECAME THE TARGET OF A CHEESY 17TH CENTURY CULT. THE SERIES RISED AGAIN IN H20 WHICH IGNORED THE SEQUELS THAT FOLLOWED H2. LAURIE FINALLY GOT HER REVENGE BUT MICHAEL GOT HER BACK IN HALLOWEEN: RESURECTION. NO LONGER A MAN ON THE TRAIL OF HIS SISTER, MICHAEL WAS READY TO GO ON A BLOODY RAMPAGE BACK HOME IN HADDONFIELD. MICHAEL'S LEGACY RAN COLD UNTIL ROCKER/WRITER/DIRECTOR ROB ZOMBIE SHOOK THE MYERS FAN COMMUNITY AND TOOK ON THE TASK OF REMAKING ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FILMS YET. ZOMBIE SUCEEDED IN MAKING ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN AND CONTINUED HIS UNIQUE VISION THAT TOOK MYERS TO A NEW LEVEL IN H2: HALLOWEEN II. FANS WERE UPSET BY THE CHANGES MADE TO MYERS AND LASHED OUT AT ZOMBIE (PERSONALLY I THINK ITS THE BEST HALLOWEEN YET). CONSIDERING THE SERIES (AND ZOMBIE'S CAREER) DEAD, FANS FEEL THAT THE SERIES IS OVER. MICHAEL IS SCHEDULED TO SLASH HIS WAY BACK INTO CINEMAS IN FALL 2012! (IN 3D?)


PULSE CREEPED ITS WAY INTO THE MAIN STREAM RIDING ON THE COAT TAIL OF RISING STAR KRISTEN BELL. THE FILM TOOK AN ALTERNATIVE LOOK AT THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY (LIKE THE GROUNDBREAKING JAPANESE 'ONE MISSED CALL' TRILOGY). PULSE 2 TOOK A STEP BACKWARD WITH A CHEESY TAKE THAT TURNED THE ONCE FEARFUL DIGITAL SOUL CREATURES INTO GLOWING URBAN LEGENDS. PULSE 3 CONTINUED TO DRAG THE ORIGINAL FILM EVEN FURTHER INTO THE GRAVE. THE POWER OF GREED IS THE ONE THING THAT DESTROYED THIS SERIES.
                   
DEE WALACE STARRED IN THE ORIGINAL SLEEPER HIT THE HOWLING. THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE FILM GOES ON A HELLISH VACATION AND ENDS UP FINDING OUT THAT SOMETHINGS, LIKE WEREWOLVES, AREN' T JUST MYTHS. HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF FOLLOWS DEE WALACE'S SISTER AS SHE HUNTS WOLVES IN THE INFURIOR SEQUEL. THINGS GET STRANGER IN MARSUPIALS: HOWLING III AS THE WOLVES BEGIN TO LOOK LIKE DOLLAR STORE APE COSTUMES. HOWLING 4 IS A SOMEWHAT PREQUEL TO THE ORIGINAL THAT SEEMS A BIT RUSHED. HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH FAILS THE ORIGINAL BY NOT BEING RELATED TO IT IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN NAME, AND DOESN'T EVEN SHOW A WEREWOLF. HOWLING VI: THE FREAKS TAKES A WEREWOLF TO THE CIRCUS AND OFFERS HIGH SCHOOL GRADE SPECIAL EFFECTS AND TESTS HOW LONG A VIEWER CAN SIT THROUGH THE CHEAP LOOKING FILM. THE HOWLING 7 HAD PRATICALLY NO FAN BASE, SO IT SEEMS THEY MADE THE FILM THINKING IT WOULD NEVER BE SEEN. THIS FILM OFFERS 0% PRODUCTION VALUE AND SEEMS TO BE A SEQUEL DIRECTLY TO THE 5TH FILM. IF THERE ARE ANY FANS OF THIS SERIES LEFT, THEY WILL BE GLAD TO KNOW THAT THE MARSUPIAL BEINGS WILL BE COMING HOME IN THE HOWLING: REBORN.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET WAS THE LATE BLOOMER OF TODAYS MODERN FAVORITE 3 SLASHERS. THE ORIGINAL FILM WAS A DARK LOOK AT THE TRUST OF ADULTS AND THE AFFECTS IT HAS ON TEENS WHEN AN EVIL CHILD MOLESTER NAMED FREDDY (THE BASTARD SON OF A THOUSAND MANIACS) KRUEGER IS ADDED INTO THE EQUATION. FREDDY'S REVENGE  (THE GAY-EST HORROR MOVIE EVER) WAS A HUGE FAILURE THAT MADE FANS QUESTION THE FUTURE OF FREDDY KRUEGER. DREAM WARRIORS REVIVED KRUEGER (COUNT THIS AS A SPOILER) AND ALSO REVIVED THE INTEREST OF FANS. THIS FILM UPPED THE ANTY AND SHOWED HOW POWERFUL OF A MONSTER FRED KRUEGER REALLY WAS. THE DREAM MASTER MADE FREDDY A DIABOLICAL ONE MAN ARMY THAT WAS HERE TO STAY, BUT AS FREDDY BECAME A FATHER IN THE DREAM CHILD FANS BEGAN TO DOUBT THE QUALITY OF THE FILMS AND GREW TIRED OF FREDDY, UNTIL NEW LINE CINEMAS EMPLOYED THE GENIUS IDEA OF SAYING THAT THEY WERE GONNA END A SERIES AND MADE FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE. NOTICING THE MARKETING GADGET FANS FLEW INTO THEATERS AND FELT THAT THE SERIES WAS NOT REVIVED, BUT RESOLVED. THEN CAME WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE THAT BROUGHT FREDDY INTO THE REAL WORLD AND FRIGHTENED FANS TO THE CORE. AS THEY SAW THE ENDING OF JASON GOES TO HELL, FANS BEGAN TO SPECULATE ON HOW AND WHEN THE INFAMOUS BATTLE OF PURE EVIL WOULD TAKE PLACE. IN THE EARLY 2000'S NEW LINE AND PARAMOUNT RELEASED FREDDY VS JASON AND REGAINED THE LOYAL FAN BASE ONCE AGAIN.
FREDDY LAID IN PIECES UNTIL HE WAS REMADE IN 2010. THE REMAKE WAS NOT TO THE HARDCORE FANS LIKING (DUE TO ITS TAME AND BORING PLOT, ALONG WITH A SERIOUS EVOLUTION OF THE FREDDY KRUEGER CHARACTER) AND IS AWAITING A 3D SEQUEL IN 2012.


OTHER FAILING FRANCHISES:
CHILD'S PLAY - (Awaiting a 2011/2012 remake)
GHOULIES
CRITTERS
THE MANGLER
WARLOCK
WISHMASTER
WITCHBOARD
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS
DEMONS
BASKET CASE

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