Horror Icon of the Month: Angus Sampson
You may not know his name, but I guarantee you know his face. Stepping into the Horror Icon Spotlight comes an entry from my homeland of Australia. Proving his worth against some of the genre’s heavyweights is this month’s icon, Angus Sampson.
Born February 12th, 1979 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Angus was educated at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill and The Armidale School located in northern New South Wales.
His initial film appearance in the romantic-comedy, Dags (1998). Angus played Prozac. In a movie about uncouth individuals who indulge in debauchery regularly, Angus was a standout, brandishing a typical Aussie bloke sense of humor. If you’re a fan of Australian humor, Dags is definitely a film you’ll want to watch.
After a couple of appearances on the long running crime series, Blue Heelers, the horror genre came knocking. Booking the gig under the name of Angus Murray Lincoln Sampson, he found himself going up against the Tooth Fairy in 2003’s Darkness Falls.
Darkness Falls is about a vengeful spirit that has taken form of the Tooth Fairy to exact vengeance on the town that lynched her 150 years earlier. Her only opposition is the only child, now grown up, who has survived her before.
Angus showcased his talent alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum, Emma Caufield. If you haven’t seen Darkness Falls, do yourselves a favor and check it out. Not the greatest scary movie you’ll ever see, but it makes an interesting viewing.
Also that year, Angus appeared in the Australian critically acclaimed comedy, Fat Pizza, alongside comedian Paul Fenech.
2003 was proving to be a busy year as Angus found himself in another horror-thriller movie. Razor Eaters is your front-row ticket to the anarchistic rampage of violence, death, and destruction. Heralding the motto “Organize, Traumatize, Immortalize”, the five young members attract headlines by targeting all those we’d love to see get punished – filthy drug dealers, corrupt politicians, arrogant sports stars…and parking inspectors.
The Razor Eaters takes itself seriously, attempting to deliver a message to the audience. Effects were reasonable considering the subject matter. Met with controversy, Melbourne police condemned the film, citing it being “Extremely violent” and “Obscene” upon its release.
Take the film with a grain of salt. It’s not entirely faithful to the subject matter. “Loose” is an understatement. As a piece of fiction, the movie is somewhat enjoyable. If you’re looking for a faithful retelling of actual events, this isn’t the film for you.
Returning to his comedy roots, Angus appeared in You and Your Stupid Mate in 2005. Teaming up with Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek), he played Jeffrey, a jobless loser. Together with his best mate, Philip, Jeffrey embarks on a ridiculous scheme to save their favorite TV soap “Sons of Surf.”
Campy, ridiculous fun, You and Your Stupid Mate is laugh-out-loud funny. It’s Dude, Where’s My Car combined with Road Trip, but with an Aussie flavor. Not an award-winning movie by any means, but charming enough to make for an enjoyable viewing.
The following year, Angus found himself bringing a piece of Australian history to life in Kokoda: 39th Battalion. An Australian all-star cast joined him, including Shane Bourne, Jack Finsterer, Simon Stone, and Luke Ford.
While the film is flawed (namely the lack of background and personality in regard to characters), it delivers the ANZAC spirit by showing the terrors faced by our soldiers against the Japanese in the Papuan jungle.
War is the greatest horror any one can face. The stories about the Kokoda trail are truly horrifying. This film does a great job to portray the environment, the mud, blood, and tears. If the characters weren’t so two dimensional, the movie would be a 10/10. Instead, it falls just short, despite Angus’ performance. If you’re into the spoils of war and history, check out Kokoda. If you’re inspired, you can walk the track that our soldiers did. Add it to your bucket list.
After Kokoda, Angus found himself starring in a home-grown film written by comedian Anh Do and co-starring Claudia Karvan. Footy Legends sees an unemployed sports fan enter an amateur rugby league tournament. Set in the western suburbs of Sydney, Luc Vu (Anh Do) is determined to keep his family together by winning the amateur competition.
Playing Lloydy, Angus was a standout, bringing his typical sense of humor and comedic timing while providing much-needed heart. A typical blokey film with a touch of comedy and a whole lot of drama, Footy Legends is a fantastic ride of emotions with cameos from some of rugby’s brightest former stars. Worth the watch.
Angus would trade the cinema screen for the TV screen when he took the role of Michael Thorneycroft in Underbelly in 2008. A multi award winning series, Underbelly runs through the rise and fall of some of Australia’s underworld figures. In a unique take, the series focuses on both sides of the law, providing accuracy in its storytelling. Drama filled with elements of crime, horror, and action, Underbelly quickly became must-see TV viewing with its gripping storylines and outstanding performances. Angus’ performance stood out, proving that he had as much talent for the dramatics as he did the comedic.
In 2010, Angus was thrown a horror role that he has reprised 4 times. Cast by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, Angus found himself on the set of Insidious. Starring as Tucker, one of Elise’s (Lin Shaye) assistants, he provided the comic relief alongside Leigh Whannell’s character of Specs.
Insidious won over horror fans, resurrecting the haunted house movie for the 2010s.
Insidious paved the way for Angus to take on more roles, including two TV series: The Librarians and Spirited. Both series are more fantasy, although occasionally they dabble in the horror genre for an episode or two. Angus, while not as mainstream as some of the other stars, held his own, often stealing the show when he was on screen.
2012 had Angus return home to Australia to appear in a TV movie. Beaconsfield is based on the true story of two miners trapped for 14 days, more than a kilometer below the surface, after a cave in.
The best of the best of Australia’s TV stars came together for this film. Shane Jacobson, Cameron Daddo, and Michala Banas starred alongside of Angus.
Angus portrayed real life rescuer Brett Cresswell, giving a memorable performance. One of the best of his career.
Still at home, Angus combined the two genres of horror and comedy with 100 Bloody Acres. Reg (Damon Herriman) and Lindsay (Sampson) Morgan run an organic fertilizer business. They need a fresh supply of their “secret ingredient” to process through the meat grinder. What is their secret ingredient? Human beings. Usually car crash victims who are DOA, the Morgan brothers use their remains in their Blood and Bone fertilizer. But with their “secret ingredient” supplies running low, they take to using ‘fresh’ victims.
Not going to lie, 100 Bloody Acres is one of my favorite Australian horror movies. Its humor mixed with blood and gore makes this a surprisingly fun entry. Angus’ performance is superb, while John Jarratt’s appearance makes for an entertaining and hilarious cameo.
It’s bloody brilliant. More comedy than horror, with very little storyline, it still manages to make for a fabulous viewing. Think Tucker And Dale Vs Evil, but with Australian accents.
Returning stateside the following year, Angus reprised his role as Tucker for Insidious: Chapter 2. A sequel that surpasses its original, this was a worthy entry in the franchise. And seeing Angus return with the humor he’s known for was a welcomed relief from the ghouls that lurk in the darkness of the Further.
It wasn’t just the film that he reprised his role for. Insidious: Spectral Sightings is a three-part short series that follows Specs and Tucker as they investigate a house, in which they come to meet Elise Rainier.
The Mule (2014) was Angus’ return to comedy. Penned by Leigh Whannell and starring Hugo Weaving, this comedy is about a first-time drug mule finding himself in police custody with a stomach crammed full of narcotics. For the next few days, he will endure butt-clenching tension as he does his best to convince them that he’s innocent. Laugh-out-loud funny, The Mule is a great break from the spooky ongoings of haunted houses.
Speaking of haunted house, Angus returned to the Insidious franchise for Chapter 3 in 2015. While I wasn’t a fan of this entry, it certainly bodes well with audiences, breathing new life into the sub-genre of paranormal activity.
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) hit cinemas to mixed reviews, though much like the franchise as a whole, it has its fans. Directed by Adam Robitel (The Taking of Deborah Logan), this was supposed to be the final entry into the Insidious franchise, looping around to close the story of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). Proving to be a valuable asset to the series, Angus stamped his name into the horror history books.
Staying with horror, Angus moved from the Further to another haunted homestead. This time, he found himself appearing opposite Dame Helen Mirren in 2018’s Winchester. (Fun Fact: A lot of filming for this movie took place in the actual Winchester Mystery House, a mansion located n San Jose, California)
While not the most entertaining film, it has its moments. A spectral film that neither engages nor frighten the audience. While it has an amazing setting that is fraught with possibilities, it squanders both on a tired story of ghosts looking for revenge, ignoring the facts of the Winchester mansion. Jump scares aplenty, most with the foreboding musical strings that eliminate all elements of suspense.
While the film has flaws, I cannot fault the acting. Angus shows he has what it takes to move from a more comedic role to that of a dramatic, tension-filled role.
Not the worst film I’ve ever seen, but it won’t land in my top 10 any time soon. A good film for when there’s nothing to watch or you need some background noise.
Moving back to the small screen, Angus found himself spending the remainder of 2018 appearing in the series, Nightflyers. Again fantasy collides with horror in this series which sees a crew of scientist embarking on a mission aboard a ship called the Nightflyer to investigate a mysterious alien signal, but soon begin to question if there is already something on board the Nightflyer with them.
The following year, he starred in the series No Activity as well as making an appearance in two episodes of The Walking Dead. He also loaned his voice to being the narrator of another series entitled Les Norton.
Currently in production is a comedy entitled Next Goal Wins, which according to IMDB is an adaptation of the 2014 British documentary. The story of the American Samoa soccer team who suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0 in 2001.
While his acting roots are deeply entrenched in comedy and bringing the history of Australia to life on the big screen, there’s no denying Angus Sampson has a presence within the horror genre.
Bringing his unique style of comedic timing complete with his trademark sarcastic wit to all his characters, Angus helps break tension during overly dramatic sequences by providing a much-needed relieved laugh.
Mark my words, the horror genre isn’t done with Angus Sampson yet. His time in the spotlight is only just beginning. With one full franchise under his belt, it’s only a matter of time before another haunting captures his attention. Or maybe another 100 Blood Acres….
Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons’ Top 5 Angus Sampson Movies
1: Beaconsfield (2012) – It may have been a TV movie, but the Beaconsfield mine collapse sent shockwaves throughout Australia. Angus’ performance was strong, proving that he’s not just a class clown.
2: 100 Blood Acres (2012) – Blood, guts, gore, humor. A must see for fans of the horror-comedy sub-genre.
3: Insidious (2010) – James Wan is a master of horror. Team him with Leigh Whannell and they’re a force to be reckoned with. Add Angus Sampson into the mix and you have a formidable team from the land Down Under. And this is the film that showcases that statement.
4: Kokoda: 39th Battalion (2006) – While the characters were lacking substance, there’s no denying the powerful emotions that overcome viewers of this. War is pure horror. And what was endured during the Kokoda trek was the stuff of nightmares.
5: Darkness Falls (2003) – The Tooth Fairy once was a fable we’d tell our children in order to get them to give up their lost teeth. But this film will make you second guess that conjured image of a small pixie-like creature carrying children’s teeth to a magical world. Creepy in aspects, this film was the beginning of Angus’ career in horror. It’s worth a second watch.
