While most of the ladies on this list spent a lot of time on camera screaming, today’s Scream Queen was mainly on the offensive, making both men and women scream for mercy. I’m going to talk a little bit about the seductively beautiful Ingrid Pitt who, thanks to her appearances in Hammer Film Productions, has become an iconic figure in the realm of horror.
Mrs. Pitt’s career began as most acting careers do, with work in the theatre that eventually leads to small and/or uncredited roles in films. Her first major role came in the form of the 1968 sci-fi B-movie, The Omegans. She also had a role in Where Eagles Dare with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. Then came two films that she is perhaps best known for, the Hammer films The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Countess Dracula (1971).
In The Vampire Lovers, Pitt portrayed the villainous Marcilla/Carmilla, a bloodthirsty vampire who seduces beautiful young women, murders them, and then moves to another town to strike again. The film featured Kate O’Mara, Peter Cushing, Dawn Addams, and a number of other popular actors from the United Kingdom. It has gone on to become a cult classic for horror fans.
In Countess Dracula, Pitt once again seduces young women, but this time it is to restore and maintain her youthful beauty. Pitt portrays the wicked Queen Elizabeth Nadasdy, a character loosely based upon Queen Elizabeth Bathory. She has her servants (and both of her male suitors) trick young virgins to come to her castle where she bathes in their blood.
Pitt then hopped over to Amicus Productions, a film production company that produced numerous horror films that competed with Hammer. For that company she appeared in The House That Dripped Blood (1971). As her career continued, Pitt moved away from horror in the 1980’s and began appearing in films like Who Dares Wins (1982), Octopussy (1983), and Hanna’s War (1988). Despite her absence from horror, she remained popular with horror fans.
Pitt also worked in television throughout her career. One of her most notable appearances include Doctor Who in 1972 in the story arc entitled The Time Monster. She played the Queen of Atlantis, Galleia. The arc featured Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor), Katy Manning (Jo Grant, the Doctor’s companion), Nicholas Courney (the Brigadier) and Roger Delgado (the Master). She would return to the series in 1984 as the character Doctor Solow in Warriors of the Deep. Peter Davison was the Fifth Doctor and Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson portrayed his companions, Tegan and Turlough, respectively.
Pitt was also a writer and in her later years occasionally appeared in film projects including Hammer’s 2008 film Sea of Dust. Pitt’s writings included a number of novels like Cuckoo Run (1980), The Ingrid Pitt Bedside Guide To Ghosthunting (2003), and Dracula Who….? (2012). Pitt also wrote for a number of periodicals, published an autobiography entitled Life’s A Scream (1999), and submitted scripts for a number of films and television shows including Doctor Who.
Pitt had brains, beauty, and a talent for acting and writing. She passed away in 2010 in London, England. She’s a Scream Queen Icon and I hope that you’ve enjoyed this brief look at her amazing career. See you tomorrow!
For today’s Reign of the Scream Queens entry we’re going all the way back to the 1920’s, the era of the silent film. While most modern audiences probably don’t know her name, Mary Philbin was a prominent silent film star at the beginning of the 1900’s. She appeared in a total of thirty-four films ranging from romantic comedies to dramas. Most of those films were silent and, sadly, many of them have been lost to time.
Two of the films that Philbin starred in are considered extremely influential. 1925’s The Phantom Of The Opera, a Universal film, is considered to be one of cinema’s earliest horror masterpieces. It features the amazing makeup work of Lon Chaney. His portrayal of the Phantom terrorized audiences. Philbin’s portrayal of the Phantom’s muse, Christine Daae, impressed audiences as well. The look of terror on her face as she peeled off the Phantom’s mask and the grotesque visage of the Phantom himself shocked audiences. The film was re-edited and re-released a number of times including a version with sound. It also featured a beautiful color sequence in which the Phantom attends a ball and walks amongst those that fear him in order to get to Christine.
The second highly influential film is a bit lesser known than The Phantom of the Opera. In 1928 Universal Pictures released the silent film The Man Who Laughs. Originally intended to be another starring vehicle for Lon Chaney, Sr., the film would eventually be headlined by his friend and film contemporary, Conrad Veidt after Chaney’s contract fell through and he recommended Veidt for the role. Veidt portrayed Gwynplaine, a man disfigured as a child who falls in love with a young blind woman named Dea portrayed by Mary Philbin. The movie solidified Jack Pierce’s role as a makeup master and would lead to his work on many of Universal’s most popular films, in particular the many Universal Monsters movies. It also heavily influenced Universal’s horror films for the next couple of decades, giving the films their Gothic look and feel. On top of that, Gwynplaine’s disfigured face, twisted into an eternal smile, was the main influence for the Joker’s garish grin.
Mary Philbin continued to act for a few years after the release of both of these iconic films but eventually left the industry in 1930 to care for her parents. She then retreated even farther from the public eye. She became a recluse and rarely appeared in public. She began suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease in the late seventies. The symptoms continued to get worse as the years went by but she would live a long life, making to the ripe old age of ninety-one before passing away in 1993.
Philbin was an extremely talented woman. Not only was she a talented actress, Philbin could also play the piano and pipe organ. Philbin was known to have a kind heart and was extremely quiet when she wasn’t performing. She was also constantly under the watchful eye of her parents, especially her mother, who forbid her to marry the man that she loved, Paul Kohner, because he was Jewish and the Philbins were Roman Catholic. The duo shared many love letters until Kohner eventually married another woman. Philbin never married, but both she and Kohner kept the letters that they wrote one another until their respective deaths.
While Ms. Philbin is certainly one of the earliest scream queens, she is so much more than that. I highly recommend seeking out any of her films that are still available, especially the two that I mentioned in this post, The Phantom of the Opera and The Man Who Laughs. I hope that you enjoyed today’s post and thank you for reading it. See you again, tomorrow!
Fifteen acting credits are all that horror legend Marilyn Burns ever received. In all honesty, she only needed one. After appearances in Brewster McCloud (1970) and Lovin’ Molly (1974), Ms. Burns won the role of Sally Hardesty in the iconic, groundbreaking, cannibal horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). She is considered by many to be the first true “final girl” and also responsible for giving one of the best performances by an actress in a horror film. The film predates all of the major slasher franchises including Halloween, Friday The 13th, and A Nightmare On Elm Street. It is also considered to be one of the most influential horror films of all time.
Of course, Chainsaw would be just another horror film if it weren’t in part for the brilliant performance of Marilyn Burns. Burns screamed, cried, crawled, ran, and begged her way through the film in a performance that left myself and many others very uncomfortable during and after the film. The believability of her performance and of the rest of the cast along with the direction of Tobe Hooper made for the perfect storm.
After making The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Burns continued working off and on in film and television. She appeared primarily in horror films but also appeared in the real life mini-series based on the Manson Murders Trial, Helter Skelter (1976) as Linda Kasabian. She returned to the role of Sally Hardesty in 1995 for a cameo in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995) and portrayed another character, Verna, in 2013’s Texas Chainsaw. Outside of that, Burns had a few roles here and there over the years in one off horror films like Eaten Alive (1976), Future-Kill (1985), and Butcher Boys (2012).
Burns chose to live a quiet life and only made occasional appearances at events celebrating Chainsaw or at pop culture and horror conventions. She acted when she felt like it and stayed out of the limelight. Sadly, Ms. Burns was found dead by family members in her home in 2014. While no official cause of death has been given, family members claimed that she had a heart attack.
Marilyn Burns is a legend and an icon. Thankfully her performance will continue to be seen by fans new and old alike. Thanks for checking out my post about this iconic Scream Queen. See you again, tomorrow!
Hot In The Shade, KISS’ follow-up project to their highest charting 1980’s release, Crazy Nights, is very personal to me because it was the first KISS album that I ever purchased. It would get me into conversations later in life that would set me on the path to becoming a member of the KISS Army. It contains some amazing KISS tracks and some pretty terrible ones as well. It was released on October 17, 1989, and I bought my copy on CD in late January of 1990 (a few weeks after the release of the single Forever). KISS was still very much relevant at the time of the album’s release, but they were slowly fading from the spotlight once again. They needed another hit to keep them in the news and Hot In The Shade would definitely deliver.
Crazy Nights was a popular album but many longtime fans weren’t impressed by the keyboards and synthesizers used on the album. I personally didn’t have a problem with that but KISS apparently did because they removed the keys and synths for Hot In The Shade. They also added horns and female backing vocalists on some of the tracks. The band also seemed to be firing pretty well on all cylinders, with Gene Simmons seeming to have settled back into his role as the band’s bass player and most recognizable member.
The album featured fifteen tracks, more than any other KISS studio album released over the band’s entire existence. It featured three singles. The first single, Hide Your Heart, peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, the power ballad Forever, became KISS’ biggest charting hit since Beth reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Forever topped out at #8 on the same chart, just one position shy of matching Beth. The final single, Rise To It, limped to #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album topped out at #29 on the US Billboard 200.
Track Listing:
Rise To It (Single)
Betrayed
Hide Your Heart (Single)
Prisoner Of Love
Read My Body
Love’s A Slap In The Face
Forever (Single)
Silver Spoon
Cadillac Dreams
King Of Hearts
The Street Giveth And The Street Taketh Away
You Love Me To Hate You
Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell
Little Caesar
Boomerang
Personnel: Eric Carr (drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals and bass on Little Caesar), Bruce Kulick (lead guitars, backing vocals, acoustic guitar solo on Forever), Paul Stanley (lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitars, brass arrangement on Cadillac Dreams), Gene Simmons (lead vocals, backing vocals, bass)
Paul Stanley sang lead vocals on seven tracks. Gene Simmons, as he did on most of the band’s 80’s releases, sang lead vocals on the other half of the tracks, seven in all. In addition, Eric Carr took on lead vocals for Little Caesar, the first member of the band to sing lead on a studio album other than Simmons or Stanley since Music From The Elder (1981). Additional musicians included Phil Ashley (keyboards), All Star Cadillac Brass, The Sisters of No Mercy (backing vocals), Kevin Valentine (drums), and Pat Regan (saxophone).
This is also the first album by the band to feature input from future lead guitarist/Space Man, Tommy Thayer. Thayer played the electroacoustic guitar on Betrayed and The Street Giveth And The Street Taketh Away. He also co-wrote those two songs with Gene Simmons. Simmons contributed writing on eight of the album tracks. Paul Stanley co-wrote seven tracks. Kulick co-wrote two tracks and Eric Carr co-wrote Little Caesar with Gene Simmons and Adam Mitchell. Additional songwriters included Vini Poncia, Bob Halligan, Jr., Desmond Child, and Holly Knight. I’ll mention another songwriter in a later paragraph.
The album as a whole is somewhat of a letdown to me. I, like many fans of the band, feel that there are just too many filler tracks. Most KISS albums up to that point featured between eight and ten songs. They were fairly short and to the point. HITS, loaded with fifteen tracks, felt bloated and weighed down by a number of forgettable tracks. For me, those forgettable tracks were Love’s A Slap In The Face, Cadillac Dreams, The Street Giveth And The Street Taketh Away, and You Love Me To Hate You. I’d also throw away Read My Body but I have too much fun laughing at its blatantly cheesy lyrics. If it was tossed in, that would give KISS ten good tracks for the album. My least favorite track on the album is You Love Me To Hate You.
For all of the bad songs on the album, there are also some pretty amazing tracks. First and foremost I have to mention Forever. Yes, a power ballad convinced me to put money down for my first ever KISS album and I don’t regret it one bit. The song, co-written by Paul Stanley and Michael Bolton (yes, THAT Michael Bolton), is simply wonderful. Paul’s voice is powerful on this track and it’s one of his best vocal performances in my opinion. Bruce Kulick’s acoustic solo is one of my favorite not only by him but from the band as a whole.I love this song so much that I championed it to be on the set list at my wedding. My wife refused so I tried to have it played at our reception. To be honest, my reception was a big blur, so I don’t know if it was played there or it fell to the wayside.
Other great songs on this album include Rise To It, Hide Your Heart, Little Caesar, Prisoner Of Love, and Betrayed. Rise To It opens the album with a twinge of twang and goes into a solid pop rocker. In fact, most of the tracks on this album could be defined as heavy pop rock tracks. Many fans claim the song Boomerang, the album’s closer, to be a light speed metal track but I don’t hear it. It’s essentially a sped up pop rocker to me. Betrayed and Prisoner Of Love feature some solid guitar work by Kulick and Gene’s vocals on both tracks are surprisingly strong. If I had to pick a second favorite on this album, it would easily be Hide Your Heart. It’s a great story song and you can visualize it while Paul is pumping out the lyrics.
Ultimately, HITS has more misses. Most KISS albums feature a few outstanding tracks, a few solid songs, and possibly one forgettable track, but HITS has at least four (arguably five) real stinkers, three amazing tracks, and a few other good tracks that can’t make up for the disastrous tracks like Cadillac Dreams. I keep Forever and Hide Your Heart in my regular rotation. I have tried multiple times and failed to match Paul’s voice on Forever. I cannot say the actual word “forever”and have it sound as good as it does when Paul hits that note. KISS was definitely experimenting with their songwriting abilities on this album as Hide Your Heart is pretty unique in the KISS catalog. Overall, I love a few songs on this album, dislike many more, but have fond memories of listening to this album as a kid.
So there you have it. I love this album…..but I hate it. It’s got hits, more misses, and too much filler. It has one of my all time favorite KISS tracks and many more of my least favorites. Next week I’ll be looking at Revenge, the kick in the teeth that KISS and music in general desperately needed. Thanks for checking out my post!
Many Scream Queens are known for having multiple roles in horror films, usually B-movies, and perhaps one or two of the major horror franchises. Some only need one film to be dubbed a Scream Queen. A select few, however, manage to star in multiple major horror franchises, happily take on lesser roles in B-movies so that the film gains “name” recognition, and do it successfully for decades. Today’s Scream Queen, Dee Wallace, is one of those select few.
I’ll rattle off just a few of the films that Ms. Wallace, sometimes credited as Dee Wallace-Stone in some films, has appeared in over the years: Cujo (1983), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Frighteners (1996), Critters (1986), Halloween (2007), and The Howling (1981). That’s just a short list of the major horror films that she’s appeared in over her career. She has also appeared in a ton of B and direct-to-video horror films as well. Here are a few of them: Abominable (2006), Headspace (2005), Hansel & Gretel (2013), The Nest (2021), and Ejecta (2014). That’s pretty impressive.
Oh, and I didn’t even mention that she’s also appeared in a number of non-horror box office hits like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and 10 (1979), and has a long and successful career on television as a guest star on shows like CHiPs, The Twilight Zone, Starsky & Hutch, L.A. Law, and Simon & Simon, and had a starring role in two television shows as well. Ms. Wallace is definitely no slacker!
As much success as she’s had outside of the genre, Wallace just seems to be the perfect fit for horror films. She often played the young mom or single mother in many of her early horror roles. As she got older, she shifted to playing roles that were often the scared older woman or the wicked older lady. Rob Zombie has cast her in four of his films, the most recent being The Munsters (2022) as an announcer. He also cast her in The Lords of Salem (2012), 3 From Hell (2019), and Halloween (2007).
Wallace is an amazing actress. She literally has too many film and television credits (272 at the time of this writing) to list them all. She’s not only a prolific horror actress. She’s also a prolific actress in general. For horror fans, I recommend her work in The Howling, Cujo, Critters (and Critters Attack from 2019 for nostalgia purposes), and Halloween. I also recommend checking out Abominable. She isn’t in the film for very long but it’s one of the best Bigfoot flicks you’ll ever see!
Thanks for checking out today’s post. Dee Wallace is one of my favorite actresses and I am forcibly cutting myself short with this post so that I don’t ramble too much! Thanks for checking it out. I’ll see you tomorrow with another Scream Queen and the next entry in The Year of KISS!
Way back in 1999, a young Cerina Vincent appeared as Maya/The Yellow Galaxy Ranger in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. It was a family friendly television series that was part of the highly popular Power Rangers franchise. After her work on that series came to an end, Vincent continued working on television, primarily in one off roles on shows like Malcolm In The Middle, City Guys, and Ally McBeal.
In 2001, she had her first major film role as Areola, the foreign exchange student in the comedy spoof, Not Another Teen Movie. The role, which required Vincent to appear completely nude throughout the film, received mixed reactions. According to Ms. Vincent, the role, her first one featuring on-screen nudity, disturbed many of her Power Rangers fans. Vincent stated that shooting her scenes wasn’t a bad experience but she wasn’t ready for the way that many of her fans would judge her for appearing nude in the film.
Vincent followed up Not Another Teen Movie on the big screen with her first major horror role as Marcy in Cabin Fever (2002). The role once again called for Vincent to appear nude. She agreed to appear topless in the film but refused to show her bottom on screen. Director/Writer of Cabin Fever, Eli Roth, clashed with Vincent over the scene involving her exposed bottom. She feared being typecast as the girl that’s always ready to appear nude and Roth apparently felt that bottom nudity was essential to the scene. Ultimately she agreed to show one inch of her butt crack in the scene. A tape measure was brought out, Vincent was measured, and the bed sheet was taped to her buttocks to prevent them from slipping off and exposing more than she was comfortable with in the movie. Vincent also appeared in one of the most famous scenes in the film, the very uncomfortable to watch “shaving” scene where bits of Vincent’s flesh peeled off of her body as she tried to shave her legs.
After Cabin Fever, Vincent began regularly appearing in more horror films, most of which were released straight-to-video or television. Despite being released this way, many of them are surprisingly well done. Vincent’s performances in each of these films, no matter how the rest of the cast or production was received, has been highly praised. Most notably, her work in It Waits (2005) and Sasquatch Mountain (2006) was considered to be the saving graces for both of these films. Some of the other horror films that Cerina has appeared in include Intermedio (2005), Return To House On Haunted Hill (2007), Freaks of Nature (2015), and Tales of Halloween (2015). She is also scheduled to appear in Flesh, an upcoming horror film that features fellow Scream Queens Danielle Harris and Tiffany Shepis.
Vincent has also maintained a presence on television. She has appeared in guest starring roles on shows like Two And A Half Men, Workaholics, and NCIS: Los Angeles. She also regularly appears in made-for-TV movies including starring in the Hallmark Channel film The Thanksgiving House. On top of that, Vincent returned to family shows when she portrayed Suzy Diaz, the mother of seven children, on the Disney Channel series, Stuck In The Middle, which also starred Jenna Ortega of the most recent Scream film and the upcoming Tim Burton/Netflix series, Wednesday.
Vincent has done a surprisingly excellent job of balancing her career between roles in multiple genres while at the same time cementing her place as a Scream Queen. She also successfully avoided being typecast as the sexy girl or the girl willing to do nudity in films all while accepting those types of roles at times. To top it all off, Vincent is a genuinely good actress who I believe deserves more prominent roles in film and television.
Be sure to check out It Waits, Cabin Fever, and Sasquatch Mountain. All three of these films are very good (although Cabin Fever loses its way a bit), and Vincent does a fine job in all of them.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s Reign of the Scream Queens entry. I’ll see you again tomorrow!
Born in February of 1992, Samara Weaving may not instantly come to mind when talking about Scream Queens. Why? Primarily because in Weaving’s short career she has amassed thirty-five acting credits and they range from comedy and horror to action and drama. She has no fear in taking on roles that don’t necessarily fit her “look” or “style.” That, in my opinion, is the mark of a great actor. I expect big things from Weaving as her career continues.
Weaving has multiple successful TV series under her belt including SMILF, Home And Away, and Out Of The Blue. She’s also appeared in a number of popular films such as Bill And Ted Face The Music (2020) and the cult action yarn Guns Akimbo (2019). She also starred in lesser films that, at least to me, deserve more recognition like the family flick Monster Trucks (2016).
So why have I chosen her as a future Scream Queen? For the simple fact that she had an amazing guest role on Ash Vs. Evil Dead, starred in and launched a Netflix franchise with The Babysitter (2017) and The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), and starred in two off-kilter horror flicks, Mayhem (2017), and Ready Or Not (2019). She was also rumored to be in the latest Scream film released in 2022 but will instead appear in Scream 6 (2023). In other words, Ms. Weaving has plenty of horror chops and it looks like more are around the corner.
Weaving has done an excellent job of selecting roles. You can’t pigeonhole her as an actress. She can be funny, wicked, seductive, innocent, serious, or just plain goofy…..or any combination of those types of personas.
I really enjoyed her work in both of the The Babysitter films and highly recommend checking out those movies on Netflix. I also recommend watching Weaving in Mayhem and Ready Or Not. Outside of horror, check out Bill And Ted Face The Music. It’s not exactly what I hoped that it would be, but it’s still pretty good and Weaving does a fine job. I also recommend Monster Trucks. Sure, it bombed at theaters but my kids loved it and I really enjoyed how it combined action, comedy, and monsters in a family friendly package. My family liked it so much that we own it on Blu-ray.
Thanks for checking out my post. I see a bright future for Weaving and I hope that she does well in the future. Tomorrow I will have another Scream Queen post and on Friday I’ll have my regular Reign Of The Scream Queens post AND my latest Year of KISS post. See you then!
Olivia Hussey was born in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After appearing in stage productions, one television episode, and a couple of films, she was cast as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s wildly popular adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1968) at the ripe age of fifteen. Her performance in that film earned her a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer and the David di Donatello Golden Plate Award that she shared with the actor who portrayed Romeo, Leonard Whiting. By the mid 1970’s, Hussey was well on her way to a successful film and television career, alternating between the two mediums almost at will.
In 1974, Hussey was cast in the slasher film Black Christmas. It is considered to be one of the earliest slasher-styled films and heavily influenced popular slashers that would follow it including Halloween. The film not only starred Hussey, but slasher film Curtains star Lynne Griffin, The Amityville Horror and Superman star Margot Kidder, and none other than Nancy Thompson’s dad from A Nightmare on Elm Street, John Saxon.
Hussey cemented her Scream Queen status with films like The Cat And The Canary (1979), Ice Cream Man (1995), and Headspace (2005). Unlike a lot of the actresses on this list, Hussey also had a long career horror films made for television. She portrayed the demented mother of Norman Bates in the Showtime Original Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) opposite Henry Thomas as a young Norman. She also appeared in the highly successful It mini-series in 1990.
Hussey hasn’t focused on any one genre over the years, happy to work in comedy, drama, horror, science fiction, and religious films. Some of her most famous non-horror roles include portraying Mary in Jesus Of Nazereth (1977, TV Film), Mother Theresa in Mother Theresa of Calcutta (2003, TV Film), and Rosalie Otterbourne in 1978’s Death On The Nile. Hussey has also lent her voice to a number of animated productions, especially in the 2000’s. Some of her most notable voice roles include portraying Talia al Ghul in the DC Animated Universe and characters in a number of Star Wars video games. She has a total of fifty-four acting credits in all with her last credited role being in the 2015 film Social Suicide.
While she’s definitely a Scream Queen, Olivia Hussey can’t be defined by that title alone. She’s had such a long, varied, and successful career that you can’t really pin her to any single genre. She’s a great actress who has portrayed some pretty amazing and memorable characters.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s Scream Queen post. Hussey has been in so many different types of films and television shows that she is often overlooked for her contributions to the horror genre. See you again tomorrow!
Kelli Maroney quickly blazed a trail to the title of Scream Queen in the 1980’s. Born on December 30, 1965 in Minneapolis, MN, Maroney started her career on the small screen with a three year run on the soap opera Ryan’s Hope (1979-1982). Next, Maroney made the jump to the big screen with 1982’s cult classic Fast Times At Ridgemont High. She was next cast in Slayground (1983) and then the cult flick Night of the Comet (1984). Then came her starring role in the popular killer robot film Chopping Mall (1986). More big screen roles followed including parts in The Zero Boys (1986), Not Of This Earth (1988), and Jaded (1989).
While she was appearing in all of these films, Maroney continued to have an active career on television with starring and guest starring roles in shows like One Life To Live, Simon & Simon, and Celebrity. She continued finding work throughout the 90’s and 2000’s on both the big and small screens and in direct-to-video films. Some of the projects that she appeared in include FBI: The Untold Stories, True Blood, ThePretender, and Scream Queen Hot Tub Party.
Maroney continues working to this day. She currently has four active projects and over forty acting credits. I’m especially anxious to see her work in The Wild Man, which will be released very soon. She regularly makes appearances at film festivals and pop culture/horror/science fiction conventions as well, so keep an eye out for your chance to meet her!
While I’ve enjoyed all of Mrs. Maroney’s work, I have to say that her must-see performances are in Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet, and Fast Times At Ridgemont High. I really love Chopping Mall. The poster for the film convinces you that it’s just another slasher film……but it isn’t! It was a fresh take on a new type of killing machine and it was a blast.
Thanks for checking out today’s post! Who will be the next Scream Queen????? Find out tomorrow!
If you were alive in the 1990’s, especially if you were a teen, few women dominated the decade for you like Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell. Campbell starred in the successful Fox series Party of Five for all six of its seasons and a number of popular films including The Craft (1996) and Wild Things (1998). Cox, of course, starred in the mega hit sitcom Friends, which ran for ten seasons, and in multiple films during the decade as well including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Mr. Destiny (1990). Together, this dynamic duo starred in one of the most popular horror franchises of all time starting with 1996’s Scream and every single sequel that has followed for a total of five Scream films.
Ms. Campbell’s career had a modest beginning in television commercials, guest roles on TV series, and stage acting primarily in Canada. She also appeared on one episode of the hit Canadian sketch comedy The Kids In The Hall. As the 90’s rolled along, Campbell eventually landed the role of Julia Salinger on Party of Five. Soon enough she found herself cast in The Craft, caught the attention of Wes Craven, was asked to audition for the role of Sydney Prescott and, the rest is history. Campbell continued acting throughout the 90’s and 2000’s, appearing in independent films including the erotic drama When Will I Be Loved (2004) and studio films like 54 (1998).
Ms. Campbell is still active on the big and small screen, most recently appearing (perhaps for the final time) as Sydney Prescott in Scream (2022) and on the series The Lincoln Lawyer (2022). She also starred in the series House of Cards and guest starred or had recurring roles in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men, The Simpsons, and Sea Wolf.
A new Scream film is in the works, but as of this writing, Campbell has not signed on to the project. There was apparently a dispute over her contract. Specifically, Campbell was not happy with the amount of money that she was offered and refused to do the film. She stated that “I couldn’t walk on set feeling that…..feeling undervalued and feeling the unfairness, or lack of fairness, of that.” Social media blew up over the issue and many of Campbell’s Scream co-stars came to her defense. Matthew Lillard stated “Why is a woman supposed to take less? Why wouldn’t you pay her more as the series goes on?” He went on to say, “She is the female lead of one of the most successful horror franchises. Infuriating.” Jamie Kennedy said, “Sydney Prescott is the center of Scream. Neve Campbell is the face of Scream. Ghostface chasing her through the entire series…..Neve is the final girl. It’s crazy that people behind the scenes are not paying money literally to the face of the franchise.” Hopefully we will see her return to the franchise.
Courteney Cox was a seasoned film and television veteran by the time that she portrayed Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise. Prior to both Scream and Friends, Cox appeared in a music video for Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 track Dancing In The Dark. She also had guest and recurring roles on a number of successful television shows, most notably on Family Ties, Murder, She Wrote, and Dream On. I remember her best on Misfits Of Science, a science fiction series that failed to catch on with audiences but Cox did manage to capture my heart in that show.
Cox also appeared in a number of my favorite films prior to her success in the 90’s. Although it bombed at the box office, I loved Masters of the Universe (1987), in which Cox starred alongside Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, and Chelsea Fields. She also starred opposite Jim Carrey in the ridiculous comedy hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Cox continues to work in film to this day and has appeared in multiple successful films over the years including 3000 Miles To Graceland (2001), Barnyard (2006), and Bedtime Stories (2008). She has signed on to appear in the upcoming new Scream project anticipated to be released in 2023.
In 1994, Cox landed the role that made her a certified star. She portrayed Monica Gellar on Friends and shot to almost immediate stardom. After ten seasons on that series, Cox continued working in television as an actress, producer, and director. She guest starred on shows like Scrubs, Shameless, and Modern Family. She also appeared in, produced, and directed the popular series Cougar Town for all six of its seasons and starred in and produced the short-lived series Dirt. In addition to this work, Cox has been an executive producer on numerous projects.
Scream could have failed if it weren’t for the amazing acting abilities of both Campbell and Cox. The franchise is now knocking on thirty years and doesn’t seem to be losing any steam. I can’t wait for the next film in the series but I will be a bit sad that Campbell will not be in the film. In any case, both of these ladies have had amazing careers outside of horror and I highly recommend checking out their other work. See the Scream films and watch Campbell in Party of Five. As far as Courteney Cox goes, you can watch Friends (who hasn’t?), but I highly recommend looking up Cougar Town and seeking out an episode or two of Misfits of Science. You won’t regret it.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 