Given man's unwavering fascination with woman, it's no surprise that the female star acts as the anchor to a dominant portion of horror pictures. I mean really, who wants to see a bare chested man tearin ass through the woods screaming at the top of his lungs while a bladed assailant nips at his heels? I don't - I know that much, although I'm certain there are plenty of men who would disagree (and that's okay with me, to each his own!). The simple fact remains however, women bring a unique appeal and certain sensual atmosphere to film that no man ever could. And it's not all about gratuitous T&A. 
50. Ami Dolenz: Still hard at work these days, Ami may always be remembered as one of the 90's most prolific scream queens. During her stint as screamstress Ami landed key roles in such films as PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS, WITCHBOARD 2: THE DEVIL'S DOORWAY, INFESTED, and CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, amongst others.
49. Winona Ryder: While Winona hasn't invested much time in the genre as of late, horror fans like myself will always carry fond memories of the quirky Lydia Deetz of BEETLEJUICE. Factor in quality performances in such works as BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and it's apparent Winona is rightfully deserving of a place on this list.
48. Fairuza Balk: Fairuza got her start in the early 80's, but didn't really crash into the horror landscape until the mid 90's when she was cast as lead bad girl Nancy Downs in THE CRAFT. She appeared in the shaky THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU remake, and recently appeared in Larry Cohen's excellent MASTERS OF HORROR offering PICK ME UP.
47. Nancy Loomis: While Nancy's résumé may not be the beefiest in the biz, she's landed a few roles that will be remembered for decades to come. And in truth, she owes that to John Carpenter, who cast Nancy in multiple pictures including cult classics THE FOG, HALLOWEEN, and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.
46. Juliette Lewis: Juliette may spend a good chunk of her time kicking ass on stage with The Licks these days, but long before carving her way in the world of rock, Juliette was busy thrilling horror fans around the globe. Amongst her many genre appearances, CAPE FEAR, KALIFORNIA, NATURAL BORN KILLERS and FROM DUSK TILL DAWN remain serious fan favorites today. 
45. PJ Soles: PJ's rebellious swagger and pleasant looks landed her an assortment of genre work throughout the 1970's. In her prime Soles landed gigs such as CARRIE, HALLOWEEN, BLOOD BATH, and THE POSSESSED. Time has been kind to Soles however, as she's continued to flaunt her (matured) good looks throughout the years adding such films as INNOCENT PREY, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS and ALONE IN THE DARK II to her already impressive ledger. 
44. Sheri Moon Zombie: Mrs. Rob Zombie is pretty much Mrs. Horror. With the exception of a single episode of CALIFORNICATION, Sheri Moon has stuck to the horror genre exclusively. Her credits include both HALLOWEEN reboots, THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS.
43. Kate Beckinsale: This brunette bombshell has appeared in an assortment of high quality genre offerings as of late. Most noteworthy are VACANCY, The UNDERWORLD pictures and my own guilty pleasure: VAN HELSING. A fourth UNDERWORLD film looks to be in the works.
42. Vampira: The 50's just wouldn't be the same if not for 'the worst film of all time' PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. The hokey invasion flick shot by the infamous Ed Wood is now one of most recognized films ever made. Vampira herself deserves a bit of credit for that, as the image of the films curvy villainous still remains synonymous with the picture itself. Even flops produce icons.
41. Susan Sarandon: Here's another beauty who earns herself a spot on this list as a result of landing an iconic gig. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW may be one of Susan's only trips to the dark side (and it's obviously not a pure horror film), but I'll be damned if Janet Weiss (yes, that was intentional) isn't one of the most memorable heroines to ever grace the big screen.
40. Piper Laurie: Perhaps best remembered as Margaret White in CARRIE, has never really ventured far from the beaten path. Over the years she's done work for such television shows as THE TWILIGHT ZONE and TWIN PEAKS, while she's also squeezed in a few feature length pictures such as Dario Argento's TRAUMA, Dean Koontz's INTENSITY and Robert Rodriguez's THE FACULTY.
39. Angie Dickinson: With arguably more classic pictures under her belt than anyone else on this entire list, Angie Dickinson deserves a nod for GP alone. Factor in the legendary Brian De Palma picture DRESSED TO KILL, and THE NORLISS TAPES and a number 39 ranking is irrefutable, unless of course you vie for higher positioning.
38. Kari Wuhrer: Kari's been invading terror territory since the early 90's when she popped up in BEASTMASTER 2, and enjoyed a 10 episode run on the SWAMP THING television show. Kari continued her assault on the genre with appearances in THINNER, ANACONDA, EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, THE HITCHER II, HELLRAISER: DEADER, yeah, I could keep goin'?
37. Famke Janssen: While Famke may end up best remembered as the beautiful mutant Jean Grey from the hugely successful X-MEN trilogy, she's contributed quite a bit to the horror genre. The former model played key roles in Clive Barker's LORD OF ILLUSIONS, DEEP RISING, THE FACULTY, the HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake, HIDE AND SEEK, and most recently 100 FEET.
36. Natasha Henstridge: This prototypical Scream Queen burst onto the scene with the creepy alien flick SPECIES back in 1995. Since then she's had a hand in the first two SPECIES sequels, ADRENALIN: FEAR THE RUSH, and John Carpenter's often overlooked, but enjoyable GHOSTS OF MARS. 
35. Alice Krige: Often cast in the shoes of the antagonist, Alice Krige has made a fine career chilling genre fans. An early appearance in STEPHEN KING'S SLEEPWALKERS may not have won Alice any major awards (it did earn her notice at the 1992 Fantafestival), but it sure did lead to more horrific (I mean that in a good way) roles. THE CALLING, REIGN OF FIRE, STAY ALIVE and SILENT HILL are amongst her better works.
34. Marilyn Burns: While Marilyn may only have half a dozen films on her résumé, five out of six are horror, and one happens to be the legendary Tobe Hooper picture THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. Marilyn would reunite with Hooper three years after the making of TCSM for the directors third picture EATEN ALIVE, and later revisit the TCSM franchise with a cameo in THE RETURN OF THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
33. Barbara Crampton: Ahhhh, it all started with RE-ANIMATOR. It didn't end there however; Barbara's remained close to the genre all these years appearing in CHOPPING MALL, FROM BEYOND, and PUPPETMASTER in the 80's. TRANCERS II, CASTLE FREAK and a series of Sci-Fi work followed in the 90's. Most recently, Barbara showed up in the indie chiller THE SISTERHOOD. Look for Barbara to come full circle next year, as she's slated to appear in the upcoming HOUSE OF RE-ANIMATOR.
32. Jennifer Jason Leigh: Ms. Leigh has been a staple of the horror genre since the 80's when she was cast as Nash in the classic THE HITCHER. She's since appeared in BURIED ALIVE, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, David Cronenberg's EXISTENZ and the criminally under-appreciated THE JACKET.
31. Betsy Palmer: Betsy's been a cinematic regular since the 50's, but horror fans will likely always remember her best as the demented child murdering Pamela Voorhees of FRIDAY THE 13TH. While the role, which she reprised her FRIDAY role in flashback sequences on multiple occasions, she also appeared in THE FEAR: RESSURECTION, and BELL WITCH: THE MOVIE.
30. Meg Foster: The prolific Meg Foster has had quite a dynamic career. If you can think of a genre of film, she's been cast - horror of course included. Among Meg's noteworthy genre appearances are THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, John Carpenter's THEY LIVE, LEVIATHAN, and one of the greatest sequels the genre's produced STEPFATHER II. 
29. Jennifer Connelly: Jennifer's horror ledger stretches quite farther than some may realize. PHENOMENA, WITCHCRAFT V: DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, DARK CITY, 9 and the late Jim Henson's LABYRINTH are just a few of the quality genre pieces Jennifer has had a hand in.
28. Adrienne King: Here we have the greatest heroine to completely disappear from cinema. Why King chose to steer away from film is unknown to me personally, but I can say she was absolutely brilliant in FRIDAY THE 13TH. Too bad her survival came to an abrupt halt in the early frames of FRIDAY's first sequel. Fans can look forward to a long awaited genre return as King stars in the upcoming WALKING DISTANCE, which also features genre favorites Debbie Rochon and Reggie Bannister.
27. Asia Argento: Daughter of famed Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, Asia has appeared in a slew of quality chillers dating back to the mid 80's. DEMONS 2, 3, TRAUMA, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and LAND OF THE DEAD highlight a still growing résumé crammed with genre offerings. 
26. Hazel Court: If Jamie Lee Curtis was horror's Queen of the late 70's/early 80's - then the 50's/60's clearly belonged to Hazel Court. GHOST SHIP, DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE RAVEN, and THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH mark just a few of Hazel's frightening features.
“Mother of Tears,” the final installment of Dario Argento’s witch trilogy, lifts the horror genre to the most supreme artistic height. This movie just might scare the crap out of you. It gets into your head and pushes your eyeballs out from the inside.
Asia Argento is superb as Sarah, the lead character. It thrills me that she is such a balls-out kind of actress, and I enjoy her in everything she does (particularly “Transylvania,” not a horror film, but excellent). In the DVD extras, she talks about how she is the princess of horror, and it’s true, but not just by birth. The movie starts with Sarah doubting the supernatural world, looking at artifacts through the eyes of science. Little does she know, these relics bring the Mother of Tears, the third, and most terrible witch, into power. As Sarah finds herself trapped by fate, she must not only accept it, but also somehow defeat it. There is innocence and beauty in her reactions as the world falls apart.
The mother (Moran Atias) is amazingly cast. She is gorgeous and brutal, never so much as when she licks the tears off a suffering woman’s cheek. Women are something to be feared, and their sensitivity makes these witches more awful. They go after the things that are cherished: love, tenderness, and youth. Oh yes, children die in this movie. Several, in fact. However, Argento repulses you without making you completely break down over it.
There is so much to say about Argento’s films. I’m not here to write a thesis, so I’ve restrained myself. “Mother of Tears” is, like “Suspiria,” truly unnerving, beautiful, eerie, and deeply affecting. This is no fluff, nor does Argento ever resort to cheap scares. Instead, he invites you to follow him into the depths of fear and revolt. Go with him. And when you come back, kiss someone you love.
The votes have been compiled and counted, and the readers have spoken: Its time to announce the winners in our poll of the best horror films and filmmakers of 2008, as well as how the runners-up placed. Elaborating on our report in FANGORIA #285 (on sale now), heres a complete rundown of how the nominees ranked, in descending order, with write-ins also acknowledged (and dont worry, fans, well get to MARTYRS and DEADGIRL next year!):
BEST WIDE-RELEASE FILM
And what a lineup we've got at the 62nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival this year! Let's dive right in. As previously announced, Pete Docter's 3D Pixar flick "Up" will open the festival and screen out of competition. The festival will open its doors May 13 and will run through May 24. The closing film will be Jan Kounen's "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky."
Here are the films fighting for the top prizes: Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds," Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock," Ken Loach's "Looking for Eric," Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," Gaspar Noe's "Enter the Void," Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" (Los Abrazos Rotos), Jane Campion's "Bright Star," Tsai Ming-Liang's "Visage," Alain Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles," and Johnnie To's "Vengeance."
Also screening in competition are "Fish Tank" by Andrea Arnold, "Vincere" by Marco Bellocchio, "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo" by Isabel Coixet, "The White Ribbon" (Das Weisse Band" by Michael Haneke, "Un Prophete" by Jacques Audiard, "A L'Origine" by Xavier Giannoli, "Kinatay" by Brillante Mendoza, "The Time That Remains" by Elia Suleiman, and "Bak-JWI" by Park Chan-Wook.
The feature film jury this year will be presided by Isabelle Huppert. Also on-board are Asia Argento, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Lee Chang-Dong, James Gray, Hanif Kureishi, Shu Qui and Robin Wright Penn.
