We are experiencing a golden era for the horror genre. Horror dominates the theater, and countless classics are getting remade for a new audience. Also, horror is taking over television. Just look at the past few years: The Walking Dead, Dexter, The Following, Hannibal, Bates Motel, True Blood, Being Human, American Horror Story, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil…

And if you think horror stops there, it’s in our video games, literature, music. Yes, horror has permeated just about every aspect of our entertainment.

Where would the genre be without women in horror films? The history between women and the horror industry is long, and the list of women in horror films who’ve made an impact is long: Jamie Lee Curtis, Debbie Rochon, Janet Leigh, Betsy Palmer, Heather Langenkamp, Brinke Stevens, Marilyn Burns, P.J. Soles, Lynn Lowry… and the list could go on. However, those are just some of the classics.

With a renaissance, comes an influx of new influencers. In this case, a new batch of women in horror who are making a name for themselves while delivering captivating and blood-curdling performances.

So, without further ado, here are the 15 Most Memorable Women In Horror Films – 2013 Edition:

No.15 Manuela Velasco

About Manuela Velasco

Primarily known for her role as Angela in [Rec], Velasco made quite a name for herself by starring in what would go on to be one of the best horror series in recent memory. Unfortunately, she hasn’t done anything major in the past few years and doesn’t seem to have much planned in the future. Still, her awesome performance earns her a spot on the list.

No.14 Sheri Moon Zombie

About Sheri Moon Zombie

Sheri Moon Zombie may have gotten her start because of her husband, Rob Zombie, and she may have never had aspirations of being an actress, but that doesn’t mean the unwitting scream queen is without talent. Her body of work includes a number of music video appearances for Rob (also Prong and Black Label Society), which then led to the big screen. Her debut role was in Rob’s House of 1000 Corpses, but her portrayal of Deborah Myers in the Halloween remakes (I and II), is without a doubt her strongest yet, cementing her in the annals of horror legend. We are excited to see her turn in Rob Zombie’s latest contribution to horror, The Lords of Salem, in which Moon plays Heidi Hawthorne, a radio DJ who plays an unsolicited record and unleashes something unholy in the process.

No.13 Morjana Alaoui

About Morjana Alaoui

Alaoui costarred alongside Jampanpoi in the film Martyrs. While the first half of the film deals primarily with Jampanpoi’s character, Lucie, the second half and resolution are all completely played out through Alaoui’s character, Anna. Alaoui faced a lot of the same challenges as her costar, and then some. Anyone who has seen the film knows how brutally the movie ends and it’s difficult to picture anyone else playing Anna. While Alaoui is also heavily into dramatic roles, she does have an interesting sci-fi film in the works called Scintilla!

No.12 Gretchen Lodge

About Gretchen Lodge

Gretchen Lodge made a pretty significant splash with her portrayal of Molly in Lovely Molly. While the movie itself got somewhat mixed reviews, I personally enjoyed it. And Lodge received almost universal praise for playing the unhinged title character. With her upcoming film, Stalker, set to release later this year, it will be interesting to see if she brings the same intensity as before.

No.11 PollyAnna McIntosh

About PollyAnna McIntosh

Feral people are becoming a widely explored topic in horror film. The release of Mama in mainstream theaters really opened up the doors of possibility. It was a small movie called The Woman, however, that first got me interested in the topic. The film is a horror that borders on very dark comedy. McIntosh plays the title character, a feral woman who is captured by a family. McIntosh brings such a creepy life to the role that it’s hard to believe she’s acting and not really from the woods. Few people can pull off that kind of feat and I am very interested to see if she does another horror film in the future.

Hit the jump to continue reading…

Top 10: Action Heroes Who Could Become Expendables!

The Expendables 2, Sylvester Stallone’s latest ode to the glory days of the action genre, is fast approaching. Whether or not the movie ends up as nothing more than a wistful look back at the action heroes’ ’80s/’90s heyday or as a modern classic of the guys-and-guns genre will be decided on August 17th. Meanwhile, your faithful reviewer thought it might be a good time to dust off some of the lesser-known icons of action movies. I’m talking about the also-rans, the bench warmers, the not ready for prime time players relegated to eternal B-movie stardom.

Some of the men (and one woman) on this list could have been contenders. Nowadays, most of their movies are decorating the bottom of the bargain bin at your local video store. Still, a few of these action heroes may yet surprise us with an appearance in a future Expendables franchise entries. After all, Stallone plucked Fist Of The North Star actor Gary Daniels from relative obscurity for a small role in the first Expendables. And with the Italian Stallion quickly running out of big screen action movie veterans to throw at audiences, it might be time for him to scrape the bottom of the barrel. (Let’s face it, the only big name he’s yet to enlist is Steven Seagal and I’d bet my two front teeth he’s bound to show up in the next installment as an overweight, country singing Buddhist dictator who dispatches his foes with illegal chiropractor moves.)

“This may sting a little…”

Gird your loins, my faithful Yellers, TheMatt is back after a long absence to titillate your senses with another one of his famous top 10 lists! [Editor’s Note: Under no circumstances should you allow TheMatt to titillate you. We tried it once. Our nipples are still sore.]

Welcome to Yell! Magazine’s Top 10 Action Heroes That Could Become Expendables!

No.10 Mark Dacascos

Claim to fame: Considerable.

Starting with the highest profile member of our club, Dacascos has the distinction of being one of the few entries on this list with movies that had wide theatrical releases, as opposed to wide sections of video store shelves to call home. His filmography runs the gamut from video games (Wing Commander IV) to his long-running stint as host of Iron Chef to his part in the acclaimed French movie Brotherhood Of The Wolves, in which he dressed like Jack Sparrow for some reason.

“Hiiiiiiii… Yaaaaaarr!”

He also showed up in a role on Doogie Howser, MD of all things. In which he no doubt coached Neal Patrick Harris on the finer points of Capoiera on the way to defeating the Cobra Kai dojo at the All Valley Karate Tournament. Or am I getting my martial arts movies mixed up? Anyway! Dacascos’ recent direct-to-video output has been slowed by his Iron Chef gig (not to mention a stint on Dancing With The Stars) but it looks like he’s started up again with upcoming flicks like Trial Of Arms and To Have And To Hold. (Which sounds really wimpy. It should be renamed “To Have And To Choke Hold”).

Potential Expendables 3 Role: Pair him with Jet Li for an awesome fight scene! The duo already sparred in the awful Craddle 2 The Grave, the second inexplicable attempt at pairing Li with an American rapper. Let’s give audiences a more memorable clash this time.

No.9 Loren Avedon

Claim To Fame: Beating the snot out of Billy Blanks for all those damn Tae-Bo tapes!

Let’s get this out of the way: Avedon is a terrible thespian. Between bouts of constant smirking at the camera he likes to overact with the ferocity of 10 William Shatner’s devouring the scenery after a long hunger strike. I dare you to watch the following clip and not have your faith in humanity struck down instantly by the laughable attempt at emoting around the 5:30 mark.

Immortalized in our Top 10 B-Movies list, King of The Kickboxers, might not be in the same category as “things you can point to on your resume with pride,” but few can argue against its standing out as one of the greatest direct-to-video martial arts movies ever made. The Thunderdome-style match at the conclusion of King Of The Kickboxers is legendary and Avedon would often train for six months in preparation for a role, as he did for No Retreat, No Surrender 3. Granted, he could have sneaked in some acting classes in between sparring sessions, but at least he’s left behind a filmography filled with exciting fight sequences.

Potential Expendables 3 Role: The Expendables are hired to take out a renegade group of Tae Bo instructors. They’ll need an expert…

“And that’s for Tae Bo Intensity! And this one’s for Tae Bo Boot Camp!”

Expendable action heroes continues after the jump…

Let’s be honest here, would you not rather see an angry bride holding a friggin’ chainsaw as a weapon? Well, I know some of you may disagree with me on this, but judge until you check out her picture gallery above.

As you may or may not know, she currently stars as Clara “the bride” in [REC] 3 Génesis, which is the third installment of the ever-popular [REC] series. The film is scheduled for release by Magnet on VOD Thursday, August 2nd, and in select theaters starting September 7th.

Remember her name, Leticia Dolera, and don’t forget to share this picture gallery with your fiends.

[REC] 3 Génesis Red Band Trailer

[REC] 3 Génesis Synopsis

Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be running smoothly and the bride and groom and their families are enjoying a wonderful day, that is until some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the
middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. Amidst the chaos, Koldo and Clara become separated and begin a desperate search for each other. What started off as an idyllic day quickly descends into a nightmare of the worst kind…

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The whole premise of Raze is Battle Royale: The Estrogen edition.

“Raze focuses on 2 abducted women and 50 other women who are forced to fight each other using their bare hands, all for the sadistic enjoyment of an elite, voyeuristic society that follows one rule — ‘Fight or Die.’”

It sounds like there might be a touch of Hostel thrown in there for inspiration too, eh? Also joining the cast for this femme fatale film are Tracie Thoms (Grindhouse: Death Proof), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), and Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy), among others. The film will be directed and produced by Josh C. Waller, with a script from Robert Beaucage.

Check out the site here, and don’t forget to follow Raze on Twitter at RazeTheMovie – they’ve been having some killer giveaways via Twitter, and it sounds like their Facebook page might be worth your “like” too.

RAZE The Movie

Yell! Magazine’s Halloween week is kicking off pretty good so far with articles we hope you are enjoying. TheMatt started it up with his list of scary video games to play, Evil Argento brought us tips in the makeup department, and Jamie Lee introduced you to some horror classics that you must see before you die. Things are moving just fine here. Do you really see any employee problems at the moment?

TheMatt and NoFaceNorm can burn in hell this Halloween… MUAHAHAHAHA!

Except for those two guys mentioned above, who will be dealt with unimaginable pain in just a few more days, our previous means of measure wasn’t working efficiently enough, and it’s time to bring out the pendulum, guys!

Now onto our list of the Top 10 Most Memorable Women in Horror. Can we really move on this Halloween without honoring some of the top actresses who have either scared the living crap out of us or have simply showed us something to desire in horror films? Hell no!

So, to start off the list at the Number 10 spot is Cécile De France, who bumped off our original choice, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, for not living up to a similar role set out by Kurt Russell in The Thing prequel. Tons of other female actress could have made the list, so feel free to leave your top choice in the comment section below.

No.10 Cécile De France

Haute Tension (2003)

Cécile De France

Cécile De France, the talented French actress born in Belgium who was once named one of Europe’s “Shooting Stars” by the European Film Promotion, landed her first notorious horror role as the protagonist in Alexandre Aja’s Haute Tension. You could also call this film the Fight Club of horror for having a similarly twisted ending where Marie (Cécile De France) attempts to save her college friend from a maniac that killed her family in brutal fashion before the ending revealed that Marie is really the murderer. Why you ask? For her love, and desire to be left alone with Alex (her college friend). Now that’s incredibly hot if you ask me! Beyond the main plot of the film, we see great scene’s with Marie, a memorable masturbation moment (most likely thinking about Alex), and a bloody fight for life against her persona (the psychopathic killer) set in her deep dark mind.

Cécile De France carries herself through as Marie like a pro in every suspenseful moment in the film, making herself comparable to a young Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween. Although in real life she prefers thrillers to horrors, Haute Tension delivers everything you could ask for in a modern horror: gore, suspense, and unnerving sound design. She has a spot in our hearts, and deserves to be on this list of memorable women in horror among many others.

Personal Quote:

“I prefer thrillers, but when it’s thriller/horror I like it. The gore is not very important to me, I prefer suspense. But I like dark films.”

No.9 Jessica Harper

Suspiria (1977)

Jessica Harper

The godfather of Italian Giallo films, Dario Argento, had Jessica Harper star as Suzy Bannion in one of the scariest movies ever made, Suspiria. While the film is still labeled as a glossy horror film for its ravishing visual performance, it still contains all the gory trademarks of Dario Argento, like close ups on wounds, never-ending stabbings in the first-person point of view, and the strangest occurrence of deaths — all combined with a chilling ambiance created by Goblin (an Italian progressive rock band).

It may sound like I’m glamorizing the film too much at this point… it really should be about Jessica Harper, and why she ranked in at number 9 on this list, but all those elements about the film are as damn great as her performance. It’s actually pretty hard to describe how great she was because she was so seemless in Suspiria, blending in with the same fear you faced as a viewer of the film (a goal successfully achieved by Argento). She also brought additional beauty, and aesthetics to the picture when she had to face the terrifying coven of witches.

If only Suspiria had a more promising ending, and mainstream success like The Exorcist did. Jessica Harper would have ranked in much higher.

No.8 Patricia Tallman

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Patricia Tallman

[In a creepy voice (CV)]:: “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!”
Barbara: “Stop it! You’re ignorant!”
(CV): “They’re coming for you, Barbara!”
Barbara: “Stop it! You’re acting like a child!”
(CV): “They’re coming for you!”

As annoying as that was for Barbara, I sure as hell had a kick out of it, and I continued to pursue it on a few of my dates. It didn’t get me laid, but what the heck, it was going nowhere anyways, and I still felt VICTORIOUS afterward. Thank you Mr. Romero! I’m sure you experienced the same situations. You’re probably asking this question “Dude, why aren’t you featuring the original Barbara?” Well, it’s an easy answer: TheMatt (one of our favorite writers) has a sexual fetish for redheads. If we didn’t include her on our list of the most memorable women in horror, we would all have to face his hissy fit for weeks to come, and you’d have to endure his incessant bitching and moaning in his articles. Trust me! You don’t want TheMatt interfering with your daily time on the Interwebs.

Anyway, Patricia Tallman was hot for the role, or possibly too hot. Wait a minute, did I just say that! I’m a guy who craves titties night and day. You can never be too hot to star in a zombie horror. As weak as her character was at the very beginning, when she first realized the circumstance that was happening with the dead, her role quickly made a u-turn when she had to face the zombies one on one with a rifle in the climax of Night of the Living Dead. Patricia Tallman lived up to the original actress as well as beating out Jessica Harper, and Cécile De France on this list because zombies are much more frightening than witches and a dyke who craves pussy. C’mon, if you don’t agree, just have a second look at that picture, doesn’t she look badass enough?

No.7 Natasha Henstridge

Species (1995)

Natasha Henstridge

Natasha Henstridge was an easy choice for our list of the most memorable women in horror considering she was the cause of an outbreak of premature ejaculation in the mid ’90s with all the boys who snuck in to see Species during the opening week. I guess I was one of them, and at the age of 14 it didn’t take much for a rapid fire.

Species was famous for its sexual content and simplistic story that called on Henstridge to star as Sil, a genetically engineered alien/human hybrid who breaks free from captivity while also discovering her instinct to mate. Let’s just say it didn’t take much for the marketing team over at MGM to think up ways to sell the film. Species earned $113 million at the box office, making it an instant hit. For an acting debut, the blonde bombshell was instantly recognized as a sex symbol in mainstream horror cinema, landing her future roles in a Species sequel, alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in Maximum Risk, and another horror/sci-fi by legendary director John Carpenter called Ghost of Mars.

What’s not to like about Natasha Henstridge? Being one of the sexiest creatures in horror history lands her the number 7 spot in the most memorable women in horror.

Find out who’s the most memorable women in horror after the jump…

Luc Besson’s gotten some flak from his contemporaries for adopting a decidedly American approach to dishing out mass-produced movie magic. Frenetic editing, over-the-top set pieces and dialogue copied and pasted from “Plot Moving for Dummies” are some very important tools that he keeps at his disposal. Every time he feels like making a cool six figures, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a handful of miscellaneous clichés, throws them at a wall, and makes a movie out of whatever happens to stick. And you know what? Sometimes it works.

Previous works Leon (also known as The Professional) and Unleashed both contained a cornucopia of ass kicking, yet both managed to hold their own with regard to style and substance.

Taken, The Transporter series, Kiss of the Dragon, and Banlieu 13 all moved in the opposite direction – total B-movies that don’t really try to fool anyone. They rush along with a dynamic sense of kinetic energy and rest on a solid foundation of nothing but bad-assery. You can’t help but love them for what they are because any obvious plot holes or other structural flaws are made up for through some awesome choreography and plenty of broken legs. Colombiana tries to fit itself into this second category but – well, we’ll get into that in a moment.

Our story begins with a young Cataleya (Amandla Stenberg) living the good life in Bogotá, when her parents are suddenly wiped out by Marco (Jordi Mollà): Colombian Crime lord and Gerard Butler look-a-like. After being traumatized by her encounter with parental genocide, she is provided with a home and mentor figure in her uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis), a former hitman who teaches her the art of shooting-people-in-the-face. After aging gracefully into a lithe and tanned Zoe Saldana, she makes it her life’s goal to smoke out Marco through a series of vigilante murders where she affectionately never fails to leave her calling card; a painting of a cattleya.

"Should I die, be sure to avenge me. It'll give you something to do if you're bored."

What follows are a couple of bland kills, a lot of bland characters, and a hearty helping of unintentional hilarity. The moment you come to the awareness that Cataleya’s dear-old uncle Emilio is essentially some kind of low-tier George Lopez, YOU WILL NOT UNSEE.

Where Colombiana seems to fail is that it tries to be a B-movie (and I use the word “tries” very loosely), but something about it just doesn’t work. Don’t get me wrong, I have a strange attraction to women who can kick my ass, but Zoe Saldana is less than convincing in her portrayal of a bad-ass killing machine. Maybe it’s just me, but it might be the fact that she looks like she could be obliterated by something as gentle as a passing breeze. Watch any trailer where she’s holding guns that should weigh twice as much as she does, and just try to assure yourself otherwise. If you don’t have access to a trailer, just imagine Jason Statham doing what he does best, except that he’s been on a four-year juice fast.

Because the suspension of disbelief here borders on “forget about science,” you’re left with an action movie devoid of any authentic action, which is further obscured by too many quick cuts.

"This gun is very heavy."

And it’s not like we haven’t seen all this before, but done better. The whole “hot girl delivers the pain” motif has been handled with much more effort and care in La Femme Nikita, Kill Bill, and Hanna. You can probably name a whole lot more right off the top of your head, so why bother with this hackneyed example of patchwork? Perhaps it’s the slow-to-medium speed of the pacing, maybe it’s the forgettable characters, or it could even be the same recycled, unhinged crime lord that seems to haunt all of Besson’s screenplays, but there’s just something about this film that doesn’t grip you like it should. It’s a pity too, because Zoe Saldana can definitely act, and there’s no doubt that she has screen presence, but she’s given absolutely nothing to work with here.

"I see potentially dead people."

The Verdict: 2 out of 5 stars

It’s a shame that a potential opportunity for more sexy-catsuit skull cracking wound up so outright boring, because you can imagine just how good this could have been instead. Aside from the last kill being pretty damn cool, the majority of assassinations are just one big contrived coincidence, or the target himself was too dumb to live in the first place. If you really need to see someone sultry and seductive snake her way around a screen, please direct your attention to the address bar above, and help yourself to some free porn — you’ve earned it, my friend. If you’ve got that insatiable hankering for some contract killer-style in-your-face action, find a copy of Leon, or, more recently, Hanna. If you absolutely have to see Zoe Saldana accompanying a cast that distractingly seems to resemble other actors, go shell out $11 to see Colombiana — it sure as hell will satisfy your unusual cravings.

Colombiana (2011) Trailer

Yell! Rating (x/5 Skulls):

2 out of 5 stars

Year Released:

26 August 2011

Director:

Olivier Megaton

Cast/Crew

Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Jordi Mollà, Lennie James, Amandla Stenberg, Cliff Curtis, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Callum Blue

Genre

Action, Adventure, Drama

Official URL:

Colombiana Movie

We’re not exactly sure of the psychology behind it, but it must be the notion that these women appear to be bad girls, and we all know what that means. Then again, it might be just as simple as the belief that we can relate to them because we share similar subcultural interests and these women appeal to the rebel in us. However, it could also mean that we view these tattooed women as powerful figures who are ready, willing, and able to dominate us – yes, Dominatrix.

If we’re to be honest with ourselves and you, heavily tattooed women embody none of that fantasy described above. These women are usually sweet, kind, and charming individuals. But it’s the fantasy that keeps our interest locked.

Maria Brink – Angel in Ink

Of all the women in the industry, we’re giving the crown to Maria Brink today. Founding member and frontwoman of the metalcore band In This Moment, Maria is capable of producing both angelic straight vocals and nightmare-inducing screams and growls. Formed in 2005, and releasing their first album in 2007 on Century Media, In This Moment and Maria Brink have experienced a meteoric rise. Winners of several awards despite their infancy as a band, In This Moment is getting ready to release their fourth album in 2012.

As the primary lyricist, Maria Brink writes personal songs with enough room for fan interpretation. Although appearing to a be a sincere, gentle, and well-balanced woman today, Maria has overcome many obstacles, such as those having to do with childhood abuse and the ensuing problems/issues that will accompany such trauma. We have nothing but respect and admiration for her and her ability to overcome such issues to become a metal icon with a heart of gold.

Enjoy our massive Maria Brink gallery.

Rock Hard!

In This Moment – The Gun Show

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Tomb Raider 2012 Story

Fresh from academy and in search of lost relics, a 21-year-old Lara Croft journeys to an island off the coast of Japan aboard the Endurance, a salvage vessel helmed by Captain Conrad Roth. Before anchoring at bay, the ship is cleaved in two by an unforeseen storm leaving Croft separated from any other survivors and washed ashore. She must endure physical and emotional torture in order to survive the island.

What do you think of the new Lara Croft? Comments are open below.

Complete with her own storyline in the main game, Catwoman’s adventure complements Batman’s central role and is seamlessly interwoven with his main story arc. She will also be playable in the challenge maps with her own unique combat moves, gadgetry and signature ‘takedowns’.

Discuss the Batman: Arkham City trailer in comment section below.

Asian Slasher Chicks

We at Yell! Magazine love Slasher films. But it mostly seems to be a North American phenomenon with occasional forays into Europe and Australia; at least in fame and popularity. Although Asia produces numerous horror films of a high caliber, the slasher film doesn’t seem to hold much merit. I could be wrong but can you name a Japanese, Hong Kong, South Korean, Filipino or Thai equivalent to Jason, Freddy, Michael or Ghostface?

Well why wait for those directors across the Pacific to get it into their heads that us horror fans want some Asian slasher movies starring twenty-something hotties running and screaming in a futile attempt to escape a masked killer sporting a samurai sword. With this article, we at Yell! Magazine hope to get them thinking about it. It’s also a great excuse to show some Asian beauties as well.

Here are Yell! Magazine’s ten picks of who we would like to see get naked and ripped apart in a future Asian slasher flick.

No.1 Mizuki Horii

Born in Chiba, Japan, this 25 year old Asian beauty gained her notoriety for her large cup size, modeling and having starring roles in her own swimsuit videos. But we would much prefer to see her vainly attempting to fight off a killer in a bathroom after exiting the shower.

No.2 Karnchanit Summakul

Summakul became well known in modelling circles after appearing on the cover of the August ’07 Thai publication of Maxim Magazine. But we would much prefer to see her decapitated by a chainsaw-wielding murderer while in the backseat of a car doing the nasty with her her boyfriend.

No.3 Sola Aoi

This Japanese actress made her name in the adult video world before starring in the now famous horror flick Big Tits Zombie where she was slashing her way through the undead for for over 90 minutes. Now we would like to see her on the receiving end of all that gore.

No.4 Isabella Leong

Born in Macau, this Chinese beauty is best known to American audiences for her role as Lin in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. But wouldn’t it be much more fun if she was on the losing end of a sword fight with a masked marauder?

No.5 Hitomi Tanaka

Another Japanese hottie from the AV world, she was born in Kumamoto Prefecture back in `86. She would be perfect for a slasher flick showing off those huge titties before being gutted by a masked villain.