Holidays and Horror are an odd couple, but seem to strike the dark humor within many of us. With Halloween naturally given the most attention in this area, Christmas comes in at a close second, with classics such 1974’s Black Christmas or 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. Then you have your other memorable secondary holiday-themed flicks; including the Valentine’s Day themed My Bloody Valentine from 1981, Thanksgiving themed Blood Rage from 1987, New Year’s Eve themed Terror Train from 1980, April Fool’s Day themed April Fool’s Day from 1986, and a favorite of many, the Easter themed Critters 2: The Main Course from 1988. However, not to be overlooked, there is also Saint Patrick’s Day themed Leprechaun from 1993.
Written and directed by Mark Jones, Leprechaun, despite negative critical reviews, was a surprise hit that mixed Comedy and Horror in a well-paced film that genre fans could appreciate. Often recalled as being one of the earliest recognized roles for mega star Jennifer Aniston, the cast also featured the talented Warwick Davis (known well for his role as Willow in the 1988 film of the same title) as Lubdan the Leprechaun. This in mind, Trimark Pictures acknowledged that a reaction was provoked among real Horror lovers in 1993 with Leprechaun, so they went searching for gold once again with Leprechaun 2 in 1994.
Released in theaters on April 8th of 1994, Leprechaun 2 had little cheerleading for success among cynical film critics, but 30 years later, it is arguably the best sequel in what would become a Leprechaun franchise. In fact, you could argue if it were not for the solid writing, keen sense of humor, plus a wink at Horror lovers in Leprechaun 2… there never would have been a Leprechaun film series period.
Looking at it more in-depth, Leprechaun 2 employed Rodman Flender (known for 1991’s Unborn, as directing numerous popular television series, plus 1999’s Idle Hands) as their director. Not a bad choice, Mark Jones returned only as a producer this go around because he was busy working on what would become 1995’s Rumpelstiltskin. This in mind, there were actually efforts to get Aniston back to reprise her role as Tory Redding, but at this point she was enthralled in Friends, and much too busy.
Unfortunate, the studio did not scrap their plans for Leprechaun 2, but instead moved forward, bringing back the essential Warwick Davis as the vengeful Lubdan, plus casted Shevonne Durkin (known well from 1993’s Ghost in the Machine) as their lead young woman Bridget Callum, and Charlie Heath (known for several television guest appearances) as her dedicated boyfriend, Cody. Joining them was also a cast of other recognizable faces; such as veteran Actor Sandy Baron (known by many as Jack Klompus in Seinfeld) as the conniving Mortimer “Morty” Ingalls, Clint Howard (known for a massive list of films) as a tourist, and Kimmy Robertson (known for films such as 1982’s The Last American Virgin and the TV series Twin Peaks) also as a tourist.
These pieces in place, what makes Leprechaun 2 so entertaining is that it does not take itself too seriously. Something fans of these types of films really gravitate toward, Davis truly brings the character of Lubdan the Leprechaun to life and gives him just as much energy as he did in the original film. Devious, and full of glee for it, you can almost compare Lubdan to the creepy yet loveable Crypt Keeper from HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. Something that is truly an x factor in the film’s success, it also helped solidify the character of Luban; much like Brad Dourif did with Chucky in the Child’s Play series.
Historically something to consider, at the time it did not go unnoticed either; because up against other massive films in theaters at the time (such as Schindler’s List and Reality Bites), Leprechaun 2 actually fared decently in its opening weekend. Going on to gross over 2.2 million dollars, it also marked the final time any Leprechaun sequel would ever see a theatrical release; with six sequels following through to 2018’s Leprechaun Returns. From here, Leprechaun 2 has been available on numerous home video formats for years; including VHS, released many times over on DVD, plus as part of a 2014 Blu-ray collection with each of the other films in the series.
Furthermore, you can find Leprechaun 2 on numerous streaming services, plus Syfy airs it each Saint Patrick’s Day as part of a Leprechaun movie marathon. Which raises another very interesting question… why were neither theatrically released Leprechaun films delivered closer to Saint Patricks’ Day? Clearly an oversight in the marketing department of both franchise standouts, 30 years later, you can still be ‘green’ with excitement to have a chuckle with Lubdan the Leprechaun on March 17th… or any day of the year for that matter!
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