It's one of those great horror movies that's so awful it's fantastic, and Leprechaun is one of those movies. The storyline is completely off the rails, the acting is over the top, and the visual effects are so awful they're laughable. But despite this, everything works together in the end to produce a picture that is both enjoyable and engaging. Jennifer Aniston's performance in her first picture is unexpectedly strong, and Warwick Davis is fantastic in the role he plays as the leprechaun. It is highly recommended that you see Leprechaun if you like goofy horror films like those that it is based on. Just don't go into it expecting to be frightened since the chances are far higher that this movie will make you chuckle than scream.Warwick Davis's portrayal of a vengeful leprechaun has become the stuff of legend. In the film, the leprechaun is convinced that a family has stolen his pot of gold. He sets out to hunt them down, using all of his cunning and strength. Meanwhile, the family is desperately searching for the gold, in an attempt to placate the leprechaun and keep him from harming them. Davis's performance is chilling and unforgettable, making Leprechaun one of the best horror films of all time.
Davis added a comedic element to his portrayal, despite the fact that the film Leprechaun was supposed to be more of a straightforward horror thriller.
The basic premise of every Leprechaun film is this:
Dan O'Grady goes back to his home in North Dakota in 1983 after visiting his birthplace, Ireland, where he kidnapped a leprechaun and stole his pot of gold. After O'Grady buried the treasure, he found out that the bad leprechaun had followed him home and killed his wife. O'Grady uses a four-leaf clover to stop the leprechaun's magic and put him in a box. He had a stroke before he could set him on fire.
Ten years later, J. D. Redding and his teenage daughter Tory rent the O'Grady farmhouse for the summer. Painting the farmhouse is a job for Nathan Murphy, his 10-year-old brother Alex, and their friend Ozzie Jones, who works as a contract worker. Ozzie hears the leprechaun calling for help while he is searching the basement. He thinks the leprechaun is a small child. He lets the leprechaun out of the box by taking out the old four-leaf clover. Ozzie asks the leprechaun who he is. The leprechaun tells Ozzie that he is an Irish shoemaker who came to America to find his fortune. Ozzie fails to convince the others that he saw a leprechaun. He then sees a rainbow and follows it, hoping to find a pot of gold. Alex goes with him because he is afraid Ozzie will hurt himself. Before Ozzie, a magic trick makes a bag with 100 gold coins appear. After Ozzie checks it out and accidentally eats a coin, they hide the gold in an old well. They did this because they thought it would heal Ozzie's brain.
The leprechaun on the farm pretends to be a cat and bites J. D.'s hand, injuring him, before leading him into a trap. At the hospital, where Tory and the others have taken him, the leprechaun is seen riding a tricycle. Alex and Ozzie proceed to a pawn shop to verify the gold's authenticity, but the leprechaun kills the shopkeeper, Joe, for stealing his gold, then escapes after polishing Joe's shoes. The leprechaun builds himself a go-kart and speeds back to the farm, only to be pulled over by the cops. The officer is pursued by the leprechaun into the forest, where the officer is shot and killed. The leprechaun goes back to the farmhouse and seeks for his treasure while polishing every shoe he sees. The group travels back to the farmhouse after leaving J. D. off at the hospital. When Nathan explores outdoors after finding it plundered, a leprechaun-set bear trap injures him. Outside, the throng assaults the leprechaun and beats him with rocks and clubs.
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.
How did Leprechaun (1993) do in theaters?
How well did the 1993 movie Leprechaun do at the box office?
The film Leprechaun was released on January 8, 1993, in 620 theaters throughout the United States, and it had an opening week gross of $2,493,020. Its total domestic gross in the United States was $8,556,940. In April of 1993, Vidmark made it available on VHS, and since then, more than 100,000 copies have been sold.
Leprechaun debate explained:
Trimark promoted the film alongside the National Basketball Association, the American Stock Exchange, Domino's Pizza, and Subway in the months preceding up to its debut. The collaboration with Domino's and Subway was especially contentious, with many people believing that the franchisees were being taken advantage of. However, the marketing strategy was effective, and Leprechaun is still considered a cult classic today.
Did Leprechaun have any cinematic sequels?
The next year, Leprechaun 2 was published, with the Leprechaun traveling to Los Angeles in pursuit of a fresh pot of gold. The third film, Leprechaun 3, is set in Las Vegas and sees the Leprechaun acquiring a magical coin that gives him desires. The fourth picture, Leprechaun 4: In Space, takes set onboard a spacecraft and includes the Leprechaun confronting aliens, which is a break from the previous films. Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, the fifth and final film in the series, has the Leprechaun returning to his beginnings in inner-city Los Angeles. Despite generally bad critical reviews, the Leprechaun series has proved to be highly successful, and it is still considered a cult classic today.
Leprechaun movie trivia
Several sequences had to be re-shot as the producers requested that the picture be made gorier to appeal to older viewers.
It is well knowledge that George Lucas helped cast Warwick Davis in Willow. Less well-known is the reason behind this. Davis was apparently under contract with Lucas, and Lucas had to grant Davis permission to participate in the film. Due to his contributions, he received a "special thanks" credit at the conclusion of the film. This little-known truth makes the film much more intriguing for aficionados of horror (blog post) films. This is another another instance of the cultural impact of George Lucas.
The leprechaun was supposed to run away to Ireland at first. But there was one problem: Warwick Davis, an Irish actor who played the leprechaun, did not have a work visa. In order to film the last scene, Davis had to get a visa in just three days, which is usually impossible. The office of Vice President Dan Quayle was able to speed up the process, which allowed Davis to finish filming on time. At the end of the movie, Quayle was given a "special thanks" credit for his work.
Warwick Davis began to regret creating the picture, but because to Anniston's subsequent popularity on television, many people rented it, and it spawned a series of sequels. There are claims that it was one of Warwick's favorites.
Jennifer Aniston made her feature film debut in Leprechaun.
It is highly recommended that everyone who enjoys watching scary movies give Leprechaun a go. It's one of those rare horror movies that is genuinely humorous as well as disturbing, and it boasts some wonderful performances from Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston. It's one of those rare horror movies. Even if the storyline isn't exactly groundbreaking, the movie is nonetheless really entertaining to watch. Check out Leprechaun if you want a nice fright, especially if you're in the mood for something scary. You won't be let down in any way.