For horror film convention fans Tempe here presents a DVD that brings a little slice of that scene right to you – conversations with nine “Scream Queens” from horror and B-movies stretching as far back as Night Of the Living Dead, loaded with dozens of film clips to illustrate the actresses’ resumes.
Early in the film John Keyes is credited as baptizing Fay Wray as the first “Scream Queen.” But now of course, “Scream Queens (have) evolved from hapless, fainting or dead victims to powerful and in-control warriors.” The importance of the Scream Queen’s role in cinema is reiterated at the end of the feature, as “Actresses will continue to fulfill the world’s desire to visit the darker side of life, helping them cope with the horrors of the real world. Or sometimes just fulfilling the need for the thrill of the roller coaster ride in the safety of the theater. Or in the darkened rooms of their own homes . . .”
To that end, featured here are hostess Brinke Stevens (star of the original Slumber Party Massacre) along with Ariauna Albright (Witchouse, Witchouse 2: Blood Coven, Polymorph), Brandi Burkett (Slumber Party Massacre 3, Liar Liar), Debra DeLiso (Slumber Party Massacre, Dr. Caligari), Denice Duff (Subspecies 2, 3 & 4, Hell Comes to Frogtown 2), Judith O’Dea (Night Of the Living Dead), Debbie Rochon (Terror Firmer, Tromeo and Juliet, American Nightmare, Witchouse 3), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp, Satan’s Playground, Corpses Are Forever), Lilith Stabs (Bad Movie Police 1 & 2, Vampire Call Girls, Cremains) and Julie Strain (Heavy Metal 2000, Unnameable II, Sorceress, Repossessed, 13 Erotic Ghosts). (All are listed in the credits and on the DVD shell as “Starring Alphabetically” so as not to ruffle any feathers.)
Even though only partial filmographies seem to be provided, the women have dozens of film credits between them and thus have an array of experiences from which to draw their stories and opinions. For 65 minutes they discuss not only their films, how they became involved in the industry, their experiences in the movie business and their goals, but also their fan base, the concern over violence in movies, and the subject of sexism. Image, appearance, the decision whether or not to appear nude on-screen, and the title “Scream Queen” itself are also covered, and while it is said that, “Beauty products, sunbathing, breast and cheek implants, facelifts and other procedures can be an aging thespian’s best decision, possibly leading to a resurgence of film work,” the unanswered question is asked, “But does it fix a woman’s self image?” Fortunately, despite the hurdles, the letdowns and the discrimination, the majority of these actresses seem to truly enjoy immersing themselves in their craft, B-level though it may be, and not only feel privileged to be involved in the work but also genuinely appreciative of the fans. Who, in some cases, appear to keep the actresses’ careers alive given the oft-mentioned low pay scale of the low budget film.
And that’s basically it, actresses of varying age, talent, and background talking about their roles in films of varying quality. I’ve got to admit, I wasn’t familiar with many of these ladies, or a good many of their films, so there was little to draw me to the feature. And while the variety of performers presented does provide a broad look (chortle) into a sub-genre not often overexposed, on the other hand how interesting can the stars of sequels to low budget B movies really be? Seriously, how interested are you in what one of the leads of Bad Movie Police 2 has to say about how she came to be involved in one small sector of the motion picture industry?
Listening to actors speak is generally a gamble, as there’s often more affectation than information to be gleaned from the spotlight interview format. (Although in this case, to keep things moving smoothly between so many subjects, the interviewer is never seen.) The emphasis here is very much upon the subjective point of view of the actresses profiled, rather than the position they and their films occupy in cinematic history. And while the majority of the women profiled seem very open, personable and well-grounded Strain in particular comes off as more than a little hypocritical and conceited. And even though more talented and engaging actresses such as Rochon can be a small pleasure to watch and listen to, not being a rabid fanboy or an actress seriously considering doffing my top and getting chainsawed to death the documentary really didn’t provide too much in the way of either entertainment or enlightenment. Even the topic of exploitation is rendered somewhat moot here, as despite the women’s concerns over objectification numerous fetishistic publicity photos of them are featured throughout the film. Also, with the wide range of topics and the number of contributing performers concerned, an hour or so isn’t nearly long enough to explore topics like sex and violence in the depth they deserve. Yet were each topic to be covered thoroughly by each of the nine actresses, the resulting multi-volume documentary would be truly interminable.
Apart from those factors the package is missing a few other small things as well. Input from famous Scream Queens who have transcended the killer B genre (Jamie Lee Curtis leaps to mind) would have helped round out the production, and of course a packet of Scream Queen poster card pinups would have been a welcome addition. But to compensate for these shortcomings, and for the feature’s relatively short running time, the DVD includes a number of bonus features. In “Introducing . . . Lizzy Strain” Julie Strain presents the 20-year-old ingenue, a soft-spoken self-proclaimed “queen of music videos this year” who talks about entering the modelling/acting/photography arena. There are also some excerpts from unnamed 1986 student films featuring Debbie Rochon that, despite the attractive young actress’ resemblance to both Bridget Fonda and Linda Fiorentino, are still excerpts from student films. (‘Nuff said.)
Finally there is the 30-minute short feature Julia Wept, featuring Brinke Stevens and written and directed by Jason Paul Collum. This “visual resume” opens with the same Poe quote as did Nightmare On Elm Street and concerns a young woman’s anguish over her decision to remove her sister from life support after a devastating car accident. Haunted by pseudo-hallucinations, Julia wanders around her duplex freaking out. And that’s about it. Although he may be a professor Collum’s film is of student caliber (albeit with older actresses), shot on video with the attendant poor lighting and loaded with ‘spooky’ sound effects that do little to enhance the film’s tone. Despite gaining some apparent critical success, there’s very little reason to sit through it. (Also included is an interview with Stevens and Jason Sechrest (who plays her son in the film) that is half as long as the film itself.)
Again, rabid fanboys and potential actresses considering entering the B-movie arena may find Something To Scream About informative; most others may not.
-Crites
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
