One of the most recognizable faces in the horror genre, actress Barbara Crampton started her career in the 1980s, going from a two-year soap opera stint on Days of Our Lives to playing victims of mad scientists and killer robots. As her career has flourished, she's gotten the chance to stretch her acting abilities and take on more serious and memorable roles in horror films. She's worked with classic horror directors like Stuart Gordon to more modern creators like The Munsters director Rob Zombie. She's played protagonists, villains, and everywhere in-between. Most recently, Barbara Crampton appeared in Alone with You, a psychological horror film from Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks, and she did the voice work for "Mom", a main character in Turtle Rock Games' Back 4 Blood. In celebration of a horror icon, we rank Barbara Crampton's best performances.
8
Chopping Mall (1986)
In this 1980s cheese fest from Jim Wynorski, a group of teens decides to sleep overnight in a shopping mall, on the same night lightning strikes three state-of-the-art security robots that have now gone from stun to kill. The film was originally titled Killbots, but after a poor theater performance, was changed to Chopping Mall at the suggestion of the film crew's janitor. The film was produced by Julie Corman, who is married to famous horror producer Roger Corman. Crampton played Suzie Lynn, one of the trapped teens, and was joined by other horror genre regulars, Dick Miller (Gremlins) and Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet). Although her character is chalked up to become killer robot fodder, her performance is great, and she has the most memorable death in the film, taking a laser beam to the head for an explosive demise.
7
From Beyond (1986)
From Beyond is the first of three collaborative films between director Stuart Gordon, Jeffrey Combs, and Barbara Crampton on this list. In From Beyond, a group of scientists creates a machine called the Resonator, which allows humans to see beyond the reach of normal perceptible reality. After using the machine, the scientists are attacked by terrible lifeforms from other planes of reality. The film was based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story, adapted by Brian Yuzna and Dennis Paoli. Crampton portrays a psychiatrist tasked with treated Jeffrey Combs' character as his pineal glad is growing, and he's becoming more dangerous. This film was a true representation of 80s practical effects in horror, and in a recent interview, Barbara Crampton touched on how distracting it was to be covered head-to-toe with methyl cellulose, a substance used in fast-food restaurants for thickening milkshakes.
6
Re-Animator (1985)
In Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) develops a serum that can be used to re-animate lifeless corpses. He recruits his roommate in the project, but soon finds out that once re-animated, the bodies become raging, destructive zombies. In this film, Crampton plays Megan Halsey, the girlfriend of Dr. West's roommate. She's routinely treated poorly by Dr. West, and in probably the most memorable scene in the film, is forced to receive oral sex by the severed head of a zombified doctor. Because of this scene, the film received an initial X-rating upon theatrical release, though it was brought down to R-rating once it came to video. Though Crampton's character technically makes it through the end of the film, she does not return for either of the films sequels, Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator. The film is highly rated by critics and horror fans alike, and had a bit of a resurgence in the late 1990s, when Kevin Spacey and Wes Bentley had a conversation about Re-Animator in the Oscar winner for Best Picture, American Beauty. This film was also based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, and adapted for the screen by Dennis Paoli and William Norris.
5
You're Next (2011)
Adam Wingard's You're Next is considered one of the best home invasion horror films of all time. In this film, a family gets together to celebrate the anniversary weekend of two parents, and their celebration is interrupted by a trio of animal-masked killers, eager to pick them off one-by-one. Barbara Crampton plays Aubrey, the matriarch of the family, who's anniversary brings them all together. Though she isn't in the film for too long, her portrayal in the motherly role is fantastic, and her ability to tap into the true grief of familial loss is excellent. Though You're Next premiered at film festivals in 2011, it wasn't picked up by Lionsgate and released widely until 2013. This film also holds one of the few acting roles of acclaimed horror director Ti West (House of the Devil, X).
4
Castle Freak (1995)
In the third and final collaboration between Stuart Gordon, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, Castle Freak follows a family that moves into an inherited Italian castle after their family suffers a tragic accident. What they don't know is that in the basement of the castle lives a creature beyond what may be man or beast, ready to chase the intruders from his home. Crampton plays Susan Reilly, the wife of Jeffrey Combs' character. This was a great early example of Crampton stepping outside the "victim" box in her horror career, as she had to play the protective mother and scorned wife. This was definitely the most serious film the trio did, and was also based on an H.P. Lovecraft story. To cut down on production costs, the owner of Full Moon Productions, allowed the film to be shot at his own personal castle.
3 CREEPSHOW (2021)
Taking on more villainous roles more recently in her career, Barbara Crampton appeared in the second season of Shudder's CREEPSHOW series in an episode titled "Pipe Screams". As a hairy glob of a creature makes its way through the pipes of an old, rundown apartment building, and posing a danger to its tenets, a plumber must find a way to put a stop to it and the buildings plumbing issues. Crampton plays the overly-nasty landlord responsible for the creature's creation, and the overall downfall of the building. She plays this villain role especially well, adding in that level of Creepshow campiness horror fans have come to love since the 1982 original film.
2
Jakob's Wife (2021)
In this gory vampire film that explores the dynamics of marriage and relationships, Barbara Crampton takes the ball and runs with it as the lead actress. Jakob's Wife follows Anne Fedder, the wife of a preacher who has been losing herself over the course of their 30-year marriage. Upon being bitten by a vampire, she develops a new sense of boldness and power that changes turns their relationship upside down. Crampton also produced the film, spending years trying to get the script onto the screen. After finally getting it on board at Alliance Media Partners and found its director in Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor), it was picked up by RLJE Films and Shudder, and released at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2021, getting mostly positive reviews.
1
We Are Still Here (2015)
We Are Still Here was not only named one of 2015's best horror films by Rolling Stone, but it very well may be one of the best ghost films of all time. In Ted Geoghegan's gory ghost story, a husband and wife move to the countryside after the death of their son. Upon moving in, they feel a presence in their home that may unlock a mystery connected to their now hometown. Barbara Crampton plays the grieving mother Anne, and her commitment to the feelings of emotional loss and survival lands this as her top performance. The film has fantastic effects, a creepy and cool story, and great acting performances all-around.