The Man Behind the Maniac If you’re a fan of cult horror and gritty crime thrillers, chances are you’ve crossed paths with the chaotic, blood-splattered celluloid of William Lustig. He’s the man behind Maniac (1980), the Maniac Cop series, and the founder of Blue Underground, a label that has lovingly restored and redistributed some of … Read More “William Lustig: Blood, Grit, and Grindhouse Glory” »
The Curse and Crown of a Childhood Icon It is rare in Hollywood for an actor to have their career defined—and haunted—by a single role. Rarer still for that role to come at the age of 14. For Linda Blair, The Exorcist was both her coronation and her curse. Catapulted to global fame as the … Read More “Linda Blair: From Innocence to Infamy – A Cinematic Journey Through the Queen of Scream’s Filmography” »
Shannon Whirry’s face might not be on anyone’s Hollywood Walk of Fame, but it was embossed on the spines of thousands of late-night videocassettes. In the heady 1990s heyday of direct-to-video erotica and B-movie thrillers, Whirry carved out a niche as the dark-haired vixen who could sell seduction and suspense on a shoestring budget. Slipping … Read More “Shannon Whirry: Queen of Softcore Noir” »
1983. The air smelled like Aqua Net and cheap popcorn. You’re in a dark theater. Some teenage moron is trying to impress his girlfriend while the rest of the audience leans in — because on that screen is a girl on a horse, topless, bold, riding like she owns the damn world. That girl was … Read More “Betsy Russell: From ’80s Bombshell to Horror Icon” »
1982 Some sun-baked suburban backyard, the air thick with chlorine and teenage boredom. Then she appears—Phoebe Cates, nineteen and glowing, rising out of a swimming pool in a fire-red bikini that could stop time. Water cascading off her skin, she steps out of that pool and straight into legend. A few seconds of slow-motion fantasy … Read More “Phoebe Cates – The Pool, the Poster, and the Disappearing Starlet” »
A Midwestern Girl with Hollywood Dreams It was 1990, and the lights in that Ohio banquet hall were dim and ugly.Lorissa McComas, just 19, smiled like she meant it — nervous, maybe, but still standing. A petite brunette, big hazel eyes, legs like she used to dance ballet, which she did. She moved with grace, … Read More “Lorissa McComas – The Tragic Death of a B-Movie Queen” »
