While the first two movies came and went, Killjoy 3 was more successful than Full Moon expected. Despite the profits, the studio wasn’t pushing for another entry, primarily because of how outside their wheelhouse it was. According to writer/director John Lechago, they built sets in Full Moon’s offices since they had no studio access. Filming lasted seven days, but Lechago insisted on one additional filming day, which consisted of 10 hours of shooting. While most Full Moon movies aren’t necessarily connected, Lechago wanted this to be a direct sequel to the last one. Several of the previous film’s cast – Trent Haaga, Victoria De Mare, Al Burke, Tai Chan Ngo, and Jessica Whitaker – returned. With a reported budget of $85,000, Lechago went all out on this film and let his creativity run wild. On October 2012, Killjoy Goes to Hell made its way onto DVD shelves for a rabid audience.
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Synopsis
The demon clown Killjoy (Trent Haaga) is taken to Hell’s courtroom to stand trial with Beezlebub (Stephen F. Cardwell) overseeing. Jezabeth, the Devil’s Advocate (Aqueela Zoll), accuses Killjoy of going soft, especially after letting one of his victims go. The said victim is Sandie (Jessica Whitaker), who’s been committed to a psych ward after witnessing her friends’ murders. While in prison, Killjoy meets Skid Mark (John Karyus), an aspiring clown demon who wants to be Killjoy’s attorney. Using Skid’s human blood, Killjoy summons Punchy (Al Burke), Freakshow (Tai Chan Ngo), and Batty Boop (Victoria De Mare). He has them act as his witnesses, but unfortunately, the trial goes south, and Killjoy’s existence is in jeopardy. In a last-ditch effort, Batty and Freakshow use a magic mirror to bring Sandie to Hell as a witness. Little do they know that Skid Mark, Killjoy’s attorney, has his own agenda.
Review
Killjoy Goes to Hell is more of the same as Killjoy 3, for better or for worse. Lechago injects the same manic energy, irreverent humor, and cost-effective filmmaking that made the last Killjoy movie work. Admittedly, the script isn’t the greatest, with most of the dialogue either being exposition dumps or overuse of expletives. Some moody lighting, decent makeup effects, and exciting production design make it stand out. While this movie had a low budget, Lechago managed to make effective use of that small budget. But the film’s biggest highlight is Trent Haaga’s performance in the title role as the demon clown. Like in the last movie, he has the time of his life in the part, making Killjoy demented and funny. It helps that Burke, Ngo, and De Mare work great opposite Haaga, each having their moments to shine.
Sadly, much of the human cast isn’t the greatest, but they’re not the movie’s focus. When Jessica Whittaker tries to act crazy by laughing constantly, it comes off as restrained and flat-sounding. When she’s dragged to Hell to confront Killjoy, her performance picks up, and she has some great lines. John Karyus is OK as the comic relief, but he can get annoying, though it feels intentional. Even though she wasn’t hired for her acting talent, Aqueela Zoll is stunning as Jezabeth, and she has some moments. While the practical effects are decent, there is some questionable CGI that looks straight from a Sega CD game. Also, this is the most extended entry so far at an hour and thirty-three minutes, but it’s not too padded. Overall, Killjoy Goes to Hell is a mostly entertaining, somewhat messy entry in Full Moon’s catalog.
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