Awardees: Lee Grant, Linda Purl and Lenore Zann

Michael Ironside has rightfully gained a lion’s share of praise for his truly vile and understandably sadistic portrayal of Visiting Hours’ villain.

He definitely radiates eternal evil as he comes after Lee Grant, draped Sasha Velour-like in stolen jewelry, in the first third of the film.

But as all horror loving feminists and true connoisseurs of celluloid grit know, it is the three main women in this piece that truly make it a mini-classic of the 1980’s.

For those here unaware, Lee Grant plays a feisty, outspoken news anchor who earns women-hating Ironside’s wrath. After a first attack upon her life fails, Ironside’s character begins to stalk Grant in the hospital she is stationed at – putting many patients and (of course) plenty of nubile, full fleshed nurses in danger.

Grant brings a natural flamboyance and power to her role with her anger, fear and humility coming off as Actor’s Studio-natural. Even her more outlandish moments ring true as they fit her very visible character, a true queen of the power play. She also works well off the strong Linda Purl as her prime caretaker and a surprisingly subdued William Shatner as her boss.

Purl herself brings a clipped strength and a light vulnerability to her character, making her one of the most fascinatingly layered and relatable female characters in the slasher cannon.

Meanwhile, Lenore Zann, as one of Ironside’s ‘luckier’ victims, gives more recognizable motivation with her body language and a seductive glance than many Oscar nominees are capable of.

All three women ultimately make the harsh, often misogynistic violence of Visiting Hours serve a strong emotional purpose – and this is the rare horror extravaganza that will have you rooting for all three women until its bloody, gasping outset.

Originally published on the Horror Society website with minor revisions done for this reposting.