This blog is at the request of a cool fan named Nicki from Miami who asked if I would write a blog about the ladies of horror. I will not talk about every girl in every film but I will talk about the ladies in the big films TCM, Halloween, Friday The 13th, ANOES, Childs PLay (likely CP2) and Scream. I will also be discussing the ladies of the remakes as well . I will do another blog when I can get some free time after the campaign for Sins of Man II : Vengeance ends next month.
**WARNING** This blog will contain some bloody images and might not be suitable for all ages ...
**WARNING** This blog will contain some bloody images and might not be suitable for all ages ...
By Jamie Santamore
This has been a blog that I have wanted to write for awhile but I wasn't sure how to do, if I would write about all the movies in every series (which would be the longest blog I will ever write lol no one wants to read a blog that equals 30 pages, am I right ? Lets get started :)
The Texas Chainsaw massacre (1974)
Here we have Marilyn Burns who played Sally in Toby Hooper's 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This film was ground breaking in many ways and the film is driven by Sally as she is the "Final Girl" .
Granted I haven't seen this film as many times as the others I'm going to talk about but I do enjoy it once in awhile. The story arch between Leatherface and Sally is really well done in this film and she gets away at the end which was very well done . this film is often remembered for the level of bllod, guts, gore and violence but I think this movie was carried by the acting of both Gunnar Hanson (Leatherface) and Marilyn Burns (Sally) may they both rest in peace :)
Granted I haven't seen this film as many times as the others I'm going to talk about but I do enjoy it once in awhile. The story arch between Leatherface and Sally is really well done in this film and she gets away at the end which was very well done . this film is often remembered for the level of bllod, guts, gore and violence but I think this movie was carried by the acting of both Gunnar Hanson (Leatherface) and Marilyn Burns (Sally) may they both rest in peace :)
Halloween (1978)
Jamie Lee Curtis made her big screen debut as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween, a truly ground breaking film . She has gone on to become a huge star in Hollywood . Most recently Season One of the Fox Horror comedy or spoof titles Scream Queens .
The story arch between Laurie and Michael Myers was brilliantly written and really isn't known completely until the second film 1981's Halloween II. Jamie Lee Curtis is an amazing actress who deserves all the fame and praise she gets for her work and unlike many actresses she didn't allow herself to be type cast as a horror girl, not that there is anything wrong with being a genre actor / actress many people have had very successful careers taking this route. Many fans consider Jamie Lee Cutris the #1 Scream Queen of all time nd I can't say I disagree with them based on the fact that Halloween is 37 (almost 38) years old and is still played to this day regularly and still talked about in the industry and loved by fans .
The story arch between Laurie and Michael Myers was brilliantly written and really isn't known completely until the second film 1981's Halloween II. Jamie Lee Curtis is an amazing actress who deserves all the fame and praise she gets for her work and unlike many actresses she didn't allow herself to be type cast as a horror girl, not that there is anything wrong with being a genre actor / actress many people have had very successful careers taking this route. Many fans consider Jamie Lee Cutris the #1 Scream Queen of all time nd I can't say I disagree with them based on the fact that Halloween is 37 (almost 38) years old and is still played to this day regularly and still talked about in the industry and loved by fans .
Friday The 13th (1980)
Adrienne King played the sweet and very adorible Alice Hardy in the 1980 film Friday the 13th written by Victor Miller and directed by Sean S. Cunningham .
Adrienne King is a very talented actress who I don't feel ever really got what she deserved in film but that's my opinion.
Her story in Friday The 13th is really col and this film was another one that falls into the header of ground breaking films. Adrienne had an amazing battle with the killer who shockingly was Mrs. Voorhees who was a terrific serial killer played by the late great Betsy Palmer.
Adrienne King is a very talented actress who I don't feel ever really got what she deserved in film but that's my opinion.
Her story in Friday The 13th is really col and this film was another one that falls into the header of ground breaking films. Adrienne had an amazing battle with the killer who shockingly was Mrs. Voorhees who was a terrific serial killer played by the late great Betsy Palmer.
A Nightmare on elm street
Here we have Nancy Thompson played wonderfully by Heather Langencamp in 1984's A Nightmare On Elm Street written and directed by the late Wes Craven .
Nancy was different then the other "final Girls" in slasher films prior to this in that her stalker was one that could kill you in your dreams where you are supposed to be safe. Nancy saw her friends all slaughtered at the hands of Fred Krueger (like all other slasher films) and in the end she strips Freddy of his power and she wins the day .
Nancy was different then the other "final Girls" in slasher films prior to this in that her stalker was one that could kill you in your dreams where you are supposed to be safe. Nancy saw her friends all slaughtered at the hands of Fred Krueger (like all other slasher films) and in the end she strips Freddy of his power and she wins the day .
CHilds Play
Catherine Hicks starred in 1988's Childs Play and this was at a time iin the genre that films weren't really doing that well and in alot of ways CHilds Play with it's antagonist being a Serial Killer Charles Lee Ray (named after three real life murders) who transforms his soul into a Good Guy Doll and changed his name to Chucky. She wasn't really the Final girl in this movie as much as her young Son was the Final Boy because he was the ultimate target of Chucky.
Now if you want to talk Final girl in the Childs Play series, you have to mention Christine Elise who played Kyle in Childs Play 2. She was a strong, street smart kid who knew how to handle herself . She saved Andy from Chucky and the went off together at the end, I wish they had continued the story with her in it some how. Then again I'm a stickler for continuity from one film to the next in a series .
By the late 80's and through the early 90's Slashers were on life support and the plug was about to be pulled that is until 1996 when Wes Craven's Scream was released in December of that year .
SCREAM
Neve Campbell played the role of Sidney Prescott in this ground braking , genre changing film. Scream is one of those films that set itself apart from the other slasher films that came before it.
I feel the reason that Scream caught on is because it takes place in the real world with a flesh and blood killer who is pissed about something and will stop at nothing to kill Sidney Prescott and as many of her friends as he can. Scream is one of my favorite films of all time because it has inspired me as a writer and a director .
I feel the reason that Scream caught on is because it takes place in the real world with a flesh and blood killer who is pissed about something and will stop at nothing to kill Sidney Prescott and as many of her friends as he can. Scream is one of my favorite films of all time because it has inspired me as a writer and a director .
In closing these are just the first installments of these amazing film series I will do another blog about the other ladies of horror at some point in the future when I'm not being pulled in a dozen different directions, the life of an indie film maker, website owner, semi public figure :) I love it but it does get crazy some times. Thank you for being a part of my life and a part of my success as a film maker. Sins of Man II : Vengeance will be released on DVD on HALLOWEEN !
STAY HUMBLE, STAY HUNGRY MY FRIENDS :)
STAY HUMBLE, STAY HUNGRY MY FRIENDS :)