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?
From child-eating witches to village-burning dragons, fairy tales have always had a foot in the horror genre. That’s why it makes sense that, for every The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, there are also darker and more adult-oriented stories about magical worlds inhabited by ravenous monsters and cruel villains.
Funnily enough, these sinister tales were precisely the ones that I gravitated towards back when I was a kid, and I was reminded of this while watching Netflix’s recently released I Am Frankelda, Mexico’s first ever feature-length stop-motion animation and one hell of an entertaining parable about the intersection between fiction and reality.
In honor of this special kind of horror-adjacent fairy tale, today I’d like to share this list recommending six Dark Fantasy films that horror fans might enjoy.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining Dark Fantasy as fantastical stories that don’t shy away from the more macabre elements that fuel classic fairy tales. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own grim favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling one.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
I’m fascinated by bizarre attempts at blockbuster filmmaking – especially when the resulting movies are somehow still fun despite their corporate-mandated origins. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is precisely one of these strangely compelling studio projects, as this surprisingly successful action-thriller boasts a lot of heart (and tongue-in-cheek humor) for a CGI-heavy creature feature.
Directed by Dead Snow’s Tommy Wirkola, Witch Hunters re-frames the classic fairy tale as an origin story for a duo of badass monster-slayers. Of course, it’s the flick’s anachronistic aesthetic and overall visual flair that make it stand out from other action-horror endeavors from around the same time.
5. The Wolf House (2018)
Made in the tradition of faux cursed films in the same vein as Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made, the eerie backstory to 2018’s Chilean animated flick The Wolf House (La Casa Lobo in the original Spanish) already makes it a nightmarish experience before the flick even really begins.
After all, the movie is presented to us as a faux propaganda film produced by the leader of a death cult (heavily inspired by the real life Colonia Dignidad), with this hybrid animated feature using complex movie magic to simulate a single uninterrupted shot as it tells the story of a lazy young girl who runs away from an isolated colony and encounters a creepy old house in the woods.
4. The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Out of all the Monty Python alumni, Terry Gilliam has had the most interesting career outside of the original comedy group. From fascinating canceled projects (such as his scrapped adaptation of Watchmen) to dystopian parodies that feel more relevant by the minute (1985’s Brazil), even his “lesser” films are still intriguing in their own way.
2005’s The Brothers Grimm is one such project, with this peculiar movie attempting to combine the comedian-turned-filmmaker’s unique visual style with a more blockbuster-oriented plot reimagining the titular brothers as con-artists rather than mere writers. The end result isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it’s still a legitimately fun ride with plenty of memorable monsters and wonderful performances by both the late, great Heath Ledger and Matt Damon.
3. Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic (2010)
2010’s Dante’s Inferno game may have a reputation as something of an unapologetic God of War clone, but I’d argue that the now-obscure game was aesthetically unique enough to deserve a bigger fanbase. However, while the title remains trapped on the seventh console generation, its highly underrated anime adaptation is a lot easier to get a hold of!
Animated by 6 different studios in order to make the 9 circles of hell feel unique from each other, this may not be a completely faithful adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s poem, but it’s still one heck of a great (not to mention gory) time that I’d highly recommend to fans of Netflix’s take on Castlevania.
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
My personal favorite entry in the Underworld franchise, Rise of the Lycans, is a highly ambitious prequel that actually works better if you haven’t had the story spoiled to you by the previous Underworld films.
While the rest of the series features plenty of urban fantasy elements as the movies combine machine guns and modern environments with gothic storytelling, Patrick Tatopoulos’ prequel fully embraces its fantastical origins and tells a classic tale about a doomed romance between a werewolf and a vampire amid a medieval uprising.
And the best part is that we get a lot more Michael Sheen as the fan-favorite Lucian.
1. Solomon Kane (2011)
One of my personal favorite movies on this list, MJ Basset’s criminally underseen adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s other iconic warrior is thoroughly steeped in horror ambience and features plenty of memorable monsters. However, it’s also a classic origin story for a swashbuckling hero that wouldn’t feel out of place in a tabletop RPG.
While I’ve already written about how the film deftly combines both horror and fantasy elements without breaking the bank, I’ll never pass up an opportunity to recommend the bizarre movie where James Purefoy expertly plays a puritan John Wick.
It’s just too bad that we never got the other films in this intended trilogy.
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