They say one bad apple spoils a bunch. The same holds true in the horror film casket: nothing ruins a good horror film like a bad actor. (Okay, the fact that there might not always be a substantial plot can hurt, too, but who cares about plot anyway?)
Here, we take a look at the horror cinema canon's top ten most demented casting choices.
10. Nancy Loomis, "Halloween" (1978). Although we've come to love 'Annie' over the years in this timeless classic, Loomis' acting abilities needed to be axed off well before her character .
9. Paris Hilton, "House of Wax" (2005). She was not hot in this remake revolving around two small town brothers who make wax figures out of their victims. Fortunately, Paris' role was a bit part and her death actually made for a fun moment.
8. Ronee Blakley, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1982). As Nancy Thompson's all-too-strange and alcoholic mother, it was tough to tell if Blakley delivered a performance that was all-too-fitting or painfully off the charts.
7. Emma Roberts, "Scream 4" (2011). If Scream 4 was supposed to be about targeting remakes, Roberts' redone version of Sidney Prescott was way out of left field.
6. Dennis Hopper, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" (1986). Not only was this the most random casting choice in horror history, but any chance I have to point out how bad this movie is, I'll take it!
5. Sheri Moon Zombie, "Halloween" (2007). Just because she's your wife, Rob, doesn't mean she's perfect for the part. (And what was that business with the white horse in Part Two anyway?)
4. Rooney Mara, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (2010). What's worse than a random Elm Street remake? A random actress to play the lead!
3. Alex Vincent, "Child's Play" (1988). It's pretty sad when the animatronic doll is a better actor than the human child.
2. Adrienne King, "Friday the 13th: Part 2" (1981). Although we loved her as Mamma Voorhees' slayer in the first movie, it was just wrong to bring King back for 10 quick minutes of orgasmic grunts on the bed while we recapped the original.
1. Vince Vaughn, "Psycho" (1998). If Universal could take back any movie-making moment, I'm willing to bet it was the minute they shook hands with this guy for the deal. There are impersonators on the Universal tram tour who fit the bill more than Vaughn.
Patrick Keown - Patrick Keown is an MBA graduate with over six years professional business analysis experience. He is working on his first novel.
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