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rogueslayer452As a fan of horror, I obviously do love horror franchises, and I've been wanting to make a post about some of my favorites but then inspiration took hold of me in regards to horror franchise sequels. Anyone who loves franchises, regardless of genre or medium, tend to reference the first as being the best, but the sequels are often overlooked. While true not every sequel in a franchise is good, and the longer a franchise goes on the less quality they will be, however that is subjective due to personal taste and preference and having soft spots for them.
So, I wanted to share some of my favorite horror franchise sequels. This ended up becoming a bit longer than expected, but it was worth it.
BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2
I unironically love this movie so much. It's not a "proper" sequel in terms of continuing directly from The Blair Witch Project (that would be 2016's Blair Witch), and yes, there was a lot of executive meddling that ruined the original version of what the director wanted it to be since it was supposed to have been more of a psychological thriller, mirroring the whole mass hysteria research that a couple of main characters were doing. But despite this not being the final version of what the director may have wanted it to be, I still enjoyed it. It's campy and entertaining and you can see the potential in the original idea, even if the final result doesn't reflect that. The cast is great, there are so many memorable and quotable moments, and the soundtrack is awesome. It might be the MTV-esque version of what was supposed to be a psychological thriller, but I still loved it, flaws and all.
(There is a fan edited version of what the original was supposed to have been like, it's only available to purchase though, but it does exist.)
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2
I remember renting this before even seeing the first Carrie movie, because I thought the previews looked cool. It might not be highly regarded and rejected as a sequel by many fans of the original, however I actually really enjoyed it for what it was.
BRIDE OF CHUCKY
This movie was just pure fun, plain and simple. I also watched this before watching the original Child's Play, which was more slasher type, while this was absolutely played for the black comedy element. I remember watching this purely because Katherine Heigl was in it (because I was a fan of Roswell at the time), but since then it was Jennifer Tilly who kind of sold it for me, especially the opening scene with her dressed is that goth outfit with Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" playing over the opening credits. That's what got me sucked in, and the rest of the movie is just pure black comedy gold.
I mean, this movie has dolls making out and having sex. It's hilarious.
(Also, I haven't watched the other sequels that came after this nor the television show, but I'm happy for the fans because it seems like they're following suit with the black comedy rather than just going to the typical killer doll slasher trope.)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
This is definitely the most popular answer for many ANOES franchise fans, but there's no denying that there is something special about this. It is considered a proper sequel and continuation of the first movie, as opposed to the second movie that is regarded as a stand-alone (which was initially panned but has since become kind of an unlikely cult favorite over the years for its queer-coding), and it relaunched the franchise in a new direction that favored the original concept. It gave us the return of Nancy Thompson (and her father), it gave us a group of brand new kids, including Patricia Arquette as Kristen who was absolutely adorable in the role. I also really love the concept of having these kids, through Kristen, teaming up in their dreams and finding a way of figuring out their strengths that way to try and defeat Freddy. Yes, unfortunately Nancy does meet her end in this movie, which is sad, but I do like that she helped these kids because she understood what they were going through and was the only adult they could trust.
Plus, the tie-in music video "Dream Warriors" by Dokken is absolutely dope.
Honorable mentions: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child also are kind of tied in this for favorites in the franchise, as well. The Dream Master may have gotten someone different to portray Kristen, but the actress did release the bop of a title track "Nightmare" for the film and it also gave us the introduction to Alice. The Dream Child features my favorite friend group across the entire franchise (Greta, you deserved better sweetie), and I love that we see the growth of Alice over the course of both Dream Master and Dream Child and how she is the only surviving final girl of the franchise.
WES CRAVEN's NEW NIGHTMARE
I wanted to include this by itself because while it's technically still part of the franchise, it is also more of a stand-alone.
Before creating Scream, New Nightmare was the first glimpse of Wes Craven doing a very meta film where the actors return portraying themselves in a fictionalized version of reality where a demon version of Freddy is threatening to emerge into that world unless Heather Langenkamp becomes Nancy one last time in order to defeat this entity. It's quite meta in the way it is done, where Wes is writing a script that predicts what is going to happen in that reality, and it's quite a mind trip, honestly, but so cleverly done. It's sad that this movie never got the recognition it deserves because it's so good, and meta movies involving actors in this way are unheard of, which is a shame, but I wouldn't trust anyone who didn't know what they were doing, and Wes clearly knew what he was doing with this and it works.
SCREAM 4
There's been a lot of talk surrounding the newer Scream films in recent years that rejuvenated the franchise, and rightfully so, however Scream 4 often gets overlooked for being the first one to kind of do a proper rejuvenating of the franchise back in 2011. It was also the last Scream film that Wes Craven worked on before his death.
Like all the other Scream movies where they bring in meta concepts, Scream 4 gave us the tropes of "horror movie remakes", where our antagonists were attempting to recreate what happened in the first movie so they could become the new "stars" and get the spotlight. But as Sidney herself said in this one, "you forgot the first rule of remakes: don't fuck with the original", which is an excellent segway into the newer Scream movies. I genuinely did love Scream 4. I really liked how it continued the tradition of having there be a connection to Sidney Prescott, that it delivered on a revelation that made us question whether or not they were going to kill of Sidney for good, and it gave us Hayden Panetierre was Kirby Reed, who reprises her role in Scream 6 because she has long been considered a fan favorite and people were hoping that she didn't die!
EKO EKO AZARAK II: BIRTH OF THE WIZARD
This sequel to the first movie, Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness serves as a prequel where we get to see our protagonist, Misa Kuroi, and how she came to possess her powers and what leads her to the journey she goes on. It's also the second and last appearance by the original actress in this franchise, and while the other actresses who have portrayed Misa later on have been more or less good, there is no denying how amazing the first actress was at bringing the character from the manga to life.
NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE
I do love the first film, Suicide Club, however in terms of story I much prefer its prequel/sequel Noriko's Dinner Table. It's more of a slow burn kind of a story, quieter and somber and yet still quite intense and impactful with the content. It's definitely a family drama and a coming of age story more than anything despite the hidden horrors within of the family rental service. I rewatched it recently and it's interesting how relevant certain things still are today, the topic of identity and not knowing your role, whether you fulfill it, why people go online to connect with others and, as Suicide Club even says, "are you connected to yourself?" I love the acting, subtle yet powerful, and the story sticks with you long afterwards.
SAW 6 AND JIGSAW
Picking a favorite Saw sequel was tough because I actually do enjoy all of them. But I think in terms of creativity and the story, both these sequels are tied.
Saw 6 was a nice critique of the failings of the healthcare system and how the providers tend to cheat and stifle patients out of their money or outright refuse treatments if they cannot pay, giving them a death sentence. This is also the first time John Kramer shows his face in the footage he sends his victims, since usually it's just his voice over Billy the Puppet. It shows how this is a personal matter to him, because the man is responsible for not giving him the proper care he needed for his cancer treatment. I also loved the twist in the end, as well, about how this wasn't necessarily his game. He, instead, has to rely on the family of one of his patients who died because of his unfair policy, and face that judgment. I also loved Jill at the end, as well, that was nicely played.
Jigsaw was the rejuvenating of the Saw franchise after many years, and serves both as a prequel and a sequel. Although there were some moments where it felt too "polished" filmmaking wise as opposed to the grittiness the franchise was used to, in a way that flaw played into their favor of intentionally misleading the audience into thinking that it was a linear story rather than jumping back and forth in time. I liked the setup and I liked the way it was delivered, and I liked how it brought everything back full circle.
Honorable mention: Saw X recently came out and I do want to give a shout-out to that one, because it also is something that is similar to that of Saw 6 where it was deeply personal revenge for John Kramer.
I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
I remember watching I Know What You Did Last Summer in preparation of watching I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in the theaters, and I do love both but I do think the sequel is often overlooked. I was obsessed with this movie when it came out, I listened to the soundtrack constantly. In hindsight yeah, it was predictable, but it was still an enjoyably decent slasher flick of a sequel.
AMNESIA: JUSTINE
A video game example time this, because I do love me some video game horror. Amnesia: Justine is the DLC companion to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which is probably why it hasn't really gotten enough fandom attention (since iirc at the time of its release there were no saving points, so if you died in the game it would take you right back to the menu and had to start all over again). But it deserves more attention because I absolutely adore the story of this one. Justine Florbelle is the antagonist/protagonist of the game, we hear her voice through a series of phonograph recordings in each section, explaining certain things about what challenges you will be facing, and the ending is absolutely brilliant. I'd say that Amnesia: Justine has elements of Saw, which is probably why I enjoy it so much.
Honorable mention: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and it's a damn shame that it's considered the least favorite among the fandom because I think it's such a captivating story. If nothing else, the voice-acting alone is phenomenal (example: the phonograph recording).
If you're a fan of horror, what is your favorite sequel in a horror franchise? Or just your favorite horror franchise in general?
Happy Halloween, everyone! (And Happy Birthday to one Yiling Patriarch, aka Wei Wuxian, aka goth flute boy.)
So, I wanted to share some of my favorite horror franchise sequels. This ended up becoming a bit longer than expected, but it was worth it.
BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2
I unironically love this movie so much. It's not a "proper" sequel in terms of continuing directly from The Blair Witch Project (that would be 2016's Blair Witch), and yes, there was a lot of executive meddling that ruined the original version of what the director wanted it to be since it was supposed to have been more of a psychological thriller, mirroring the whole mass hysteria research that a couple of main characters were doing. But despite this not being the final version of what the director may have wanted it to be, I still enjoyed it. It's campy and entertaining and you can see the potential in the original idea, even if the final result doesn't reflect that. The cast is great, there are so many memorable and quotable moments, and the soundtrack is awesome. It might be the MTV-esque version of what was supposed to be a psychological thriller, but I still loved it, flaws and all.
(There is a fan edited version of what the original was supposed to have been like, it's only available to purchase though, but it does exist.)
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2
I remember renting this before even seeing the first Carrie movie, because I thought the previews looked cool. It might not be highly regarded and rejected as a sequel by many fans of the original, however I actually really enjoyed it for what it was.
BRIDE OF CHUCKY
This movie was just pure fun, plain and simple. I also watched this before watching the original Child's Play, which was more slasher type, while this was absolutely played for the black comedy element. I remember watching this purely because Katherine Heigl was in it (because I was a fan of Roswell at the time), but since then it was Jennifer Tilly who kind of sold it for me, especially the opening scene with her dressed is that goth outfit with Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" playing over the opening credits. That's what got me sucked in, and the rest of the movie is just pure black comedy gold.
I mean, this movie has dolls making out and having sex. It's hilarious.
(Also, I haven't watched the other sequels that came after this nor the television show, but I'm happy for the fans because it seems like they're following suit with the black comedy rather than just going to the typical killer doll slasher trope.)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
This is definitely the most popular answer for many ANOES franchise fans, but there's no denying that there is something special about this. It is considered a proper sequel and continuation of the first movie, as opposed to the second movie that is regarded as a stand-alone (which was initially panned but has since become kind of an unlikely cult favorite over the years for its queer-coding), and it relaunched the franchise in a new direction that favored the original concept. It gave us the return of Nancy Thompson (and her father), it gave us a group of brand new kids, including Patricia Arquette as Kristen who was absolutely adorable in the role. I also really love the concept of having these kids, through Kristen, teaming up in their dreams and finding a way of figuring out their strengths that way to try and defeat Freddy. Yes, unfortunately Nancy does meet her end in this movie, which is sad, but I do like that she helped these kids because she understood what they were going through and was the only adult they could trust.
Plus, the tie-in music video "Dream Warriors" by Dokken is absolutely dope.
Honorable mentions: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child also are kind of tied in this for favorites in the franchise, as well. The Dream Master may have gotten someone different to portray Kristen, but the actress did release the bop of a title track "Nightmare" for the film and it also gave us the introduction to Alice. The Dream Child features my favorite friend group across the entire franchise (Greta, you deserved better sweetie), and I love that we see the growth of Alice over the course of both Dream Master and Dream Child and how she is the only surviving final girl of the franchise.
WES CRAVEN's NEW NIGHTMARE
I wanted to include this by itself because while it's technically still part of the franchise, it is also more of a stand-alone.
Before creating Scream, New Nightmare was the first glimpse of Wes Craven doing a very meta film where the actors return portraying themselves in a fictionalized version of reality where a demon version of Freddy is threatening to emerge into that world unless Heather Langenkamp becomes Nancy one last time in order to defeat this entity. It's quite meta in the way it is done, where Wes is writing a script that predicts what is going to happen in that reality, and it's quite a mind trip, honestly, but so cleverly done. It's sad that this movie never got the recognition it deserves because it's so good, and meta movies involving actors in this way are unheard of, which is a shame, but I wouldn't trust anyone who didn't know what they were doing, and Wes clearly knew what he was doing with this and it works.
SCREAM 4
There's been a lot of talk surrounding the newer Scream films in recent years that rejuvenated the franchise, and rightfully so, however Scream 4 often gets overlooked for being the first one to kind of do a proper rejuvenating of the franchise back in 2011. It was also the last Scream film that Wes Craven worked on before his death.
Like all the other Scream movies where they bring in meta concepts, Scream 4 gave us the tropes of "horror movie remakes", where our antagonists were attempting to recreate what happened in the first movie so they could become the new "stars" and get the spotlight. But as Sidney herself said in this one, "you forgot the first rule of remakes: don't fuck with the original", which is an excellent segway into the newer Scream movies. I genuinely did love Scream 4. I really liked how it continued the tradition of having there be a connection to Sidney Prescott, that it delivered on a revelation that made us question whether or not they were going to kill of Sidney for good, and it gave us Hayden Panetierre was Kirby Reed, who reprises her role in Scream 6 because she has long been considered a fan favorite and people were hoping that she didn't die!
EKO EKO AZARAK II: BIRTH OF THE WIZARD
This sequel to the first movie, Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness serves as a prequel where we get to see our protagonist, Misa Kuroi, and how she came to possess her powers and what leads her to the journey she goes on. It's also the second and last appearance by the original actress in this franchise, and while the other actresses who have portrayed Misa later on have been more or less good, there is no denying how amazing the first actress was at bringing the character from the manga to life.
NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE
I do love the first film, Suicide Club, however in terms of story I much prefer its prequel/sequel Noriko's Dinner Table. It's more of a slow burn kind of a story, quieter and somber and yet still quite intense and impactful with the content. It's definitely a family drama and a coming of age story more than anything despite the hidden horrors within of the family rental service. I rewatched it recently and it's interesting how relevant certain things still are today, the topic of identity and not knowing your role, whether you fulfill it, why people go online to connect with others and, as Suicide Club even says, "are you connected to yourself?" I love the acting, subtle yet powerful, and the story sticks with you long afterwards.
SAW 6 AND JIGSAW
Picking a favorite Saw sequel was tough because I actually do enjoy all of them. But I think in terms of creativity and the story, both these sequels are tied.
Saw 6 was a nice critique of the failings of the healthcare system and how the providers tend to cheat and stifle patients out of their money or outright refuse treatments if they cannot pay, giving them a death sentence. This is also the first time John Kramer shows his face in the footage he sends his victims, since usually it's just his voice over Billy the Puppet. It shows how this is a personal matter to him, because the man is responsible for not giving him the proper care he needed for his cancer treatment. I also loved the twist in the end, as well, about how this wasn't necessarily his game. He, instead, has to rely on the family of one of his patients who died because of his unfair policy, and face that judgment. I also loved Jill at the end, as well, that was nicely played.
Jigsaw was the rejuvenating of the Saw franchise after many years, and serves both as a prequel and a sequel. Although there were some moments where it felt too "polished" filmmaking wise as opposed to the grittiness the franchise was used to, in a way that flaw played into their favor of intentionally misleading the audience into thinking that it was a linear story rather than jumping back and forth in time. I liked the setup and I liked the way it was delivered, and I liked how it brought everything back full circle.
Honorable mention: Saw X recently came out and I do want to give a shout-out to that one, because it also is something that is similar to that of Saw 6 where it was deeply personal revenge for John Kramer.
I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
I remember watching I Know What You Did Last Summer in preparation of watching I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in the theaters, and I do love both but I do think the sequel is often overlooked. I was obsessed with this movie when it came out, I listened to the soundtrack constantly. In hindsight yeah, it was predictable, but it was still an enjoyably decent slasher flick of a sequel.
AMNESIA: JUSTINE
A video game example time this, because I do love me some video game horror. Amnesia: Justine is the DLC companion to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which is probably why it hasn't really gotten enough fandom attention (since iirc at the time of its release there were no saving points, so if you died in the game it would take you right back to the menu and had to start all over again). But it deserves more attention because I absolutely adore the story of this one. Justine Florbelle is the antagonist/protagonist of the game, we hear her voice through a series of phonograph recordings in each section, explaining certain things about what challenges you will be facing, and the ending is absolutely brilliant. I'd say that Amnesia: Justine has elements of Saw, which is probably why I enjoy it so much.
Honorable mention: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and it's a damn shame that it's considered the least favorite among the fandom because I think it's such a captivating story. If nothing else, the voice-acting alone is phenomenal (example: the phonograph recording).
If you're a fan of horror, what is your favorite sequel in a horror franchise? Or just your favorite horror franchise in general?
Happy Halloween, everyone! (And Happy Birthday to one Yiling Patriarch, aka Wei Wuxian, aka goth flute boy.)
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Date: 2023-11-05 07:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-11-05 10:33 am (UTC)Because a lot of people are afraid of death or dying (including myself).