Va-Va-Villainess: Betty Hutton

Published March 7, 2021 by biggayhorrorfan

While definitely played for comic effect, the effervescent Betty Hutton gamely enacted out some prime soap opera villainy against herself in 1942’s Here Come the Waves.

Here, playing twin sisters, Rosemary and Susan, Hutton is given ample opportunity to perform her rubbery, vaudeville loving heart out. In the interest of celluloid intrigue, the two characters she portrays are, naturally, radically different. The (12 minutes) older Rosemary presents as a stern and uncompromising force of practicality. Meanwhile, the (slightly) younger Susan is the loudly scattered, romantically ambitious one. While Susan’s outlandish crush on pop singer Johnny Cabot (Bing Crosby) drives the majority of the plot here, her manic overtures, ultimately, repel him. The initially uninterested Rosemary, though, quickly steals his heart.

Catching onto the duo’s attraction to each other, the devious Susan decides to take matters into her own hands. Dressing up exactly like her look-a-like sibling, Susan arranges for Bing’s shocked Cabot to catch her in another’s embrace – momentarily derailing his relationship with Rosemary.

But by the closing frames, order has been restored with the chastened Susan realizing that Cabot is actually perfect brother-in-law material and that her own yearnings have found their unsurprising outlet with Sonny Tufts’ Windy, Cabot’s rascally friend and her co-conspirator in crimes of the heart.

Meanwhile, more information about Hutton and her extraordinary life and career s available at https://www.bettyhuttonestate.com/.

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Va-Va-Villainess: Margarita Cordova

Published March 1, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Margarita Main

Peter Gunn, the ultra cool private eye series created by Blake Edwards, definitely featured its share of shady ladies over its 3 often irresistible seasons (1958-1961). Of course, all of these women radiated spunk and beauty. But the most dynamic of those varied and capable performers has to be Margarita Cordova who, over the course of two episodes, skillfully danced, sang and played guitar along with the other expected prerequisites of her acting assignments. Margarita Dance

Granted, her last appearance in the show’s Cry Love, Cry Murder offering found her in more valiant territory, portraying a character that exposes the schemes of a cunning family member with a firm yet tear stained heart.

Her first runaround with Craig Stevens’ unflappable Gunn was a bit more insidious, though. As Elena, the mistress of a two timing scoundrel in the Mask of Murder offering, Cordova willing delivers the series’ titular hero to death’s door. Gunn, naturally, survives…as the alert Elena slinks off to presumably charm other suckers. Cordova fills this determined schemer with a strong survivor’s instinct mixed with a sly bit of seductive minx, providing for a most memorable villainess with plenty of (the above mentioned) va-va-voom to spare.

Margarita Mission Impossible Decades later, Cordova found her biggest fame as a regular on two NBC soap operas. As the matriarchal Rosa Andrade on Santa Barbara, she provided a noble sternness. She was given even more creative freedom, though, as Sunset Beach’s truly memorable Carmen Torres. Vengefully opposing the romantic union of her beloved (former priest) son with his brother’s ex-fiancée, Cordova took the mother in law from hell act to deliciously glorious heights.

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Margarita Mail

Review: Wicked Enigma

Published September 21, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

Move over, Riverdale! The sexy cast of Wicked Enigma is ready to take your place.

Big words, perhaps, but this LGBTQ friendly project, revolving around the gothic, soap strewn craziness that ensues after a tragic onset accident, is full of attractive, well cast people doing their devious best to stay alive….very much like a certain, very popular CW show.

Nicely, queer fans are sure to thrill to the complicated romance of Max (Terrence Edmonds), an out and proud cinematic genius in the making, and Austin (Andrew Etzel), a well known yet extremely closeted actor. Edmonds and Etzel provide nice layers to their characterizations, aligning themselves, sympathetically, with the audience. But directors Edmonds and Jake Doull work wonders with all of the performers, particularly with Charlotte Evelyn Williams, who shines with vibrant defiance as the rejected Sasha, making the first episode a true pleasure to view.

When you’re through, you can keep exploring the wild mysteries of Wicked Enigma at http://www.WickedEnigma.com, https://www.instagram.com/wickedenigm, https://www.facebook.com/WickedEnigmatv/ and https://twitter.com/WickedEnigmatv, as well.

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Review: Paradise University

Published September 6, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Free is good. Of course, free and spooky is better. Therefore, everyone should be thankful that director-writer Justin H. Guess has offered up Paradise University, a web series (with no charge) featuring UFO sightings, paranormal investigations, clairvoyants, vicious murders, werewolves and so much more!

Joe Bailey

Taking place in the near perfect conclave of Milton’s Head, the first season, consisting of 6 episodes, slowly builds up steam as sexual betrayals, romantic entanglements and deadly encounters lurk around every corner.

With a listed $500 budget, Guess does much with his limited resources. Most importantly, he builds steady interest in the series’ characters, slowly revealing their angst filled pasts and family histories. That the participants, for the most part, are an interesting variety of gay and lesbian characters serves the plotline well, also. Thankfully, Guess doesn’t serve up gym ripped twinks but shy small town boys, vengeful warlocks and curious academics, all whom defy the ordinary.

CJ Doyle

As with many micro produced projects, the quality of the performances varies here. But, while some cast members are obviously awkward and lacking in presence, a number truly shine. Declyn Charles (as wicked man eater Alester), Joe Bailey (as sensitive hero Jack), Blayne Ackerman (as justice seeking Travis) and CJ Doyle (as friendly horn-dog Rickey) all compel, making one anxious for the show’s second season, which premieres on September 8th, 2014.

Be sure to catch up on all the goings-on at Milton’s Head at

https://www.facebook.com/paradiseuniversitytheseries and

http://www.paradiseuniversitytheseries.com.

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Shark Bait Retro Village: Midnight’s Child (1992)

Published June 7, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

While, in reality, far too many women are still being sex shamed – I do believe if your nanny is a satan marrying, husband seducing bad-ass with a fake accent then maybe she deserves all the names that you can call her!

Sneaking on Marcy!

Such is the case when (former) soap opera diva Marcy Walker (playing Kate, a harried businesswoman) and the nubile Olivia D’Abo (as the pouty mouthed mistress of the devil) come face to face in 1992 television film Midnight’s Child. As D’Abo’s manipulative, murderous Anna lures Kate’s husband away from her while simultaneously making plans to turn her young daughter into the dark master’s newest conquest – Walker unleashes her verbal fury and is soon teaming with Anna’s distraught father in an attempt to bring the horn loving minx down.

Leaving the fire behind!

Of course, since this was made for the Lifetime Network, the more lurid aspects of the plot are played down here to concentrate on Kate’s guilt (as a woman having it all) and Anna’s sharp eyed plotting. Action sequences are, also, infrequent. Although, the opening moments efficiently portray a murder and an explosion at Anna’s Swedish convent school, helping to establish the sinister motives at play. Lovers of dark soap opera antics and devilishly infused plot lines should find that things move quite quickly and enjoyably despite the severe lack of bloodshed, though.

If anything, Midnight’s Child may even help raise social awareness- reminding employers to check the scalp lines of their potential in home employees to get the 666 on whether things are bound to have a distinctly fiery end.

The End?

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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