AITH Horror Vids of the Week: Leatherface, The Thing, Doll House, Detention

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The Halloween season may be over, but the horror just keeps on coming here at Arrow in the Head. Since it's Friday, that means it's time for us to gather all of the latest additions to our JoBlo Horror YouTube channel (check it out and subscribe HERE) together in one place. It's the AITH HORROR VIDEOS OF THE WEEK!

This week, we looked at the tumultuous making of LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III to find out WTF HAPPENED TO THIS HORROR MOVIE?, kicked off a brand new series called DECONSTRUCTING… with an examination of John Carpenter's THE THING, started a new investigation of the paranormal for WE WANT TO BELIEVE, and recommended DETENTION for BEST HORROR MOVIE YOU NEVER SAW. All of these videos can be seen below.

LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III (1990) – WTF Happened to this Horror Movie?!

LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III has always been one of the red-headed stepchildren of the TEXAS CHAINSAW series. As the first non-Tobe Hooper sequel, part three had the misfortune of not only being gutted by the MPAA but banned in most overseas countries. Critics and audience members hated it and it was widely agreed upon as a violent cash grab that didn't have the intensity of the original or the sequel's fun and vibrant campiness.

The intention for part three was to make an '80s type of bloodfest but in the vein of the first movie. Instead, it was cut to the bone, with New Line even re-shooting the ending behind the directors back. After its box office failure, LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III was dumped in the graveyard month of January, and Newl Line would eventually cut their losses and let the rights expire.

In the latest episode of our WTF HAPPENED TO THIS HORROR MOVIE video series, we dig into the making of LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III to find out what exactly happened to this unloved sequel.

Series M.O. Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

THE THING (1982) – Deconstructing… 

THE THING: John Carpenter's sci-fi/horror classic is now considered one of the greatest horror films of all time. But when it hit screens in 1982, it shocked audiences who were unprepared for its graphic monster effects and triggered scathing reviews. In our premiere episode of DECONSTRUCTING, we visit the film's literary origins, track its transformation from box-office failure to cult classic, and examine some of the film's many unanswered questions.

SERIES SYNOPSIS: DECONSTRUCTING is a monthly web series in which we choose one of your favorite horror movies and take it apart piece by piece (lovingly, of course) to see what makes it a classic. Each episode examines the origins, legacy and mysteries behind our beloved genre's most iconic titles… but we play fast and loose with the rules, so expect the unexpected!

WE WANT TO BELIEVE: The Doll House Part 1

The Doll House Part 1: The Inside – Lead investigator Peter Renn has investigated many haunted locations around the world, but one keeps luring him back: Baillie House. The very definition of a Creepy Old House, this one has it all: angry spirits, disembodied voices, a death within its walls, and a room full of dolls… dolls that watch your every move! Peter, Jason and Marcus set up shop for an evening of investigating, and recount for fledgling investigator Marcus many of the spine-tingling encounters they’ve had at the house. By the time they’re ready to get to work, it seems that Baillie House – and the dolls — have at least one good scare in store for them…

DETENTION (2011) – The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw

In the latest episode of our BEST HORROR MOVIE YOU NEVER SAW video series, we take a look at the 2011 surreal horror-satire DETENTION, directed by Joseph Kahn (TORQUE), and starring Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, and Spencer Locke!

It's an extremely entertaining postmodern take on the horror genre, that not only skewers slashers, Cronenbergian body horror, and mid-2000s torture porn films, but also examines how our relationship with the genre – and media in general – helps shape our own lived experiences. It's worth checking out, if any of that sounds appealing to you!

Here's the official synopsis: As a copycat killer named after movie villain Cinderhella stalks the student body at Grizzly Lake High School, a group of co-eds band together to survive while serving detention.

Series Synopsis: The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw is dedicated to highlighting horror films that, for one reason or another, don't get as much love as we think they should. We know plenty of you horror hounds out there will have seen many of the movies we pick, but there will be plenty of you who have not.

Last week's collection of AITH videos can be seen HERE.

Other shows on our YouTube channel include CONRAD THE BAVARIANKILLER GUIDE TO HORRORTALES FROM CREEPYPASTATHE F*CKING BLACK SHEEPDEADLY DUOSTHE HORROR MOVIE THAT ALMOST WASMAKING OF WITHTHE UFO SHOWWHERE IT WAS MADEHORROR HALL OF FAMEBEHIND THE (MOVIE) KILLERTHE KILL COUNTERSHOW ME THE SEQUEL, and SCARY STUDIES.

Source: Arrow in the Head

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.