There was a time when I was younger when I felt that we should have full and complete freedom and autonomy on books, music, film, video games and media in general.
But as I have gotten older, gotten life experience and seen how degraded our society is becoming morally, spiritually and otherwise, I realize it is past time for society to take a collective breath and to again take a stand and make limits. With regard to what is morally acceptable for children to see and/or consume.
I say all of that as someone who isn't religious and someone who also doesn't like government interference. I also say it as a music artist who has released over 75 songs with explicit lyrics during my 35 years in music. And someone who has acted and appeared in multiple R Rated films, including bloody and violent horror films.
But it is becoming more and more apparent to me that these forms of media have a profound long term affect on the health and well being of our society. And especially our children. Kids playing violent, uber realistic video games desensitizes them to death, murder, robbery, crime, ect.. And likewise, my genre of music has long not talked respectfully about women. And the young artists of it (rap, hip hop) now glorify shootings and violence more than ever.
Look at all of these things collectively. Including disgusting and pointless films like the Terrifier series. And it is little wonder why our society is so violent and mentally sick. Movies like "The Purge" series (one of my friends was one of the stars of one of the Purge films). Even he has since said how damaging these violent films can be to developing minds such as teens and young adults. Nevermind young, underage kids who have no business watching these films.
No, it is time for society to take a step back and start to place some common sense censorship back up on things. And to promote morality and common sense once again.
It is more than clear the free for all has caused massive amounts of de sensitivity to violence. Violent behavior in people and society in general. And a massive lack of empathy, compassion and care for fellow man in general.
Social media has made all of these things even worse. But the core of these things begins with the free for all people have promoted for the last few decades on media consumption. I am not suggesting that these medias be censored for adults. But I believe we need to ban these things for children.
The counterargument people always give is that it should be parents doing this job. In a perfect world, that is correct. However, we live in the real world. A world where a lot of parents are degenerates themselves. And they are morally screwed up themselves. So they aren't going to do the right things to protect their kids. And in turn, we end up with violent kids who can't cope with reality and the real world today. And who take things to the point of no return in many horrible ways.
What we are doing as society CLEARLY aren't working. We never had the levels of violence we do today just 3-4 decades ago. Yet we had open access to weapons then. Even more of a variety then today. Fully auto weapons were legal.
So what has changed? We all know what has changed. And that includes multiple types of super violent content available to underage kids. Constantly, 24 hours a day. And everywhere. From TV, to streamers, to Blu Ray, to radio, to video game consoles. And on and on and on.
Kids need to be fully banned from the Terrifier films until 18. And any films or content that violent to be honest. As well as games and music that are similar in adult themed content. We have rules to not let kids drink. Not let them smoke. Not let them do drugs. And not watch adult content films. They can't even vote until 18. So it only makes sense that the same rules should apply to kids with any violent content and any sexual content. So I fully support these bans of books in schools. Have you seen some of the more explicit content of some of those books? Nothing that children should be reading.
Even with parent's permission. ZERO good comes from young minds seeing such violent or explicit content. There is no logical or sensible benefit to it. Research on this is overwhelmingly clear that it damages kids long term. And in many cases permanently. So censorship is not just a good thing in certain cases, it is absolutely necessary at times. To preserve a society....
Again, I say all of this as someone who works in multiple areas of these fields... Having moral, ethical and legal standards for content that kids consume is absolutely necessary in society. Because many parents are massively falling their kids on that front.
Damien’s statement was refreshing coming from Hollywood…why isn’t anyone at the Oscars/Netflix stating the same thing about Karla Sofia Gascón?! I mean it’s ridiculous. Hollywood is in bed with the Democratic Party and their far left ideology and Karla got a taste of the authoritarian left…hopefully this is the end of “Woke” Hollywood? Who knows but Damien is trying to eloquently navigate a political pendulum swing that is happening in the culture and please both sides in a commendable way. He knows where it’s going with the rise of the right (probably for the next 12 years at best, in my opinion) and he wants to make his movies as is. I’m sure he will reference politics big time at some point like bring Art to the White House! They did with Chucky! lol
If they bring Art to the White House, I’m out. But I agree with you. Emilia Perez feels like a movie that begs to be recognized for being “progressive” when in fact there are far better movies from even this year that tackled similar topics (I Saw The TV Glow).
It’s not all left or right though. That division is what’s killing the country. You can’t place people in one box or another. Humans are more complex.
But that’s beside the point. This post has nothing to do with left or right. It has to do with being anti-censorship and supporting freedom of expression and I sincerely hope Damien Leone understands that and it was just a poorly worded statement, because his movies are in fact political, just not in a red vs blue sense.
There needs to be a level of censorship in society. For it to function without total disregard and decentigration of ethics, morals and other vastly important factors to a society that is safe, healthy and not mentally unwell. My full post here addresses how and why.
Please… enough is enough. Stop trying to make everyone take a side. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what he said. Social media comments both past and potentially future by one or some involved with a film should not be seen as a statement for all or the franchise itself. What you have written is manipulative and I am sick of this style of propaganda. Essentially trying to pull everyone into being on one side or the other. Your diatribe goes far beyond what he was attempting to convey. I haven’t read the social media comments of Thornton. But you claim that every “decent” human being would see them as uncontroversial. This may be so, as I said I haven’t read them. But I also know as a gay man, there are many statements that claim to be supportive of LGBTQ+++++ that I personally find offensive. For one, I feel that there has been a hijacking. Many fought for equal rights, the right to get married, etc. We had come so far, but now there are these people who will never be happy and will always want more. It went from being treated equal, to being special. And I don’t want to be a part of that. And neither do many others. Time for some do-gooders to wake up.
You should read David's comments then. He said nothing other than "if you're going to hate these people, then don't follow me". Pretty basic message of tolerance. Not extreme at all. I am sure Damien received messages about that from some hateful people and thought he had to say something.
Either way, the release of this film was political. I praised it for being so anti-censorship and sticking it to the system. He was making a statement, and is now backtracking saying he has nothing to say. Can't have it both ways.
I respectfully disagree. While one may assume he was referring to just Thornton and the specific post you are referring to, it is entirely possible he was speaking in a broader context. I think being “general” here was the right approach. Calling out individuals or specific statements really amounts to taking a side. In fairness to him, the times we are living in are not comparable to any other. Yes, there were challenges then, and opposing views. But the “us vs them” mentality was not the same then as it is now. If he doesn’t want himself, other workers on the film or the film itself to be pulled into polarizing conversations that is understandable. Especially when “cancel culture” is still a thing.
You mentioned books being banned (I personally have ordered some of the books banned from schools in Florida just to see myself. Even I was shocked at the graphic depictions that should not be seen by kids - KIDS). The books being banned are usually kids books.
You may be referring to other books and you can correct me. But in film there is a ratings system for a reason. Do I think a child should watch Terrifier 3? No.
Damien certainly pushes the limits, but it is up to him where the focus is. Individuals who may use their notoriety (intentional or not) from the film to get into political conversations is their choice. And he says that. Damien also has the right to provide clarity to the wider population who may not be able to discern that an individual does not necessarily speak for the whole.
Forgive me for rambling, but I just don’t see the issue here that you see. We can agree to disagree. And sadly, that shouldn’t be a political thing, but in the world we live today a difference in views usually is.
I will add that a message of tolerance is obviously positive on the surface. And I would support any message that speaks against hate. If Damien’s post is only responding to that sole message I may have a different thought on it. However, the sad thing is that even “Pride” has changed. What was once a welcoming celebration for all has become almost a militant group of whoever wants to be “something different”. I was just speaking with a group of fellow gay friends the other day about this. “Pride” has become a political movement. And it has been somewhat hijacked by those that want special treatment. I would argue that “Pride” used to be a statement. Everyone was welcome and it was a celebration of being free to be who you are. A lot of us have now been alienated from what “Pride” once was. And I don’t know if it will ever be what it once was.
This is a bigger conversation and now I am rambling a little.
LOL Too bad I didn’t live near you, as it would be fun to grab a beer and have a good discussion/debate on all this. :)
While horror often reflects societal and cultural issues, not all filmmakers approach their work with explicit political intent. Damien Leone’s statement seems to clarify that Terrifier was created for pure entertainment rather than as a political statement, which doesn’t negate the genre’s broader historical context. This may simply be a case of miscommunication, art can carry unintended political meaning, but that doesn’t mean every creator consciously engages with it. Acknowledging both perspectives fosters better understanding rather than division.
He contradicts this statement with his own past statements about sticking it to the MPAA and going "rogue" with his unrated, uncensored release to theaters. You cant have it both ways. He made a political statement with this film about censorship and breaking down these boundaries, and then backtracked to say nothing about the film is political.
Nothing about the film itself may be overtly political. I agree - its a killer clown, horror comedy. It isn't deep. But the release strategy certainly is and challenged established systems, which is a political statement about the way our films and media are governed.
You're right that Leone's stance seems to contradict some of the decisions he made in releasing Terrifier in the way that he did. The choice to go unrated, for example, is undeniably a statement against censorship and the MPAA, which does have political undertones, even if the film itself doesn't overtly push a political agenda. I think Leone might be trying to distance himself from the idea that Terrifier is intentionally political, but it’s hard to ignore that the way it was released certainly challenges established norms and systems. It’s an interesting grey area, where the actions surrounding the film have a political impact, even if the film itself doesn’t try to make a political statement. The context definitely matters in these conversations, and I agree that it’s not always as clear-cut as a simple yes or no.
To be honest, I don’t think any of this was intentional on Leone’s part. It feels like a rushed response, possibly not worded the way he would've wanted. I think a lot of the frustration around this comes down to miscommunication. After all, it's been well over six years since he last addressed this topic, so maybe things have changed, or he's had more time to reflect on how his words might come across. It’s easy for statements like this to get misinterpreted, especially when dealing with complex topics like censorship and artistic freedom.
I agree. I wish he had taken some more time to write this all out, because it’s just caused a Streisand Effect. He did more harm than good by trying to say something and doing it poorly.
Also, I really appreciate that Leone is pushing the boundaries with Terrifier, especially when so many modern horror films seem to play it safe. Art, especially Horror Movies, thrive when it's willing to take risks and challenge expectations. Horror has always been a genre that disrupts, questions, and breaks boundaries, and I think Terrifier does that in a way we don’t see often these days. That’s something I think a lot of people miss when focusing on the controversy, it’s about pushing art forward, even if that means stepping on some toes.
This is hilariously and horrifically true...politics can seem quite horrific in reality...examples of this are political controversies and politicide in general. This is the world we love in today. It is like genocide versus politicide... an inclusive notion anyone could consider.
There was a time when I was younger when I felt that we should have full and complete freedom and autonomy on books, music, film, video games and media in general.
But as I have gotten older, gotten life experience and seen how degraded our society is becoming morally, spiritually and otherwise, I realize it is past time for society to take a collective breath and to again take a stand and make limits. With regard to what is morally acceptable for children to see and/or consume.
I say all of that as someone who isn't religious and someone who also doesn't like government interference. I also say it as a music artist who has released over 75 songs with explicit lyrics during my 35 years in music. And someone who has acted and appeared in multiple R Rated films, including bloody and violent horror films.
But it is becoming more and more apparent to me that these forms of media have a profound long term affect on the health and well being of our society. And especially our children. Kids playing violent, uber realistic video games desensitizes them to death, murder, robbery, crime, ect.. And likewise, my genre of music has long not talked respectfully about women. And the young artists of it (rap, hip hop) now glorify shootings and violence more than ever.
Look at all of these things collectively. Including disgusting and pointless films like the Terrifier series. And it is little wonder why our society is so violent and mentally sick. Movies like "The Purge" series (one of my friends was one of the stars of one of the Purge films). Even he has since said how damaging these violent films can be to developing minds such as teens and young adults. Nevermind young, underage kids who have no business watching these films.
No, it is time for society to take a step back and start to place some common sense censorship back up on things. And to promote morality and common sense once again.
It is more than clear the free for all has caused massive amounts of de sensitivity to violence. Violent behavior in people and society in general. And a massive lack of empathy, compassion and care for fellow man in general.
Social media has made all of these things even worse. But the core of these things begins with the free for all people have promoted for the last few decades on media consumption. I am not suggesting that these medias be censored for adults. But I believe we need to ban these things for children.
The counterargument people always give is that it should be parents doing this job. In a perfect world, that is correct. However, we live in the real world. A world where a lot of parents are degenerates themselves. And they are morally screwed up themselves. So they aren't going to do the right things to protect their kids. And in turn, we end up with violent kids who can't cope with reality and the real world today. And who take things to the point of no return in many horrible ways.
What we are doing as society CLEARLY aren't working. We never had the levels of violence we do today just 3-4 decades ago. Yet we had open access to weapons then. Even more of a variety then today. Fully auto weapons were legal.
So what has changed? We all know what has changed. And that includes multiple types of super violent content available to underage kids. Constantly, 24 hours a day. And everywhere. From TV, to streamers, to Blu Ray, to radio, to video game consoles. And on and on and on.
Kids need to be fully banned from the Terrifier films until 18. And any films or content that violent to be honest. As well as games and music that are similar in adult themed content. We have rules to not let kids drink. Not let them smoke. Not let them do drugs. And not watch adult content films. They can't even vote until 18. So it only makes sense that the same rules should apply to kids with any violent content and any sexual content. So I fully support these bans of books in schools. Have you seen some of the more explicit content of some of those books? Nothing that children should be reading.
Even with parent's permission. ZERO good comes from young minds seeing such violent or explicit content. There is no logical or sensible benefit to it. Research on this is overwhelmingly clear that it damages kids long term. And in many cases permanently. So censorship is not just a good thing in certain cases, it is absolutely necessary at times. To preserve a society....
Again, I say all of this as someone who works in multiple areas of these fields... Having moral, ethical and legal standards for content that kids consume is absolutely necessary in society. Because many parents are massively falling their kids on that front.
Damien’s statement was refreshing coming from Hollywood…why isn’t anyone at the Oscars/Netflix stating the same thing about Karla Sofia Gascón?! I mean it’s ridiculous. Hollywood is in bed with the Democratic Party and their far left ideology and Karla got a taste of the authoritarian left…hopefully this is the end of “Woke” Hollywood? Who knows but Damien is trying to eloquently navigate a political pendulum swing that is happening in the culture and please both sides in a commendable way. He knows where it’s going with the rise of the right (probably for the next 12 years at best, in my opinion) and he wants to make his movies as is. I’m sure he will reference politics big time at some point like bring Art to the White House! They did with Chucky! lol
If they bring Art to the White House, I’m out. But I agree with you. Emilia Perez feels like a movie that begs to be recognized for being “progressive” when in fact there are far better movies from even this year that tackled similar topics (I Saw The TV Glow).
It’s not all left or right though. That division is what’s killing the country. You can’t place people in one box or another. Humans are more complex.
But that’s beside the point. This post has nothing to do with left or right. It has to do with being anti-censorship and supporting freedom of expression and I sincerely hope Damien Leone understands that and it was just a poorly worded statement, because his movies are in fact political, just not in a red vs blue sense.
There needs to be a level of censorship in society. For it to function without total disregard and decentigration of ethics, morals and other vastly important factors to a society that is safe, healthy and not mentally unwell. My full post here addresses how and why.
Please… enough is enough. Stop trying to make everyone take a side. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what he said. Social media comments both past and potentially future by one or some involved with a film should not be seen as a statement for all or the franchise itself. What you have written is manipulative and I am sick of this style of propaganda. Essentially trying to pull everyone into being on one side or the other. Your diatribe goes far beyond what he was attempting to convey. I haven’t read the social media comments of Thornton. But you claim that every “decent” human being would see them as uncontroversial. This may be so, as I said I haven’t read them. But I also know as a gay man, there are many statements that claim to be supportive of LGBTQ+++++ that I personally find offensive. For one, I feel that there has been a hijacking. Many fought for equal rights, the right to get married, etc. We had come so far, but now there are these people who will never be happy and will always want more. It went from being treated equal, to being special. And I don’t want to be a part of that. And neither do many others. Time for some do-gooders to wake up.
You should read David's comments then. He said nothing other than "if you're going to hate these people, then don't follow me". Pretty basic message of tolerance. Not extreme at all. I am sure Damien received messages about that from some hateful people and thought he had to say something.
Either way, the release of this film was political. I praised it for being so anti-censorship and sticking it to the system. He was making a statement, and is now backtracking saying he has nothing to say. Can't have it both ways.
I respectfully disagree. While one may assume he was referring to just Thornton and the specific post you are referring to, it is entirely possible he was speaking in a broader context. I think being “general” here was the right approach. Calling out individuals or specific statements really amounts to taking a side. In fairness to him, the times we are living in are not comparable to any other. Yes, there were challenges then, and opposing views. But the “us vs them” mentality was not the same then as it is now. If he doesn’t want himself, other workers on the film or the film itself to be pulled into polarizing conversations that is understandable. Especially when “cancel culture” is still a thing.
You mentioned books being banned (I personally have ordered some of the books banned from schools in Florida just to see myself. Even I was shocked at the graphic depictions that should not be seen by kids - KIDS). The books being banned are usually kids books.
You may be referring to other books and you can correct me. But in film there is a ratings system for a reason. Do I think a child should watch Terrifier 3? No.
Damien certainly pushes the limits, but it is up to him where the focus is. Individuals who may use their notoriety (intentional or not) from the film to get into political conversations is their choice. And he says that. Damien also has the right to provide clarity to the wider population who may not be able to discern that an individual does not necessarily speak for the whole.
Forgive me for rambling, but I just don’t see the issue here that you see. We can agree to disagree. And sadly, that shouldn’t be a political thing, but in the world we live today a difference in views usually is.
I will add that a message of tolerance is obviously positive on the surface. And I would support any message that speaks against hate. If Damien’s post is only responding to that sole message I may have a different thought on it. However, the sad thing is that even “Pride” has changed. What was once a welcoming celebration for all has become almost a militant group of whoever wants to be “something different”. I was just speaking with a group of fellow gay friends the other day about this. “Pride” has become a political movement. And it has been somewhat hijacked by those that want special treatment. I would argue that “Pride” used to be a statement. Everyone was welcome and it was a celebration of being free to be who you are. A lot of us have now been alienated from what “Pride” once was. And I don’t know if it will ever be what it once was.
This is a bigger conversation and now I am rambling a little.
LOL Too bad I didn’t live near you, as it would be fun to grab a beer and have a good discussion/debate on all this. :)
While horror often reflects societal and cultural issues, not all filmmakers approach their work with explicit political intent. Damien Leone’s statement seems to clarify that Terrifier was created for pure entertainment rather than as a political statement, which doesn’t negate the genre’s broader historical context. This may simply be a case of miscommunication, art can carry unintended political meaning, but that doesn’t mean every creator consciously engages with it. Acknowledging both perspectives fosters better understanding rather than division.
He contradicts this statement with his own past statements about sticking it to the MPAA and going "rogue" with his unrated, uncensored release to theaters. You cant have it both ways. He made a political statement with this film about censorship and breaking down these boundaries, and then backtracked to say nothing about the film is political.
Nothing about the film itself may be overtly political. I agree - its a killer clown, horror comedy. It isn't deep. But the release strategy certainly is and challenged established systems, which is a political statement about the way our films and media are governed.
You're right that Leone's stance seems to contradict some of the decisions he made in releasing Terrifier in the way that he did. The choice to go unrated, for example, is undeniably a statement against censorship and the MPAA, which does have political undertones, even if the film itself doesn't overtly push a political agenda. I think Leone might be trying to distance himself from the idea that Terrifier is intentionally political, but it’s hard to ignore that the way it was released certainly challenges established norms and systems. It’s an interesting grey area, where the actions surrounding the film have a political impact, even if the film itself doesn’t try to make a political statement. The context definitely matters in these conversations, and I agree that it’s not always as clear-cut as a simple yes or no.
To be honest, I don’t think any of this was intentional on Leone’s part. It feels like a rushed response, possibly not worded the way he would've wanted. I think a lot of the frustration around this comes down to miscommunication. After all, it's been well over six years since he last addressed this topic, so maybe things have changed, or he's had more time to reflect on how his words might come across. It’s easy for statements like this to get misinterpreted, especially when dealing with complex topics like censorship and artistic freedom.
I agree. I wish he had taken some more time to write this all out, because it’s just caused a Streisand Effect. He did more harm than good by trying to say something and doing it poorly.
Also, I really appreciate that Leone is pushing the boundaries with Terrifier, especially when so many modern horror films seem to play it safe. Art, especially Horror Movies, thrive when it's willing to take risks and challenge expectations. Horror has always been a genre that disrupts, questions, and breaks boundaries, and I think Terrifier does that in a way we don’t see often these days. That’s something I think a lot of people miss when focusing on the controversy, it’s about pushing art forward, even if that means stepping on some toes.
This is hilariously and horrifically true...politics can seem quite horrific in reality...examples of this are political controversies and politicide in general. This is the world we love in today. It is like genocide versus politicide... an inclusive notion anyone could consider.