Something to Scream About

J.R. Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment scares up this documentary tapping the experiences of several horror starlets (aka 'Scream Queens'). Brinke Stevens (a scream queen in her own right) is mistress of ceremonies that includes interviews with: Julie Strain (Penthouse Pet, Heavy Metal 2000), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Debbie Rochon (Dead & Rotting), Judith O'Dea (the original Night of the Living Dead), Denice Duff (Subspecies 2 + 3) and a few others.

Although it isn't a detailed study of the iconic screen scream queen (say that 6 times fast) 'Something' do a pretty decent job portraying the mantel from the actresses' perspectives and experiences. Not strictly a 'talking head' piece it's peppered with clips, footage and photos. Most of the usual topics are addressed: nudity, violence and the inevitable effect the genre has on 'normal' people. 'Scream' is a solid view for the fanboy in all of us.

Jason Paul Collum got it right with this one, a documentary probing the scream queen phenomenon that tackles real topics instead of going the easy route with hot tubs and lingering cheesecake shots.

Collum reveals all the actresses interviewed to be intelligent and sensible, something that goes against the popular ideology of the scream queen since the 1980's. Fans should be pleased to see that the public will learn that there's more to their favorite actresses then just good looks - brains too.

Topics range from public perception of their respective personas to enjoyment of the genre that made them famous. Some of the ladies look back on their time with fondness while others seem to have some disdain for where the industry is headed.

Well worth tracking down.

I got this video because my favorite b actress Lilith Stabs is in it but was very disappointed with the coverage given to her by the producer. We are treated at length to Julie Strain pretending she is disgusted at requests for nudity when that is the only reason she has made a name in the scene. Just about every b actress today will drop their clothing to get cast. Lilith Stabs has made it plain in interviews all over the place that she does not do nudity. Perhaps this is a big part of the reason she winds up in crappy productions like Bad Movie Police or Severe Injuries where her roles are small & do not give her a chance to show her natural ability. Her first few movies were tailored to her highly erotic fetish persona & she was fabulous in them. Her looks & body are far superior to any of the whining primadonnas in this production.

I was pleasantly surprised by this feature which was sent to me by a friend who knows I attend a lot of horror cons. Most of the girls I have met at one or other of these outings. It is amazing how how all of them came off so close to what was my impression of them from meeting them. The best I feel were Judith O Dea & Debbie Rochon. You can feel the sincerity in Judith & the endless energy in Debbie. You get a feel for the genuine niceness of Brinke Stevens who always has time for fans. Ariauna Albright comes across as the knowledgeable actress she is & a real person besides. The honest answers by Felisha Rose show her to be a strong woman & Denise Duff is just a pleasure to listen to. Lilith Stabs lived up to her reputation of not really appearing to appreciate anybody asking her anything & seemed to have her mind in some other galaxy. But apart from her all the others came across as really nice down to earth women who are very approachable & first rate performers. A video worth seeing.

This is a documentary that was recommended to me via the algorithms on Tubi. I also didn't realize that I saw it streaming on Screambox as well. What made me pull the trigger is that while watching another doc and this one was brought. Brinke Stevens is the host here as well and it is made by Tempe Entertainment, who also did the Shock Cinema series.

What I like about this documentary even more than the ones I keep referencing is that they have an interesting grouping of scream queens to talk about their experiences getting into making movies, things they've gone through both good and bad while working as well as a vibe of where they think things will go. This last one is more about their individual careers, or at the least, what they're willing to do for it.

We get the likes of Debbie Rochon, Julie Strain, Judith O'Dea, Ariauna Albright, Brandi Burkett, Debra De Liso, Denice Duff, Felissa Rose and Lilith Stabe. Like I've already said, it is interesting to have a cross section like this because Rochon has done upwards of almost 300 films as of writing this. She refuses to do nudity. Then you have Strain who acknowledges she's not a good actor and didn't have the training, but she had no issues with getting naked. That is something I love here is just hearing how all these women were able to work like they have. Some feel they've been taken advantage of, or at least stood up to people that tried to. It is both inspiring and other times heartbreaking.

I'll then finish out with talking about the filmmaking techniques. I did like that this starts with giving us the different topics that will be covered. It then is edited where we'll jump between the different actors, sometimes mirroring similar experiences where others will be the opposite. It does make it feel jumbled at times. There is footage edited in to help show things they're saying, that's a good touch. It just falls a bit short. Still worth a watch if you're a horror fan and interested in learning more about what goes into being a scream queen.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.