The Best Terrifier 3 Cameos Only Hardcore Horror Fans Noticed

The concept of the movie cameo no longer means what it used to. Nowadays, we have entire feature films serving as a cameo delivery system, where "cameos" aren't brief appearances by very recognizable figures, but are actually entire supporting roles (looking in your direction, "Deadpool & Wolverine"). Thanks to the comic book movie and the output of Marvel Studios in particular, the cameo has since become far more than the Easter egg it used to be. In a cinematic landscape where what we now call cameos can range from teaser appearances of characters to be seen in a future film to big-name actors who were merely kept out of the marketing materials, is there any room for the classic-style cameo anymore?

Fortunately for us horror nerds, along comes "Terrifier 3" to answer that question with a resounding "Yes." The latest installment in the Art the Clown saga includes all manner of cameo appearances, ranging from some actors turning up as supporting characters (albeit with brief screen time) to others getting a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spotlight. Despite that range, however, every cameo in "Terrifier 3" is one that director Damien Leone makes sure is a little gift to the hardcore horror fans in the audience, as most general audiences likely wouldn't have any idea who these people are, let alone why their appearance is special. If you went to see "Terrifier 3" during its record-setting theatrical run and heard a few odd hoots and hollers from a couple of audience members that baffled you, we're here to clue you in enough to pass for a hardcore horror fan yourself.

The most prominent cameos in "Terrifer 3" involve the sequence wherein Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) obtains the Santa Claus suit that he wears for the majority of this installment. On his way to sew more murder, mayhem, and discord on his quest to torture the soul of his nemesis, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera), Art happens upon a department store Santa, Charlie, drinking in a bar with a boozehound named Smokey. The former is played by Daniel Roebuck, and the latter portrayed by Clint Howard, both of whom are incredibly prolific character actors.

Roebuck's 261 acting credits include appearances in the show "Lost" as the doomed Dr. Arzt as well as various roles in films by indie horror legend Don Coscarelli ("Bubba Ho-Tep" and "John Dies at the End"). Howard, famously the brother of actor/director Ron Howard, has 259 acting credits to his name, and in addition to his appearances on classic TV shows like "The Fugitive" and "Star Trek" as a child, and as an adult he made a name for himself as a horror movie luminary, turning up in such films as "Ice Cream Man," "The Wraith," "Silent Night Deadly Night 4: Initiation," "Ticks," and much more. It's in part because of these long careers turning up as various oddballs in a wide variety of films and television that both actors came to the attention of director/musician Rob Zombie, who quickly made them part of his stock company of performers. Between them, Roebuck and Howard have appeared in Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects," "Halloween," "The Lords of Salem" and "3 From Hell."

While Leone is certainly aware of the extent of both Roebuck and Howard's resumés, the fact that he put both of them in the same scene (which sees their characters meet a wholly expected grisly end at the hands of Art) feels like a pointed reference to Zombie's filmography, as that filmmakers' grungy aesthetic is highly akin to the neo-grindhouse vibe Leone has fostered with his "Terrifier" movies.

Leone is unabashedly a hardcore horror fan himself. In addition to his many interviews regarding his interests and influences within the genre, the end credit roll of the first "Terrifier" makes sure to give special thanks to horror movie legends Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero. That latter name feels especially resonant, as the success of Leone and the "Terrifier" franchise feels like something that Romero would've respected. Romero, the director of "Night of the Living Dead" and the grandfather of the modern zombie mythos, was staunchly independent throughout his career, only working with major movie studios a handful of times and always advocating for the viability of indie productions. For "Terrifier 3," Leone decided to do one better than simply thank Romero in the credits; this time, he got a key Romero collaborator to appear in a brief cameo.

Tom Savini, the man in question, is more than just a Romero collaborator, of course. His career behind the camera as a special effects makeup creator is legendary, as he's responsible for the effects design work behind such horror milestones as "Friday the 13th," "The Burning, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2," and 2022's "The Black Phone." He also has a grindhouse cred, too, doing the effects for notorious nasties like 1980's "Maniac" and 1981's "The Prowler." His career as an actor includes some Robert Rodriguez productions like "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Grindhouse," as well as a number of Romero movies. One film of Romero's which he both appeared in and designed the effects for is 1978's "Dawn of the Dead," which involves the living dead invading a vacant shopping mall. It's this movie that his appearance in "Terrifier 3" cheekily references, as Savini turns up as a bystander being interviewed about Art's massacre inside a mall. As Savini's character a little-too-giddily describes the carnage to the newscast, it's as if you can almost hear that Goblin score playing in the background.

Even though you may not have known Roebuck, Howard, or Savini by name, you probably had a ping of recognition when seeing them in the film given their long careers. Did you know that there's a cameo in "Terrifier 3" that's such a deep cut, that not every hardcore horror nerd would recognize it? This one's strictly for the hardcore "Terrifier" fans, as it involves the brief appearance of actress Marie Maser, whose only other on-screen credit is the "Terrifier" short film from 2011. That's right, Maser was part of the short that started it all, the film where Art the Clown was played by an entirely different actor, Mike Giannelli.

For those "Terrifier" fans who worry that they haven't seen this short before, fret not; Leone incorporated it into his anthology film from 2013, "All Hallows' Eve," which acts as a sort of non-canon introduction of Art into the world. In "Terrifier" the short film, Maser plays "Woman," the Final Girl of the short who, like Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) of the main "Terrifier" films, comes to a horrifically mutilated (but not quite dead) end. Since neither the short nor "All Hallows' Eve" is canon to the storyline of the "Terrifier" features, Maser is able to appear with all her limbs intact as a Receptionist in "Terrifier 3," which is a pretty cool nod to the franchise's origins.

Now that "Terrifier 3" has grossed the most money an unrated theatrical release has ever gotten in history, it's beyond a given that a "Terrifier 4" is just around the corner. Given Leone's remarks that this next installment may be the grand finale of the series, it's entirely possible that he may want to go out with a celebratory bang and include some more horror legends and luminaries amongst the cast. Who could meet Art next: Tony Todd? Bruce Campbell? Elvira?? We'll just have to wait and keep our eyes peeled.

"Terrifier 3" is in theaters now.