Read more about Killjoy at: Wikipedia Official Site: Full Moon Features Killjoy is a horror film franchise which focuses on the titular Killjoy, a demonic clown who is summoned to assist revenge plots in all three films, only to prove too overwhelming for each character who calls him. Produced by Full Moon Features, the series was established in 2000 with the eponymous first installment, starring Ángel Vargas. A sequel, Killjoy 2: Deliverance from Evil, followed in 2002, which saw Trent Haaga replace Vargas for the role of Killjoy due to Vargas being busy with other projects. In spite of the negative reception of both films, Full Moon filmed a third installment while shooting Puppet Master: Axis of Evil in China, and in 2010 Killjoy 3 was released. Haaga reprised his role for Killjoy 3, eight years after the release of the previous film. The original film was essentially an effort in the blaxploitation genre, and this was carried over to a lesser extent in Deliverance from Evil. Both of these films consisted of a largely African American cast, however this element was greatly diminished for Killjoy 3, which was presented as something of a teen-slasher film. The titular character, as a clown, makes a number of crude jokes throughout the first two installments, however Killjoy 3 appears to be a genuine effort in black comedy. The third installment was also a first in establishing that Killjoy can be summoned through a blood pact; two different spoken rituals are used in the earlier films. The first film had a significantly more generous budget than its sequel, at a projected $150,000, dwarfing the $30,000 budget of Deliverance from Evil. __TOC__ Initially set in an urban community, the series opens with Michael, a dorky adolescent whose interest in a gang leader's girlfriend gets him in a fight with the group, composed of T-Bone, Baby Boy, and Lorenzo. Lorenzo's girlfriend, Jada, is flattered by Michael's feelings for her, but suggests that he stay away from her for his safety. After Lorenzo's gang attacks him, Michael turns to black magic to summon the personification of an unsettling clown doll he calls Killjoy. Michael's plan is to use Killjoy to take vengeance on Lorenzo and his friends, however before Michael can see his tormentors exterminated, he is killed when Lorenzo, teasing him with a seemingly unloaded gun, fires a live round into his chest. Lorenzo, T-Bone, Baby Boy and even Jada continue with their lives, however Jada does not forget Michael. |