During a meeting with Charles Band, editor Don Adams mentioned 1993’s Leprechaun, a sore spot for Band. For decades, Band had been known for making tiny terror movies, including Dolls, Puppet Master, and Demonic Toys. So, to have another low-budget company make a similar movie and have it be successful stung him. In 2011, Charles Band announced he would make his take on a horror-comedy about an evil leprechaun. After seeing America’s Next Top Model, Band injected a subplot around models competing on a reality TV show. According to effects designer Tom Devlin, Band cast the actresses for the models based on their Twitter followers. For instance, lead actress Tiffany Thornton had over 1 million followers when she switched from Disney to Full Moon’s camp. In 2013, Charles Band’s Unlucky Charms was released on DVD in a mock cereal box for promotional purposes.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Five girls compete in a reality TV show to get a modeling contract and become company spokespeople. There’s Darla (Alex Rose Wiesel), Sheila (Nikki Leigh), Mika (Masuimi Max), Erin (Anna Sophia Berglund), and Audrey (Tiffany Thornton). Leading the competition is DeeDee Deville (Jeryl Prescott), and she’s accompanied by judges Pirl (Seth Peterson) and Baxter (Charlie O’Connell). Unbeknownst to the girls, DeeDee is using four magical charms to steal their souls so she’ll stay young. Meanwhile, Farr Darrig (Nathan Phillips), Bloody Bones (Peter Donald Badalamenti II), Pookah (Ben Woolf), and Banshee (Katrina Kemp) are hunting. It turns out DeeDee stole the magic she’s been using, and Farr and his cohorts are looking to reclaim it. However, they are under her control as they’re forced to kill off the competing models individually. Will DeeDee be stopped, and will the Irish terrors reclaim their Unlucky Charms?
Review
Say what you will about Leprechaun, but it was at least well-made and had a clear idea. With Unlucky Charms, it feels like Band had a lot of ideas but didn’t know how to execute them fully. The whole “modeling reality show” concept has much potential for parody, but they don’t do much with it. Also, for a Full Moon movie, the kills are minimal, with only two in total, and both are uninspired. Aside from the cycloptic Bloody Bones, the makeup effects look remarkably cheap, especially with Farr Darrig’s design. Unlike Warwick Davis’ iconic look, all Nathan Phillips gets are red splotches on his face and a wig. Even the version of Farr Darrig on the DVD cover looks more terrifying than in the actual movie. The film’s biggest problem is it’s boring and moves at a snail’s pace, even at under 90 minutes long.
As much as this movie doesn’t work, a few bright spots make this at least tolerable to watch. For one, Nathan Phillips does a decent job playing the diminutive terror Farr Darrig, actually playing the part seriously. Jeryl Prescott, for her part, does an outstanding job as the villain, and the Dorian Gray-inspired plotline is handled well. Also, the five main actresses aren’t terrible, even if they were hired because of their Twitter followers. While many of the digital effects look shoddy, a few sequences aren’t half bad, namely the opening scene. Also, some of the film’s practical effects are alright, namely the Bloody Bones and Pookah designs. While I wouldn’t call this one of Full Moon’s worst movies, the fact that it’s unremarkable is almost worse. Overall, Unlucky Charms won’t ruin your day, but there are far better movies about evil leprechauns you could be watching.
Buy Unlucky Charms on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JHJtxF.
Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
