WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 7

Well, better late than never. Here's our final day of Favorite Female Roles in Horror!  Two of our favorites. Hope they are yours, as well.

Christine's pick

Laurie Holden - The Walking Dead

Genre fans should be pretty familiar by now with Laurie Holden's work.  She spent several seasons in the  memorable recurring part of  government informant Marita Covarrubias on The X-Files and co-starred in both Silent Hill (2006) and The Mist (2007).  But for me, she's really come into her own with her role as Andrea on The Walking Dead.

A civil-rights lawyer, Andrea has been on the show since the second episode and has shown us many sides to her personality. After her younger sister is bitten by a walker, Andrea holds her in her arms until she dies, then shoots her the moment she reanimates.  Soon after, Andrea decides to take her own life by staying on at the CDC when she knows the building is set to blow up.  Her friend Dale convinces her not to commit suicide, and though she's mentally exhausted by the whole experience, she becomes hardened and quickly evolves into one of the toughest people (male or female) on the show. 

When the group's safe haven farm house is overrun by walkers one night, Andrea is mistakenly thought of as dead, and the rest of the group leaves her behind.  She escapes into the woods and spends several days running and hiding out from walkers.  She meets a walker face to face and just as she is no-doubt seeing her life flash before her eyes she is rescued by Michonne, with whom she develops a tight bond.

Months later, the bond between the two tough women is put to the test when they end up at a community called Woodbury and Andrea starts a relationship with their leader - aptly known as The Governor. 

As of now on the series, Andrea's loyalties are tested when she realizes the group that left her behind at the farmhouse are indeed still alive, living right up the road at the prison, and that they have essentially become the enemy of her current lover.

Holden is a terrific actress and a crucial part of the cast of The Walking Dead.  She projects a very strong female persona, with guts and bravery that exceeds most of the others in the group.  It's awesome that there is such a spirited, female character on TWD, but even better that it is played by an actress with such formidable acting chops! 

Marie's pick:

Angela Bettis - May

I know this is my second post this week about a Lucky McKee film, but what can I say, I like the guy! This time I’ll be talking about his 2002 film May and, more specifically, star Angela Bettis.

Bettis plays titular character May, a girl who grew up isolated from everyone because of an eye patch covering her lazy eye. Her strange mother only added to this isolation by giving her a doll, telling her that this will be her best friend with the added advice, “If you can’t find a friend, make one.”

So May grows up talking to a doll, and boy, does it do wonders for her social skills. Although May tries in vain to make relationships with people who assure her that they enjoy “the weird”, May proves to be too strange for them and they push her away. After May’s porcelain friend Suzie is destroyed, she will go to any length to make her own friend.

Angela Bettis is extremely convincing as the strange and misunderstood May. You feel the sting of each prolonged awkward interaction, and the tension rising as she is denied by those who at first accepted her. Just like the glass encasing her silent friend Suzie, May begins to crack…

Angela Bettis is an established genre actress and isn’t afraid to take on challenging and unconventional roles, often those of emotionally disturbed women. In the same year she played May she was also Carrie White in the David Carson remake. She is also a favorite of director McKee; she’s featured in other films of his such as Sick Girl, The Woods, and The Woman.

In the film May’s sexuality isn’t necessarily defined by gender, but she does have a repressed bloodlust that she is desperate to indulge in. She thinks she finds the perfect match in her horror-obsessed crush Adam (Jeremy Sisto), but he’s not as hardcore as he seems, and gets disgusted when May tries to kiss his bleeding lips. Her other lover, Polly (Anna Farris), is willing to indulge in a little playtime, but only until it is too late, and May has cracked, and is looking to quench her thirst.

When all is said and done, May is just a lonely girl who was been alienated by her peers her entire life because of a physical different. The only person she can find understanding in is inanimate, and the people she chooses to give herself to just happen to be douche bags. In the end she will do anything to have a friend, so she uses her pent up frustration and sewing skills to make one.

On top of acting, Bettis also produces and directs film on occasion. In 2006 she directed Roman, a film written by Lucky McKee that is described by the pair as the reverse gender version of May. The roles of two are even reversed as Angela Bettis directs and McKee plays the lead role of a socially disturbed man who has an infatuation with a stranger. Bettis also directed a portion of the ambitious upcoming anthology, The ABC’s of Death.

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 6

Today we offer not our usual two, but three actresses who got our attention in three memorable and controversial films. These women put it all out there, holding nothing back for the beauty of the performance. Thanks to Marie for spotlighting these three remarkable roles in horror, portrayed by a trio of impressive actresses.

Pollyanna McIntosh - The Woman

Director Lucky McKee is known for his explicit and controversial filmmaking, and he did not disappoint with his 2011 film The Woman. 

Although it stars one of his favorite recurring actresses, Angela Bettis, I’m going to highlight another female performance in the movie.

The film is centered around the Cleek family, consisted of mother Belle (Angela Bettis), daughters Peggy and Darlin’, son Brian, and father Chris (Sean Bridgers). The well-off family live in a somewhat secluded area with surrounding woodlands that Chris often goes hunting in. On one of these hunts, he finds some unexpected game, a woman. That woman is played by Scottish actress Pollyanna McIntosh.

McIntosh takes on the hefty role of a feral woman who Chris decides to capture and chain up in his basement. Instead of keeping it a secret, he fully involves his family in “civilizing” her. This woman could not be at the hands of a more psychotic family.

The subject matter of this movie is as dark as it gets, and it takes guts to take on a role like this. Pollyanna’s character may endure a rape scene and plenty of gruesome torture at the hands of her captors but it is not in vain. She gets her share of revenge.

Even though Pollyanna has not a single coherent line, she still nails this role and takes all the criticism it gets with stride.

Yum Jung Ah (Yeom Jeong Ah)- A Tale of Two Sisters

Before Jee-woon Kim made I Saw the Devil, he made a film based on a Korean folktale called A Tale of Two Sisters.

The two sisters in question are Soo-mi and Soo-yeon, who are moving back into their childhood home with their father and a new mother. Stepmother Eun-joo (Yeom Jeong Ah) is cruel and controlling, and becomes jealous at any affections the girls have towards their own father. As tensions rise between the sisters and stepmother, it is hard to tell which is a more trying problem—Eun-joo, or the ghost that is haunting their house.

Yeom Jeong Ah plays this complex, multi-demensional role with grace. Her performance is apt and on-target, and boy, is she easy to hate.

 For further reading on this film see my article on it here.

 Charlotte Gainsbourg - Antichrist

I’m not sure if I could call this a “favorite” female role, as it is downright disturbing, but I must give it to Ms. Gainsbourg for taking it on.
I, for one, will never look at her quite the same again.

In Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, Charlotte Gainsbourg plays an emotionally disturbed woman distraught by the accidental death of her son, who she blames herself for since she was having sex with her husband when he died.

Gainsbourg clearly isn’t worried about getting nude for a film, as she bares everything—I mean everything in this one. It even seems like she is one of those rare actresses who truly has no limits, as we watch her mutilate herself on screen.

Although the film was very well-received in Europe, von Trier has been accused of being a misogynist. That you can debate for yourselves, but one thing you cannot deny is that Charlotte Gainsbourg is one dedicated actress.

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 5

Today's two beauties are courtesy of Marie, who is back from the cold grip of death (just kidding) to give us not one but two fine examples of fantastic (and unsettling) performances in horror.

Cécile De France - Haute Tension (2003)

French film Haute Tension - or as we English-speakers know it, High Tension - has become quite a popular and controversially violent film since its release in 2003.

This film put director Alexandre Aja on the road to horror and he has not turned back since, afterwards giving us The Hills Have Eyes remake, Mirrors, Piranha, and the upcoming flick starring Daniel Radcliffe, Horns.

A home invasion film turned psychological thriller, Haute Tension stars Cécile De France as Marie, a young woman who is joining her best friend Alexia (Maïwenn) to visit her family in the country. Marie is quiet and reserved but harbors an obsession for Alexia, who is all but oblivious to it as she chatters on about sleeping with various men.

The two arrive late in the evening, and there isn’t much family fun to be had before terror strikes. A brutish, sexually deranged man breaks into the home and begins slaughtering the family one by one—except for Alexia. “If he wanted to kill you he already would have,” reassures Marie, who has been narrowly eluding the murderer and tries to free Alexia from her chains.

The character of Marie is our protagonist, and she is the only character who is really permitted any development. After all, she is the only one alive, except for Alexia of course, but she is stuck in the back of a truck for most of the film. However, that development doesn’t go in the direction you might expect…

There are, of course, times when we find ourselves attempting to scream through the screen at Marie, but for seeing what she sees she seems to move on quickly and get back to the task at hand—saving Alexia. But honestly, Marie has nerves of steel; she watches every single member of her best friend’s family brutally murdered and still, she does not give up. Even when attempt after attempt to contact the police fails, she carries on.

Actress De France really delivers in this film, and while she might not give us the most likable, sympathetic character, she gives a strong, memorable performance. When Marie is cowering under the bed, keeping her breath sucked in tight until the killer leaves the room, you are holding that breath with her, exhaling, as well, when the coast is clear. When she sees each person mutilated before her very eyes, we feel her sorrow and disgust.

One thing we can’t relate to is Marie’s strange infatuation with Alexia. While her drive to save her friend is admirable, it just doesn’t feel all the way right. It is clear she has a motive to be alone with Alexia, and as the film unfolds we see she might do some disturbing things to get what she wants…

De France brings to life a surprisingly complex character, one that must be examined just underneath the surface. You feel an unease about Marie’s affections in the back of your mind the whole film, and it is that creeping sensation that De France has mastered in her role.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this movie will shock you. De France’s performance and portrayal of Marie is one to be remembered.

 Eihi Shiina - Audition (1999)

Takashi Miike shocked and revolted the world with his 1999 film Audition. He’s known for his unflinching scenes of violence, having directed Ichi the Killer and one third of the film Three…Extremes. It’s one of those movies you get bullied or dared into watching - but in the end, you will thank yourself, because this film is considered by many horror fans to be a masterpiece.

After seven years of living single, widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi, The Grudge) feels it is time to begin dating again. Given his son’s blessing, he goes along with his film producer friend’s plot to host a mock movie casting to pick a new mate

Out of all of the girls that show up, Shigeharu is instantly enchanted by plain, quiet Asami; a woman made legendary monster by Japanese actress Eihi Shiina. Originally a model, Shiina has also done a dozen films—many of them horror—including Tokyo Gore Police.

Shigeharu gets Asami to fall for him almost immediately, but he quickly realizes that she is not the polite, simple girl that he thought she was. Asami harbours a deadly hobby and a dark, disturbing past, one that has shaped her into the thing she is today.

We, the audience, see all that Shigeharu sees and more. So, while he may realize that all of the references Asami put on her resume are fake, we also realize that she sits endlessly by the phone in an apartment that nearly empty, save for a large bloody sack…that moves.

Asami’s childhood was devastated by a physically and probably sexually abusive man who she later exacts her gruesome revenge on; this trauma has bred in her an insecurity cured only by bloodlust.

Audition is known for its scenes of brutal torture, which last less than ten minutes. What is really disturbing is the way Asami adores torturing men, and the way Eihi Shiina is cute and terrifying at the same time. She has created every man’s girlfriend from hell, and is made memorable by lines like, “Kiri, kiri, kiri…” and of course, her weapon of choice—razor wire.

To play a role like this a person must have real dedication and even bravery. One must make themselves vulnerable to try and understand what kind of person might have this sort of…hobby.

This film has had a record number of walkouts in theatres and audience members have even claimed needing medical attention after viewing the movie. Now that is what I call a powerful performance. I wonder if Shiina is proud of all the terror she has inspired—if she is a true horror girl, I’m sure she is!
 

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 4

Two of the finest performances in horror are in the spotlight today.  Tell us if you agree.

Christine's pick:

Ellen Burstyn  - The Exorcist

When Academy Award winning actress Ellen Burstyn took the role in The Exorcist, anyone doubting the film's legitimacy and quality no doubt squashed that apprehension immediately. 

Her talent as an actress was already proven, so as Chris McNeill- the mother of a young daughter who may or may not be possessed by the devil - she was an excellent choice to make the film an even more veritable hit.

Normally, Linda Blair is the first actor people think of in The Exorcist.  But as good as Blair was as Regan, Burstyn was equally as commendable as her mother.  She brought a deep-seeded emotion to the part that would have been hard to come by if an unknown actress had been cast in the role.

I'm pretty sure everyone knows the story here.  Popular actress Chris McNeill is working in Georgetown and lives with her daughter Regan - who loves horses and apparently playing with Ouija boards by herself. Hmm.

When Regan starts exhibiting bizarre symptoms (like cursing and peeing on the floor in front of a room full of guests), Chris takes her to a doctor and has several series of tests run.  Nothing turns up from the tests and things get worse. So much worse that Burt Dennings, Chris's film director, is thrown out a window by Regan in one of her super-human strength episodes in which the bed shakes, the room is freezing, and Regan swears like a truck driver. 

At this point Chris is at her wits end and goes to a priest for help. And so begins the exorcism, and the horrific hours spent trying to release the demon (who claims to be the devil himself) testing everyone's last nerve, most of all Chris.  What she goes through is something that no mother should ever have to deal with - and let's face it, no one does.

For a fictional character, Burstyn brings a realism to the character that is so credible - so human - that we feel every emotion she is going through as she fears for her daughter's very life. It's such an impressive performance that it was a no-brainer when she was again nominated for an Oscar (as well as a Golden Globe) for Best Actress for the role. And it remains one of my favorite performances in horror to this day.

Marie's pick:

Sissy Spacek  - Carrie

The upcoming remake’s tagline boasts, “You will know her name.” But hopefully, you already do—Carrie White.

Carrie, of course, started out as the 1974 novel by Stephen King and has gone on to have not one, but three screen adaptations, come this October. For me, I’m pretty sure there will always be just one, and that is the 1976 version brought to us by director Brian De Palma and starring the one and only Sissy Spacek.

Carrie White is a teenage girl who has just as much trouble fitting in as she does fading into the crowd. She is strange, shy, and extremely sheltered. The memorable opening scene is of gratuitous nude girls in the school locker room. Carrie White is crumpled in the corner of the shower, shrieking, her hands covered in blood. She is frightened and confused because her overprotective Christian mother didn’t inform her daughter that she would one day menstruate. Her all too understanding peers help her out by pelting her with pads and tampons—and that is just a dose of what Carrie White goes through on a daily basis.

Whether it is at home or at school, her life is miserable. Her mother (Piper Laurie) constantly ridicules Carrie and punishes her by locking her in a closet filled with creepy crucified dolls. Another reason Carrie struggles to relate to the rest of her class (as if she needs any more) is the fact that puberty has blessed her with telekinesis.

Unbelievably, Sissy Spacek was 27 when played the role of teenage Carrie White, and had to do much persuading with the director to allow her the part. In the end, it seems she was the perfect choice; she captures awkward and often heartbreaking adolescence with perfection and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

 It is hard for us to really, completely sympathize with Carrie, however, because, well, she is a weird girl. We all knew a girl like Carrie White in our school, and we all most assuredly said some awful things about her. I find it hard to consider Carrie a protagonist either, for she is driven by humiliation and madness to do some horrible, horrible things.

One reason I am angry at the casting of Chloe Grace Moretz in the upcoming remake is that I find it hard to believe that a girl like her could ever get picked on to the extent that her character does, whereas Sissy Spacek was (no offense) a weird looking girl. But alas, in this day and age it seems everyone is getting picked on. Maybe I should give Chloe a chance… NO, I REFUSE!

Every high school student faces some degree of ridicule, but Carrie is downright tormented. But the final prank is when a group of “popular” kids convince pretty boy Tommy (William Katt) to ask Carrie out to the prom and then humiliate her. What unfolds is a prom night to remember (if you survive) and one stellar, iconic performance from Sissy Spacek.

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 3

Today we highlight two vastly different women in horror. One is a naive, repressed housewife with a devil of a problem, the other a bold, goth chick heavy into witchcraft.  And oh hey, Marie is back!

Marie's pick:

 MIA FARROW - Rosemary's Baby

Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is considered a classic not only to genre fans, but to all film lovers. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Ira Levin, the film was made only a year after the book was published, in 1968—a fad we are all too familiar with in this decade.

Rosemary’s Baby has not come to claim its legacy on its own, but with diligent help from the people involved in its creation: Ira Levin, for his beautiful storytelling, Roman Polanski, for his masterful filmmaking, and the actors for their compelling performance. One actor I would love to highlight is of course, Mia Farrow.

Miss Farrow was 22 at the time she played Rosemary Woodhouse, a young, charming housewife who is moving into a new apartment with her actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes). The couple quickly becomes reluctantly close with their neighbors Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon). In fact, they become involved in seemingly every aspect of their lives, including Rosemary’s pregnancy. Rosemary’s real suspicion understandably starts when she has a dream that she is bound to a table, surrounded by her husband and neighbors, and raped by the devil. She awakens to gruesome scratches all over her body and a sketchy husband who admits to having his way with her in her sleep. The result is a pregnancy filled with strange home remedies, a secretive doctor, and many other clues that lead Rosemary to believe she is not in control of her life.

Mia Farrow received several nominations for her role, made iconic by her strawberry blonde pixie haircut. Farrow gave this performance her all (she even bares her ladybits in the disturbing rape scene) even though she was going through a crumbling marriage during filming. She was at the time married to Frank Sinatra, who demanded that she quit filming of Rosemary’s Baby to instead act in his film, The Dectective. She, of course, refused, and Sinatra filed for divorce.

The performance Farrow gives in Rosemary’s Baby is an unforgettable one; the character she brings to life is real and genuine, that of an ordinary woman put through hell. The Rosemary we know at the start of the movie is a bit naïve and submissive, happy to live under her husband and not to question much about daily life. It is not until she finds her life closing in around her that she snaps out of her housewife haze and began to really (as she should) freak out.

What Rosemary is being put through is more than unsettling, it is downright evil, and with paranoia rising and a mind unraveling, right before she reaches the brink of insanity, Rosemary finds the will to grab the biggest kitchen knife she can and get to the bottom of this mystery…

Rosemary Woodhouse’s character is a bit similar to another we see in Polanski’s “Apartment Trilogy”; that of Carole in 1965 Repulsion. It is another terrifying example of a woman losing grip on her mind, but I feel that Rosemary is a much more personable character, one we really deeply feel and fear for.


 

Christine's pick:

Fairuza Balk  - The Craft

Quite honestly, I've been waiting forever to highlight Fairuza.  She's just so damn excellent in The Craft, even though the film is meant to be a vehicle for Robin Tunney and also gives us a pre-Scream Neve Campbell.

Her Nancy is just a crazy, power-hungry teenager from the wrong side of the tracks who dabbles a little too dangerously into the world of witchcraft, but she's so good at it that we almost want her to succeed in her wacky deviousness.

I've seen Balk in other films (most notably for me, a supporting role in American History X), but her memorable turn as Nancy is as impressive as it is demented.  Nancy and her two BFF's are looking for a "fourth" to complete their circle - a group of witches that worship 'Manon" - when they happen upon Sarah (Tunney) and invite her to join.  Sarah however, is a natural witch and her and Nancy eventually clash due in part to Nancy's jealousy of Sarah's power from within. The girls participate in a ritual called "invoking the spirit", which is generally saved for only very experienced witches. It causes Nancy to have a bit of a breakdown, after which she acts completely insane and becomes even more unglued.

This causes a huge rift and an eventual showdown between the girls, with Nancy going bat-shit crazy on Sarah, warning her outright that when a witch leaves her coven they kill her. She causes Sarah to have terrifying dreams and illusions, filled with snakes and bugs. Her envy of Sarah's boyfriend (a boy Nancy had eyes for) causes her to make him fall out a window to his death.  When Sarah tries to bind Nancy's powers, Nancy counters with an illusion that makes Sarah think her parents were killed in a plane crash.

As far as I'm concerned,  even though eventually Sarah gets the upper hand and retaliates, Nancy has already left an overwhelming impression on me and is the highlight of the movie.  She plays crazy so damn well and in this film, with her goth look and unbalanced personality she is sort of sad - yet mad as a hatter at the end.

Balk plays the stereotypical witchy persona perfectly, going over the top when needed, but reining it in at just the right moment - like when we realize Nancy is utter white trash, living in a broken down trailer with an alcoholic, foolhardy mother and a step-father that just wants to look under her skirt.  It's obvious she's depressed and wants to change her life, with witchcraft being the catalyst between her real life and the life she aspires to have, in which she is in total control.

But seriously, it's just thoroughly entertaining to watch her at work, selling us crazy in all its glory.  It's a sight to behold:

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 2

Another round of favorite performances features an actress in one of my all-time favorite television shows and the other from my favorite sub-genre of horror: ghost stories.  Again, these are both from me. Don't worry - Marie will be back quite soon!

Gillian Anderson - The X-Files

I adored The X-Files with all my heart and was terribly upset to see it end. And though those last few years didn't hold a candle to the first several, there was a glue that held it together: Gillian Anderson as Agent Dana Scully.

For anyone thinking The X-Files is not horror, to you I say watch the episodes entitled "Squeeze", "Die Hand Die Verletzt", "Irresistible", and/or "Home", among many others.

The show did have a serious mythology to it in regards to alien life and whether or not Mulder's sister was truly abducted, etc., but it also had a really stellar 'monster-of-the-week' side, too.

Scully's character is the skeptic, the physician in her just won't let her believe in the wild supernatural or paranormal activity unless there is proof.  Over the years she had to rethink that theory when evidence kept piling up to the contrary. All the while, her relationship with her partner, Fox Mulder, grew into first a deep friendship and then (of course) love.

Anderson was a perfect fit for Scully. Her reserved demeanor and disbelief bounced off David Duchovny's Mulder's sarcastic, dry wit, making them the ideal combination.

 And just when you thought she wasn't going to ever show any serious emotion - not even fear, the writers would pen a fabulous show like Irresistible (an episode about a death fetishist who has his sights set on Scully) or Beyond the Sea (in which her father passes away) and you then see how much range Anderson has as an actress.  

Some of the episodes really asked us as the audience to suspend disbelief, due to the fact that more than half the series is spend chasing down people who are holing away aliens and such, but damn if it isn't easier to believe with Dana Scully on the case. She is always looking for the scientific explanation and it plays well against Mulder's "I'm a believer" stance.

The winner of SAG, Golden Globe and Emmy awards for her portrayal of Scully, Anderson has since been in mostly British films and other foreign productions, and will be back on television (BBC2) this spring on The Fall, a series in which she stars as (what else?) a police officer investigating murders in Northern Ireland.  Hopefully it will be available here in the states eventually, as I can't wait to see her back on the small screen!

Rebecca Hall - The Awakening

Hall is no stranger to genre films, having been seen in both The Prestige (2006) and the underrated Dorian Gray (2009).  She has also been in several critically acclaimed films as well (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2008; Frost/Nixon, 2008; The Town, 2010). But she really made an impression on me in the 2011 British ghost story, The Awakening.

Hall plays Florence Cathcart, an author who spends her days debunking claims of supernatural phenomenon. She is still mourning the death of her lover in WWI, and this plays heavily upon her profession, as it's pretty obvious she is hoping to actually find proof of ghosts. This would help her heavy heart rest easier after parting on poor terms before her lover went off to war, if she could communicate with him somehow.

When she is asked to investigate claims of a ghost at a remotely located boys boarding school, she at first refuses, and is gently accused by the administrator Robert Mallory (Dominic West) of being afraid to find out the truth, lest she has to face the fact that it may not be a hoax. She ends up going to the school, where she learns that a boy was found dead there not too long ago with the death being blamed on the ghost of a boy who died many years before.

Though there are some haphazard wanderings within The Awakening, it is made so much more effective by Hall's top-notch performance. She emotes a varied range of mental states within the film, from utter despondence to indifference to a passion and determination to discover the truth of what is going on at the school.  It's easy to see that she and Mallory are meant to have a relationship, but the roundabout way that they get to that point, and the secrets that both of them hold close and resist letting go results in a multi-layered performance that lifts the film up a little higher than it would be otherwise.

I was really impressed with Hall's acting prowess here, as I was with it in Dorian Gray and other films I have seen here in.  She has a believability to her - a natural girl-next-door flavor to her work that makes it easy to relate to the characters she plays. I look forward to whatever she has in store for us next, and I would have to recommend The Awakening with all sincerity for any fan of a good old-fashioned, atmospheric ghost story.

WiHM: Our Favorite Female Roles In Horror, Day 1

Today we start our Women in Horror posts focusing on some of our favorite female performances. Once again, Marie and I are both going to choose seven of our favorite performances in horror, two for each day with a total of fourteen.  I have spotlighted female performances before, with several relevant posts over the last four years or so.  In fact in February 2010, I shone the spotlight on over 28 female villains in horror, so don't forget to check that out if you haven't already.

But I tried to pick different women to drop the spotlight on, which isn't really that hard because there are a ton of fabulous women out there doing exemplary work. 

We're starting out with two of my picks, as Marie is a little under the weather. She'll be back later in the week, but for now I think you'll agree these two are currently giving consistently great horror television performances.

JESSICA LANGE (American Horror Story, AHS: Asylum)

I had to start out with Jessica because I am just so in awe of her talent.  An Academy Award winning actress (Tootsie, Blue Sky), Lange started out in horror (and in acting in general) in 1976's King Kong.  And even though she's played women of all types in her career, I love her best when she's doing crazy (Frances, Blue Sky, Hush). And in American Horror Story, she does crazy so goddamned well.

In season one (a.k.a. American Horror Story: Murder House), Lange portrayed Constance Langdon, a suppressed housewife and neighbor to the Harmon family in the so-called Murder House. She comes over unannounced to the house on various occasions, spouting off words of wisdom in particular to Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton).

Constance has a daughter Addie (Jamie Brewer) who has Down syndrome and rather bad manners, and a son Tate (Evan Peters) - a disturbed teenager who we later find out (SPOILER ALERT) is responsible for shooting up his high school, and is actually dead.  He later rapes Vivien while wearing the infamous 'rubber suit'.

Constance is always consulting her psychic for advice, and is told Vivien is pregnant with twins, one of them being Tate's son and the future Anti-Christ.  Yikes.  How's that for a bumper sticker: "My grandson is the Anti-Christ!"

Constance makes life difficult for the Harmons over the course of the season, forever warning them that bad things happen to those inhabiting the house, and at the end actually ends up with one of Vivien's babies after she (and and one of the twins she was carrying) dies during childbirth. The series ends with Constance scolding her grandson for murdering his nanny.

Set in 1964 (as well as in present day), season two (American Horror Story: Asylum) has Lange playing Sister Jude, a nun in charge of Briarcliff Mental Institution.  This is where Lange shines even brighter than in the first season.  Sister Jude's cruelty is evident in the first several episodes, when she -among other ghastly deeds - commits a completely normal (non-psychotic) woman to the asylum just for being a lesbian.

 As the season progresses though, we see several layers to Sister Jude's character, all masterfully depicted by Lange. We see Sister Jude as Judy Martin, a woman destroyed by guilt for a past that included a young girl being killed by her reckless drunk driving.  She becomes a nun for this reason but after discovering that the girl really didn't die in the accident, seems to think that it was God's plan all along for her.  She then decides to set in motion a plan to eradicate the evil in the asylum, in particular a Nazi doctor, a corrupt and lecherous nun doing the devil's work, and the Monsignor trying to preserve the asylum's many secrets.  Unfortunately, Sister Jude is herself committed to the institution, and her collapse into mental oblivion is an utter joy to watch. 

I really can't say enough about Lange's performances in the first two seasons of American Horror Story, and just knowing she will be starring in season three is enough to keep me up at night wondering about the brilliant possibilities.

For now though, I will have to be content to relive her fantastic success (she is the winner of multiple awards for her work on AHS, including a Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy) by watching such clips as this one, with Sister Jude/Judy Martin in all her crazy, psychotic goodness:

Deborah Ann Woll - True Blood

Somehow on True Blood, all the female focus seems to be on the ever-present Sookie Stackhouse.
And while I'll agree Sook is a fun character (and Anna Paquin does a fine job portraying her), I think there's another fantastic female that deserves more than a passing nod.

Deborah Ann Woll has been playing Jessica Hamby since 2008, when Jessica was added to the cast after Bill's punishment for killing another vampire resulting in him having to turn a human to a vampire to replenish their "stock", so to speak. 

Only 17 when turned, Jessica had many lessons to learn after becoming a vampire, not the least of which was that she couldn't just bite anyone she wanted.  At first devastated by her new undead status, Jessica slowly turned a corner when Bill, as her maker, really took a special interest in her and treated her like a daughter - which is still their relationship to this day.  She quickly began to love her life as a vampire, seeing as how her previous life had her repressed and cowering to her God-fearing parents. Now there was no more church, no more rules, no more abusive father.  She was free to do whatever she wanted. Within reason, of course.  Enough of Bill's lingering humanity brushed off on Jess so that she was not too evil or too unapproachable.

Woll's take on the Jessica character is a layered one, running the gamut of emotions.  Pleading for her life before Bill effectively killed her, her youth and innocence shown through, making it nearly impossible for Bill to continue with the change. But when she adjusts to her new life, she certainly has a lot of fun, throwing caution to the wind and letting out the sexy Jessica that was hidden up until then.

When she and Hoyt Fortenberry became a couple, we saw Jess try really hard to make it work. Attempting to live a "normal" life (her normal being making a hidey hole in their new home to sleep in, and having to cook food for Hoyt when she can't eat) took a lot out of their relationship, as they were always trying to overcome the obstacles of an inter-species love affair.  When it ended, it ended badly.

This past season saw Jessica at her most appealing and entertaining best.  Because Bill was made King of Louisiana after dispatching Queen Sophie-Anne, Jessica considers herself a sort of vampire royalty because she is his progeny and more like a daughter to him. 

She has parties at the mansion, falls head over heels with Sookie's brother Jason, bonds with new vampire Tara then has a knock-down battle with her, learns vampire etiquette from Pam, and tries to make Bill understand that his infatuation with Lilith is bogus. 

Jessica's character isn't even in the source material (the book series by Charlaine Harris), but in my opinion she is a refreshing addition to the True Blood world. She's sassy yet emotional, is completely captivating and let's face it, downright sexy!  I very much look forward to her work in the upcoming season of True Blood in June!

Fifteen Favorite Female Horror Performances

In celebration of Women in Horror Recognition Month (and the fact that I am a HUGE list-maker if you haven‘t figured that out already), I thought there was no better time to highlight some of my favorite female performances in horror.

However, I have already done a month-long feature a few Februaries ago during Women in Horror month, so I hated to just rehash that all over again.  But considering those were all villains that I featured, there are still some women yet to spotlight.  Of course I loved Angela Bettis in May, as well as Kathy Bates in Misery, as well as many others.  But I wanted to pick some I haven’t already waxed poetic about.

Please remember this is by NO MEANS suggesting that these are “best-ever” roles or anything like that.  It is a run-down of my own personal favorites, so keep that in mind before you go all up in airs.

So here goes:

1) Daria Nicolodi in Mario Bava’s Shock -
When a woman moves back into a house once abandoned after her first husband’s suicide, strange happenings catapult her into the arms of madness.
With her peculiar looking son (okay, that kid was downright weird) seemingly possessed by her dead husband and driving her to the brink of no return, she has no choice but to surrender to the house’s secrets, allowing them to destroy her one nightmare-filled episode at a time.  Nicolodi is so famous for all her Argento roles, and while more than satisfactory in those, she truly shines (in all her madness) in this one.  If anyone does screaming better than her, they better let me know, cause in this one – she could run rings around Jamie Lee Curtis any day.
Best Moment:  The realization in the basement.

2) Sigourney Weaver in the Alien series -
I’m not sure there’s a better kick-ass heroine of any horror/sci-fi series, and most others would be inclined to agree.  Back in 1979 when Alien came out, there weren’t a whole lot of films that had women as determined and full of genuine chutzpah as Ellen Ripley was.  And with an Oscar nomination for Aliens, it just proved her worth in a field that is never dominated in any shape or form by a science fiction role.  It’s true I may be in the minority when I say I prefer Alien to the sequel(s), but I do give props to Weaver’s staying power and fans’ extreme devotion for her character.
While I’d be tempted to say her best moment was the “Get way from her, you bitch!” line, I’ve reconsidered and have decided on the moment in the first film where she and Jones settle back into their sleep pods, a few seconds of quiet reflection and anticipation of what’s to come.

3) Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)-
Steele has so many roles I admire and love that it is hard to pick just one.  You can read about my love of her in the film Nightmare Castle here, and I love her in Piranha (1977) and even the re-imagining of the Dark Shadows series in 1991.…but Black Sunday is probably her most adored role.  As Asa the dark, sexy witch who is put to death yet later returns with a vengeance to settle the score, Steele is pure magnetism – you simply cannot take your eyes off the screen when she is on it.  I’d have to say this film was probably thought to be fairly controversial in its day, with all the macabre overtones and themes, but it is a true delight for horror fans, and if you haven’t seen it, you are truly missing out on one of the great horror performances.
Witchcraft, rising from the dead, evil incantations, crypts, murder, immortality, and even some good old-fashioned eye gouging is included for your viewing pleasure.
Best moment:  I’m partial to the moment when the steel mask is removed from Asa’s face and her face seems as youthful and untouched as the day it was hammered on….well, except for the nail marks that is.

4) Naomi Watts in The Ring (2002) -
Also the best part of this movie’s sequel, Watts lent seasoned star power and credibility to a role that could have been cast with one of those random younger actresses that grace the television on the CW.  I’ve heard both good and bad reviews of this film, but I stand by my opinion that it is a decent remake with a very worthy lead actress.
Watts’ starving reporter has an edge to it that adds so much to this movie. We know she wants to solve the mystery – at first it’s just to rectify what has happened to her niece, but when it becomes a woman trying to keep her son alive, it morphs into a whole other entity.  She becomes desperate, and it shows.
Best moment:  Down in the well with Samara.  It’s a moment that seems like it’s just around the corner from scaring the shit out of you, but it’s really just a minute or two of quiet closure, supposedly ending the story on a satisfied note.  But then…

5) Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls (1962) -
From the moment she drags herself out of the river after a car accident to the time we finally come to the realization of what is truly going on, Hilligoss makes sure we are paralyzed by her haunting presence and just about as confused as she is.  Her genuine fear when she is unable to hear those around her, her confusion as she is continually drawn to the abandoned amusement park, and her terror as she deals with the mysterious and frightening ghoul gives the role a sense of plausibility it may not have otherwise.  And come on, those frightened eyes of hers are part of what makes this film so startling and overwhelmingly eerie.
Best moment:  Mary’s insanely wild organ playing that becomes a little too – shall we say frisky? – for the church scene?

6) Maria Bello in The Dark (2005) -
One woman’s quest to find her apparently drowned daughter turns into a bizarre mystery, combining Welsh legend and her mind’s own tricks to make for a puzzling yet entirely unique type of horror film.  The spectacular scenery and the acting chops of her co-star Sean Bean certainly don’t hurt this story any, but in the end, this film belongs to Bello, with her sexy voice and alluring beauty.  Oh, and the woman can act, as well.
Her heartwrenching misery when her daughter supposedly goes off a slippery rock and into the ocean is credible and straightforward – and the scenes in the abattoir (which is creepy enough on its own) are just downright disturbing.
Best moment:  At the end, when she finally makes it back home from the ‘afterlife’…and isn’t greeted quite in the way she’d hoped.

7) Sarah Polley in Dawn of the Dead (2004) -
The first ten minutes of this film were enough to let me know I was not only going to like it, but I was going to root for Polley’s character Ana to come out on top throughout the zombie infestation she is dealing with.  She starts out rather meek, obviously frightened by what’s going on, but soon gets a serious don’t-fuck-with-me attitude happening and takes no bullshit.  And she falls a little bit in love, just for good measure, which is never a bad thing.  Additionally, she’s a nurse, and quickly begins delegating jobs and taking care of the wounded.
Polley, in my opinion, is a great actress (and director/screenwriter) – and those beginning moments where she is fighting for her life shows that if you’re a good talent, you can pull anything off – even scrambling to outrun the undead and making plans to be one of the lucky survivors.
Best moment:  Shooting Steve, just like she promised she would.

8) Shauna MacDonald in The Descent (2005) -
Tortured by the gruesome death of her husband and daughter, she agrees to go caving with a group of close friends in the mountains of West Virginia.  Though at first she is apprehensive and skittish, even unsure of her sanity when she starts seeing things deep in the cave, Sarah becomes a force to be reckoned with when battling not only the creepy humanoid so-called “crawlers” in the cave, but someone she thought was a friend.
The entire bad-ass female cast is a welcome addition to the ranks of women in horror, and MacDonald is the cream of the crop.
Best moment:  The look on Sarah’s face when she lands the pick-ax into her friend’s leg.

9) Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
This one is an absolute no-brainer, and she has the Oscar to prove it.  I couldn’t possibly omit it.  There are so many adjectives that could describe Foster’s fabulous multi-layered performance.  It’s so hard to imagine anyone else in the role, and to me that is indicative of a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic role.
I love it when Clarice finally discovers Buffalo Bill’s true identity, follows him down into the basement, discovers Catherine Martin in the pit and yells to her “FBI, you’re safe!”  (Um, not so much.)  But her faux confidence was a delight, particularly after Catherine’s response.
Best moment:  When Clarice hears Buffalo Bill’s gun cock, and she quickly turns in response and shoots him multiple times, ending his life with a couple of gurgling gasps as that butterfly wind sock goes round and round…

10) Amy Steel in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) -
Naturally one’s mind does not automatically run to the Friday series to mesh out good acting, but I have to make mention of one of my favorite final girls, Ginny.  While I’m certain she very well may be the only final girl with that particular name, Steel makes an impression as someone who isn’t there just to lay down and take a knife through the chest.  Overly curious and equally determined to find out the truth about Camp Crystal Lake’s secrets, she tries to piece together the answers, all the while trying not to get herself killed.
Best moment:  When she dons the infamous blue sweater and attempts to trick old potato sack Jason into letting her machete him.

11) Dee Wallace-Stone in Cujo (1983) -
A woman with no goal in life except to save the life of her son.  Always a powerful motivator, and Wallace-Stone has the added job of basically carrying this entire film on her shoulders.  Sure, little Danny Pintauro gave it his best, but a bunch of crying and screaming just really isn’t that hard to pull off,  I don’t care how old you are.  But sweating profusely while racked with fear as you try such a simple task as closing a car door before a giant beast of a rabid dog can get there first – now that’s asking a bit more.  While I liked her performance loads in The Howling, in particular her stellar wolf transformation, I still feel her shining moment came two years later in this little thriller.
Best moment:  The baseball bat….nasty.

12) Nicole Kidman in The Others (2001) -
As the over-protective and frantically strict mother of two children with a disease that forbids them to be in the light, Kidman is as scary as the creepy old estate she inhabits and the ghosts that share the space with her.  She’s the picture of English well-to-do, and while waiting for her husband to return from a war which has recently ended, she conducts business as usual.  Teaching her children proper grammar (a lost art these days!), manners, and school-work seems to be her only purpose in life, until strange things start to occur ‘round the house.  It is only fair to say Kidman was perfect in this role, and though at first you actually find yourself disliking her, as the film progresses you see the tables turn and eventually you end up rooting for the prim and proper mother whose only goal is to protect her children from the strange goings-on.
And let’s face it, Kidman is an Oscar winner, and it shows.
Best moment:  The look of sheer terror on her face when she finds the photographs taken after death of some people she realizes she already knows.  Still.

13) Meg Tilly in Psycho II (1983) -
While certainly not someone people would automatically think of,  I always like to throw a few surprises in a list like this.
Tilly had the difficult task of bringing a new character to an old story and merging the two into what passes as quite a good sequel if I’m being honest.  Charged by her mother (the sister of the Marion Crane character) to trick Norman into thinking he was losing his mind (again), she does the unthinkable.  She begins to feel bad for the helpless mama’s boy.  I may be jaded by my love of this particular film (and Bates in general), but I still find her portrayal honest and completely believable.
Best moment:  On Mary’s first night in the famous house on the hill, we see her in Norman’s old bedroom, sitting up nervously in bed staring at the door – which she has blocked shut with a chair.

14) Virginia Madsen in Candyman (1992) -
As Helen, a woman two steps away from completing a Masters thesis and hoping to get published, Madsen portrays a woman desperate to get the facts straight and flush out the urban legend that is Candyman.  Combined with the horrific Cabrini-Green setting, a cheating husband, typical gang violence,  and a menacing killer with a hook for a hand, Candyman sets the stage for a seemingly clichéd trip down urban legend lane.  But Madsen brings an authenticity to the film by her fierce determination to unravel the recent murder spree in the urban wasteland in which the fictional (?) killer supposedly resides.
Best moment:  The last scene, it’s a killer.

15) Michelle Pfieffer in What Lies Beneath (2000) -
While already lucky in the fact that her character Claire is married to a brilliant scientist (played by Harrison Ford, natch!), she lives in an idyllic house by a lake and gets to wander around alone all the time because hubby works extraordinarily long hours and daughter is off at college.  All is fine until memories start to return about a fateful night in the past, the neighbor seems like the new John Wayne Gacy, and Claire starts to see apparitions in mirrors and the likes. Pfieffer brings a sense of realism to the role of Claire, and isn’t better than when she has a friend over for a late-night séance…in the bathroom.
Best moment:  When she attempts to seduce her clueless hubby…as his collegiate girlfriend.