One of the things I both love and hate about horror movies is how women are treated and viewed. Often they are the dopes who trip themselves into a chainsaw after flashing all they’ve got for the camera. But just as often, they are kick-ass, brave, hilarious and occasionally sucked into a television.
Here are my top ten horror movie chics. Note I am not including science fiction otherwise Go Sigourney Weaver!
10. Karen Black. Oh, Karen. Burnt Offerings is a seriously messed up movie. Karen and
Not sure that cameo belongs to you, Karen.
her husband and her young son and her aunt-in-law (Bette Davis, for crying out loud) visit a lovely country home only for Karen to be taken over by the personality of the ghostly matriarch. Karen also has these crazy eyes that are way too convincing. Points for Karen, rest in peace, in her performance in Night of 1000 Corpses. She was super fabulous as the most likely inbred mom of a wacko family preying on these charming young yuppies looking for an adventure (and they found it).
9. Heather O’Rourke. 
Poor little Heather O’Rourke. Girlfriend gets huge props for her short life impacting the horror culture for all time. “They’re here.” I mean, who doesn’t love horror movies and feel the impact of that line and her incredibly powerful performance as Carol Ann. She went on for two more after that. And was able to convincingly portray the most picture perfect, adorable child lost to the netherworld, the tough kid able to fight off demons and the loving daughter upon return. Rest in peace, Heather, You were taken too soon.
8. Heather Langenkamp
As much as I swear allegiance to the Halloween franchise, I gotta give it up to this girl who has been loyal to Freddy Krueger for how many years? There’s an undeniable chemistry between Nancy and Freddy and that’s partially because she has never dropped the rope in that tug of war. Nightmare on Elm Street will always be one of the most iconic horror franchises and a good deal of reason for that is Heather always coming back for more. One of my particular favorites was the New Nightmare in which Heather and principals of the franchise try to figure out how she, the actress, is being revisited by Freddy Kreuger in real life. Fascinating and perhaps true to life. But there’s no Freddy without Nancy. Just like the Sex Pistols.
7. Jodie Foster
No, I’m not going to start this by talking about Silence of the Lambs. Stop thinking I’m so predictable.
Pretty sure this isn’t Martin Sheen’s favorite role.
Many, many years ago I both read a very creepy ass book and then watched a made for TV movie called The Little Girl that Lives Down the Lane. Much like many actors and actresses, this is one of those projects that makes me wonder how Jodie Foster ended up the success that she is today. However, I am quite grateful that she was and is because then I would not have…The Silence of the Lambs. Clarice Starling is everything I would ever want to be. Brave, tough, ethical, and a wise ass. Not to mention a hero. Jodie Foster may not be synonymous with horror, but the fact that she was part of one of the only horror movies that won best actor, actress and picture at the Oscars means I am taking her for mine. Deal with it.
6. Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell brought back the allure and power of Jamie Lee Curtis in her tenure as Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise. Every movie wasn’t the greatest thing ever, but the first Scream movie thanks to Wes Craven was everything I personally ever wanted in a horror movie that I was deeply missing. She was brave, loyal, angry, tough and strong. We related to her vulnerability and cheered on her survival instinct. Sidney was just kick ass.
5. Adrienne Barbeau.
Adrienne Barbeau shows her tremendous versatility in her two, in my mind, iconic horror performances. Though she isn’t doing memorable play by play like the legendary Rob Adams, her performance behind the mic in The Fog as Stevie Wayne places her as the narrator for both the city of Antonio Bay and for us, the viewers. Her sexy, sultry allure from her isolated lighthouse throne calms listeners until its time to warn them to RUN! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! from the fog. In the end, her voice is what brings the surviving community to their moral conclusion. Her role in Creepshow as the unrelenting hag of a wife is just as iconic. We all can’t wait for Hal Holbrook to feed her to the mysterious beast. Stevie Wayne, here, signing out.
4. Ingrid Pitt
Everything sexy, dark and luxurious about horror is embodied in Ingrid Pitt. She was the perfect voluptuous vampire in Hammer Films. She brought famous yet less commercial female vampires to light, like Carmilla, and Elizabet Bathory. She charmed the fangs off them in The House that Dripped Blood as well. She was never vicious. Her fangs were always love or lust motivated. She made horror glamorous and glitzy.
You’re probably in trouble.
My only regret is I missed my chance to have her make my outgoing voicemail message as she offered on her website (for a fee of course) before she passed on to the moors unknown. Watching Ingrid Pitt made you want to be a vampire. Or her to turn you into one. Almost.
3. Linda Blair
I’m not sure what color Linda Blair’s eyes actually are because they are always glowing.
What parent in their right mind thought it was good idea to allow their child to play a possessed kid in the Exorcist? Whoever it was, let me know, so I can send them a thank you note. Linda Blair was simply out of this world in the Exorcist. Your jaw almost fell off from dropping. She has embraced her horror coronation much to the delight of her fans. She continued that lineage with Hell House (pray for death!!) – you can’t say it without the second part. She played a teen in an house from hell (naturally) who had to make it through a night of initiation alive. Luckily, Linda had seen much worse. Linda has had a very interesting life. She also dated Rick Springfield which resulted in his single, “I wish that I had Satan’s Girl!”
2. Janet Leigh
I mean, if this photo accompanies your obituary, do I need to explain why she is #2 in this list? If so, she managed every single emotion in the human arsenal in a very short part of an incredibly groundbreaking and iconic horror movie. She managed to make a somewhat unsympathetic character evoke tremendous empathy in us. She felt sorry for a “psycho” and showed us all where that gets you. Good intentions and the like.
All hail. It’s Janet Leigh, for goodness sake.
- Jamie Lee Curtis
In a fairly easy and appropriate segue, Ms. Leigh’s daughter is my number one horror female icon. Jamie Lee Curtis broke the mold. She created the epitome of what every awesome horror actress should strive to be. She was introduced as Laurie Strode, owned the movie and has since owned the genre. She showed that the good girl not only survives, she kicks ass.
Aside from that, Curtis, not content to rest on her Lauries (get it, laurels?), she continued to own the Carpenter/horror department by playing the cool hitchhiker who stumbled into the wrong town in The Fog (one of the two horror credits she shared with her mom – along with Halloween H2O), and the popular prom queen in Prom Night.
The Fog. In case it wasn’t obvious.
However, Laurie will always be my fav. Laurie is a wonderful friend, a devoted daughter, a dedicated babysitter, and a brave and tenacious survivor. Laurie is one of those people that transcends movie genres. She is just someone I want to be.
I mean, someone I want to be who isn’t being pursued throughout her life by a serial killer who may or may not be her brother depending on the franchise episode.
But still, Team Strode 4Life.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Bette Davis (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Burnt Offerings)
PJ Soles (Halloween, Carrie)
Karen Allen (Carrie, Poltergeist III)
Margot Kidder (Black Christmas, Amityville Horror, Lois Lane also)
Creative conjurings 