Terrifier 2: Australian government issues warning over ultraviolent horror film

The Australian film classification board has issued a warning about the ultraviolent horror flick Terrifier 2 – a movie so gory it has made cinemagoers collapse and vomit in theatres across America.

Terrifier 2, directed by Damien Leone, was approved for theatrical release with an R 18+ rating for ‘high impact violence, blood and gore’ and hit cinemas last Friday just in time for Halloween weekend.

A notice on the website of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts includes a summary of the film’s extreme content, warning it is not for the faint of heart.

‘The film features a series of sadistic and gory murders perpetrated by an evil clown,’ the notice reads in part.

‘In some scenes, the clown eats pieces of flesh and internal organs of his victims.

‘The film features a series of murders that include copious amounts of blood and graphic injury detail such as mutilation, decapitation and dismemberment.’

Horror fans flocked to theatres across Australia over the weekend to watch Terrifier 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2016 cult favourite Terrifier, which never got a theatrical release Down Under.

The late-night screening at Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney’s CBD was a raucous affair with the crowd clapping and cheering after the twisted death scenes.

Many fans were surprised the film was approved for release at all, as Australia has some of the strictest media censorship laws in the world.

The movie includes graphic scenes of mutilation and torture, including a woman being scalped alive then doused in acid, a young man being castrated, and the killer pulling out a victim’s heart then eating it.

Horror fans calling for the gory slasher to be considered for next year’s Oscars.

There is a push for the film’s gruesome gore, handled by director Leone, who is an expert in SFX and makeup, to be recognised in the Best Visual Effects category.

Some have even said leading lady Lauren LaVera and antagonist David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown, deserve nods for their acting.

‘So when does the @TerrifierFilm Oscar buzz start? David Howard Thornton’s performance as Art the Clown is PERFECT, with no dialog he maximizes his screen time like no other. @_LaurenLaVera_ is everyone’s new final girl crush!’ gushed one.

‘Terrifier 2 should legitimately be nominated for an Oscar for makeup and hairstyling,’ tweeted another.

One fan even said that the gory flick deserves to match The Exorcist’s awards tally, which picked up 10 nominations at the 1974 Academy Awards.

The film’s producers, including Steve Barton and production company Bloody Disgusting, have also fuelled the Oscar buzz on social media.

‘Whaddaya think? Should we submit?’ Barton tweeted to a rapturous response.

Terrifier 2 has become a box office hit thanks to grassroots support and word of mouth buzz.

It initially had a limited weekend release in the United States, but exploded in popularity following reports moviegoers were passing out and vomiting in theatres.

The theatrical run was then extended, and to date the 138-minute gorefest has grossed $7.7 million off a paltry $250,000 budget.

Terrifier 2 has since opened in Canadian, British and Australian theatres.

Filmmaker Leone recently opened up about the reports of fans vomiting over the movie in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

‘Listen, I would have loved to have a couple of walk-outs, I think that’s sort of a badge of honour because it is an intense movie,’ he said.

‘I don’t want people fainting, getting hurt during the movie. But it’s surreal. Here’s the thing, it’s called Terrifier 2, you should probably see Terrifier 1 before you jump into this one. If you see Terrifier 1, you’d know what you’re getting into.’

He also tweeted that reports of the fainting and puking are legitimate, and not just a marketing stunt to get the low-budget film some publicity.

‘I swear on the success of the film it is NOT,’ he stated. ‘These reports are 100% legit. I wish we were smart enough to think of that! But then again, we didn’t need to.’

The movie has become a hit on social media, with fans gushing about the sickening gore.

‘This scene in Terrifier 2 is the most unbelievable s**t I’ve ever seen in a movie theatre,’ tweeted one.

‘My friend passed out and the theatre called an ambulance. Highly recommended!’ added another.

Despite the gratuitous violence and the 138-minute runtime, Terrifier 2 has been well received by critics thus far, earning an impressive 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘It indulges in all of its innate, nasty impulses, and then just keeps going… Get together with a group of the rowdiest genre freaks you can find and go nuts,’ wrote Trace Sauveur of the Austin Chronicle.

However, other critics haven’t been so kind, with Sara Michelle Fetters writing for Moviefreak.com: ‘Terrifier 2 is exhausting. Leone’s sequel wore me out, it’s objectionably devious nastiness too extreme even for me.’

‘It’s all just blood and guts, with nothing holding it together. “Terrifier 2” presents itself as a dare — how much carnage can you take?’ wrote Adam Graham at the Detroit News.

Due to Terrifier 2’s ‘brutal depictions of horror’, the production company was forced to issue a warning on social media to ensure viewers were fully prepared before seeing it.

The first Terrifier follows a maniacal mime artist named Art the Clown who terrorises three women on Halloween.

The movie went viral after its release due to one particularly horrifying death scene, which involved somebody being mutilated with a hacksaw.

In the sequel, he returns after being resurrected by a sinister supernatural entity to wreak more havoc, this time targeting a teenage girl and her younger brother.