Curtains (film)
Encyclopedia
Curtains is a 1983 Canadian horror film
. Though a fairly obscure film, Curtains has gained some underground cult status among fans of the slasher film genre, many of whom cite the 'ice skating' murder scene as the film's memorable highlight. The film was relatively obscure until word of mouth among horror fans developed interest in the film again.
One of the girls who was going to audition, Amanda Teuther, is stabbed to death before she even gets the chance to go to Stryker's mansion for the audition. The next day we are introduced to the five other women auditioning for the part of Audra. The girls consist of Patti, Brooke, Laurian, Tara, and Christie. The remaining five girls left to audition meet Stryker at his mansion along with Samantha who appears at the house without welcome. After a night of the girls getting to know each other Christie is brutally murdered while figure skating by someone in a grotesque hag mask outside of Stryker's house the next morning.
Later that day, while the girls are all auditioning, Brooke discovers Christie's decapitated head in a toilet bowl. She tells Stryker what she saw but when they go back to the bathroom where she found Christie's head they find nothing in the toilet. Abusing Brooke's vulnerability, Stryker gets her to reluctantly sleep with him. Meanwhile, Tara and Patti start to wonder what may have caused Brooke to say that Christie was dead which causes Tara to suspect foul play while Laurian is killed while dancing.
After having sex Brooke and Stryker are both shot to death, to which Tara discovers the bodies. After trying to escape the isolated location Tara is chased by the hag in a backstage prop shed. After escaping the killer nearly three times, she is killed after being dragged into a ventilation system by the hag. A little later Samantha and Patti have a bottle of champagne and discuss Audra being insane in the kitchen. Samantha tells Patti about how Stryker left her in the aslyum and eventually admits to shooting Stryker and Brooke. After telling Patti this information Patti admits to killing the other girls and stabs Samantha to death. The epilogue consists of Patti performing Audra to other patients in a mental institution.
In preparation for the film's ice-skating sequence, actress Lesleh Donaldson was sent for skating practice by the film's producers. However, when filming for that scene commenced, Donaldson tripped on the uneven ice and injured herself, resulting in a stand-in double being used for her long shots.
Actress Linda Thorson was cast in the role of Brooke Parsons after actress Celine Lomez left the production.
Deleted scenes include a backstory sequence where, prior to arriving at Stryker's retreat, Christie is emotionally rejected by her skating coach. This scene was intended to show the character's vulnerability when she is rejected again, this time by Stryker.
Actress Lynne Griffin recalls filming an alternate ending scene in Toronto. In this scene, her character Patti O'Connor delivers a monologue on a theatre stage surrounded by her dead victims. This alternate ending was not used in the final cut of the film.
B-movies. This release, which featured generic cover art for the film and a poor transfer, has angered many fans, who have demanded a separate re-release. It is unknown whether Echo Bridge will re-release it anytime soon.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. Though a fairly obscure film, Curtains has gained some underground cult status among fans of the slasher film genre, many of whom cite the 'ice skating' murder scene as the film's memorable highlight. The film was relatively obscure until word of mouth among horror fans developed interest in the film again.
Plot
Samantha Sherwood, a beautiful aspiring actress has herself committed to a mental institution to do some background research for the role of a woman with unstable sanity in a film called 'Audra' in which her well known director, Jonathon Stryker, leaves her at the mental institution. Once finding out Stryker is letting a new group of girls audition for the role of Audra, she escapes the asylum for revenge.One of the girls who was going to audition, Amanda Teuther, is stabbed to death before she even gets the chance to go to Stryker's mansion for the audition. The next day we are introduced to the five other women auditioning for the part of Audra. The girls consist of Patti, Brooke, Laurian, Tara, and Christie. The remaining five girls left to audition meet Stryker at his mansion along with Samantha who appears at the house without welcome. After a night of the girls getting to know each other Christie is brutally murdered while figure skating by someone in a grotesque hag mask outside of Stryker's house the next morning.
Later that day, while the girls are all auditioning, Brooke discovers Christie's decapitated head in a toilet bowl. She tells Stryker what she saw but when they go back to the bathroom where she found Christie's head they find nothing in the toilet. Abusing Brooke's vulnerability, Stryker gets her to reluctantly sleep with him. Meanwhile, Tara and Patti start to wonder what may have caused Brooke to say that Christie was dead which causes Tara to suspect foul play while Laurian is killed while dancing.
After having sex Brooke and Stryker are both shot to death, to which Tara discovers the bodies. After trying to escape the isolated location Tara is chased by the hag in a backstage prop shed. After escaping the killer nearly three times, she is killed after being dragged into a ventilation system by the hag. A little later Samantha and Patti have a bottle of champagne and discuss Audra being insane in the kitchen. Samantha tells Patti about how Stryker left her in the aslyum and eventually admits to shooting Stryker and Brooke. After telling Patti this information Patti admits to killing the other girls and stabs Samantha to death. The epilogue consists of Patti performing Audra to other patients in a mental institution.
Cast
- John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
as Jonathan Stryker - Samantha EggarSamantha EggarSamantha Eggar is an English film, television and voice actress.-Early life:She was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-Irish father and a mother of Dutch and Portuguese descent...
as Samantha Sherwood - Linda ThorsonLinda ThorsonLinda Thorson is a Canadian actress, most famous for her work as Tara King in The Avengers.-Personal life:...
as Brooke Parsons - Anne Ditchburn as Laurian Summers
- Lynne GriffinLynne GriffinLynne Griffin is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in film, television and stage.Griffin was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Kay, an actress, and James Joseph Griffin, a fashion photographer and soccer player. Currently, she is married to fellow actor Sean Gregory Sullivan.-...
as Patti O'Connor - Sandee Currie as Tara DeMillo
- Lesleh Donaldson as Christie Burns
- Deborah Burgess as Amanda Teuther
- Michael WincottMichael WincottMichael Anthony Claudio Wincott is a Canadian actor.Wincott was born in Toronto, Ontario and is renown for playing villainous roles-Filmography:*Title Shot - Robber*Wild Horse Hank - Charlie Connors...
as Matthew - Maury ChaykinMaury ChaykinMaury Alan Chaykin was an American-born Canadian actor. Best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, he was also known for his work as a character actor in many films and on television programs.-Personal life:...
as Monty - Booth Savage as Peter, Amanda's Boyfriend
Production
Filming for Curtains began November 10, 1980. The film was shot on locations in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The film had a very troubled production though. Ultimately the film was shelved for a year, during which there were re-writes, re-shoots, and one major re-casting done. Eventually numerous crew members had to be re-hired to shoot the footage to complete the film. Curtains was finally released in March 1983.In preparation for the film's ice-skating sequence, actress Lesleh Donaldson was sent for skating practice by the film's producers. However, when filming for that scene commenced, Donaldson tripped on the uneven ice and injured herself, resulting in a stand-in double being used for her long shots.
Actress Linda Thorson was cast in the role of Brooke Parsons after actress Celine Lomez left the production.
Deleted scenes include a backstory sequence where, prior to arriving at Stryker's retreat, Christie is emotionally rejected by her skating coach. This scene was intended to show the character's vulnerability when she is rejected again, this time by Stryker.
Actress Lynne Griffin recalls filming an alternate ending scene in Toronto. In this scene, her character Patti O'Connor delivers a monologue on a theatre stage surrounded by her dead victims. This alternate ending was not used in the final cut of the film.
Influence
- American death metalDeath metalDeath metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band MorticianMortician (band)Mortician is a death metal / deathgrind two piece band from Yonkers, New York founded in 1989. They have released most of their albums since the House by the Cemetery EP on Relapse Records but have released their latest album on their own label, Mortician Records. They have toured several times...
used a sample from Curtains as an intro for the song "Audra" from their 2003 album Darkest Day of HorrorDarkest Day of Horror (album)Darkest Day of Horror is the fourth studio album by death metal band Mortician. It takes its title from a slogan used to promote the George A. Romero film Day of the Dead.-Tour Edition:...
. BassistBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
/ vocalist Will RahmerWill RahmerWill Rahmer is an American musician.Will Rahmer was the vocalist in the death metal band Incantation temporarily during mid-1990, before leaving to form Mortician with drummer Matt Sicher. Rahmer is the lyricist, vocalist, and bassist for Mortician, and is heavily influenced by horror movies, of...
has said in interviews that Curtains is one of his favorite films.
DVD release
The film was finally released on DVD on October 5, 2010 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, as part of the Midnight Horror Collection: Bloody Slashers DVD collection, which also includes Secrets of the Clown, Hoboken Hollow and Room 33, 3 direct-to-videoDirect-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
B-movies. This release, which featured generic cover art for the film and a poor transfer, has angered many fans, who have demanded a separate re-release. It is unknown whether Echo Bridge will re-release it anytime soon.