The Terrifier 2 Scene So Gruesome That It Never Made It On Film
"Terrifier 2" is one of the most extreme horror movies in recent memory. According to Box Office Mojo, Damien Leone's slasher has made over $11 million at the time of this writing, proving moviegoers can stomach some gruesome scare fare. That said, if the filmmakers included every scene they wanted to, "Terrifier 2" would probably have been banned from most theaters.
The bloody slasher — which is a sequel to 2016's "Terrifier" — centers around Art (David Howard Thornton), a mass-murdering clown who enjoys disposing of his victims in the nastiest ways imaginable. However, while the movie is disturbing, Art's atrocities are so memorable that he'll undoubtedly go down in history as one of this generation's horror icons. So, what is it about "Terrifier 2" that's made it one of 2022's most controversial films? Well, one scene sees the aforementioned clown gunning down and burning people in a Clown Café. In another scene, Art breaks into a woman's house, scalps her, rips off her arms, and leaves her hanging around like a display, soaking in her own blood. Even the quieter moments in "Terrifier 2" are disturbing, such as the sequence in which Art silently taunts the patrons of a costume shop.
It goes without saying that "Terrifier 2" pushes the envelope, but it almost went too far. During a recent interview, Leone revealed that there was one scene that he had to scrap from the movie because he knew that it would have been too much for viewers to stomach.
One of Terrifier 2's most extreme scenes could have been worse
"Terrifier 2" is all about equal opportunity offending, which is why it's been described by critics as a return to "unsafe horror." The aforementioned scalping sequence is a prime example of the movie being violent toward women, but the male characters aren't safe from Art's extreme carnage either. For example, one scene shows Art stabbing one unfortunate guy's manhood before removing it completely. It's one of the most groan-inducing moments in the movie, but it could have been so much worse.
While speaking to Variety, Damien Leone revealed that they were tempted to have Art continue mocking his castrated victim after removing his junk. In the end, the director opted against it as he felt that some of the ideas he had in mind were "too distasteful." To paint a picture: the filmmakers considered turning the severed genitalia into a "balloon animal," but eventually came to their senses.
Of course, the fact this suggestion was even considered sums up the attitude on the set of "Terrifier 2." Leone told Variety that they were "always trying to one-up each other and come up with sick things," but the balloon animal idea was too much, even for his extreme sensibilities. He probably made the right decision in the end, as the scenes included in "Terrifier 2" caused enough upset among audience members.
Terrifier 2 made some people physically sick
It's long been said that controversy creates cash, and this age-old adage rings true for "Terrifier 2." In fact, most horror filmmakers and studios would kill for the attention the movie received, most of which was organic and based on word-of-mouth. Furthermore, the film garnered headlines for making viewers sick, pass out, and go to the hospital (per USA Today).
In horror circles, though, this reaction to "Terrifier 2" only added to its allure and intrigue. However, Damien Leone was just as shocked by the news stories surrounding the film as everyone else. "Listen, I would have loved to have a couple of walk-outs, I think that's sort of a badge of honor because it is an intense movie," he told Entertainment Weekly. "I don't want people fainting, [or] getting hurt during the movie. But it's surreal."
Considering that the final cut of "Terrifier 2" had a detrimental effect on some viewers' health, it was probably a good idea to omit the castration scene.