11. Vampira (Plan 9 From Outer Space)
Before there was Elvira, there was Vampira. Sadly, most people today know her only from her very brief and odd appearance in Ed Wood’s seminal worst movie of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space. In reality, she had quite the career… doing most of the same things Elvira would do later.
The wasp-waisted Vampira had a more intense presence than her 80s follow-up, actually inspiring a bit of dread with just the glare of her eyes from under her wildly arched eyebrows. She was mysterious, sinister, yet… welcoming in some way. Sadly, there aren’t any recordings of her hosting her horror show around. At least none available to the public. So we’ll just have to imagine from the few clips that do exist just how entrancing and funny this sexy vampire of late night actually was.
12. The Bride (The Bride of Frankenstein)
There is perhaps no more tragic or haunting “scary chick” to be found on film than The Bride of Frankenstein. Created as a mate for a monster that never should have been by a man gone mad with power, guilt, and grief, she’s on screen for just a few minutes before everything blows up.
Literally.
Really, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a relationship that moves from first meeting to last rites quicker than that between the Bride and her monster. Of course it was doomed from the moment they laid eyes on one another–her only reaction was to scream in horror and hiss a bit. The big guy didn’t take too kindly to that and went out of his way to make sure that all who belonged dead, got that way.
You do, however, have to admire her honesty. And, while we can’t really credit her with having a hand in her unique look, that hair and the way she wares those bandages is something special.
13. Evil Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Yes, it’s another one from Buffy. It’s not my fault the show was full of hot scary chicks.
Twice in the course of the series, we get to see nice girl Willow go bad. The first time it’s in an alternate reality where she’s a vampire that would give Drusilla a run for the grand price in sadism. In the sixth season, things take an even more sinister turn when, driven by the desire for vengeance, our good witch goes totally dark side.
The fact that this is “our” Willow makes the transition–and its consequences–even more shocking and dire than when we were just seeing an alternate universe. This particular transition has always really grabbed me because it’s something we can all go through. We can all slip up and start exploring our worst traits. Very often, those traits have a certain power and allure about them–but also a complete lack of connection to our humanity.
Really, this evil Willow is more terrifying than crushable for most of the two-episode run. It’s not until the end, when Willow shows her true strength of character and pulls herself back from the edge (with some help from her friends, of course) that one can really, truly, fall for her.
