Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | October 28, 2025
I’ve made no secret of my love for spooky movies on this site. Horror films are some of my favorites, and this time of year, I try to fit in as many as possible. I cast a wide net—mixing new releases with old favorites, but I tend to skip anything that sells itself purely on shock value. That’s why I’ve never watched any of the Terrifier movies.
Featuring a clown named Art, the Terrifier films spun off from short segments in the anthology All Hallows’ Eve. Art later got his own feature, which developed such a strong cult following that the sequel grossed $15 million on a $250,000 budget. The third installment went on to make $90 million on a $2 million budget. Art clearly has his fans.
Still, when I learned what happens in these movies, my interest vanished. There’s one infamous scene where a woman is reportedly suspended upside down and cut in half. I’d already seen something similar in an older Ed Gein-inspired film, possibly Deranged, and decided I didn’t need to revisit it.
It’s not that I shy away from intensity on screen, but this series seems to center on the extremity itself. If that’s the art some people want to make, fine. But it’s not for me. The actress in that scene, Catherine Corcoran, has appeared in several horror projects. Now, she’s pursuing a new credit.
Corcoran has filed a lawsuit against the producers of the Terrifier films, claiming they failed to honor her compensation deal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she received the SAG minimum of $100 per day, plus a 1% share of profits from the film’s revenue, including streaming, events, and merchandise. After the sequel’s release, she began receiving payments but says she’s only been paid $8,300 to date.
She also alleges that when she contacted director Damien Leone and producer Phil Falcone, she was dismissed and told that “production doesn’t keep records.” Their attorney responded, “Damien and Phil deny the claims in the complaint and will vigorously defend this lawsuit.”
Corcoran’s contract reportedly covered only two years, though she received payments six years after the original film’s release, suggesting someone was indeed tracking revenue. Considering the franchise’s massive returns on small budgets, this situation feels deeply unfair.
That infamous scene has become a defining moment for the series, and Corcoran deserves better treatment after contributing so much to its success. That Leone and crew would decide to shun her instead of pay her is not a good look.
