Editorials
[Special Feature] 10 Actors We’d Like To See Do Horror!
A lot of times bigger names tend to steer clear of the horror genre. It’s often not seen as prestigious, the budgets are lower (and thus the salary) and it’s rarely recognized come awards time. Sometimes it’s the choice of the actor not to indulge in the more bloody side of things, and sometimes their representation simply guides them away from it.
Contrary to popular belief, most horror fans are able to enjoy many films that are well outside the genre. I’ve personally noticed that many of my colleagues have an affinity for romantic comedies (myself included), however strange that may seem.
With that being in mind, have you ever been watching one of your favorite actors and wondered why they’ve only rarely (if at all) dipped their toes into your favorite category of film? I can’t put words into the mouths of people on this list – but I bet more of them than you would suspect would actually like to “slum it” a bit in the killing fields.
Either way, here’s a list of people I’d like to see get in the horror game every once in a while. While a couple of those singled out have actually been in a few slashers (etc…) at the very beginning of careers – many of them have never had the chance to be horribly murdered (or survive a series of horrible murders) onscreen.
Hit the jump to check it out and be sure to list any I may have missed in the comments!
He embodies an intriguing mix of aloof and charming masculinity in his iconic role as Don Draper on AMC’s “Mad Men” and his surprisingly impeccable comic timing has been on display for a while now in projects like “30 Rock” and Bridesmaids. But I think we’re missing out on the truly momentous horror performance he might have inside of him.
If there’s anybody out there who could pull off an A-list version of the “Ash”-type hero, it’s him. He’d also be a killer defensive patriarch in any home invasion thriller. Need an affably handsome serial killer who could lure unsuspecting gals into his Volkswagon? He’s your guy.
If you’re one of the few people who watches “Community” you already know how hilarious he can be as the wonderfully naive Troy Barnes. In addition to being a wonderfully subtle comic presence, he’s a great physical performer as well. It’s that combination of abilities that would make him a great horror protagonist. I’d love to see him in a madcap Evil Dead 2 type of role. And his face is so innocent, he’d probably make for a highly unsettling villain as well.
I know a lot of people who are on the Zooey Deschanel hate train, which I don’t quite get. I can certainly understand her not being someone’s cup of tea – and I pretty much can’t stand “New Girl” – but as a performer she’s inoffensive enough and I quite enjoyed her in Our Idiot Brother.
What I haven’t enjoyed her in is a good slasher, which is a shame because she’s got super expressive eyes that would be a great asset to any “final girl” role.
Despite the presence of vampire/werewolf shenanigans, the Twilight films don’t really count as horror. Not to me, at least. While Kendrick is on the rise due to her wonderful roles in Up In The Air and 50/50, her agents are probably doing their best to keep the horror scripts away from her dance card. What a waste. She’s such a delightfully smart, quick witted and sexy screen presence that she’d be a welcome addition to the genre. Her effortless incredulity would provide the audience the ultimate in relatable access points for anything supernatural.
Okay, okay, okay. So he was in Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers, but that was way before he was Paul F*cking Rudd. He’s practically a hero and a legend at this point, not “the kid from Clueless”. I’m not sure which subgenre of horror I’d like him best in, but I’d almost like to see him return to the world of slashers – albeit ones without Druid mythology. If Friday The 13th Part 6: Jason Lives was ever remade for absolutely no reason – I’d totally cast him as a 40 year-old Tommy Jarvis. Realistically, if he were ever to do another horror film, we’d probably have to settle for him as the beleaguered dad of “one of the kids”.
Jason Segel’s roles in “Freaks And Geeks” and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, cemented him as another incredibly relatable performer. Someone who could translate misgivings you may have about yourself to the screen in a superbly warm-hearted manner. He’s an exceptionally honest mainstream performer, great at making his audience see their flaws less as shortcomings and more as attributes.
Which is a long way of saying that’s it’s a blast to see him frightened onscreen. Now we just need to give one of his characters a much more visceral reason to scream.
Why bother even writing a paragraph about him? When has he ever been less than amazing? He’s already played monsters of sorts in Gangs Of New York and There Will Be Blood – I say we give him an even broader canvas to go bananas.
What horror role do you think he’d fancy enough to let drag him away from shoe-cobbling?
Clooney’s actually been in at least three horror movies. The little seen Grizzly: The Concert, as well as Return Of The Killer Tomatoes and, of course, From Dusk Till Dawn. But it’s been a good, long while since our modern day Cary Grant (or whomever) has hit us up with an entry in our favorite genre. He’s mastered a soft, pragmatic menace (and charm) that would be perfect for a number of roles. What would you like to see him take on?
We can only hope Fright Night never gets remade again, but he’d make a great Jerry Dandridge – even if he would never in a million years take that part.
Another performer who could play victim or killer with equal success. She’s quite sweet-natured in at least 99% of her onscreen work – but there’s a steely and determined undercurrent to her presence that could actually be frightening. Her matter-of-fact clarity could turn terrifying perfect if she ever chose to go the psychopath route.
After making a huge splash, literally and figuratively, as Alexandra King in The Descendants Shailene Woodley has been emblazoned on my radar as a highly capable dramatic and comedic performer. She’s certainly got the acerbic and angry “don’t f*ck with me” vibe down, but what made her truly special in that film was her ability to slyly reveal wounded, caring layers of her character that necessitated that defense mechanism.
I could see her taking down Jason, no problem.
Disagree? Have a suggestion? Let us know in the comments! Who do you want to see kill or be killed?
The problem with filming sequels back-to-back is that, unless you can afford expensive reshoots, there’s no easy way to adjust course in between movies if fans react badly to where the story is headed. That’s why it’s important to have a complete narrative thought out well in advance lest you accidentally kill a budding franchise.
However, this isn’t always the case. Every once in a while, it seems like the cinema gods smile upon certain chaotic productions and gift moviegoers with complete franchises that feel like more than the sum of their hastily produced parts. Ted Nicolaou’s Bloodlust: Subspecies III is precisely one of these miraculous pictures, with the raw talents of the artists involved (as well as the continued support from Romania) turning the feature into an effective conclusion for a series that kind of made things up as the filmmakers went along.
That’s why I’d like to invite my fellow readers to join me on this third part of our journey through the Subspecies franchise as we look into Bloodlust and talk about how it remains a surprisingly satisfying finale to the original trilogy.
A Trilogy Planned on the Fly
Released only a year after Bloodstone found plenty of success in rental stores and mail-in VHS catalogues worldwide, 1994’s Bloodlust was produced at the same time as its predecessor in (mostly) the same locations and with the same team. This means that the movie benefited from all the same upgrades as Bloodstone, with the crew now being more experienced with the ins and outs of surviving a low-budget Romanian production and the cast really settling into their characters.
At this point, everything from location scouting to the makeup process had been streamlined, with Wayne Toth and Norman Cabrera, the main duo behind special effects, even switching out time-consuming prosthetics for latex gloves in order to speed up Anders Hove’s monstrous transformation. The titular “subspecies” demons were also once again relegated to a mere cameo appearance due to the laborious puppetry required to bring them to life.
The only real hiccup came from the fact that actress Denice Duff had replaced the first film’s Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and was immediately expected to portray the character as both an innocent victim in part II and as a secondary villain in part III. According to behind-the-scenes interviews, the hectic production schedule that blended two different movies meant that Duff would often find herself having to alternate between two incredibly different versions of Michelle during the same shooting day – though it’s obvious that she’s having more fun with Bloodlust’s more traditionally vampiric version of her character.
In the finished film, we pick things up immediately where the previous entry left off as Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) is forced to leave her vampire sister Michelle (Duff) behind in the dungeons of Castle Vladislav due to the rising sun. This allows Mummy (Pamela Gordon) to use Michelle’s blood to revive the vicious Radu (Hove) so that he may continue his quest for the coveted Bloodstone – a magical artifact that perpetually drips the Blood of Saints.
Meanwhile, the dreamy US embassy agent Mel (Kevin Blair) agrees to help Rebecca plan a rescue mission, though they’re unaware that Radu has become infatuated with Michelle during his attempts to guide her growing bloodlust. This all culminates in a climactic confrontation meant to tie up all of the series’ loose ends in one of Full Moon Pictures’ most ambitious productions.
The Evolution of Radu
Like its predecessor, Bloodlust: Subspecies III was also warmly received by fans who argued that the series was an even bigger success than Full Moon’s other major horror franchise, Puppet Master. This praise wasn’t unanimous, however, as 1994 had seen the rise of a more modern breed of sexy vampire popularized by Anne Rice, with old-school Nosferatu like Radu being viewed as obsolete when compared to the likes of Lestat and Gary Oldman’s take on Dracula.
In a way, one might argue that Nicolaou’s film is something of a swan song for the classic vampire story, as Bloodlust combines all of the traditional elements we tend to associate with these tales into a single tragic yarn that ties a neat little bow on Radu’s story as well as the old-fashioned monster movies that he represents. The finale remains shocking despite the fact that this is the third time we see Radu get brutally killed onscreen, with the brief tease that he may one day return feeling more like a nod towards the nature of evil rather than sequel bait.
The film dabbles a bit in gothic romance and even explores the inherent power fantasy behind transforming into an immortal creature of the night, but the filmmakers never lose sight of Radu as a demonic force even when he’s willing to betray his beloved Mummy for Michelle’s sake. In fact, his twisted “love” for his fledgling makes him even creepier as we get the feeling that his passion comes from a dark and disturbing place.
Anders Hove is at his absolute best in this film, with the effects department boosting his moments of what the younger generation would call “aura farming” whenever Radu emerges from shadows like a 90s version of Count Orlok. There are even a couple of surprisingly effective jump-scares here, which is why I’d argue that Bloodlust cements Radu as one of the most memorable cinematic vampires of all time despite his humble origins.
Subspecies Saves Its Best For Last
Nicolaou and Vlad Panescu also saved the best for “last” (more on that in a bit) regarding the film’s visuals, with the cinematography and overall atmosphere of Bloodlust absolutely surpassing what we saw in the previous films. Everything feels appropriately climactic this time around (including the wonderful soundtrack that was co-composed alongside an authentic Romanian orchestra), and I appreciate how this is the fastest-paced entry in the trilogy since the film doesn’t need to waste time setting anything up.
Bloodlust still suffers from some of the same low-budget blemishes as its predecessors, but there’s so much creative passion here that no amount of wonky effects work or stilted dialogue can get in the way of appreciating the flick’s gothic grandeur. That’s why it’s not surprising that the movie’s definitive(-ish) ending would later be retconned as fans begged for more Radu.
Of course, the next entry in this series would be a different kind of vampiric endeavor altogether, with the filmmakers attempting to engage with the same trends that ultimately killed Radu and his antiquated kin. That, however, is a story for another time. For now, I’ll merely insist that Bloodlust: Subspecies III remains a highlight of Full Moon’s expansive catalogue and is definitely worth seeking out today.
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