PJ Soles Blogathon: I TOTALLY had to take part!

When I heard that BJ-C of Day of the Woman was having a P.J. Soles Blogathon, I knew I had to get in on that. 
Soles' role as Lynda van der Klok in one of my favorite films, Halloween (1978), is so iconic - I had to give it some due.  Likewise, her bitchy Norma Watson in 1976's Carrie really trips my hate-o-meter. 
Soles, while having acted in dozens of other films, graciously seems to embrace her cult status in these two horror classics by attending conventions and making her legions of fans happy. 

You know the sign of a great actor?  When they can make you love and hate them on equal grounds. While I love her over-sexed, cheerleading obnoxiousness in Halloween, I have equal amounts of hate for her catty, bullying tomboy character in Carrie.  For an actress to gain my eternal respect they have to show layers of talent, and be able to both piss me off and make me laugh.  P.J. absolutely does this.

*Lynda is such an airheaded floozy in Halloween.  Why is she a great character?  I'll tell you:

1) She's more concerned with getting into the boy's locker room than into college. 

2) Her mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of getting drunk and finding a place to have copious amounts of sex with her bespectacled boyfriend Bob. 

3) She doesn't think anything of getting laid in the bedroom of her best friend's babysitter's house.

4) She's a typical bad friend, not giving two shits that Laurie doesn't have a date to the dance. She's too worried about getting her hair done! I like a girl with principles.

5) She has three new cheers to learn by morning!  Ah, the woes of being a popular cheerleader.  My heart bleeds.

6) She orders Bob around like a drill sargeant.  Don't rip my blouse! Bring me a beer!  You go get it! You idiot! Being in charge is sexy!

7) She has no need for school books.  She never brings homework home.  (Apparently she's too busy learning the lyrics to Don't Fear the Reaper and buying rubbers. No wait...she makes BOB get the condoms.)

8) She's a typical tease.  "See anything you like?"  But at that point she'd already delivered the goods, so the teasing is kind of a moot point.

9) Her ponytails are totally rad.

10) She dies well.  The telephone cord?  Classic, iconic kill.  Totally!

*And why do I hate Norma Watson in Carrie?

1) She's the BFF of Chris Hargenson, and that chick is a royal effing bitch. 

2) She wears that goddamned baseball cap everywhere.

3) Her pigtail braids are wildly annoying.

4) She wears sneakers (and that fucking ball cap) to the prom!

5) She's the one who rigs the prom king and queen voting, making sure Carrie is bound to have a blood bath.

6) Though she's supposedly Chris's best friend, she doesn't support her by walking out of gym/detention with her.  She doesn't want to miss THE PROM!

7) She's a snide, hateful girl who nearly rivals Chris, in particular when throwing tampons.

8) Norma is one of the very first people to laugh at Carrie when dumped with blood at prom.

9) She got clocked with the wrath of the wildly spraying fire hose which, while preventing her escape, didn't seem like a violent enough death for the little snot.

10) Bib overhalls.  Really???

*As this is a horror blog, I've showcased my two favorite P.J. Soles horror roles.  But let it be known that I am an overwhelming fan of her work in Stripes as MP Stella. 

That's some funny stuff there!