Women in Horror Month: Spooky Stephie's Choice #4 of 4

                                        Spooky Stephie's Choice #4 of 4
                                                    Dee Wallace
                                                            as
                                            Donna Trenton in Cujo

Here we are! Now in our final week of Women in Horror Month! It's gone by so fast!! I've enjoyed participating and want to thank Bonnie Smith again for bringing us all together and letting me participate too!! I can't wait to do this again. It's been a blast! My first three choices were all from the slasher genre...Danielle Harris in Halloween 4 and Halloween 5, Jill Schoelen in The Stepfather, and Catherine Hicks in Child's Play. This choice is the only one to not come from a slasher film but it is based on a Stephen King book. King is my favorite author and my favorite film is also based on one of his books, 1976's Carrie! So, last but not least, here is my final choice for this year's Women in Horror Month: Dee Wallace as Donna in "Cujo".

I love dogs, I always have. I remember my first time watching this movie and how frightening it was. The idea that your sweet dog could be turned so quickly into a rabid and unrecognizable monster is terrifying and quite sad really. The thought of them turning on you and not seeing you as the human they love anymore...just wanting to destroy you is an awful thought in itself. Stephen King took that idea and turned into a terrific novel. There seem to be mixed views on the film itself, it did stray quite a bit in the end from the source material, but I personally love it. It's a very dark movie. Not just for Cujo's turn into a monster but for the characters and relationships between them. Donna's son Tad is a sensitive boy and is terrified of monsters that he believes are hiding in his closet. The relationship between Donna and her husband Vic is strained. Vic is having trouble with his job in advertising and is trying to save his marriage with Donna.

Cujo is the dog of mechanic Joe, where the Trenton's take their car for repairs. This is where the bite on Cujo's nose (we see in the beginning of the film that he has been bitten by a bat) is noticed by Donna. We soon start seeing changes in Cujo's demeanor and shortly after the Trentons leave the mechanics home, Cujo attacks and kills both Joe and his neighbor.

Vic leaves town on business and Donna, along with Tad, go to Joe's house for more car repairs and are then attacked by Cujo. This is when Dee Wallace really gets to shine. Her performance as a parent trying to save herself and her son is so good. They are trapped in their car with Cujo continuously attacking the windows and anytime they think they have an opening to escape Cujo attacks. With no air in the car dehydration and heat stroke start to set in on Tad. Donna's efforts at trying to keep her son alive and keep Cujo at bay are riveting. The final standoff between Cujo and Donna, first involving a baseball bat (which she breaks hitting Cujo) and finally a revolver are my favorite moments in the movie just because of Dee's ferocity. She sucks you in with her portrayal of this character. It's difficult to watch as a dog lover and even more difficult to think that this is really what you would have to do if you were in this situation. Having to do an unthinkable thing like this to stay alive. It's the once lovable family pet turned rabid vs. you. It's their life or yours. I would hate to think of being in a situation like this, it is truly scary, and you see that terror brought to life by Dee Wallace. Just like last week's Karen Barclay, she's fighting for her and her son's lives. In the end they do make it but it's an intense finale. The first time watching this I literally was at the edge of my seat and just thought Dee was totally amazing.

Dee Wallace is a horror legend. She has been in so many horror films including The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, Critters, Popcorn, Rob Zombie's Halloween, The House of the Devil, The Lords of Salem...and the list goes on. This is my favorite performance of hers. She makes you feel and care for her and want her and her son to pull through. Terrific performance from a terrific actress.

Well, that's it everybody! The end of Women in Horror Month!! I want to thank anybody that has taken the time to read my entries. I've really had so much fun with this and I'm already coming up with my list for the next one!!! As always, thank you so much for reading. Drop some feedback if you want, I'd love to hear thoughts. Every view is appreciated. Thanks so much and I'll be back soon with more posts about actors, actresses, movies, and anything else I can think of to talk about from the world of horror! xoxo, Spooky Stephie

Women in Horror Month: Spooky Stephie's Choice #3 of 4

                                       Spooky Stephie's Choice #3 of 4
                                                  Catherine Hicks
                                                            as
                                        Karen Barclay in Child's Play

We're now into week 3 of Women in Horror Month. I've chosen the 80's as my decade and so far all of my choices have come from the slasher genre. The last two weeks I featured two Scream Queens: Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers; and Jill Schoelen as Stephanie Maine in The Stepfather. This week I've chosen someone not known for working in the horror genre but has a special place in the genre none the less, Catherine Hicks. As Karen Barclay in the original Child's Play, Hicks has earned herself a spot in horror history.

I love people who believe in the unbelievable. I also love characters who, despite the odds or how crazy they come across, not only believe in the unbelievable but fight to prove that the "unbelievable" is not only possible, but totally real. Karen Barclay is one of those characters. 

I still think the original Child's Play is the best of the series. It's definitely the darkest and most dreary. It's also the one in which Chucky was truly 100% scary. Before the wise-cracks and the wife and the son (Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky were pretty much horror comedies) Chucky was a harmless looking doll that was 100% evil. It's no wonder Tom Holland jumped ship when the powers that be decided to bring Chucky back from the dead for sequels, which vary in quality, and weren't totally necessary. But they've made Chucky the Doll a horror icon none the less. Child's Play is still my favorite by far and actually one of the first horror films I was ever allowed to watch. I first saw it on television and it terrified me and it has retained it's impact, I still find it to be quite creepy and essential viewing for horror fans and one of the greatest starting points for someone just getting into the genre.

Catherine Hicks as an actress is most well-known as the mother in the long-running television series 7th Heaven these days. So much so that when I watched Child's Play for the first time since seeing it as a kid, I was actually surprised to see her name on the cover. Hey! The mom from 7th Heaven is in this! She plays a completely different kind of mom here. One of my favorite qualities in any person and/or movie character is the want to defend the people you love. She does this, defending her son not only from Chucky but from the people accusing him of Chucky's wrongdoings. It's easy to see how they would, even Karen herself has doubts...like who is going to believe a doll killed the babysitter? But when you know someone you love couldn't possibly be capable of such a thing, you'll do anything to defend them and prove they're innocent, especially your young son who has already lost his father and you know he's just a lost, scared, confused little boy. 

After poor Andy is put in a mental hospital after being accused of yet another of Chucky's killings...Karen goes home and finds that Chucky has been talking and moving without batteries. The scene when he turns on her is one of my favorites. Now it's up to her to prove to cop on the case, Mike Norris, played by the always great horror staple Chris Sarandon. I wish Hicks would've taken on more roles in the horror genre, she really brings Karen to life. Whether it was a matter of choice or just the types of scripts being sent her way, I'm not sure, but she's terrific in this.

So after finally being able to bring the truth to light for cop Mike Norris, it's up to all three of them to get rid of Chucky once and for all. They manage to do so...but as we see in the follow-up, Child's Play 2, Andy ends up in foster care and Karen is in a mental hospital due to her support of Andy's story. Chucky is seemingly gone but there is no happy ending. Again, this is definitely a dark and dreary tale.

Karen Barclay is one of my favorite parents in a horror movie and Catherine Hicks deserves praise for bringing the character to life, giving a believable performance as Andy's supportive and surely scared and confused mom.

Thank you, as always, for your support of my blog. Again, I appreciate every view I get and always love feedback. Please come back next week for my final pick for this Women's Horror Month!! It's been so fun!! Thanks again!! xoxo, Spooky Stephie

I've just been notified that Catherine was in another horror film! "Death Valley". I've never seen it but I need to now!! xoxo

Women in Horror Month: Spooky Stephie's Choice #2 of 4

                                        Spooky Stephie's Choice #2 of 4:
                                                    Jill Schoelen
                                                              as
                                      Stephanie Maine in "The Stepfather"

                           
                     It's Women in Horror Month and last week I told you that I and a few twitter friends have gotten together to showcase some of our favorites. I kicked my list off with Jamie Lloyd as portrayed by Scream Queen Danielle Harris in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. I'm continuing my list this week with another Scream Queen, Jill Schoelen, and her role as Stephanie Maine in the 1987 cult slasher film The Stepfather.

The Stepfather is a tough watch at times. Terry O'Quinn plays the title character, "Jerry", with such a chilling ferocity that even as a horror fan there are times his performance makes me cringe or look away. One scene in particular involving a poor unknowing Dr. (Stephanie's psychiatrist) and a piece of wood comes to mind. Another aspect of the film that is uncomfortable is his odd attachment to Stephanie. When it seems Stephanie is about to kiss a boy, he loses it. These scenes are unnerving in a different way.

Stephanie lost her father just a year before Jerry joins the family. He marries her mother and Stephanie is suspicious pretty much from the get go. Her suspicions lead her to eventually figure out who her stepfather really is and what he's done leading to a chilling final showdown.

At times it seems that Stephanie is the true object of Jerry's affection making the subject matter of the film even more unsettling. It is pretty much confirmed in the end when the final showdown leaves him laying on the floor with bullet and stab wounds, and all he does is stare at Stephanie and say "I love you".

As successful as O'Quinn is at selling the repulsiveness of his character, Schoelen is equally successful at selling the lonely, grieving, and confused Stephanie. When I first watched this film I was freshly grieving the death of my own father. When she talks about how bad she misses her dad, I feel that. She makes it believable that her character is really going through a deep loss. Particular scenes moved me to tears, she really brought the character to life. In the end when she had to fight for her and her mother's survival, she did what she needed to but in a believable way. This is a 16 year old girl thrown into a scary and just downright awful situation and prevailing. I love her portrayal of this character. The ability to bring a character to life, suck you in, and make you believe everything is really happening is something special and Jill Schoelen is a special actress. Severely underrated and deserving of far more praise.

She is deserving of the "Scream Queen" title because aside from The Stepfather she has also appeared in Cutting Class, Wes Craven's Chiller, When A Stranger Calls Back, Popcorn, and even starred opposite Robert Englund in The Phantom of the Opera. She has an impressive list of credits and this is my favorite role of hers.

Notable tidbit: Schoelen actually had nightmares for a week after filming the scene where O'Quinn chases her around the house. The nightmares were actually like a re-enactment of the scene!

So, everybody, there is my choice #2 of 4 for Women in Horror Month! Thank you again for reading and please check back in a week for my 3rd choice!! As always, I appreciate every view I get and any feedback!! Thanks again!! xoxo, Spooky Stephie

Women In Horror Month: Spooky Stephie's Choice #1 of 4

                                      Danielle Harris as "Jamie Lloyd"
                                                              in
    Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of                                                     Michael Myers

February is Women in Horror Month and some of my fellow horror fans and I are celebrating by choosing 4 of our favorite women in horror and sharing our love through our twitter and instagram pages. I'd like to thank Bonnie Smith for bringing us all together for this and letting me join! This will be fun and I look forward to joining in more of these in the future!!

We have each chosen a decade and all of our choices come from that decade. I've chosen the 80's for my decade mostly because it was the decade for slashers. I'm a huge fan of the slasher sub-genre and (almost) all of my picks are from slasher films.

My first choice is Danielle Harris who played Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4 and Halloween 5. I'm a big fan of Danielle's and she was so impressive as a child in these movies. She conveyed all of the appropriate emotions that you would see in a child like Jamie. She had to be able to convincingly portray a grief stricken, terrified, and (in Halloween 5) mute (due to psychological trauma) young girl, and she did it amazingly well. The perfect casting choice was made and it pushed Danielle to pursue a career in horror film. These were the first movies I ever saw her in and they made me a huge fan.

Jamie Lloyd is Laurie Strode's (Jamie Lee Curtis) daughter. Laurie Strode was one of the two main protagonists in the first two Halloween films. Jamie was said to have lost both of her parents and is now living with a foster family in Haddonfield. Since Laurie was Michael's sister, Jamie is his niece. She is aware of who Michael is and so are her classmates, which doesn't make things any easier for her. When she is taken by her foster sister to buy a Halloween costume, she chooses the exact costume that Michael wore when he killed his sister, as we saw back in the first film. She also has nightmares about Michael and even sees him in the store where she buys her costume, not realizing that's who he is. In the end, after a night of being terrorized by Michael, she is returned safely home where she suffers what seems to be a psychotic break leading into the next film.... Halloween 5 sees Jamie in a children's hospital, rendered mute due to psychological trauma after the events in Halloween 4. She now also seems to share a telepathic connection with her uncle. She eventually breaks free of her mute state with the help of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and the two set up a trap for Michael in his childhood home. He is taken in by the police but, in the end, when it seems Jamie is safe, Michael breaks free again, leaving Jamie crying in horror.

Everything about Danielle's performance is spot on to me. She went on to play Annie Brackett (who was originally played by Nancy Loomis) in Rob Zombie's 2007 re-make of the original Halloween. She is one of the greatest Scream Queens and horror legends ever in my opinion and Jamie Lloyd is still my favorite character and performance of hers. This is why she is my #1 choice for this year's Women in Horror month.

I'd like to thank anyone who took the time to read this and please check out everyone else's choices through our twitter pages or instagram!! Meet me back here in one week to see my next choice!! As always, thank you for checking out my blog!! xoxo, Spooky Stephie