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Leprechaun 3

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Leprechaun 3
Promotional poster
Directed byBrian Trenchard-Smith
Written byDavid DuBos
Based onCharacters
by Mark Jones
Produced by
  • Jeff Geoffray
  • Walter Josten
  • Henry Seggerman
Starring
CinematographyDavid Lewis
Edited byDaniel Duncan
Music byDennis Michael Tenney
Production
companies
Distributed byVidmark Entertainment
Release date
  • June 27, 1995 (1995-06-27)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2 million[1]

Leprechaun 3 (also known as Leprechaun 3: In Vegas) is a 1995 American slasher comedy film and the third, and first direct-to-video installment, in the Leprechaun series. The film follows a psychotic leprechaun, who begins a killing spree in Las Vegas.

The film was followed by Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997).

Plot

At Las Vegas, a stranger with several missing body parts sells a statue of a grotesque Leprechaun to a Pawn Shop owner named Gupta. The statue has a medallion around its neck, which Gupta removes despite getting warned not to. As Gupta examines a pot of gold coins found with the statue, the Leprechaun comes to life and attacks him. Seeing the medallion, the Leprechaun flees into the back of the shop with his pot of gold, dropping one of his coins in the process. Gupta watches a computer program on Irish folklore, which reveals a Leprechaun's gold coin will grant the holder one wish and that their power resides in the gold. When the Leprechaun realizes he's missing a coin, he tricks Gupta into putting away the medallion and then kills him.

Meanwhile, Scott McCoy, a college student passing through Vegas, helps a stranded motorist named Tammy get to her job at the Lucky Shamrock Casino. Scott convinces Tammy into sneaking him into casino, where he subsequently gambles away all of his tuition money. On the advice of the Roulette table employee, Loretta, Scott goes to the Pawn Shop to sell his watch, where he finds Gupta's lifeless body and the missing gold coin. Seeing the computer program, Scott makes a nonchalant wish to be back at the casino on a winning streak. Scott is instantly teleported back to the casino, unknowingly escaping an attack by the Leprechaun, who realizes that Scott has the coin.

Back at the casino, Scott finds himself on a huge winning streak playing roulette. Wanting to prevent anymore financial loss, the Casino's Manager, Mitch, closes the table and gives Scott a free room at the hotel. Scott runs into Tammy, who advises him to go to his room and hide out there until her shift is over. Loretta and the Casino's resident Magician, Fazio, decide to rob Scott of his winnings and the gold coin. Fazio breaks into Scott's room and only manages to steal the gold coin before fleeing. Scott is then attacked by the Leprechaun. Scott manages to fight him off and throw him out the window, but not before some of the Leprechaun's blood gets into a wound on his arm.

Loretta takes the coin from Fazio, but it is then stolen by Mitch, who makes a sarcastic wish to have sex with Tammy. Under the coin's spell, Tammy seduces Mitch and they go to his suite. Just as Tammy is about to undress, Loretta steals the coin back, breaking the spell on Tammy. She angrily rejects Mitch's advances and he fires her in return. After Tammy leaves the suite, the Leprechaun sneaks in and tricks Mitch into watching a beautiful woman undress on the TV. The woman then crawls out of the TV, straddles Mitch in bed and pins him down. The Leprechaun then turns the woman into a robot and electrocutes Mitch to death.

Scott begins showing traits of a leprechaun with random cravings for potatoes and speaking with an Irish accent. He later runs into a distraught Tammy. They go up to Mitch's suite where they find him dead and the Leprechaun nearby. Scott and Tammy manage to escape, but Scott's condition worsens as he starts physically turning into a Leprechaun. They decide to go to the Pawn Shop hoping to find answers and a possible cure.

Back in the casino, Loretta uses the coin to wish for the body of a young sexy woman. While showing her newfound beauty to Fazio, he steals the coin and flees her dressing room. The Leprechaun then appears and kills Loretta by magically inflating her breasts, lips and buttocks until she explodes.

In the Pawn Shop, Scott and Tammy find the Leprechaun's pot of gold. The Leprechaun attacks but they manage to escape. As Scott's condition worsenes, Tammy rushes him to a hospital for care. The Leprechaun takes Tammy hostage in the hospital's morgue, demanding to know where the missing coin is. Scott, now fully transformed, tells the Leprechaun that Fazio has the coin.

Using the coin, Fazio wishes to be the world's greatest magician. During Fazio's midnight show, the Leprechaun appears and traps Fazio in a box prop. Thinking it's a part of the show, the audience just watches as the Leprechaun uses a chainsaw to cut Fazio's box in half. The crowd goes into a panic as the Leprechaun reveals Fazio's bisected corpse.

Scott and Tammy as the audience flees. Scott battles the Leprechaun and burns the pot of gold, which fatally immolates the Leprechaun and reverts Scott back to his normal form. As Scott and Tammy leave the casino, she reveals she found the missing coin. Though tempted to make a wish, Tammy decides she is happy with what she has with Scott. They discard the coin and leave the casino together. [2]

Cast

Production

After optioning a spec script of his own to Blue Rider Productions, screenwriter David DuBos was given an opportunity to pitch for Leprechaun 3. DuBos, who hadn't seen the previous two films, was only given the guideline of "Leprechaun in Las Vegas" for his pitch. DuBos won against six other writers and had to quickly put together a script due to an impending production start.[3] Brian Trenchard-Smith, director of Night of the Demons 2 was selected to helm the film. Trimark Pictures had considered making the film the final entry in the series.[4] The film was shot over the course of 14 days in Los Angeles, California, with only one day taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5]

Release

Leprechaun 3 was released direct-to-video on June 27, 1995 by Vidmark Entertainment, and went on to become the highest selling independent direct-to-video film of 1995.[6][7] The studio would release the film on DVD on February 27, 2001.[8] The film was released on blu-ray for the first time by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on September 30, 2014.[9]

Reception

The film holds a 0% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews.[10]

Actor Warwick Davis would later claim the film as his favorite of the series: "I think it tapped into the potential of bringing a comedic element to it all. And Brian Trenchard-Smith, who directed that one, is an incredible director. He manages to get so much out of so little money, and that was what was great about working with him. He really got the humor".[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Trenchard-Smith, Brian (26 September 2014). "Before Sharknado There Was Leprechaun…". Trailers From Hell. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Brian Trenchard-Smith (Director) (1995). Leprechaun 3 (DVD). United States: Trimark Pictures.
  3. ^ Trembath, Ron (October 25, 2018). "David Dubos [Interview]". Trainwreck Society. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  4. ^ Collis, Clark (August 25, 2014). "Shlocky Charms: The Crazy Rise and 'Terrifying' Return of Leprechaun". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  5. ^ "Scene in Nevada: Leprechaun 3". Nevada Film Office. February 21, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Elleen Fitzpatrick (April 29, 1995). "Shelf Talk". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 17. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. ^ Collis, Clark (August 25, 2014). "Shlocky charms: The crazy rise and 'terrifying' return of 'Leprechaun'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  8. ^ "Leprechaun 3 DVD". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  9. ^ Miska, Brad (June 24, 2014). "Complete Leprechaun Collection Coming to Blu-ray!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  10. ^ "Leprechaun 3 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  11. ^ Christopher Carle, "Interview with Warwick Davis", IGN Films, April 12, 2012 accessed February 8, 2013
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