Horror movie fans don’t have it easy and their love of horror franchises can be like being stuck in an abusive relationship. The first installment of any horror movie, the ones crystallized into the canon as classic anyhow, is often like a wonderful honeymoon where everything is new and rosy. But as the marriage goes on and the bloom falls of the rose, horror movies can yield some seriously painful diminishing returns that can mar a franchise.
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This feature is living proof. Nearly every horror franchise, no matter how iconic the characters or first few initial films have been, has been disfigured by weak, cheap sequels that lessen the impact of the original inception. Name a classic horror franchise. There’s at least one, if not many more, clunkers in the bunch.
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Horror fans love these franchises, but the franchises don’t always love them back, sometimes preferring the make-a-buck motto of Hollywood and rushing a film to hit a Halloween friendly release date. Regardless, a seminal horror movie is a seminal horror movie no matter how much a series or character has been exploited. And some many characters and franchises transcend their weaker efforts; Jason Vorhees might have been put through the gamut of ridiculous scenarios, but he’s still Jason Vorhees. On Hallow’s eve, Devil’s Night as some like to call it, we thought we’d examine the “best” horror franchises, diminishing returns and all.
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20. “Psycho” series (Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV: The Beginning):
Although Vince Vaughn and Freddie Highmore tried, nobody could play Norman Bates with the pathos, yet contempt that Anthony Perkins brought to the role. Perkins’ is slimy, sly, neurotic, but devastatingly charming and vulnerable. However the ranging quality of his films (from the sublime original to the low key/low quality sequels), Perkins simply oozes in each as the Mother obsessed Bates’, as indelible to the world of villainy as Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter. Though it’s place as a horror classic has been assured since its release, Alfred Hitchcock primarily saw the piece as a tongue in cheek romp, baffled by the responses in which people took the film so seriously. Perhaps it’s the symbiosis between the darkly comic and the darkly sinister that has made Psycho stand the test of time, the film itself a catalogue of shots that every Quentin Tarantino and Matthew Vaughn’s have borrowed lovingly from. Psycho II, set twenty something years after the original, is a compelling look at a criminal looking to better themselves, with touches of Hitchcock’s darkly comic flair thrown in (his daughter Patricia approved of the film). Perkins would move behind the camera to direct Psycho III, though he proved a better actor than director (the ending is strangely emotive, Bates wishing to be free from his ever present mother). Psycho IV tried The Godfather II trick in making a prequel and sequel — perhaps they should have focused on one. – Eoghan Lyng
19. “Candyman” series (Candyman, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, Candyman 3: Day of the Dead)
The “Candyman” series is notable for a number of reasons, and remains one of the more underrated franchises in horror history. For one, “Candyman” features a black protagonist and frequently investigates race but never falls into the category of being exclusively for urban audiences. (In case you’ve forgotten, and you probably have, Virginia Madsen is the lead in the first film.) It can be said that the first two films (the third film is negligible) serve as one of the greatest Clive Barker adaptations ever, having been based on a short story called “The Forbidden” that appears in the excellent collection “In the Flesh.” (It’s certainly the best Barker adaptation that didn’t feature the author’s direct involvement.) Also, there’s the matter of the first two film’s now immortal score composed by none other than Philip fucking Glass. The crown jewel of the trilogy is undeniably “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh,” the middle chapter that was elegantly directed by none other than Bill Condon. More of a murder mystery than anything else, with lengthy historical flashbacks and very little of the actual boogeyman character (he’s more of a hook-handed Harry Lime), it’s a through-and-through horror classic. It would have been easy to write off the sequel as a cheaply produced cash-in (and the third film is just that), but there’s something strange and unnerving about it; it’s positively haunting. – Drew Taylor
18. “Poltergeist” (Poltergeist, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Poltergeist III):
Steven Spielberg’s fingerprints are all over this film (a contract regarding E.T.: The Extra Terestrial prevented him from directing Poltergeist, though he would co-write and produce), the sense of thrill and chill so eloquently lifted from the waters of his earlier Jaws. Tobe Hooper (his indelibility in the world of horror forever felt after Texas Chainsaw Massacre) took the camera and the end result is a nice collaborative affair of Spielberg’s penchant for jump scares Hooper’s eye for gore (the scene of a ghost entering the toilet is the perfect cinematic match of both parties). The film made a name for Craig T.Nelson, who returned for the sequel. While certainly slighter than the first (Zelda Rubinstein’s Razzie nomination was well deserved), it does feature some moments of note, particularly those with Julian Beck chewing the scenery as a havoc creating preacher. There is, however, little of note in Poltergeist III (less of note in the arbitrary 2015 remake of the original); not even the inclusion of Alien’s Tom Skerritt (whose text stone film insatiably influenced the original) is enough for us to recommend this film to any besides collectivists. Still, two out of three ain’t bad! – EL
17. “Hellraiser” (Hellraiser 1-9)
The Hellraiser franchise has possibly the largest gulf between the top tier entries and the weakest entries. Clive Barker’s original is an effective family drama wrapped in the package of an imaginative and creepy BDSM underworld that introduces us to the Cenobites. Equally as good is Tony Randal’s sequel, “Hellbound: Hellraiser II,” which is lighter on plot but works as a gothic horror film with striking imagery that is no doubt an influence in some way on Guillermo del Toro. When these films were produced independently, they flew high on Barker’s untamed vision and Christopher Young’s haunting scores, which added to the undeniably strong atmosphere. Once Dimension Films purchased the rights, it was all downhill from there. “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth” keeps some of the same weirdness, but from that film on, the victims became less-and-less interesting and more-and-more stock. In the last theatrical release – “Hellraiser: Bloodline” – they did what every series who runs out of ideas does: send Pinhead to space. The rest went straight-to-DVD, with only the fifth entry – “Hellraiser: Inferno” – being worthy to note, solely for being the debut of “Sinister” and “Doctor Strange” director Scott Derrickson. – Ryan Oliver
16. The “Omen” series (The Omen, Damien: The Omen II, Omen III: The Final Conflict, Omen IV: The Awakening):
Forget about the awful 2006 remake (despite the inspired 6.6.6 marketing campaign), the original Richard Donner film is a classic of Satanic proportions. Starring Gregory Peck at the peak of prowess, it’s also notable for the cerebral austerity projected from Harvey Spencer Stephens, a performance rarely bettered by any child actor in the forty years since. Centering around Damien Thorn, it is Patrick Troughton’s Father Brennan (Troughton’s best post Doctor Who performance) who senses that Thorn may not be as human as he appears. Add to that Jerry Goldsmith’s hauntingly pervasive Oscar winning score, and you have one of the best of seventies horror. Damien’s story continues in the two follow ups, of which Omen III is the superior, Sam Neill’s arresting lead a marker for great roles yet to come. Damien: The Omen II is also a watchable film, though lacking Donner’s directorial flair for short paced sequences, Jonathan Scott-Taylor is convincing as a pubescent version of the Devil’s child. Although Damien’s story ended after the trilogy, producer Harvey Bernhard felt a fourth film, featuring a girl spawned by Damien, was needed. If it sounds insipid, it’s because it is. Lightning never strikes twice, not even for the Anti-Christ. – EL