Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood
Encyclopedia
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood is a 2003 direct-to-video
comedy-horror film written and directed by Steven Ayromlooi. The sixth installment of the Leprechaun
series taking place before the events of Leprechaun 3
, Leprechaun
, Leprechaun 2
and Leprechaun 4: In Space the film has the villainous Leprechaun rampaging through a town looking for his gold, which was stolen by a group of urban youths who are using it to fulfill their wildest dreams. He will hunt and kill to retrieve his pot of gold.
) who remained in the mortal world and through the ages slowly became corrupted and obsessed with the treasure he still guarded. In the present Father Jacob (Willie C. Carpenter) is chased through the construction site of the youth center he had planned on building by the Leprechaun, whose gold Jacob had taken to fund the building project. Using four-leaf clover
laced holy water
Jacob manages to banish the Leprechaun, summoning demonic hands which drag him underground, but soon after drops dead of injuries inflicted by the Leprechaun during the fight.
One year later, two down on their luck friends Emily Woodrow (Tangi Miller
) and Lisa Duncan (Sherrie Jackson) have their fortune told when the clairvoyant
Esmeralda (Donzaleigh Abernathy
) who warns them that they will attain great wealth soon, but it must be denied as it will come at a great price and summon a terrible evil. While having a barbecue at the abandoned youth center construction site with Lisa, their stoner friend Jamie Davis (Page Kennedy
) and her ex-boyfriend turned drug dealer Rory Jackson (Laz Alonso
) Emily falls through a hole and discovers the Leprechaun's gold in an old tunnel where it was hidden by Father Jacob. Splitting up the gold (which is produced in a never ending amount by the chest it was contained in) evenly the quartet of friends use it to fulfill their fantasies, unaware that by taking the gold they have released the Leprechaun, who begins stalking the group (killing a guest who takes one of his coins at a party held by Jamie, prompting the police to temporarily arrest him). At the salon
where Emily works the Leprechaun sneaks in and, after killing a regular customer, Doria, on the massage table by breaking her neck, attacks Emily, who barely escapes and warns Rory and the recently released Jamie, who rush to get to Lisa's. In her house Lisa is attacked by the Leprechaun and manages to fight him off for a short while, but is killed when the Leprechaun claws her in the stomach, with her friends finding her body moments later.
While Emily and Jamie want to return the gold Rory does not and takes off with it; shortly after realizing Rory is gone Emily is attacked and chased outside by the Leprechaun, but is saved when Rory has a change of heart and comes back for her. Searching for Rory the Leprechaun stops by his house and kills Rory's profligate girlfriend Chanel (Keesha Sharp
) by tearing out her upper jaw, reclaiming the gold she used to make a tooth while Rory and Emily are stopped and harassed by Officers Thompson (Beau Billingslea
) and Whitaker (Chris Murray). After the Leprechaun appears and kills the two officers Emily and Rory escape and regroup with Jamie, only to be confronted by a machine gun wielding group of Rory's drug dealing rivals, led by Watson (Shiek Mahmud-Bey) and Cedric (Sticky Fingaz). Planning on executing Rory for infringing on their territory Watson and his gang are all disposed of by the Leprechaun, (who kills Watson and Cedric while the other two members run off) while Emily, Rory and Jamie drive off in Watson's car (which the Leprechaun latches to the bottom of for a short while) and go looking for help from Esmeralda.
Advised to use four-leaf clovers against the Leprechaun by Esmeralda, Rory laces the hollow-point bullets of his gun with clovers Jamie finds in the marijuana
Rory had earlier sold him. When the Leprechaun arrives Rory shoots him several times with the clover bullets, only for his gun to jam before he can finish the Leprechaun off. Rory and Emily are given the chance to run with the gold when the Leprechaun is distracted by Jamie and Esmeralda (the latter dying in a magical duel with the Leprechaun). Followed to the roof of the building Rory tries fighting the Leprechaun and is knocked out, though before the Leprechaun can kill him Emily taunts him by throwing some of his gold into nearby wet cement and lures him into the ruins of the youth center, where she tosses his gold into a furnace before knocking the Leprechaun in with it.
Believing the Leprechaun is dead Emily returns to Rory, only for the recovered Leprechaun to renew his attack on them. Knocking Emily off the roof and leaving her barely holding on the Leprechaun taunts her, but is shot several times in the middle of his speech by Rory, who had fixed his gun. Shooting the Leprechaun repeatedly Rory runs out of bullets, but distracts him long enough for Emily to hit the Leprechaun with the chest of coins, sending him plummeting off the rooftop and into the wet cement below, where the Leprechaun sinks and becomes trapped with his gold.
The movie them cuts back to the animated prologue like the one at the beginning, and the Leprechaun digs himself out of the ground leaving a cliffhanger ending.
, though executives at Lions Gate had director and writer Steven Ayromlooi change the location of the film to an urban environment like the previous entry in the series.
named the film the third worst sequel of all time, stating "If a movie could spark a race riot, this is it."
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
comedy-horror film written and directed by Steven Ayromlooi. The sixth installment of the Leprechaun
Leprechaun (franchise)
Leprechaun is an American comedy horror franchise consisting of six films and a comic book series. Beginning with 1993's Leprechaun the series centers around a malevolent and murderous leprechaun, who, when his gold is taken from him, resorts to any means necessary to reclaim it.-Overview:In the...
series taking place before the events of Leprechaun 3
Leprechaun 3
Leprechaun 3 is a 1995 slasher/black comedy film. It was the first direct-to-video in the Leprechaun series. The movie seems to take place after the events of Leprechaun: In The Hood and Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood but before the events of Leprechaun-Plot:In a Las Vegas pawn shop, a decrepit old...
, Leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
, Leprechaun 2
Leprechaun 2
Leprechaun 2 is a 1994 horror film sequel to Leprechaun which centers on a sadistically evil leprechaun hunting for a bride. It's assumed that the film takes place a few years after the events of the first film...
and Leprechaun 4: In Space the film has the villainous Leprechaun rampaging through a town looking for his gold, which was stolen by a group of urban youths who are using it to fulfill their wildest dreams. He will hunt and kill to retrieve his pot of gold.
Plot
The film opens with an animated prologue revealing the origins of leprechauns, stating that they were summoned by a king to protect his gold from those who would try to steal it. After the death of the king the Leprechauns returned to their places of origin, all except one (Warwick DavisWarwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is most notable for playing the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, as well as for his roles in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter movies. Davis currently stars in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written...
) who remained in the mortal world and through the ages slowly became corrupted and obsessed with the treasure he still guarded. In the present Father Jacob (Willie C. Carpenter) is chased through the construction site of the youth center he had planned on building by the Leprechaun, whose gold Jacob had taken to fund the building project. Using four-leaf clover
Four-leaf clover
The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover. According to tradition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally...
laced holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
Jacob manages to banish the Leprechaun, summoning demonic hands which drag him underground, but soon after drops dead of injuries inflicted by the Leprechaun during the fight.
One year later, two down on their luck friends Emily Woodrow (Tangi Miller
Tangi Miller
Tangi Miller is an American actress, model and dancer. As an actress she is known for the role of Elena Tyler on the popular television drama Felicity. In 2001 she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.-Early life:...
) and Lisa Duncan (Sherrie Jackson) have their fortune told when the clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
Esmeralda (Donzaleigh Abernathy
Donzaleigh Abernathy
Donzaleigh Abernathy is an American actress, producer, director and writer.-Filmography:*Murder in Mississippi -- Sue Brown*Ghost Dad -- E.R...
) who warns them that they will attain great wealth soon, but it must be denied as it will come at a great price and summon a terrible evil. While having a barbecue at the abandoned youth center construction site with Lisa, their stoner friend Jamie Davis (Page Kennedy
Page Kennedy
Page Kennedy is an American television and film actor who most recently starred in the second season of the sports comedy series Blue Mountain State on Spike....
) and her ex-boyfriend turned drug dealer Rory Jackson (Laz Alonso
Laz Alonso
Lazaro "Laz" Alonso is an American film and television actor. He is best known for playing Tsu'tey in James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar. He is also well known for his role as Fenix "Rise" Calderon in the film Fast & Furious. Alonso has had roles in other films such as Jarhead, This...
) Emily falls through a hole and discovers the Leprechaun's gold in an old tunnel where it was hidden by Father Jacob. Splitting up the gold (which is produced in a never ending amount by the chest it was contained in) evenly the quartet of friends use it to fulfill their fantasies, unaware that by taking the gold they have released the Leprechaun, who begins stalking the group (killing a guest who takes one of his coins at a party held by Jamie, prompting the police to temporarily arrest him). At the salon
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
where Emily works the Leprechaun sneaks in and, after killing a regular customer, Doria, on the massage table by breaking her neck, attacks Emily, who barely escapes and warns Rory and the recently released Jamie, who rush to get to Lisa's. In her house Lisa is attacked by the Leprechaun and manages to fight him off for a short while, but is killed when the Leprechaun claws her in the stomach, with her friends finding her body moments later.
While Emily and Jamie want to return the gold Rory does not and takes off with it; shortly after realizing Rory is gone Emily is attacked and chased outside by the Leprechaun, but is saved when Rory has a change of heart and comes back for her. Searching for Rory the Leprechaun stops by his house and kills Rory's profligate girlfriend Chanel (Keesha Sharp
Keesha Sharp
Keesha Ulricka Sharp is an American television actress. Her best known role is as Monica on the hit UPN/The CW show, Girlfriends, which she played William Dent's girlfriend, and later wife, Monica from 2002 to the series finale in 2008...
) by tearing out her upper jaw, reclaiming the gold she used to make a tooth while Rory and Emily are stopped and harassed by Officers Thompson (Beau Billingslea
Beau Billingslea
Beau M. Billingslea is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Jet Black from the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. In addition to voice acting, Billingslea has appeared in many popular TV series as a prolific guest actor...
) and Whitaker (Chris Murray). After the Leprechaun appears and kills the two officers Emily and Rory escape and regroup with Jamie, only to be confronted by a machine gun wielding group of Rory's drug dealing rivals, led by Watson (Shiek Mahmud-Bey) and Cedric (Sticky Fingaz). Planning on executing Rory for infringing on their territory Watson and his gang are all disposed of by the Leprechaun, (who kills Watson and Cedric while the other two members run off) while Emily, Rory and Jamie drive off in Watson's car (which the Leprechaun latches to the bottom of for a short while) and go looking for help from Esmeralda.
Advised to use four-leaf clovers against the Leprechaun by Esmeralda, Rory laces the hollow-point bullets of his gun with clovers Jamie finds in the marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
Rory had earlier sold him. When the Leprechaun arrives Rory shoots him several times with the clover bullets, only for his gun to jam before he can finish the Leprechaun off. Rory and Emily are given the chance to run with the gold when the Leprechaun is distracted by Jamie and Esmeralda (the latter dying in a magical duel with the Leprechaun). Followed to the roof of the building Rory tries fighting the Leprechaun and is knocked out, though before the Leprechaun can kill him Emily taunts him by throwing some of his gold into nearby wet cement and lures him into the ruins of the youth center, where she tosses his gold into a furnace before knocking the Leprechaun in with it.
Believing the Leprechaun is dead Emily returns to Rory, only for the recovered Leprechaun to renew his attack on them. Knocking Emily off the roof and leaving her barely holding on the Leprechaun taunts her, but is shot several times in the middle of his speech by Rory, who had fixed his gun. Shooting the Leprechaun repeatedly Rory runs out of bullets, but distracts him long enough for Emily to hit the Leprechaun with the chest of coins, sending him plummeting off the rooftop and into the wet cement below, where the Leprechaun sinks and becomes trapped with his gold.
The movie them cuts back to the animated prologue like the one at the beginning, and the Leprechaun digs himself out of the ground leaving a cliffhanger ending.
Cast
- Warwick DavisWarwick DavisWarwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is most notable for playing the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, as well as for his roles in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter movies. Davis currently stars in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written...
as The Leprechaun - Tangi MillerTangi MillerTangi Miller is an American actress, model and dancer. As an actress she is known for the role of Elena Tyler on the popular television drama Felicity. In 2001 she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.-Early life:...
as Emily Woodrow - Laz AlonsoLaz AlonsoLazaro "Laz" Alonso is an American film and television actor. He is best known for playing Tsu'tey in James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar. He is also well known for his role as Fenix "Rise" Calderon in the film Fast & Furious. Alonso has had roles in other films such as Jarhead, This...
as Rory Jackson - Page KennedyPage KennedyPage Kennedy is an American television and film actor who most recently starred in the second season of the sports comedy series Blue Mountain State on Spike....
as Jamie Davis - Sherrie Jackson as Lisa Duncan
- Donzaleigh AbernathyDonzaleigh AbernathyDonzaleigh Abernathy is an American actress, producer, director and writer.-Filmography:*Murder in Mississippi -- Sue Brown*Ghost Dad -- E.R...
as Esmeralda - Shiek Mahmud-Bey as Watson
- Sticky Fingaz as Cedric
- Keesha SharpKeesha SharpKeesha Ulricka Sharp is an American television actress. Her best known role is as Monica on the hit UPN/The CW show, Girlfriends, which she played William Dent's girlfriend, and later wife, Monica from 2002 to the series finale in 2008...
as Chanel - Sonya EddySonya EddySonya Eddy is an American actress. She majored in Theatre and Dance at UC Davis and received her B.A. in 1992. Eddy is a licensed vocational nurse .-Career:...
as Yolanda - Beau BillingsleaBeau BillingsleaBeau M. Billingslea is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Jet Black from the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. In addition to voice acting, Billingslea has appeared in many popular TV series as a prolific guest actor...
as Officer Thompson - Chris Murray as Officer Whitaker
- Vickilyn ReynoldsVickilyn ReynoldsVickilyn Reynolds is an American film and television actress and singer.-Biography:Vickilyn Reynolds, an African-American, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She first appeared on television in 1987 where she appeared on Kate & Allie, the following year she had appeared in two films,...
as Doria - Willie C. Carpenter as Father Jacob
Filming
The original setting for the film was a tropical island in the midst of Spring BreakSpring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
, though executives at Lions Gate had director and writer Steven Ayromlooi change the location of the film to an urban environment like the previous entry in the series.
Reception
In its "25 Worst Sequels Ever Made" article Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
named the film the third worst sequel of all time, stating "If a movie could spark a race riot, this is it."