I love Jamie and glad she gets her credit in this lackluster movie, but why does she get top billing here? Is it to trick people into believing that she's the star of this to get people to watch it and buy the dvd's. Because they fooled me with this to when it first came out 13 years ago.
sharePretty much. She's the only big name there that people care about. All the others don't sell the movie.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN
Also, she probably got a paycheck bigger than all the other cast members combined. When you have a big name and are somehow coerced into being in another entry in a movie series you hate, you better get top billing.
shareWhen you have a big name and are somehow coerced into being in another entry in a movie series you hate, you better get top billing.Has she said she hates the series, or is that just your impression? I mean, I get that impression too, but then some people have said she doesn't hate it, so just wondering if you know whether or not she's ever actually said so.
She doesn't *hate* it, she's just selective. She praises Halloween every chance she gets. She doesn't mention Halloween II at all and is never featured in anything about it. No documentaries, no interviews, nothing. It was her idea for H20 to be made, so of course she's going to lament it. She wasn't happy with her contract cameo clause, but she did it. She even lobbied for a longer death chase sequence. So they obliged.
That's pretty much it.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN
The radio station I listen to in the wee hours, has a host who adores Curtis. The station had her on about 2 years ago. She could not say enough good stuff about all the Halloween movies she was in(& she loves Carpenter). She credits her mother for her love of this genre. *probably why she agreed to Scream Queens.
shareThe radio station I listen to in the wee hours, has a host who adores Curtis. The station had her on about 2 years ago. She could not say enough good stuff about all the Halloween movies she was in(& she loves Carpenter). She credits her mother for her love of this genre. *probably why she agreed to Scream Queens.That's pretty cool, but it contradicts what I've since learned about her from another interview of hers from about 3 years ago (done at a 2012 horror fan convention---apparently her one and only)---which is that she is not a fan of the horror genre at all! On the plus side though, she did preface that confession with the fact that she means no disrespect, she just doesn't like the genre, cause she's a big scardy-cat and hates being scared or surprised.
I think the key here is that she doesn't mind acting in horror films, at least not at the time. She's had high marks for Halloween, The Fog and H20, while she's never mentioned II good or bad, didn't like Resurrection, though she did get to expand her role longer than planned. I've never heard her talk Terror Train, or any of the other films.
She doesn't like watching horror films. Acting and watching are two totally different things. A lot of actors and actresses don't like watching themselves onscreen. To pick apart and critique themselves, I guess.
And let's face it, she's had a 35+ year career to think about all this. At the time, she was probably happy to have a job and in movies, not TV, back in the late 70s-early 80s. But she didn't want that to be her only claim to fame. So she branched out. Coming back to it now for Scream Queens might be full circle, thank you to fans, a paycheck, who knows. Not like she's done much between Resurrection and now.
People change. Opinions change, feelings change. Age does that. She's probably to the point where she doesn't care anymore. Nor should she, she's had quite the diverse successful career. No regrets. I'd say she's better off than most people, actresses included.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN
On her interview on Scream Factory's special edition of THE FOG, Jamie Lee Curtis actually does say that she thinks HALLOWEEN II was a good film despite pointing out the lack of logic in one scene on the part of her character. She doesn't have very good things to say about THE FOG (very upsetting as it's one of my favorite movies, right up there with HALLOWEEN) or PROM NIGHT though. I can't remember if she let on how she felt about TERROR TRAIN.
As for receiving top billing, I believe on the poster and opening credits she's credited last out of all the main characters and only receives top billing in the end credits. Very similar to Sarah Michelle Gellar in THE GRUDGE 2, whose character was coincidentally also killed off early on in a hospital.
Don't remember her saying anything about Halloween II I'll have to rewatch that. I do know she doesn't talk about it on the Bio Inside Story and was not included in the Nightmare Isn't Over featurette on the Shout Factory Halloween II.
As for the Fog, that goes back to her changing opinions over time. When the Fog hit Blu Ray, she praised it in both featurettes, one that came out with the film itself and one when it came out on DVD or something, I guess. Didn't give a date. She was included in that release.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN
Seems she's more comfortable with speaking her mind now. She kind of says she's just not into ghost films but she also says she's surprised it has such a following because she doesn't think it's that good of a film.
I guess I can see how someone who doesn't really care for the genre wouldn't like it, but it's still a great film.
well she wasn't exactly a big part of the reason the Fog is considered a classic. she played a role that could have been done by anyone. then again, she was still considered up and coming at the time. but it was certainly a great creepy ghost movie, and the fog effects were AWSOME. I don't know how they did that. it was one of the best scary movies, full of dread and atmosphere without resorting to any disgusting gore ie the thing.
shareAll you guys do realize that just because her name appears first on the IMDB list it doesn't mean she receives higher billing than the other actors, right? Some movies on here list them in the order of appearance, which I believe this one does. Hunger Games does too. Not as many are like that as it used to be, but some still have it like this.
shareAll those other names listed no one knows or cares about. JLC sells the movie, which is why she's prominent in name and picture. Simple as that. Hollywood logic/math.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN
She is the first name in the end credits, followed by Busta Rhymes, Bianca Kajlich and so forth. It's not in order of appearance.
shareTop billed stars always go first, the money casting, the "names" then order of appearance. Same thing happened in the entire Halloween credits in franchise history. You're not going to see her name under the likes of Nancy Stephens, Nick Castle even though they appeared first. Technically, her voice over was order of appearance first, but you weren't going to get the likes of the guards and Harold under her name. All movies do this.
"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN