By MICHAEL GINGOLD
B-movie favorites Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer are spotlighted in this 10th-anniversary special-edition disc.
Filmmaker Jason Paul Collum will release SCREAMING IN HIGH HEELS: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SCREAM QUEEN ERA on Blu-ray as well as DVD August 18, accompanied by old and new extras. The doc traces the careers of the aforementioned actresses as they rose to stardom in the ’80s via movies like THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE and HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS. “They were brilliant in how they marketed themselves,” Collum tells us. “They were really just three models turned movie extras turned actresses who were blue-collar workers simply looking to pay their rent. There had been other classic screamers like Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh, but these ladies learned that their power lay in the low-budget market and their sexuality. The movie jobs didn’t pay them much, so they expanded into trading cards, 1-900 numbers, comic books, self-produced fan videos…anything that capitalized on the moment in their hands. I just think it’s fascinating that they received very little respect at the time, but in retrospect when you realize what they accomplished, it’s such an uplifting story. They took exploitation and really used it to their advantage. Ironically, it’s a story of female empowerment. Not to mention all the camp and jump-scares they left for newer generations to discover and cherish.”
Among the discs’ new extras is a 2020 Reunion Special which brings the women together via a Zoom chat (due to COVID-19 restrictions) to reminisce about their careers. “This is the first time they’ve been interviewed ‘together’ to feed conversation off each other since the mid-1990s,” Collum says. “They’ve really become their own real-life sorority. You’ll learn how much they really still look out for each other, especially Michelle, who seems to be the house mother, concerned with the well-being of Brinke, Linnea and their common collaborators like David DeCoteau and Fred Olen Ray during the virus and lockdowns. It’s fun and sweet and well worth fans’ time to revisit their story.”
Other supplements are:
- All-new photo gallery
- Two vintage Chicago Flashback Weekend Q&As with Quigley and Stevens
- Vintage deleted interview segments with all three actresses
- Trailer
The discs will be available though many major retailers, with most offering a double-sided wrap featuring liner notes and pictures on the flipside (Amazon will only offer a single-sided wrap). Retail prices are $14.99 for the Blu-ray and $10.99 for the DVD, though both discs are currently available at discounted prices via the newly formed MakeFlix.
