Hellish Views's Favourite Horror Movie Characters - Part 1

Jamie, you convinced me.

Jamie B. insisted I join in creating a list of my top ten(ish) horror movie characters, and so I have! Thank you for the invite, my friend.

Be warned, as usual, possible spoilers ahead.

In no particular order, some of my top horror movie characters include:

Herbert West (Reanimator).

That’s right, Molly’s fave, Herbert West. This dude is just piles upon piles of fucked up and it is hilarious. Somehow both dry and manic, this mad scientist dials every situation up to ten, but generally tries to retain a sense of cool even in the face of carnage. I love how damn weird he is, unapologetically doing whatever he can to achieve his dreams (of reanimating that which should stay sleeping).

Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks).

How I’ve managed to keep myself spoiler-free for the huge amount of Twin Peaks that I’ve yet to see, I’ll never know, but reading Laura’s diary was enough to put her on this list. From her deeply depressing autopsy to the shocking reveal of her killer, we learn a huge amount about this teenage girl, and pretty much all of it is horrible. She’s already a huge fave of mine and I haven’t even seen her living yet. She is truly an Icon and I can only see her going up in my estimations.

Note - almost every other person on TP is also unofficially included in this list.

Sidney Prescott (Scream).

I won’t go on much here, as Jamie has already got this legend covered, but Sidney is The Final Girl. She’s a badass, she’s intelligent, she takes no shit and she survives - I love Sid.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man).

This guy borders on being the campest character ever. He’s both commanding and memorable, but also just straight up silly. You can’t fail to laugh at his antics. Then shit gets deathly serious, and he becomes a terrifying symbol of how easy it is to manipulate the masses. Overall he is a nuanced and, when you dwell on it, quite frightening character.

Rosemary Woodhouse (Rosemary’s Baby).

Again, someone in the worst of circumstances who is clever and super likeable. She never stops trying to figure out what is happening to her, and despite the best efforts of a cultload of nutters she never stops believing that someone is wrong. Rosemary deserves the world.

Eleanor Lance (The Haunting).

Talk about going through it. Eleanor is deeply troubled even before she steps into the hellsite that is Hill House. As a character she is fascinating to watch, and even more so to read. Her strange perception of the world and reality are unique in the extreme, and it is her presence in the narrative that brings such a level of brilliance to it.

Orlando and Valeria Watt (Carry on Screaming).

These two are delightful. They are what I think of when I think of horror. The outfits, the way they deliver their dialogue, just brilliant. Possibly my favourite movie siblings (though Darry and Trish are great too).

Christine (Christine).

Yes, I know she’s a car. God forbid a woman do anything. Jokes aside, Christine is cool as fuck. She doesn’t speak, but when she communicates the message rings loud and clear. Half-ghost, half-demon, this she-devil is beautiful and terrifying. No notes.

Ash Williams (Evil Dead).

Ash is one of the genre’s most iconic heroes. He leaps from semi-normal in the original to thoroughly cracked in the sequels and TV show. He saws dozens of monsters into bits. He spends ninety percent of his life coated in slime and muck. He loves one-liners. He is the perfect flawed action hero, and he is the one and only Ashley J Williams.

Carrieta White (Carrie).

I’ve written a whole lot about Carrie, and for good reason. She suffers endlessly and eventually it drives her homicidal. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t find it in myself to really blame her. She just never had a chance. I think of her at least once a week.

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Right. That’s my first list. I may do another, if there’s interest.

ALSO. My bonus pick is Count Dracula, because in so many iterations he always comes out as the King of Monsters. Seriously, who doesn’t love Dracula? If I write a follow up perhaps we’ll get into why he’s so cool.

As ever, though, thanks for reading,

Until next time,

H.E.

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