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The Rise And Fall of the Scream Queen Era (2011) Review

The Rise And Fall Of The Scream Queen Era is a 2011 American documentary film directed by David DeCoteau. The film chronicles the careers of several “scream queens” who rose to prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The film features interviews with several of these actresses, as well as clips from their films.

The Rise And Fall Of The Scream Queen Era is a fascinating look at a specific period in horror movie history. The film is filled with interviews with the Scream Queens themselves, as well as clips from their films. The interviews are particularly interesting, as the actresses discuss their experiences with the genre and their thoughts on being typecast as “scream queens.” The film also provides some insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of the horror movie industry during this period.

Personally I’ve always been a fan of Linnea Quigley, virtually all of her 80’s flicks were brilliant, including but not limited to Night of the Demons, Return of the Living Dead, Creepozoids and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. So whenever i get a chance to find out more about her career, especially back in those days, i usually jump at the chance. Well lucky for me the good folks at Breaking Glass Pictures sent HC a copy of the soon to be released (Sept 4th i think) Screaming on High Heels for review.

Right from the get-go I could tell that this was going to be an interesting watch and I wasn’t wrong. The vast majority of this documentary is composed of interviews with various folks including the three actresses and directors, etc.

Now i don’t know about you but I tend to look back at the late 80’s/early 90’s as a golden age of b-movie horror/sci-fi. The budgets, the stories and the general acting quality were all of a high caliber than what we see today. In fact ‘true’ b-movies of this ilk really don’t get made anymore or at the very least are scant. Truth be told Syfy and some of the Roger Corman stuff is probably as closest thing that exists to it (that’s not to say i consider Syfy in the same league as 80’s classics – I don’t). What we see a lot today is either mega large budget A-level flicks, or micro budget $10,000 movies. There’s a clear polarization of things and I’ve been curious for a while as to why this has been the case. Why have things evolved as they have? Needless to say Screaming in High Heels offers plenty of info to resolve these mysteries and then some.

If you’ve been waiting for a documentary that shed’s light on the careers and minds of some of b-movie’s most memorable actresses, this is it. It clocks in (runtime wise) at just over 60 mins but it’s a damned informative 60 minutes. Not to mention it has plenty of eye candy to look at. 😉 Recommended!

Overall, The Rise And Fall Of The Scream Queen Era is a fascinating and informative documentary. It is sure to appeal to fans of the horror genre, as well as those interested in film history.

Synopsis

The Rise And Fall of the Scream Queen Era (2011) looks at the genre of horror films from the perspective of the actresses who played the “scream queens” – the female leads who were often the victims of the various monsters and maniacs that haunted the silver screen. These actresses became cult icons in their own right, and the film explores how they navigated the worlds of both horror and mainstream cinema. It also looks at the changing landscape of horror films over the years, and how the rise of the internet and social media has affected the way these films are made and marketed.

Movie Details

Director: Jason Paul Collum
Writer: Jason Paul Collum
Release Year: 2011