Cynthia Preston in PIN
While major media sites like Entertainment Weekly are making a hoopla over Die Hard‘s Hart Bochner and his caustic, fun appearance (as evil Chris’ influential father) in the current Carrie remake, true terror princesses know where the real excitement is — in genre goddess Cynthia Preston’s potent turn as the privileged momma of the kind Sue Snell.
In two scenes, in this well intentioned if slightly unsuccessful reimagining, Preston establishes her character as one of having presidential grace and extreme kindness. Her interaction with Julianne Moore’s working class Margaret, also, helps present just how frenzied our Mama White truly is. While, Preston’s Madame Snell radiates compassion towards her, Moore’s Margaret can barely contain her hateful anxiety. As Moore/Margaret digs pins into the flesh of her leg to remain steady, the viewers experience a scene of true body horror and witness, for the first time, the extremity of the character’s psychosis.
Preston in THE BRAIN
As a skilled (and journeyed) actress, though, Preston is not unfamiliar with witnessing fleshy slaughter. Perhaps best known, to the public-at-large, as murderous Mafia henchwoman Faith Roscoe on General Hospital, Preston actually spent much of her early career screeching around the borders of Canuck exploitation.
Her ivory innocence made such films as The Dark Side (87), Pin (88), The Brain (88), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (90) and Premonition (99), incredible viewing pleasures. She, also, established an even firmer genre icon-hood for herself by appearing in such television productions as The Hitch-hiker, The X-Files, Total Recall 2070 and, most recently, in an episode of this season’s Hannibal.
Here, Preston, talks about her experience working with Moore on Carrie:
And, here’s hoping for many more years of genre joy from the radiant Preston!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
