Hello, and welcome to the final full week of Horrorfest 2020! It’s insane to me that we are already at the end of the month of October, but all good horror must come to an end. This week, I am focusing on some of the most influential actors and actresses in horror and their terrific performances that have made our favorite scary stories that much scarier. Please enjoy our final full week of Fandom Horrorfest!
Linda Blair
The term Scream Queen is tossed around a lot, and not always in the most benevolent way among the trashier horror fans. However, if you want to talk about an actress who has devoted her life to the industry and its evolution, you need go no farther than Linda Blair. Most known for her role as Regan in The Exorcist, Blair has given us decades of horror performances, ranging from central roles in 80s B-horror like Hell Night to fun side appearances in pop-occult TV shows like Supernatural. In addition to being an amazing horror actress, Blair has used her fame to promote tons of charity work and advocacy for animal rights. I have a special place in my own heart for pit bulls, and her appearances on the show Pit Boss helped bring tons of awareness to the mistreatment of the breed and the need for rescue and adoption of pit bulls across America. God Bless Linda Blair.
Blair’s career has been besieged by controversy due in no part to herself but, rather, to the Satanic panic that pursued her Oscar-nominated performance in The Exorcist. The movie was a revolutionary premiere, and it garnered just as much scrutiny as it did critical praise. Pseudo-religious people questioned Blair’s mental health and the legitimacy of her acted blasphemy, thinking erroneously that acting like you’re demon-possessed is equivalent to actually being possessed, much like an infant thinks something ceases to exist when a blanket is placed over it. Blair didn’t let the bastards get her down, however, and went on to reprise her role in the second Exorcist film and take even more controversial roles throughout her career. We talk a lot about fear during Horrorfest, and the mark of a great horror protagonist is their ability to overcome fear and thrive. Blair was able to overcome other people’s fear and insanity in such a terrifying environment as a child star to not only have a great career but also use her influence to champion the cause of animals living their own terrifying horror story. I can think of no better artist to celebrate the start of Samhain week than such a courageous, persevering horror master as Linda Blair.
