If you're looking for a classic horror film, go no further than Leprechaun. All of it from the ridiculous narrative to the over-the-top acting to the cringe-worthy visual effects is a disaster. The picture manages to be interesting and amusing despite all of its flaws. Warwick Davis is fantastic as the leprechaun, and Jennifer Aniston, in her feature debut, performs surprisingly well. Leprechaun is a great film to see if you like cheesy horror flicks. If you go in expecting to be afraid, you could be disappointed.The depiction of an enraged leprechaun by Warwick Davis has become legendary. In the film, the leprechaun believes a family has stolen his gold pot. He embarks on a quest for them, with all of his cunning and power. In the meanwhile, the family searches anxiously for the gold to appease the leprechaun and prevent him from injuring them. Leprechaun is one of the finest horror flicks of all time because to Davis's terrifying and memorable performance.
The film Leprechaun was planned to be more of a straightforward horror thriller, but Davis infused his role with humor.
Leprechaun movie summary:
In 1983, Dan O'Grady traveled to Ireland, the country of his origin, and while there, he abducted a leprechaun and stole the pot of gold that he was guarding. He then returned to his home in North Dakota. After O'Grady buried the wealth, he came to the conclusion that the evil leprechaun had followed him back to his house and murdered his wife. With the use of a clover with four leaves, O'Grady is able to control the leprechaun's skills and confine him inside a container. He had a stroke just in time to stop him from setting him on fire.
Ten years later, J. D. Redding and his teenage daughter Tory rent the O'Grady farmhouse for the summer. With the aid of contract workers Nathan Murphy, his 10-year-old brother Alex, and their dimwitted friend Ozzie Jones, the farmhouse is being repainted. While scouring the basement, Ozzie overhears the leprechaun's cry for help and misidentifies him as a child. By pulling the four-leaf clover from the box, he unleashes the leprechaun. Ozzie is informed by the leprechaun that he is an Irish cobbler who emigrated to America in quest of his riches. After failing to convince others that he had seen a leprechaun, Ozzie spots a rainbow and follows it in hopes of finding a pot of gold. Alex follows Ozzie out of worry for his well-being. A bag holding 100 gold coins magically appears before Ozzie. After Ozzie examines the gold and mistakenly swallows a coin, they conceal it in an ancient well in an attempt to cure Ozzie's brain.
The leprechaun on the farm deceives J. D. into falling into a trap by impersonating a cat and biting and injuring his hand while posing as a feline. After Tory and the others take him to the hospital, the leprechaun rides a tricycle. When Alex and Ozzie drive to a pawn shop to verify the gold's purity, the leprechaun kills the proprietor, Joe, for stealing his gold and polishes Joe's shoes before fleeing. On his way back to the farmhouse, the leprechaun builds himself a go-kart and is caught for speeding by a police officer. The leprechaun chases the police officer into the forest, where he finally murders the officer. The leprechaun returns to the farm and searches for his riches while sparkling each shoe he encounters. The group returns to the farmhouse after delivering J. D. to the hospital. Nathan is injured by a bear trap placed by a leprechaun as he checks the exterior of a plundered structure. The gang tackles the leprechaun with rocks and clubs in the open air.
When they find a gun in the house, they shoot the leprechaun many times. When it doesn't work, they try to leave, but the leprechaun has broken the engine of their truck. After crashing the car with the go-kart, the leprechaun scares the group until Ozzie admits that he and Alex found the pot of gold. Tory gets the bag out of the well and gives it to the leprechaun. They go to the hospital, certain that the worst is over. As the leprechaun counts his money, he realizes that Ozzie ate the last coin he had. He threatens them because he thinks they're trying to trick him, but Ozzie tells them that O'Grady had a stroke and was sent to a nursing home. The gang distracts the leprechaun by throwing dirty shoes at him. The leprechaun has to go shine the shoes while Tory gets in her jeep and drives away. Tory goes to the house to learn how to kill the leprechaun.
The leprechaun poses as O'Grady at the nursing home. The leprechaun follows Tory to an elevator and, as Tory runs away, hurls O'Grady's bloody corpse down the elevator shaft. O'Grady warns her that the only way to kill the leprechaun is with a four-leaf clover, which just so happens to grow in a large patch outside the farm, before passing away. Tory goes back to the farmhouse to look for a clover, but the leprechaun attacks and she is saved by Nathan and Ozzie. The leprechaun is wounded severely while attempting to obtain the remaining gold coin, which Ozzie confesses to having eaten. Alex uses a four-leaf clover that Tory discovered, attaches it to a wad of gum, and fires it into the leprechaun's mouth, causing him to melt away before he can murder Ozzie. Despite falling down the well, the leprechaun's skeleton gets out and declares, "I want my gold." After Nathan forces the leprechaun back into the well, he uses gasoline to ignite both objects. When the police show up, Tory is reunited with her father, marries Nathan, and they have a child. The leprechaun swears he won't stop until he finds every single bit of his wealth while the police search the well's wreckage.
How well did the 1993 movie Leprechaun do at the box office?
Leprechaun horror movie was released in 620 theaters on January 8, 1993, and earned $8,556,940 in the U.S. In April 1993, Vidmark released it on VHS and sold 100,000 copies.
Explanation of the Leprechaun controversy:
In the months leading up to the film's release, Trimark partnered with the National Basketball Association, American Stock Exchange, and Domino's Pizza and Subway to promote the movie. The partnership with Domino's and Subway was particularly controversial, as many people felt that the franchisees were being exploited. However, the marketing campaign was successful, and Leprechaun remains a cult classic to this day.
Did Leprechaun have any cinematic sequels?
The next year, Leprechaun 2 came out. In it, the Leprechaun goes to Los Angeles to find a new pot of gold. In Leprechaun 3, which takes place in Las Vegas, the Leprechaun gets his hands on a magical coin that (blog post) makes his wishes come true. Leprechaun 4: In Space is a bit different from the first three movies because it takes place on a spaceship and has the Leprechaun fighting aliens. In Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, the fifth and final movie in the series, the Leprechaun goes back to his roots in the inner city of Los Angeles. Even though most critics didn't like the Leprechaun movies, the series has been very successful and is still a cult classic.
Leprechaun facts
Several scenes had to be re-shot after the producers insisted that the film be made gorier to appeal to older audiences.
It's well-known that George Lucas had a hand in casting Warwick Davis in Willow. What's less well-known is the reason why. Apparently, Davis was under contract to Lucas, and Lucas had to give permission for him to appear in the movie. As a result, he was given a "special thanks" credit at the end of the film. This little-known fact makes the movie even more fascinating for horror movie fans. It's yet another example of Lucas's influence on popular culture.
Originally, the leprechaun was meant to flee back to Ireland. But there was one problem: the Irish actor who was portraying the leprechaun, Warwick Davis, did not have a work visa. In order to shoot the last sequence, Davis needed to secure a visa in only three days - an impossible job under normal circumstances. Fortunately, Vice President Dan Quayle's administration was able to speed up the procedure and Davis was able to complete shooting on time. For his services, Quayle earned a "special thanks" credit at the conclusion of the movie.
Warwick Davis regretted creating the picture, but Anniston's TV popularity led to more rentals and a lengthy series of sequels. Warwick reportedly liked it.
Jennifer Aniston made her feature film debut in Leprechaun.
Leprechaun is a must-see for every aficionado of the horror genre. Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston provide outstanding performances in what is perhaps one of the few horror flicks that manages to be both hilarious and spooky at the same time. In spite of its derivative narrative, the film is entertaining. Look into Leprechaun if you need a good fright. In other words, you won't be let down.