Mom’s to Die For
Article written by Marc Patterson and Annie Riordan
With Mother’s Day upon us we thought we’d take a moment to stroll down memory lane and look at a few of our favorite mothers gone wild in horror cinema. After all, what horror fanatic’s Mother’s Day weekend would be complete without at least one screening celebrating the dark side of motherhood?
Marc’s Roundup
Mother’s Day
You can’t start a roundup of Mother’s Day films without making a nod to the one film with the same name as. Charles Kaufman (Lloyd Kaufman’s brother) directs this low budget (and highly nasty) hack n’ slash fest, brought to us courtesy of Tromaville. A group of college buddies take to the woods for a weekend of camping and partying, only to encounter a slightly crazy family helmed by a psychotic mother. A classic 80’s bit of cinema that should be seen at least once in your life.
Inside
Inside is a French thriller that will have you pinned to your seat in suspense. Nothing should be feared more than the rage of a mother. You mess with the cubs, and the momma tiger will unleash a furious rage upon you like nothing you have ever seen. Inside is an engaging story featuring a satisfying twist and buckets upon buckets of blood and gore. This film only solidifies the fact that the French have more going for them than just nude beaches.
Psycho
To say that Norman Bates had a “mommy complex” might be a massively gross understatement. Blackmail, plot twists, and the infamous Bates Motel create a film that has not only stood the test of time, but has also become textbook for how to construct a horror film. Psycho is the original American slasher, and shame on you if you haven’t seen it. It’s not only classic in every sense of the word, its essential viewing as Hitchcock laid down the framework for every slasher film that has since come on the market.
The Girl Next Door
This film will linger in your senses for days afterwards. Featuring one of the most base and purely evil mothers to have ever seen film, The Girl Next Door is wretched and glorious in every way. Without question this is a must see film, but be forewarned, it features more than one uncomfortable scene, and just when you think the line can’t be pushed further, the line finds itself annihilated. It swiftly moves you along to the deepest levels of hell on earth.
Serial Mom
John Waters, the undeniable master of camp, combines his wonderful sense of offbeat and perverse humor with a tale of a Beverly Sutphin (played by the always lovely Kathleen Turner), a homemaker that would make June Cleaver proud. She’s not as perfect as it would seem though, and knocking off neighbors who don’t live up to her scrupulous standards become a matter of comedic, if not horrific, delight! This Mother’s Day we can all be thankful this cinematic gem has once again found its way to DVD. Loaded with more extras than ever before, it’s a package well worth adding to the collection.
Friday the 13th Part One
Oh, how could this classic slash fest not make the list? Sure, you all thought Jason was bad, but folks, Jason didn’t even make his first appearance ‘til the second film. No, it was Mommy dearest who dunnit, (and to any self respecting fan surely this is no spoiler). Dark and tense, it’s certainly the best in the entire series, and you have to respect the fact that this film broke loose all the rules for the slasher.
Annie’s Roundup:
Masters of Horror: The Fair Haired Child
Is it possible to love your only child TOO much? Well yeah…if you’re the mother of the Fair Haired Child, that is! Kidnapped schoolgirls, pacts with Satan and gruesome eviscerations combine with innocence and true love to make this angsty episode of Masters Of Horror seem like the grimmest of Grimm’s Fairy Tales!
Carrie
Carrie’s been physically and psychologically abused by her Jesus Freak momma and relentlessly teased by her classmates all her life. Too bad no one knew she had a talent for telekinesis, which she unleashes in a fit of rage at the senior prom! The ultimate Cinderella story, with a dark and horrific twist. Cringe along with Carrie to a bloody, fiery climax you’ll not soon forget! A true revenge classic.
Aliens
Two mothers battle to the death to protect their young. One is Ripley, the only survivor from the first Alien flick, determined to protect an orphaned girl. The other is a 13 foot tall alien bitch queen with an egg sack full of slimy offspring. This high-powered, ass kicking action flick proves once and for all that Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned, indeed!
Dead Alive
A devoted son tries to care for his overbearing mother. Unfortunately, she’s a highly contagious zombie who is turning the population of their small town into a gooey army of the undead! Peter Jackson shoves the guts and gore down your throat until you’re choking on it…but you’ll never stop laughing. Zombie babies, zombie sex and a kung-fu priest kicking ass for the LAWD are among the many highlights to be found in this excellent zombedy from New Zealand!
