Hello, horror fans and Happy Women in Horror Recognition Month to all…
Appearing this month on DarkMedia as part of our celebration of Women in Horror is the countdown to end all countdowns: The Top 50 Scream Queens of All Time! Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, go down to the lake, in space, after dark, where no one can hear you scream! Or something like that…
First things first, I’d like to thank DarkMedia and Julianne Snow for letting me present my humble two cents on a subject I know is near and dear to horror fans everywhere. It was one of the most challenging assignments I’ve ever undertaken… But turned out to be as much fun to compile as any project I’ve ever had an author and journalist.
This list, in my humble opinion, was constructed with as much thought and care as was personally possible, with the sincere effort to be as thorough and fair as possible.
That’s not to say this (or any “top” listing) is perfect in who it includes or excludes. The criteria I used to make it included individually iconic performances, importance of an individual to the field of horror, fan popularity, overall quality of the movie and/or TV show and longevity of the actress in question. The ladies on this list were taken from other compilations of horror movies, discussions with fans, critics and creatives in the field and my own cherished ideas of who should rightfully show up here.
I chose to exclude performances from movies I considered to be more in the crime film genre than the horror genre, which admittedly can be a fine line. But no Silence of the Lambs or Basic Instinct here. Sorry, Jodie and Sharon… Performances from the sub-genre of horror-comedy mostly got the chop here, with a few exceptions. So again, my apologies to the fine work done by the women of “The Addams Family” (TV and movies), “The Munsters,” et al…
The strengths and weakness of the list are mine and mine alone. While I did take in a lot of data from other sources, the rankings are mine…And so is the blame, if you completely disagree with where I fall. And to be honest, I hope I have thrown enough curveballs in here to keep us on our toes.
So with that said, let’s start with the ladies who didn’t quite make the cut….
Honorable Mention: The Top 10 who were almost Top 50
Susan Backline (Jaws, opening scene):
Susan, we hardly knew ye (literally). But for that four minutes of screen time, you helped scare the hell out us.
Selma Hayek (From Dusk Til Dawn):
Other than our beloved Susan, did anymore make more horror hay out of such limited screen time? I think not. And you sent white python sales went through the roof.
Kate Beckensale (Underworld series):
Kate, I love you, babe… No one wears a leather body-suit like you… However, you missed an installment of your own series. A true near miss and you can say “I am a Death Dealer” to me any day.
Naomi Watts: (The Ring, Ring II, King Kong remake 2005):
Maybe the calmest scream queen of all time. For keeping your cool under fire, Naomi, you will always have a place of honor. Just not on this Top 50. list.
Ashley Judd (Bug):
A great performance by an actress at the height of her powers by a director (William Friedken) really who knows how to make a horror movie. Just too much disagreement about whether or not this film is a horror movie to make the top 50.
Grace Kelly (Rear Window, Dial M for Murder):
Great, iconic performances with edge and zest. However, they came in the Hitchcock movies that just weren’t the most horrific. Sorry, Your Highness…
Alexandra Isles, Grayson Hall and the other wonderful female leads (TV’s “Dark Shadows”):
Ladies, mea culpa. As you can see from your listing here, I had trouble definitely breaking up your performances in order of importance. And you had a lot of competition on this list. Don’t put me in the coffin!
Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction):
Ok, no puns here about her last name and not making the top 50. In fact, the only reasons why she was left off was too many other worthy candidates and her having only one pure horror/suspense performance. If only 101 Dalmatians had worked some more scares into it…
Sarah Michelle Gellar (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Grudge: American style):
Another tough call given the still growing influence of the Buffy TV show in modern pop culture. If this was a list dealing with horror-comedy performances specifically, she’d be top 10 (a needed topic of the future). And the tepid movie roles didn’t help.
And the toughest omission of them all for me, personally:
Angela Bettis (TV’s “Carrie”, Meg, The Toolbox Murders):
Angela, I almost demanded a recount from myself when I saw you didn’t make the Top 50. But after throwing the list around the room, I just couldn’t justify squeezing you in and throwing someone else out of the rankings (especially given there are two other Carries out there). But don’t worry. Just like the character you played, you’ll always be a blood-soaked queen in our hearts.
Whew! That was tough already! And we haven’t even gotten to the heavy lifting. Well, here goes…
50. Kristen Connolly (The Cabin in the Woods):
A relatively new face starts our countdown, but what a start it is. Cabin set the horror world on its ear like no movie since the first Scream and Connolly’s role was one of the reasons. A new kind of horror heroine was Connolly’s Dana Polk, tough and resourceful instead of helpless and virginal, but also not one with all the answers either. Had the honor of being the first “Final Girl” to be squashed by a giant, alien, space-god hand and also had a cameo visit by another screamer on this list. But up next, perhaps our first controversial member…
49. Sheri Moon Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, New Halloween I and II, The Lords of Salem):
I hear the collective groan from some of you out there. Let’s consider the facts… Zombie made a considerable impact with her performances in Devil’s Rejects and Halloween-Remake I. Now, I know that many would argue that House and especially, Lords of Salem neutralize any good will she built up with the horror audience, but admit it… She did show some range in the first mentioned movies. And those movies were accepted by fans enough to merit her clawing her way to…err… near the bottom of this list.
48. Faye Dunaway (Eyes of Laura Mars):
Makes this list because Eyes of Laura Mars is just too good to ignore as a proto-horror film. Great performance, great cast (Tommy Lee Jones, Raul Julia, Brad Dourif, Rene Abuerjonios and even a uncredited CCH Pounder in the background) and an eerie, dreamy 70′s horror style script from John Carpenter (from an early effort as a screenwriter, not a director). Dunaway is spot on as a jaded visual artist whose photographs of ultra-violence somehow tell the future. I know, I know… There’s another proto-horror performance in her bag, one that links her with another screamer who is also on this list. But that’s for later.. Right now, it’s time for…
47. Tippi Hedren (The Birds):
The first of the “Hitchcock blonds” to properly arrive here in the Top 50. The terror that Hedren endured to make the The Birds is the stuff of legend, leaving the question of what was worse: Having live birds thrown at your face on set or facing down a horny, all-powerful director off of it? For sheer endurance and toughness both as a performer and personally, Hedren’s Melanie Daniel’s in The Birds is still a must watch. Hold out for the uncut, extended version with the proper ending on the Golden Gate Bridge, though. Hedren’s last look in the film: Priceless.
46. Geena Davis (The Fly, remake 1986):
Shame on you guys who thought I was going say Cutthroat Island here (though, I’m sure that one still gives GD some nightmares). David Croneberg’s offering of the classic Kafkaesque tale has our heroine, Veronica Quaife, falling in love with a mad-scientist type, (played with verve by Davis’ one-time future husband, Jeff Goldblum) who manages to mix up his DNA with a common housefly during an teleportation experiment. Davis is game to explore the twin obsessions of the director (namely kinky sex and gross-out splatter), letting it all hang out in the bedroom and the doctor’s office. Let it be said, it takes some acting chops to give birth to a maggot. And given she spends a good portion of the film on her back, the tragic catharsis of her blasting her monstrous, deformed lover in to juicy bits actually makes for a good payoff. Earth Girls May be Easy, but they also pack a double-barreled shotgun when they need to.
45. Katie Featherston (Paranormal Activity):
Another nouveau lady to land on our list, but one who, I believe, truly belongs. Despite her limited acting background before the Paranormal Activity phenomenon, Featherston pulled off the second greatest semi-amateur performance by a screamer (more on numero uno later), making her same-named character a horror heroine that you could relate to and be frightened for. Horror purists can moan and groan about the artistically lazy territory that the “found footage” movies have entered into, but c’mon… If you saw the first PA movie in the theater during opening weekend, don’t tell me you weren’t a little impressed by what they did. Featherston’s performance is an underrated part of what is now becoming the most successful horror movie franchise ever. (Look out, Jigsaw).
44. Shelley Duvall (The Shining):
The first of three screamers to make this list from this particular horror flick. (Not bad for a film with less than 18 speaking roles) And scream she does in this film. When the stuff hits the fan at the Overlook Hotel, Duvall’s Wendy Torrance turns the scream works on…. And on…. And on… In fact, she screams so much in Kubrick’s controversial masterpiece that it may have been a career killer. So longevity wasn’t her strong suit in making the cut. What did help was the iconic bathroom sequence of the film which has been mined by the pop culture ever since. But who knows? Given the new conspiracy theory interpretations of the film, maybe Duvall’s performance was symbolic of Queen Elizabeth’s inability to reform the English Monarchy during the Thacher Years. Or maybe not…
43. Jane Levy (Evil Dead, remake 2013):
Ah, yes, I hear another cry of agony from some corners. Now, I’m not advocating for the film as as a whole here (though I would encourage some of you Sam Rami purists to at least see the film before trashing it). I am recommending Levy’s performance as Mia, a kick-butt, 21st century horror heroine, who puts the hammer down on the Necronomicon’s hordes. Given the growing power of the female horror audience and the overdue imagining of women in the “just-kill-the-damn-thing!” role, Levy, empowered by Diablo Cody’s screenplay, puts her ass-kicking pants on and delivers an edgy, funny and satisfying performance worth of a top 50 ranking. Hey, I will break bread with a chick who rips off her own hand so she can chainsaw a demon any day.
42. Julie Adams (The Creature from the Black Lagoon):
One of the “traditional” screamers on our list, given her main job as Kay Lawrence in the Black Lagoon film was to swoon, scream and look amazing in her bathing suit for the legion of hormonal boys trying to score at the drive-in during the film’s 50′s hey-day. But Adams as a performer was much more than a pretty face. An accomplished swimmer and all-around athlete, she performed every stunt performed by her character on screen. That’s right, everyone, no doubling, (and no CGI either). Don’t forget her more “serious” turns in dozens of westerns on both the big and small screen. And, on TV’s “Perry Mason,” she portrayed the only client to be on the losing side of a Raymond Burr defense. So, let’s give credit where credit is due. Besides, how many gals would keep looking as marvelous as she did while being chased by a guy in a full-body rubber suit? Uhh…On second thought, let’s not answer that.
41. Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring):
If Adams is among the best “old school” screamers, then Farmiga represents the cream of the “new school” horror heroines that are currently populating our cineplexes. The Conjuring was the breakout surprise hit (not just horror, but for all live action movies) of 2013 and Farmiga stole the show as real life spirit hunter, Lorraine Warren. Quiet, determined, maternal and as tough as nails, Farmiga embodies the wave of strong, powerful women currently showing up in our favorite films. With sequels for The Conjuring already green lit, hopefully more power house performances from Farmiga are coming our way. And speaking of “New Girl” screamers…
41. Alison Lohman (Drag Me to Hell):
Maybe the most nuanced of the “new school” screamer performances. Lohman’s Christine Brown isn’t on the face of it the most instantly likable protagonist. She’s nice to her boyfriend and all, but when it comes time to climb that corporate ladder at her bank, she’s more than willing to boot a sweet, little old lady out of her family home to impress her boss. Too bad for her that this little old lady is a Romanian witch with power to invoke a demonic Lamia. The shenanigans that follow as Lohman tries to avoid her fate are classic Sam Rami fodder. Equal parts gore, gross and hysterical comdey. Lohman is excellent in a role that was likely written originally for Bruce Campbell, bringing both a mapcap wit and a single-minded mania to the role. And while the twist ending is a little predictable, man, was this film fun! Hope we haven’t seen the last of Lohman in a horror setting.
40. Pam Grier (Scream, Blacula, Scream!, Twilight People, Something Wicked this Way Comes, Ghosts of Mars, Bones, etc):
But let’s not neglect the “old school” and if you don’t know about Pam Grier’s scream queen credentials…. Child, you better ask somebody. The first lady of Blaxxploitation is also amongst the cream of the 70′s horror crop, taking over as Lisa in Scream, Blacula, Scream! and riding the horror wave as both heroine, victim and villain, kicking butt, taking heads and running thangs. Pam can do bigger than life better than almost anybody and rumor has it that we have more horror offerings coming down the pike from this ageless wonder very soon. So raise your fist and give her five on the blackhand side when that happens.
39. Elizabeth Shue (Hollow Man, First Born, Piranha 3D, etc):
What’s a queen to do when those Academy Award-type of roles dry up? Start screaming apparently, as Shue has found new life in horror cinema. While Hollow Man, Hide and Seek and First Born aren’t exactly stellar entries in the genre, Shue has become near and dear to horror fandom for her turn in 2010′s campy send-up, Piranha 3D. Never have so many actors had so much fun acting so badly… And Shue’s Sheriff Julie Forrester is right in mix, racing around in speed boats, yelling at her son on the cellphone and giving just enough side-boob to liven up your NetFlix night. She even got to play Jennifer Lawrence’s mom in the 2013′s medium-budget horror offering The House of the End of the Street. And these days, starring with Hollywood ‘s newest“It-Girl” is a fairly sure-fire formula for success (though it wasn’t in this case). Maybe she had time to give Katniss some screaming lessons.
38. Audrey Hepburn (Wait Until Dark):
In similar vein to Shue, Our Fair Scream Queen Audrey found success in horror/suspense in years after her initial critical success and is one of nine women on our list to win an Academy Award at some point during their careers.1967′s Wait Until Dark is considered one of the great noir spins in the genre and Hepburn’s performance as the blind heroine, Susy Hendrix, garnered her another Academy Award nomination, though this time she lost out to her unrelated acting namesake, Katherine. Which made it the first time in the history of the Academy that the plaque makers had to feel 100% about not mixing up the winner’s last name.
37. Veronica Cartwright (The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, remake 1978, Alien, Nightmares, The Invasion, Various TV roles, etc):
In the 60′s, the Beatles asked how does it feel to be one of the beautiful people. Well when if you apply that question to being an iconic scream queen, Cartwright has had that feeling since age 13 when she appeared as one of the hordes of frightened Bodega Bay school children in The Birds along with fellow screamer Tippi Hedren. This turn in terror led to her obtaining reoccurring TV roles on on the Master of Suspense’s “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and even a role in a well-remembered “Twilight Zone” episode, (“I Sing of the Body Electric”). All this before she was old enough to drive.
But it was in her adult years that Cartwright had a streak of successful roles in the genre that is nearly unrivaled: appearing in the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), the original Ridley Scott helmed Alien (1979) and the cult favorite Nightmares (1980) in consecutive years. The hot streak cooled, but Cartwright has persisted on in the field, with supporting roles in The Witches of Eastwick, Candyman 2, the Scary Movie parody series, plus another turn in another IOBS remake, The Invasion. Not to mention her roles on such fandom favorites TV shows as “The X-Files,” “Nip/Tuck” and “CSI.”
You could almost say Veronica has done it all. And if wasn’t for the last minute casting decision which took the lead role in Alien from her and gave it to another fellow Top 50 screamer, you’d be dead on. But more on that later…
36. Kathy Bates (Misery, TV’s “American Horror Story”):
One of the great powerhouse performances and performers on this list and the only Top 50er whose specific horror/suspense performance garnered her an Academy Award. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, Bates’ Annie Wilkes proceeds from goofy to creepy to frightening to bat-crap crazy with dizzying perfection. In course of two hours, she demolishes the former tough-guy acting reputation of James Caan (indeed, Sonny Corleone did meet his match) and if you were fortunate enough to see the ankle breaking scene in the theater during its first release, you actually felt your ankles tingle when it happened. Bates commands the screen from start to finish and when she meets her demise, the relief is almost physical.
I exclude her other great take on a King protagonist in Dolores Claiborne only because neither book or film could properly be said to use the cannon elements of the genre (despite that, both are excellent). I am extremely happy to include her most recent work in “AHS” as Delphine LaLauire, given its brutal, yet campy nature. My hope is that the anthology series finds a home for Bates as they already have for another queen upcoming on our list.
But that’s all the time we have right now… Did 14 queens of scream already fly by? Good thing we have four more editions coming for you this month! Where do you stand on the list so far? Love it? Hate it? Agree or disagree? Let us know what you think in the comments.
And who will be on the rest of the list? Get back here at DarkMedia.com soon to find out!
The post WiHM 2014: Top 50 Scream Queens Countdown #50-36 appeared first on DarkMedia.