Bloodthirsty Announcement and Honoring the Women in Horror
Article by Ray Schillaci
Hey there, girlie ghouls and batty boys, looking for more feminine-centric horror? Brainstorm Media just acquired the U.S. rights to a “female-driven werewolf thriller” entitled Bloodthirsty. Gotta love that title. Amelia Moses (Bleed With Me – Official Entry of Fantasia Fest) directs with the project being conceived and written by a Canadian mother and daughter team Wendy Hill-Tout and singer-songwriter Lowell, known for her writing collaborations with Madison Beer, Hailee Steinfeld and Bülow.
Bloodthirsty had its world premiere as the closing night feature at Virtual Fantastic Fest Celebration 2020. As with director Moses’ last film, Lauren Beatty takes the lead once again, but this time with Greg Bryk from The Handmaid’s Tale and cult favorite Michael Ironside (Scanners, Starship Troopers, Total Recall). The film is scheduled to be released in theaters and VOD April 23, 2021.
This twisted horror tale has a vegan singer-songwriter Grey, played by Beatty, suffering from visions working on her second album with a notorious music producer at his secluded studio deep in the woods. While diving into her work, Grey begins to realize that she is slowly transforming into a voracious beast with an enormous appetite for meat, blood and the thrill of the hunt. This story has great possibilities, plus Lowell has contributed to the original music.
There have been some successful female-centric horror films in the past. That’s not to say they are not welcome to the genre. Some of the most interesting movies have been of this type. The ones that stand out in my mind immediately are Takashi Miike’s Audition, The Stepford Wives (’75), the wonderfully outrageous Death Becomes Her, the quirky and darkly funny Ready or Not, and three excellently odd independent films – Starry Eyes, Teeth, and the coming-of-age werewolf thriller Ginger Snaps that spawned two sequels.
But, the one that really leaves a mark on most people who have seen it is Robert Eggers’ chilling tale of a 1600’s New England family torn apart by black magic and witchcraft, The VVitch. This movie made a star out of Anya Taylor-Joy. So, the idea of of a young female musician, who happens to be vegan, turning to the darker side of her appetite sounds quite promising, especially with the wonderful title, Bloodthirsty.
Come to think of it, in honor of Women’s History Month, here is a list of my favorites in the feminine-centric horror/thriller cateGory, in no particular order:
– Alien/Aliens – In the beginning, Ripley, Sigourney Weaver, appeared to be just another soon-to-be victim. Little did we know what a badass she would end up being as she demonstrated in one of the greatest female fights of all time, going toe-to-toe with a 14+’ Xenomorph Queen.
– Terminator 2 – speaking of badass, Linda Hamilton tears up the screen giving the terminator a run for his money as she practically steals the show from Ah-nold.
– Halloween (2018) – Jamie Lee Curtis also proved she could hold her own with the undying masked killer. She’s come a long way as a scream queen from the ’70s to the no-nonsense, tough-as-nails, elderly Laurie Strode. Curtis came across tougher and smarter than Hamilton in T2.
– The Love Witch – director/writer Anna Biller defies conventionality with her tale of a modern day witch that utilizes spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her. But, the results are far from perfect. Biller mixes a cauldron of horror, comedy and tragedy.
– Midsommar – Florence Pugh emotes grief like you’ve never seen before. Between dealing with a family tragedy and a shithead boyfriend, she finds herself in the worst breakup ever.
– The Babadook – Filmmaker Jennifer Kent traumatizes us with the struggles of single motherhood.
– The Autopsy of Jane Doe – Wait a sec…the title character is dead, and the supporting players are performing her autopsy. But, Jane has so much to reveal. Eerie, frightening, and far more than just another scare flick. This film actually deals with a woman’s trauma.
– The Descent – Remains one of the most nerve-jangling journeys ever caught on film. A group of extreme-sports women venture into an uncharted cavern.
– Raw – Can you stomach it? That’s the question filmmaker Julia Ducournau puts to her audience with this riveting coming-of-age tale involving sexuality, food and consuming. Yeah, that’s right – cannibalism taken to a whole new level.
– Suspiria (’77) – Considered one of the best giallo’s ever made (the remake pales in comparison). Jessica Harper plays an American ballet student joining a German dance academy only to discover brutal murders and a supernatural conspiracy. Directed by renowned director Dario Argento and written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi who would go uncredited as a writer on two other giallo greats, The Black Cat (’89) and Argento’s Inferno.
– Rabid (’77) – David Cronenberg and Ivan Reitman didn’t just give us a young lead woman with a thirst for blood. They gave us a former Ivory Snow Detergent model turned adult film star Marilyn Chambers and made her a legitimate actress with her role of an unfortunate young woman who gets into a motorcycle accident and is subjected to a new type of plastic surgery. Not only does she have a thirst for blood via her armpit (you read this right), Chambers is turning her victims into crazed zombies.
– The Lure – Perhaps the oddest horror musical since The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Agnieszka Smoczyńska weaves this Polish entry with every intention of turning the Hans Christian Anderson tale and the Disney version on its ear. Her two carnivorous mermaid sisters perform at a nightclub as strippers. Both with a taste for men, but one falls in love, complicating matters. Yes, this film is as deliciously weird as it sounds and has to be seen to be believed.
– The Girl With All the Gifts – The world has been overtaken by a parasitic fungus that has turned adults into mindless crazed zombies. But, there is hope within a scientific underground facility housing second generation children that crave the flesh but also have the ability to think and learn. The child, Melanie, will lead the way to the uncertain future.
– Carrie (’76) – How can one not mention one of the best feminine-centric films ever as Stephen King gave Carrie White the strength to blossom, stand up to her mom, become prom queen and then burn it all down. Sissy Spacek will forever be remembered in the iconic role, and her vengeance on John Travolta is extremely sweet.
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