Sunday, October 23, 2011

A Fistful of Horrific Scream Queens! (Matt’s Picks)



    This week, we wanted to celebrate the ladies of horror.  Women have been menaced on screen since the dawn of film.  Over time, their roles have evolved.  But all the while, the ‘scream queen’ has had her place.  That woman at the center of unspeakable horror who looks too deeply into the abyss.  Here are some of my favorites.

5.  Milla Jovovich in the Resident Evil series:  OK, I wanted someone a little more modern on my list, and though I love Naomi Watts in both King Kong and The Ring, something just didn’t feel right about picking her.  So, Milla, and her super-powers, clones, and guns sneaks onto my list.  Sexy, deadly, and…well, honestly, kind of silly.  The films are goofy as all get out, and as the series progresses, it just gets more off the wall.  But, you know what?  With the exception of the second film, I love ‘em.  And I’ll admit, part of that love comes from my love of Milla.


4.  Caroline Munro in Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter:  A saucy wench to distract our daring hero, Munro is Hammer gold in this classic.  OK, maybe she’s not the best actress out there.  But dang.  She makes up for it with…Uh…Heart (Lungs?).


3.  Linnea Quigley in The Return of the Living Dead:  Normally known for her bubbly cuteness, Quigley went all dark and punk as Trash in this classic horror comedy.  She ended up turning in her one of her most memorable performance, and has some really great scenes and awesome quotable lines.


2.  Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls:  Is she really as meek and mild as she seems?  What’s she running from?  Considering how much of this movie is just Hilligoss walking around and looking at stuff while occasionally being startled, it was important to have an actress who could react in a buyable, if mysterious way.  She nailed it.


1.  Fay Wray in King Kong one of the earlier scream queens, she’s also one of the most memorable.  Beautiful and maybe a bit corruptible, Wray gets in way over her head, lets out some banshee screams, and eventually lures the mighty to fall.



-Matt

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