Something to Scream About (2003 Video) User Reviews

We're not there for the cash. We're there for the joy.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 24 July 2008]

It was very interesting to see how the Scream Queens got their start in the business. Some by accident, and others because it is easier to get in the film business through horror.

One of the most interesting discussions was on nudity and how they dealt with the call for it in the film. Some would not do it, and others saw it as normal. Debbie Rochon gives a great talk on the subject by explaining how natural it is in Europe. I especially liked the point that we need to quit focusing on 19-year-old bodies, as European actresses do nudity at any age.

The subject of money and exploitation comes up frequently. It is apparent that they are not paid well for these roles. As Rochon said, she can do 25 movies in a year and still not pay all her bills.

It is fascinating to share some time with these beauties and listen to what made them what they are today.

S10 Reviews: Something to Scream About (2003)

[suspiria10 · 7/10 · 6 July 2006]

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.

nothing to scream about, but still worth a watch for fans of the genre

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 5 July 2006]

Do we really need to hear the thoughts and feelings on life from a group of females who's claim to fame is merely the fact that they're aesthetically pleasing to the eye and/or know how to scream rather well? In theory no, it shouldn't be that high on the agenda for someone to watch. However in practice, it is an informative watch that any horror fan will want to watch, if not one to actively go out of your way to seek out. True, some of it MAY be, nay IS a tad pretentious (a constant falling of most, if not all feature length documentaries of any stripe).I'd like to say that it was kept to a bare minimum, but that's not the case. However, that being said, as a horror fan, I still found it interesting. Could the subject matter been handled better? That's debatable, but I'm on the side that it all come out well enough.

My Grade: C+

Where I saw it: Showtime

Enjoyable

[mrmandingo · 8/10 · 19 May 2006]

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.

The best documentary on Scream Queens? Absolutely!

[capkronos · 9/10 · 13 December 2005]

FINALLY a documentary about low-budget horror/exploitation actresses done right. Filmmaker Jason Paul Collum seems more interested in painting an honest picture of the fringe industry, warts and all, and the women who populate it, than doing a simple sugar-coated love letter to the B-movie genre. Part of his success lies in the fact that he seems more interested in exploring the minds and opinions of his interview subjects than their bodies (a place where many other supposed documentaries and genre magazines fail to go). Nine women are interviewed here; from those whose genre career is limited to one or two films to those who are genre mainstays with considerable cult followings. Brinke Stevens is the perfect hostess for this (she also hosted the genre documentary MONSTER & MANIACS back in 1988) and does her job on a simple set with posters from films featuring the interview subjects. The photography, editing and sound are all excellent as the ladies tackle such subjects as racism, sexism, fans, conventions, image, stereotyping, self-image and aging.

I was glad to see veteran Judith O'Dea (Barbara from the touchstone horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) here. She talked with fondness about her NOTLD cult success, the conventions, fans and her stage work and came off as smart, sophisticated, poignant and grateful; a total delight (with an infectious smile). I am happy to see that Judith will be seen in a few new genre pictures, as well. I was also taken back by Ariauna Albright. I'm not well versed in her work or Ariauna as a person, but she was well worth getting to know. She is a great conversationalist; subdued, mature, intelligent, witty, interesting and very knowledgeable about the genre. I plan on seeking out some of her work now. Denice Duff talks about getting started in the business, her cult following after her stint on the SUBSPECIES series and says "We're not in it for the cash, we're in it for the joy." Felissa Rose talks a lot about SLEEPAWAY CAMP, of course, but also about how her Italian background has given her limited mainstream opportunity (a big defense for the independent film community, who welcomed her back with open arms). Lesser known actresses like Debra DeLiso (SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, ICED) and Brandy Burkett (SPM3) seem like an odd choice for this documentary at first (one wonders where Michelle Bauer, Linda Blair and Linnea Quigley were when this was being filmed), but once they start talking you see why Collum chose them. They are both knowledgeable and insightful enough to hold their own against the better-known actresses. Gravel-voiced B star (and former professional dominatrix) Lilith Stabs, who's been in more genre films than DeLiso and Burkett combined, was the least visible of the ladies.

My two favorites on this tape, by far, were Debbie Rochon and Julie Strain. Debbie comes off as intelligent, thoughtful, highly animated (she likes to play with her hair and often seems like she's about to jump out of her seat) and obviously loves acting and says she does what she does for two reasons; the fans and the creative love of the medium. She also has great and well-thought out insights about screen nudity, foreign film actresses vs. American actresses, what a "Scream Queen" really is, how she has to constantly work (25 films in a year!) just to pay the bills and many other subjects. Julie Strain is a very candid person, so I enjoyed listening to her as well. She's funny, knowing, bluntly honesty about her image, her plastic surgery, her skin cancer and her career, frustrated with the industry yet able to look back at it all with a sense of humor... It's amazing seeing a three-dimensional person you almost always see on screen in a one-dimensional stereotype.

There are plenty of stills and great movie clips from films like TERROR FIRMER, SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, NOWHERE MAN, BLOODLETTING, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, HELLBLOCK 13, VAMPIRE RESURRECTION and many other films. There are also several different DVD versions to chose from. The one I saw had many extras, including the short JULIA WEPT from Jason Paul Collum, an interview with Brinke and a featurette "Introducing Lizzy Strain." Another version pairs this with the 1990 documentary SHOCK CINEMA (also hosted by Ms. Stevens). It also pops up in the wee hours of the night on Showtime every once in awhile.

A documentary, not a fluff piece.

[almaric · 16 June 2004]

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.

For any true horror fan!

[bloodletting92 · 10/10 · 3 June 2013]

Something to scream about is a documentary about the lives' of b horror movie scream queens such as Debbie Rochon (Withouse 3 Demon Fire), Ariauna Albright (Bloodletting), Denice Duff (Subspecies 2-4) Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Debra Deliso (Slumber Party Massacre), Brandi Burkett (Slumber Party Massacre 3), Judith O'Dea (Night of the Living Dead) Julie Strain (Heavy Metal 2000) & Lilith Stabs (Bad Movie Police). The documentary covers topics such as working in the industry, the positive and negatives working in the b horror industry, nudity and many more! A must have for any true horror fan to own in his/her DVD shelf. Check it out!

Watch this "scream queen" doc and forget the "scream queen" movies

[lazarillo · 8 July 2006]

At the very top of my list of "Reasons Why the 80's Sucked" is the emergence of the so-called "scream queen" in low-budget horror and genre movies. While there were obviously always pretty girls in horror movies, before the 1980's they were usually either genuinely talented actresses (like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lynn Lowry, Pamela Franklin, or Edwige Fenech),or even when they were talentless bimbos they were at least not the leads but were only there to take their clothes off and then exit stage left. In the 80's though these talentless bimbos (aka "scream queens") not only became lead actresses, but starred in a glut of bad horror movies that were little more than sorry excuses to get them naked. And while some feminists claimed these woman were exploited victims, the real victims were the pimply-faced, hairy-palmed ceiling painters sequestered in their mothers' basements watching these crap movies (not to mention genuine horror movie enthusiasts like myself).

I felt a little bit a schabenfreude therefore watching this doc. and seeing someone like Julie Strain complaining about how pathetic her career has become. It is a statement on the pathetic state of low-budget genre films that someone as talent-free as her ever had a career to begin with. Most of the other actresses in this documentary are much more upbeat if also much more obscure. Denise Duff, for instance, is very cute and apparently not only stars in crap movies but directs them as well. Interestingly, a couple of the actresses profiled (including the colorfully named Lilith Stabs)don't do nude scenes, which doesn't necessarily mean they are talented or that their movies are any good, but it's interesting. Curiously, this documentary shies away from showing any nude scenes, which is admirable I guess since it makes it a more serious and less exploitative work; still it would have been nice if they had shown some of these actresses nude if for no other reason than it might save some poor slobs from having to sit through their movies.

I also admired the candor of this documentary. This is is the first time, for instance, I've ever heard "scream queens" admit that some of their male fans are stalkers (frankly I can't imagine why anybody BUT a seriously deranged stalker would want to watch some of these movies). It was also fairly non-judgmental--it was not exploitative but also didn't have a feminist ax to grind. It let some of the actresses (like the aforementioned Strain) make an ass of themselves, but it was neither mean-spirited nor was it an advertisement/apology for the whole scream queen phenomenon. Watch this mildly interesting "scream queen" doc., and forget about the "scream queen" movies.

Not Impressed

[gothluver · 8 July 2006]

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.

Good Documentary

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

Something to Scream About (2003)

*** (out of 4)

Brinke Stevens hosts this documentary that takes a look at various Scream Queens as we hear their stories on how they got into the business, their thoughts on what is required of them, their fans and of course their thoughts on the films themselves. Those interviewed include Stevens, Julie Strain, Judith O'Dea, Lilith Stabs, Debra DeLiso and Felissa Rose.

If you're a fan of these Scream Queens then you'll certainly want to check this documentary out. Running just over a hour, the documentary does a pretty good job at covering a wide range of topics including the stuff I mentioned but also that subject of nudity, which is one major thing that runs through a lot of horror movies.

The film features some fun interviews including the stuff with Rose and O'Dea who are of course best known for their roles in SLEEPAWAY CAMP and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Both of them tell some great stories about seeing those films for the first time as well as what they did after those movies.

The film certainly would have been better had it been a bit more detailed. At just 65-minutes the film is obviously rather short and to the point but a bit more details would have been nice. Even with that said, the film is still very much worth watching if you're a fan of the actresses.