Entertainment

'Scream Queens' Will Pay Homage To Classic Horror

by Loretta Donelan

The upcoming Ryan Murphy FOX show Scream Queens already features a star-studded cast that just keeps growing. Not only will it include Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, Joe Jonas, and now Chad Michael Murray, but Scream Queens will also feature references to classic horror movies. How do I know this? Well, Curtis, the original scream queen, has already promised a couple homages to a few classic horror movies that she has a special connection to: On Tuesday, she tweeted a picture of herself recreating her mother Janet Leigh's iconic shower scene in the classic Hitchcock thriller Psycho, and indicated it was for an episode of Scream Queens in the caption: "Recreated Mom's PSYCHO shower scene 4 a special ep of @ScreamQueens," she wrote.

In an interview with Variety, Curtis also promised a little nod to the Halloween movies, which were her big break and her most iconic films: "That’s just a little homage to all those people who loved that movie," Curtis told Variety of a Halloween reference in the series. “It made me smile.

According to Ryan Murphy, Scream Queens is in itself an homage to Jamie Lee Curtis, who was known for starring in many classic horror films in the early '80s. Curtis, who — according to news.com.au — has admitted that she is easily afraid and doesn't actually see horror movies, agreed to participate. While the only two films that have been confirmed to receive references in the series are Halloween and Psycho, if the show does include more references to iconic '80s horror movies, they should totally be ones that Curtis starred in. Here are just a few that should be considered:

The Fog (1980)

This nautical ghost story featured both Curtis and Janet Leigh, and it seems possible that Scream Queens could borrow from its folkloric Americana.

Prom Night (1980)

This film was surprise success, and it's now a classic. The sorority setting of Scream Queens will hopefully be able to take something from the film's catty teen protagonists.

Terror Train (1980)

This Curtis movie takes place in the Greek system, just like Scream Queens — and I imagine that, like the movie, there will be confusing costumes and bodies found at parties.

Road Games (1981)

This Australian thriller helped teach us all a valuable lesson: just don't hitchhike. As far as Scream Queens is concerned, what's a college setting without some kind of road trip?

Virus (1999)

While more of a thriller, this movie features Russian cyborgs, traitors, and sinking ships. I hope there are plenty of conspiracies in Scream Queens.

Before the show premieres, I recommend watching a few of these movies to make sure you catch any references, if they do so happen to be there.