BD: "Horror Sequels Featuring Stars before They were Famous"

[JamesG]

Horror Sequels Featuring Stars before They were Famous
by Meagan Navarro
March 1, 2023


Viggo Mortensen in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)





Texas Chainsaw Massacre III isn’t Viggo Mortensen’s first horror role – that distinction belongs to 1987’s Prison – but it gave the actor a lot more range to play with long before his breakthrough hits came along.

In this film, a couple from California run afoul of the Sawyer clan after a bizarre run-in with a hitchhiker (Mortensen) at a Texas gas station.







Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)





The immediate follow-up to Leatherface: TCM III featured another pair of rising stars hailing from Texas: McConaughey and Zellweger.

Directed and penned by longtime franchise mainstay Kim Henkel, the fourth entry sees prom night derailed by Leatherface and his deranged family. Through camp and zany Leatherface clan antics, Henkel and crew ensure that it’s a sequel you won’t forget.







Christine Taylor in Night of the Demons 2 (1994)





Before establishing a solid reputation for comedy, actress Christine Taylor (Zoolander, The Wedding Singer, The Brady Bunch) showed off her mean girl prowess in the underappreciated sequel Night of the Demons 2.

Taylor plays Terri, one of the popular girls banned from the boarding school Halloween dance. The girls opt to relocate their party to Hull House, sparking a new wave of Angela-induced demonic terror. While it may not end well for Terri, Night of the Demons 2 marks Taylor’s early transition from TV to film.







Matthew Lillard in Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1991)





Before 1996's Scream put Matthew Lillard on the horror map, the actor appeared as college student Stork in the third Ghoulies installment.

The pint-sized demons terrorize a college campus after being summoned by Professor Ragnar (Kevin McCarthy). Ghoulies III was directed by special makeup effects wizard John Carl Buechler (Hatchet, From Beyond), who aims for a more playful tone in this sequel.







Paul Rudd in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)





The sixth entry in this enduring franchise saw a fully grown Tommy Doyle team up with Dr. Loomis to uncover a sinister plot tied to Michael Myers.

This iteration of the character lives across the street from the Myers home, living in constant paranoia of the Boogeyman’s return. Tommy also happens to be played by Paul Rudd, who filmed this sequel back-to-back with Clueless, his true breakout role.







Adam Scott in Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)





Adam Scott, from comedy series "Parks & Recreation" and "Party Down", appears as Jacques, the ambitious assistant to Philippe Lemarchand, the aristocrat who created the puzzle box,

Here we get to see a very different side of the actor.







Lori Loughlin and Meg Ryan in Amityville 3-D (1983)





One of Meg Ryan’s earliest roles, years before dominating the romantic comedy scene, was a small part in the 3D threequel in the Amityville franchise.

Ryan plays Lisa, the best pal to future "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin’s Susan Baxter, a teen who runs afoul of the house shortly after the girls play with a Ouija in the Amityville house attic. What could go wrong?







George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen in Grizzly II: Revenge (1983)





If you’re looking for a movie to pair with Cocaine Bear, it probably shouldn’t be this long-shelved sequel made in 1983 and officially released in 2020.

The messy sequel features another rampaging bear and a slew of brief appearances by now-famous actors. That includes Charlie Sheen in his first credited feature role, along with Laura Dern and George Clooney. If we’re keeping score, Clooney also appeared in the horror spoof sequel Return of the Killer Tomatoes!







Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3 (1991)





A family unwittingly picks up Crite eggs at a rest stop, which hatch once they return home to their apartment building in this third Critters installment.

The reigns have officially been handed over to town goof turned intergalactic bounty hunter Charlie (Don Keith Opper), who arrives in time to help the protagonists with their critter siege.



That’s great news for young neighbor Josh, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his first feature role.

The early star appearances don’t stop there in this franchise; look for an early turn by Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett in Critters 4.







Eva Mendes in Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998)





If there’s a single horror franchise with a consistent knack for featuring stars well ahead of their breakthrough roles, it’s the Children of the Corn franchise.

Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest introduced Charlize Theron in an uncredited role as one of the cult kids, and Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering was led by Naomi Watts shortly after her role in Tank Girl.

The fifth entry debuts Eva Mendes among the core group of teens trapped in Gatlin.

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[Torgo]

Tara Reid's first movie was A Return To Salem's Lot (1987)

And for Designing Women fans, Meshach Taylor's first movie was Damien: Omen II (1978)