Season of the Witch: Sukie Ridgemont

What scares me isn't how short life is, no, it's the pain, all the pain. I don't understand why there has to be any pain. I adore Sukie Ridgemont, one-third of the famous Witches of Eastwick from the 1987 hit movie of the same name. She’s one of Michelle Pfeiffer’s most pure-of-soul characters—kindhearted mother, sweet … Continue reading Season of the Witch: Sukie Ridgemont →

High Priestess of Horror

“I think it's very amazing that I do horror films when I had this awful childhood. But maybe that's why I'm good at it.” Ingrid Pitt grew up in Nazi occupied Poland. She survived the concentration camps. A few years later she was a young mother who started a career in film at a time … Continue reading High Priestess of Horror →

Vampire Lovers

“Just to let him get the full inventory I eased out of my very mini-skirt and tight—but tight—sweater. Get the picture? Jimmy did. ‘I’ve got three parts for you’ he said.” That’s actress and Hammer horror legend Ingrid Pitt, in her extremely entertaining book Ingrid Pitt’s Bedside Companion for Vampire Lovers. In that passage she’s … Continue reading Vampire Lovers →

Gale Weathers, Forever

Part of why I love Wes Craven's Scream movies so much is they star not one, but two, female survivors: Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers. Gale is so crucial. She starts the first film an opportunist, leveraging tragedy for careerist goals. Then, when shit gets real, so does she. Her humanity blooms and we root … Continue reading Gale Weathers, Forever →

Return to Crystal Lake

With the original Friday the 13th (F13) celebrating its fortieth anniversary recently, I decided to revisit the film that launched the franchise, and then wound up rewatching the next seven sequels after that. This was an impromptu marathon, perfectly made for these lockdown times, but one I'm glad I embarked upon, even if I'm feeling … Continue reading Return to Crystal Lake →