First it was "The Ghost of Matilda Dixon". Then "Don't Peek". Then "Fear the Dark". Finally, they decided to call it "Darkness Falls".
No wonder Columbia Pictures was so worried about the title of director Jonathan Liebesman's horror film. Any movie that stars a 150-year-old witch who steals children's teeth is already burdened with enough credibility problems without being called "Tooth Fairy".
But if they'd done their research, the studio heads needn't have been so worried. After all, compared to some of these benign characters-turned-horror movie villains, the Tooth Fairy could be the next Freddy Krueger...
Film: "You Better Watch Out" aka "Christmas Evil" (1980)
Character Assassination: One of many psycho Santa Claus movies, this wins worst ho-ho-horror movie of all time award with its tale of a toy company worker (Brandon Maggart) who turns vigilante and kills his Scrooge-like victims using razor sharp Christmas tree ornaments. And in true holiday spirit he gets away with it, too.
Best direlogue: "If you're bad, your name goes in the Bad Boys and Girls Book, and then I'll bring you something horrible."
Verdict: Better to poke your mince pies out than sit through this.
Film: "Leprechaun" (1993)
Character Assassination: Warwick Davis from "Willow" plays the eponymous little person, who's out for vengeance after his gold is stolen and he's locked up in a crate for decades. Trust us, there's only one thing in this movie that will make you scream, and that's the sight of a very young Jennifer Aniston playing the heroine. Needless to say, she decided not to return for any of the five (!) sequels.
Best Direlogue: "Help, help, it's happening! The attack is on O'Grady farm. Please send help, the leprechaun is attacking!"
Verdict: Unluckier than a one leaf clover.
Film: "Uncle Sam" (1997)
Character Assassination: A Desert Storm vet (David 'Shark' Fralick) returns as a zombie on the 4th of July and kills the "un-American" members of his town (ie the dope-smoking, scruffily-dressed kids). True Z-grade horror from the legendary Larry Cohen and William Lustig (of "Maniac Cop" infamy), this proves that America's not always the Land of the Free. Unless that's the Free to Slaughter, of course.
Best Direlogue: "Don't be a fag! It's just friendly fire!"
Verdict: Your Country Needs You! But you don't need this movie.
Film: "Jack Frost" (1997)
Character Assassination: No, not the sickly Michael Keaton family movie, but a nasty horror flick in which a serial killer (Scott MacDonald) on his way to death row gets turned into a snowman after an accident with a truck carrying toxic chemicals (don't blame us, we didn't write it). Seven-ft tall Jack Frost proceeds to go on a sleighing, er, slaying spree, rapes someone (through the repositioning of his carrot nose), and shoots icicles out of his hands.
Best Direlogue: "I'm the world's most p***ed off snow cone."
Verdict: More slush puppy than super slasher. Even so, it spawned a sequel - "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman".
