WARLOCK III: THE END OF INNOCENCE

WARLOCK III: THE END OF INNOCENCE Bruce Payne, Ashley Laurence (1998, Trimark, 94 mins., R, also on DVD) Apparently, somebody passed a law a couple of years back decreeing that henceforth all horror films must feature a group of attractive Friends rejects. While the original Warlock was a hokey-fun hunter/hunted tale, this third installment has inevitably metamorphosed into yet another witless variation on Scream. REEL GOODIES (0:41) Payne, as the titular warlock, demonstrates how the phrase ''I'll rip your throat out'' need not always be hyperbole. THE LAST DETAIL A hilarious account of actor Richard E. Grant's experience working on the original Warlock can be found in his book With Nails (''Meanwhile I am gearing myself up to say with a straight face and Scots accent, 'Damned be these hell besmeared and black Satanic fartin' holes.'''). D+