Re-Animating Cult Cinema With Barbara Crampton!
If you grew up in the impressionable 80’s then you know this legendary Cult Movie Queen – who gets “re-animated” at the “chopping mall!”
This edition of my “2020 Sex Kitten Countdown” has a great Cult Movie Queen who made some iconic horror films in the 80’s!
Barbara Crampton had a great career with a number of terrific TV shows and films, but now’s not the time to discuss them…
While she has a great career, there was a run of glossy horror gems int he 80’s that made her the Icon she remains today!
Barbara Gets “Re-Animated!”
The cult movie Queen’s first horror gem is one of my favorites.
She collaborated with Director Stuart Gordon on the 1985 film “Re-Animator” – a classic slice of 80’s comic horror.
Here is the trailer:
“Re-Animator” was loosely based on a 1922 H. P. Lovecraft serial novelette “Herbert West–Reanimator”.
Jeffrey Combs stars as Herbert West, a medical student who can re-animate dead bodies.
As you saw in the trailer, it doesn’t go well, so he comes up with another plan, this one involving a VERY NAKED Barbara!
Crampton does a terrific job in the film, with great comic timing, and you can see the camera LOVES HER, and she bravely gives her all in this role…
Barbara Goes “Beyond!”
The entire team behind “Re-Animator” reunited a year later for “From Beyond” – and Barbara got a chance to have some fun in a wide variety of kinky outfits!
Here’s what Barbara had to say once about working in the horror genre:
“What you don’t see often enough in horror films are smart and capable women. A lot of horror movies appeal to men and they’re written by men, so it’s kind of what men want to see. They’re written from the male point of view. I think in life we have this issue and in films we have the issue where the women are not as often in control. Men are more in control and art imitates life, so we see that more and more in the movies. It’s probably representative of where women are right now and where they’re going.”
As you can see, she had a great sense of humor about the business she was in, and always threw herself into her roles with gusto!
I love that she made her characters empowered – no matter how goofy the films were!
Her willingness to bare all continued in the terrific horror film “Chopping Mall” – here is the trailer…
What a great idea: “Robocops” who will patrol the mall at night – but of course, it all goes very, very wrong…
The Actress went on to do “Puppetmaster” and “Castle Freak” – continuing her creative partnership with Director Stuart Gordon:
“Castle Freak” Rules!
This 1995 gem is a really fun horror film!
Jeffrey Combs plays John Reilly, an American recovering alcoholic who inherits an Italian castle when a distant relative passes away. John travels to Italy with his estranged wife Susan – the gorgeous Barbara Crampton and blind daughter Rebecca, played by Jessica Dollarhide.
The three plan to stay at the castle, but unbeknownst to them, a freakish monster locked away in the basement of the castle is about to escape and commit a series of murders.
Here is the trailer:
She starred in a wide variety of films and always seemed to be having a blast!
Crampton ultimately left the business to raise a family, but she left us with a lot fo wild performances to enjoy.
After taking time away from Hollywood, she was enticed to re-emerge by her fans!
Crampton returned to film in 2011 with a role in Adam Wingard’s 2011 classic “You’re Next”.
Bravo to Barbara for an incredible career!
Crampton is just one of the “2020 Sex Kittens” I am counting down this year:
Are you aware of the great career of Monique Gabrielle? She starred in some terrific cult films, and you can see them here:
And of course, the iconic Julie Strain’s carefree is incredible as well:
Strain ruled the 80’s with a series of great cult gems – you can see them all by clicking here:
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Categories: Books / Media, Camp Cult Classics, Classic Action Films, Classic Horror, Cult Classics, Exploitation Films, Grindhouse, Horror films, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
Very glad to see Barbara have a career resurgence in recent years. Clearly, she’s a great beauty, but she also has a terrific screen presence.
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And she embraced every role with gusto! A real class act in some very un-PC films!
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I did see ‘Reanimator’, and ‘loosely-based’ is a very good description of it. I also watched ‘You’re Next’, but failed to connect the actress. Great tribute, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, those 80’s efforts are goofy fun! Thanks for commenting! Hope you have a great weekend!
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LOVE me some Barbara Crampton–and unlike many female stars she has aged into a timeless beauty. Great job, John.
She first caught my eye as “Carol” in Brian DePalma’s Body Double.
Craig Wasson’s “Jake” comes home early after being fired, only to find Carol on top of some guy, riding him hard and really enjoying it. She shoots him a shocked look and then appears to think “fuck it” and gets right back to work. The look in her eyes at that moment could melt titanium. In a movie full of beauties, (Deborah Shelton, Melanie Griffith), she stole the show with 7 seconds of screen time.
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Great
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I love Barbara and Kathleen.
I watched their Fraternity Vacation scene every night.
I love them so much and I am in love with them and always will be.
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Thanks for the comment!
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The first time I saw Barbara was in 1996 when I was 16 and in high school and her debut in The Bold and the Beautiful just came on Australian television.
My first sight of her in The Bold and the Beautiful she was driving a caravan and I was immediately taken by her.
Given the age I was back then I wondered she had done any nudity.
I was very surprised when the answer to this question came when Fraternity Vacation came on television not long after this.
Being the age I was back then and having no understanding of the nature of the business I had no idea that soap stars get naked but at the same time being very ecstatic on seeing Barbara naked.
After seeing her in Fraternity Vacation I thought I would move on from there but every time that I saw Barbara in The Bold and the Beautiful afterwards it always takes me back to that scene in Fraternity Vacation.
I have since came back to the Fraternity Vacation scene lots of lots of time to this day.
Whilst The Bold and the Beautiful is what introduced me to Barbara, it is Fraternity Vacation that sealed her permanent place in my heart forever.
I have truly fallen in love with her, a feeling that will never end.
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There is always a magical feeling whenever I see Barbara’s breasts.
They are as lovely as their owner.
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