Leprechaun 1993

Plot

In the dusty recesses of a Las Vegas pawn shop, a wizened old man, his physical form ravaged by time and circumstance, makes his presence known. With a pronounced limp and a single functional limb, he presents Gupta, the shop’s proprietor, with an enigmatic artifact: a statue adorned with a medallion that seems to hold mystical significance. The old man issues a solemn warning, cautioning Gupta against tampering with the talisman, before disappearing into the shadows. But Gupta’s curiosity gets the better of him; he succumbs to temptation and removes the medallion from its resting place.

The consequences are swift and severe. A diminutive but formidable Leprechaun (Davis), imprisoned within the statue for centuries, springs forth with a fierce determination. He alights upon Gupta’s back, his eyes blazing with indignation, as he bites off a chunk of the man’s ear in righteous retribution. The Leprechaun then proceeds to thrash Gupta’s legs with his trusty walking stick, his gaze lingering on the leather shoes adorning the pawnbroker’s feet. He extracts one shoe from its mate and utters an encomium: “I appreciate a good pair of shoes.” As if possessed by some ancient malevolence, the Leprechaun seizes hold of his own foot and delivers a gruesome bite to Gupta’s largest toe.

Just as it seems the Leprechaun will continue his assault unimpeded, Gupta reveals that he has in his possession a medallion recovered from the very statue that had once imprisoned the mischievous sprite. The Leprechaun’s demeanor changes instantly; panic sets in, and he flees the scene, seeking refuge in the pawn shop’s basement. Gupta, undeterred by his wounds – including an arrow wound inflicted by a Cupid statue – pursues the Leprechaun, determined to put an end to the chaos that has engulfed his life.

As Gupta’s desperation to outsmart the cunning Leprechaun reaches its climax, he proposes an ill-fated deal: the freedom of the mischievous imp in exchange for half of the glittering treasure. The Leprechaun, however, is no fool and seizes the opportunity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by callously dispatching Gupta with a phone cord. Meanwhile, Scott McCoy, a college student on a carefree jaunt through Las Vegas, stumbles upon Tammy, a captivating casino employee, stranded on the side of the road. As he gallantly lends her a hand, their chance encounter blossoms into an undeniable attraction. With his luck running hot at the roulette tables, Scott can’t resist the allure of Lady Luck, and soon finds himself pawning his prized watch to fuel his insatiable appetite for adventure.

As fate would have it, Scott’s curiosity leads him to uncover Gupta’s lifeless body in a local pawn shop, where he inadvertently stumbles upon the Leprechaun’s ancient coin. The shop’s computer, an oracle of sorts, whispers secrets from the realm of folklore: one wish can grant the mortal anything they desire, with the caveat that it remains permanent. With a healthy dose of skepticism, Scott wishes for a winning streak at the tables, and to his astonishment, fortune smiles upon him. As he exits the shop, courtesy of the coin’s magic, Scott finds himself transported back to the casino, where his newfound prosperity awaits.

However, as his luck continues to soar, Loretta and Fazio, two cunning casino employees, orchestrate a heist that leaves Scott feeling vulnerable. The Leprechaun, sensing an opportunity to reclaim his stolen treasure, launches a ferocious assault on Scott. Though Scott manages to eject the imp from his hotel window, their violent encounter results in a fateful mixture of their blood. As the days pass, Scott begins to exhibit bizarre and inexplicable traits reminiscent of the Leprechaun’s mischievous nature – reciting offbeat limericks in an Irish brogue, much to the bewilderment of those around him.

Meanwhile, Loretta, Fazio, and Mitch, the enigmatic owner of the Lucky Shamrock Casino, continue to pass the coin around, making wishes that will have far-reaching consequences. As they indulge their desires, Mitch yearns for a romantic tryst with Tammy, Loretta seeks a new physical form, and Fazio covets the title of greatest magician in the world. Little do they know, however, that Scott’s transformation into a Leprechaun-like being is only just beginning, as the coin’s dark magic seeps deeper into his psyche.

As Mitch’s lifeless body lay still on the floor, the malevolent Leprechaun (played by Gene Hackman) emerged from the shadows, his beady eyes fixed on the coveted gold coin. Scott and Tammy, oblivious to the danger lurking nearby, stumbled upon the gruesome scene and quickly subdued the pesky Irish imp. As they fled Mitch’s room, a sense of unease settled over them, foreshadowing the chaos that was to come.

Meanwhile, Scott had begun to succumb to the Leprechaun’s dark magic, his body slowly transforming into a mirror image of the fiendish creature. The once-human Scott now found himself struggling against an insatiable urge to follow the coin’s golden glow, a compulsion that threatened to consume him whole.

As Tammy attempted to reason with her increasingly erratic partner, they took refuge in the nearby hospital, hoping medical professionals could stem the tide of Scott’s metamorphosis. However, the doctors were shocked by the bizarre irregularities displayed on Scott’s skin and blood, signaling the irreversible nature of his transformation.

With his new Leprechaun-like physiology, Scott burst forth from the examination room, his eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity as he stalked the hospital corridors in search of his nemesis. Tammy, frantic with worry, ventured into the empty halls to find her lover, only to be seized by the cunning Leprechaun at the morgue.

As Scott burst into the scene, a tense standoff ensued between the two would-be adversaries. With magic swirling around them like a vortex, the Leprechaun issued a chilling warning: Scott’s own transformation was far from complete, and he would eventually be drawn to the coin’s intoxicating power. Undeterred, Scott revealed that Fazio held the coveted treasure, sending the Leprechaun into a fit of rage as he departed on his stretcher, flipping off his adversaries in a gesture of disdain.

As the chaos unfolds at the casino, Loretta’s desperation for her youth reaches a fever pitch. When confronted by the mischievous Leprechaun, she confesses that she no longer possesses the fabled coin. In response, the impish figure unleashes a bizarre transformation upon her, inflating her lips, bosom, and derrière to comical proportions. Attempting to make a hasty exit, Loretta becomes stuck in the doorway as her newly amplified posterior refuses to fit through the opening. Her predicament only intensifies as she continues to grow, ultimately culminating in a spectacular explosion that leaves the surroundings in disarray.

Meanwhile, Fazio’s fixation on becoming the world’s greatest magician proves to be his downfall. As he performs his craft, the Leprechaun appears on stage, blending seamlessly into the illusion. The duo executes a gruesome trick involving a chainsaw-wielding “magician” and an unwitting participant. In a chilling twist, Fazio’s attempt to make another wish is met with disdain by the Leprechaun, who reminds him that he has already utilized his solitary opportunity for divine intervention. The audience, oblivious to the impending horror, becomes enthralled by the spectacle, only to be horrified by Fazio’s brutal demise.

As panic sets in, Tammy and Scott arrive on the scene, urging the crowd to vacate the premises for their own safety. Though the patrons flee in terror, Scott finds himself locked in a fierce battle with the Leprechaun. Despite his best efforts to resist the allure of the treasure, Scott’s resolve is ultimately undone by the promise of sharing the pot of gold and the tantalizing prospect of an eternal existence as a Leprechaun. Heeding Tammy’s warnings that the Leprechaun’s powers are inextricably linked to the gold, Scott makes the ultimate sacrifice by incinerating the treasure, effectively condemning himself to his mortal form.

As the dust settles, Scott and Tammy share a tender moment before departing the casino together, their love rekindled amidst the ruins of chaos and destruction.