Monstrous Mothers

Mothers in horror films

Right, this isn't a blog post celebrating the beautiful, the brave, the strong nor the plain wicked awesome. So, sorry to disappoint, but you wont be finding Sarah Conner's bulging biceps rippling through this post. And don't even expect the Alien Queen to be making an appearance -- she's far too badass! Nope, this space is dedicated for the downright deranged, wicked and generally fuckin' scary;


Psycho
Norman Bates was so severely affected by his Mother, that after her death he began donning the Granny-fashion, adopting her voice and her mannerisms -- which includes murdering young woman and anyone threatening to destroy his Mummy delusion. Oh yeah, he also keeps her crusty ol' corpse in her favourite rocking chair. Ah, family love.




Carrie
Piper Laurie's uber freaky performance as Margaret White makes Sissy Spacek's Carrie all the more poignant, and provides a deeper sense of hopelessness. Margaret White is a dominating figure; an obsessive, religious nut who deems her daughter's telekinetic powers stem from the devil. When her daughter finally stands against her and skedaddles to the Prom with that stud, Tommy Ross, Margaret is home, thinking of the many ways a nutcase like herself can help her daughter. . .

I mean, look how fucking gleeful she looks with a knife!




A Nightmare on Elm Street
Okay, so specifically speaking, Marge Thompson isn't deranged nor is she wicked. BUT, while her daughter is trying to survive against Freddy Krugger, she keeps her mouth shut, watching as Nancy slowly falls to pieces. She also keeps Freddie's glove i.e. the fuckin' murder weapon hidden in her basement.





Brain Dead AKA Dead Alive
Even though I haven't seen Peter Jackson's gore fest in years (yes, really), I still have the disgusting image of a decomposing Vera Cosgrove ingrained in my lousy mind. After getting bitten by a rat monkey, the dominating Momma slowly becomes one of the living dead. Watch as her poor son, Lionel runs around, trying to protect Mummy dearest and keep her sedated with drugs until, inevitably, all hell breaks loose.

Sleepaway Camp
Oh, c'mon, even if you didn't like this film (and why the hell not!?), how the fuck can you forget the ending? I thought I had the entire plot sussed, and then that happened. And we can all thank Aunt Martha and her fabulous idea for that body count!




Friday the 13th
Pamela Voorhees is the undistributed Queen of the Terror-Moms. After her son Jason 'drowned' at Camp Crystal Lake, courtesy of a bunch of horny teenagers, the camp lay in abandonment. When several new councilors return, Pamela takes revenge, killing them off in bloody fashion. Freakiest moment; Mrs Voorhees' imitates her deceased son's voice; "Kill her, Mommy! Kill her! Don't let her get away, Mommy! Don't let her live!"


Nope, she's not pickin' her teeth, you dope! Nothing brings a wider grin to a Terror-Mom's face than something sharp an' shiny . . .