KILLJOY 3 (2010)
STUDIO: Full Moon Features
YEAR: 2010
REGION: 1
RATED: Unrated
RUNNING TIME: 78 Min.
DIRECTOR: John Lechago
CAST: Trent Haaga, Voctoria De Mare, Jessica Whitaker, Michael Rupnow, Spiral Jackson, Olivia Dawn York, Al Burke, Tai Chan Ngo, Darrow Igus
TAGLINE: You Can't Keep a Bad Clown Down
SUMMARY: Four College students on Spring Break are house sitting for their professor. Meanwhile the professor is involved in a conjuring ceremony trying to raise the demon clown Killjoy for revenge. Killjoy (Trent Haaga) is not going at it alone this time and raises three other demon clowns. The behemoth hobo clown Punchy. The conjoined twins mime, Freakshow. Sandy (Jessica Whitney) and her classmates, Erica, Robert, Rojer and Zilla discover a mysterious package that was left overnight at the doorstep. Inside is a strange ornate mirror that transports the students into Killjoy's demon realm one by one where they have to survive the twisted diaboloical trials that Killjoy has for them.
FILM: There have been some great horror films featuring clowns, a few that come immediately to mind are the 80's classic KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) and Stephen King's IT (1990) mini-series featuring a great turn from Tim Curry as Pennywise, the killer clown. Then came the INSANE CLOWN POSSE who have stained the reputations of clowns everywhere with their bullshit juggalo stupidity. If you're one of those jackasses who enjoy ICP I want you to know thatI think you're an asshole, sorry (but it's true, you're an asshole). With that in mind I didn't necessarily come to KILLJOY 3 with rose colored spectacles and combined with the fact that I've not seen KILLJOY (2000) or KILLJOY 2: DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL (2002) it had a few strikes against it.
Right from the start Killjoy 3 cinematically looks very stylish and well shot which are 2 things that don't immediately come to mind when one ponders a Full Moon film, let's be honest. At the beginning of the film the Professor (Darrow Igus) conjures the demon clown Killjoy, a demon of vengeance who once summoned must be given sacrifice in the form of a soul of an intended victim as named by he who summons him. This time out Killjoy brings a posse of demon clowns with him; Punchy (Al Burke), Batty Boop (Victoria De Mare) and Freakshow (Tai Chan Ngo). Before the intended victim can be named the incantation is interrupted when the Professor abruptly disappears and the vengeful clowns are returned to their demonic realm.
Killjoy is angered by the fact that he's been cheated his due sacrifice and is somehow able to transport an ornate magical mirror to the Prof's doorstep where it's discovered by 4 of his students who are house sitting. They bring the mirror into the house and hang it on the wall, who does that? I know you pay me to house sit but I thought it'd be cool to redecorate. Turns out the mirror is a portal of sorts and one by one the students are drawn to it and transported to the demon realm where they must face off against Killjoy and his minions.
The effects work is pretty standard for a current Full Moon production, meaning they aren't Industrial Light and Magic but they ain't terrible either. No real gore to speak off which was dissapointing but the Full Moon stuff has never been about the gore. Killjoy's clown make-up is well done but the other 3 don't fair. Batty Boop, the squeaky voiced succubus girlfriend of Killjoy is played by scream queen Victoria De Mare who is an attractive woman and her costume really plays to her curvacious strengths. Trent Haaga performance as the titular Killjoy is fun but the puns are truly terrible, is this a Killjoy trademark? That aside he can be very menacing and creepy. The demon realm set pieces are minimal but effective with good shadowy atmosphere and most of the performances are pretty solid as well.
DVD: The KILLJOY 3 DVD from Full Moon Features is presented in anamorphic widescreen with 2.0 stereo audio. The Killjoy 3 featurette takes us behind the scenes during production of K3 in China where Full Moon also filmed PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL (2010). The highlight of which is Trent Haaga in full Killjoy attire giving us a tour of the ACE Studios.
Special Features:
- Killjoy - Vintage Behind the Scenes Featurette
- Killjoy 3 - Behind the Scenes from China Featurette
- Full Moon Trailers
VERDICT: KILLJOY 3 is an entertaining film, if you're a Killjoy or Full Moon completest this is an easy buy, if not it's definitely worth a rental. From what I can tell Killjoy 3 is exclusively available as part of the Killjoy - The Diabolical Trilogy Boxset available from fullmoondirect.com. **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)
