When it comes to your favorite horror movie sagas, sometimes dead is better.
Give it enough time, and youll get prequels and reboots.
Budgets shrink and the actors and directors who made things work would rather keep their distance.
You end up with movies that even series diehards will warn you against.
Here are the runts of the horror franchise litter.
The lows of the corresponding series.
Each series must have at least five entries to its name.
Not that thats hard to find.
Several of these go into double digits.
Were not touching theAmityvillefranchise and its 40-plus movies, though.
On paper, you would think there would be a winner here.
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)
Admittedly, this one almost feels like cheating.
I respect it), but there is no bigger red flag than made-for-TV movie.
Yeah, this one hurts.
While a continuation of the series,The Awakeningis a gender-flipped retelling of the originalOmen.
This time, it centers around Damiens secret daughter, Delia.
That this movie isnt featured on RiffTrax yet is genuinely shocking.
This being Donald Pleasences final film just feels wrong.
Scream 3 (2000)
The thirdScreamwas always going to be the black sheep of the series.
After all, this is the one where Jay and Silent Bob show up as actual characters.
Outside of the tone, the big problem is the obsession with making this a trilogy-closing finale.
Its a stupid movie, but at least its a stupid movie with personality.
The rebootedNightmare on Elm Streettried to retell the first movies story, but with little actual personality.
Ill take Alice Cooper and Roseanne cameos over this.
The seventh movie is treated as a big saga finale, and it feels both overstuffed and threadbare.
The same 3D cinematography which caused the gallons of blood to come off as distractingly pink.
Theres just too much fanservice and traps without anything holding it up other than bad characters and worse acting.
Its a rushed production with a rushed narrative, complete with the overly short John Kramer flashback cameo.
That said, the cameo is still a laugh riot due to his backwards hat disguise.
Hellraiser: Revelations (2011)
Oof.
LaterHellraisermovies are so painful that even Pinhead would ask you to back off.
Despite all the misfires,Hellraiser: Revelationsis just the worst of the worst.
The ninth movie is the ninth circle of Hell.
Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
The Leprechaun has been around.
Hes been to the hood, to space, and back to the hood.
That sounded like something with promise, actually.
His wrestling persona was a shithead, trickster leprechaun.
Why not give him a shot in a comedy slasher?
Well,Originsis not a comedy slasher, nor is it a Leprechaun origin story.
Its a story about some young people being chased around by a feral goblin thing in Ireland.
Its bland and hollow, making you feel like you were tricked.
With only three shorts to its name,V/H/S Viralhad to rely on its wraparound segment, Vicious Circles.
Wraparound segments have always been the series worst aspect, and this one is no different.
Its barely coherent, isnt very interesting, and goes on forever.
Theres a reason why it took seven years for there to be another V/H/S installment.
Ravagerhad too much working against it.
The series regular director Don Coscarelli was not behind the camera, instead giving the duties to David Hartman.
Sadly, the final chapter was never going to be worth the wait.
That is, except maybe the first sequel, which is so balls-to-the-wall bonkers that it earns its existence.
Leatherfaceis the second attempt at a prequel that nobody really asked for.
It also feels unearned once the movie chooses to finally get to theTexas Chainsawfireworks factory in the final minutes.
At least Lili Taylor and Stephen Dorff were able to breathe some life into this.
