What the Hell Happened to Neve Campbell?

At the peak of her career, Neve Campbell was starring in a hit TV drama as well as a popular movie franchise.  Scream revitalized the horror genre in 1996.  Campbell continued to star on Party of Five while making Scream sequels.  In between, she tried to make something happen outside of teen soaps and horror movies.  Following the cancellation of Party of Five after a six-season run, Campbell seemed to disappear from mainstream TV and movies.

What the hell happened?

campbell - ballet
Neve Campbell – ballet

Campbell was born in Canada.  At the age of six, she saw a performance of The Nutcracker and decided she wanted to be a ballerina.  At the age of nine, Campbell moved into residence at the National Ballet School of Canada where she appeared in performances of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.  At the age of fifteen, Campbell had to leave ballet due to several injuries.  Instead, she turned to acting.  In 1991, at the age of eighteen, Campbell appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial featuring Bryan Adams.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcO4WjQtPFc]

That commercial is practically an audition for horror movies.  And Adams is far scarier than Ghostface ever was.

Campbell also appeared in guest appearances on several Canadian TV shows.  In 1991, she appeared opposite Jerry O’Connell on the super hero-themed kids show, My Secret Identity.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAkl6pV7pE]

In 1992, Campbell appeared on the sketch comedy show, The Kids in the Hall.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOvYmAZEUKI]

She also had a recurring role in the TV show, Catwalk, in which she played a keyboardist in a Canadian rock band.

campbell - are you afraid of the dark
Neve Campbell – Are You Afraid of the Dark? – 1994

 In 1993, Campbell guest starred on Are You Afraid of the Dark, a joint American-Canadian anthology show.  The horror/fantasy show was aimed at kids and aired on Nickelodeon in the US.

In 1994, Campbell appeared in several TV movies and guest appearances including Kung Fu: The Legend Continues..  She also appeared in the TV movies I Know My Son Is Alive and The Forget-Me-Not Murders which have to be airing on Lifetime Movie Network.

1994 was also the year Party of Five debuted.  Campbell starred opposite Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox and Lacey Chabert as siblings who are orphaned when their parents are killed by a drunk driver.  The show was not initially a hit.  In fact, Fox considered cancelling it after the first season.

In 1995, Party of Five won the Golden Globe for Best Drama beating out shows like E/R and NYPD Blue.  It was a shocking upset that brought attention to the fledgling drama.  The win brought more viewers and better ratings.  Party of Five ended its run after six seasons in 2000.

Neve Campbell - The Craft - 1996
Neve Campbell – The Craft – 1996

In 1996, Campbell appeared in a horror movie that would turn out to be a surprise hit.  The movie starred several young actors who could potentially go on to be big stars.  But it wasn’t Scream.  It was the witch-themed movie, The Craft.

The Craft is basically Mean Girls as a horror movie or Heathers minus the dark comedy.  Robin Tunney starred as a troubled teen who falls in with the wrong crowd.  Fairuza Balk played the mean girl who pushes the group into darker and darker territory.  Campbell played a follower in the group.

Skeet Ulrich, who would appear opposite Campbell in Scream, had a supporting role.

Portraying a high school clique as a witch’s coven may be a bit too on-the-nose for some.  The movie lacks subtlety, but it did a good job of combining teen drama with the horror genre.  Reviews were mixed, but The Craft opened at number one at the box office.  It was a surprise hit that developed a small but devoted cult following.

Campbell - Scream
Neve Campbell – Scream – 1996

Later that year, Campbell starred opposite Courteney Cox and David Arquette in Wes Craven’s Scream.

Scream was originally titled Scary Movie.  Writer Kevin Williamson wrote the script and two five-page outlines for potential sequels over the course of three days.  Williamson said Scary Movie was a movie he wanted to watch.  But Hollywood wasn’t making that kind of scary movie in the 90’s.  The slasher genre had peaked in the previous decade and Williamson hoped to revive it.

Director Wes Craven was originally interested in taking on the project.  But before he could get a studio to buy the script for him, it was sold to Dimension Films.  Bob Weinstein of Dimension approached Craven to direct, but by then the director was committed to a remake of The Haunting. Craven decided to distance himself from the horror genre following The Haunting and passed on Scary Movie.

Drew Barrymore in Wes Craven's
Scream – 1996

The script made its way into the hands of Drew Barrymore.  Barrymore was interested in starring in the film.  This was almost unheard of at the time.  Barrymore was an established movie star and established movie stars did not make horror movies.  Horror movies were a stepping stone for unknown actors and actresses to become established movie stars.  When Barrymore expressed interest, that was enough to change Craven’s mind about directing.

Barrymore had intended to play the lead role.  But other commitments prevented her from doing so.  Instead, she played a smaller role – almost an extended cameo.  Her character was killed off in the film’s opening scenes.  It was a gamble to kill off the movie’s biggest star at the beginning of the movie.  But the gamble paid off.  The opening death scene became a hallmark of the series.

With no lead actress in place, the studio turned to several up-and-coming actresses.  Craven had seen Campbell on Party of Five and asked her to audition.  Having just appeared in The Craft, Campbell was reluctant to star in another horror movie.  But ultimately, she decided the part was too good to pass up.

During filming, Craven was nearly fired as director.  Weinstein did not think the Ghostface mask was scary and wanted to take the movie in another direction.  Craven had to put together a work print of the film’s opening 13 minutes in order to save his job.

Craven spent two months editing the film.  The MPAA asked for several changes based on the film’s intensity.  Craven fought to keep that intensity, but the studio would not release an NC-17 cut of the movie.  Craven explained:

“I’m a director who can do something very well but am not allowed to put it on screen. And they ultimately get you, as they did on this one, on intensity. They say, ‘it’s not a specific shot, it’s not blood, it’s just too intense’.”

Ultimately, Bob Weinstein intervened and Scream was released with an R-rating.

Scream received mostly positive reviews.  Ultimately, it was a hit at the box office.  But it didn’t exactly start out that way.  Weinstein insisted on releasing Scream during the Christmas movie season.  He argued that since horror movies were never released during this season, that the target audience wouldn’t have any other alternatives.

In its opening weekend, Scream grossed roughly $6 million dollars which was considered a disappointment.  Traditionally horror movies dropped about 50% in their second weekend.  That would put Scream on a path to failure.  But Scream didn’t drop 50%.  Instead, it became a word-of-mouth hit.  For the next few weeks, Scream‘s box office take increased ultimately grossing over $100 million dollars in the US.

campbell - scream 2
Neve Campbell – Scream 2 – 1997

Scream was a monster hit.  But more than that, it was cool.  Dimension wanted a sequel and they wanted it right away.  Pretty much every actor who survived the first film reunited for Scream 2 in 1997.

Williamson began writing the sequel while Scream was still in theaters.  Almost as soon as Williamson’s script was finished, it was leaked on the internet revealing the identity of the killers as well as several key plot points.  The studio asked Williamson to do rewrites while the film was shooting.  Sometimes, Craven didn’t have a fully written pages to work off of and had to improvise while he was shooting.

Much as the first film was a satire of the genre, Scream 2 poked fun at sequels.  Cox’s character has written a book about the events of the first film and that book has been adapted into a movie called Stab.  Tori Spelling, Luke Wilson and Heather Graham appeared in cameo roles in the movie-within-a-movie.

Neve Campbell and Heather Graham - Scream 2 - 1997
Scream 2 – 1997

Based on the success of the first film, actors were lining up to appear in the sequel.  Sarah Michelle Gellar agreed to a cameo role without reading the script.  She was busy in between shooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I Know What You Did Last Summer but made time in her schedule for Scream 2.  Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett were selected for the film’s opening death scene.  And Campbell was reunited with Jeremy O’Connell from her Canadian TV days.

Reviews for Scream 2 were mostly positive, but not as glowing as they were for the first film.  Roger Ebert complained  “there is no way to guess who’s doing the killing, and everyone who seems suspicious is (almost) sure to be innocent.”  Probably not surprising considering how the film was written and rewritten.  Scream 2 was a hit at the box office.

campbell - wild things
Neve Campbell – Wild Things – 1998

In 1998, Campbell appeared opposite Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon and Denise Richards in the over-the-top erotic thriller, Wild Things.

Campbell played a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who… no, I can’t try to sum up the plot of Wild Things.  Just see it for yourself.  If the idea of a threesome among Campbell, Richards and Dillon doesn’t sell you, see it for Bill Murray’s extended cameo.  It’s got just enough of a wry sense of humor to avoid being a Basic Instinct rip-off.

Despite mixed to positive reviews, Wild Things was not a hit at the box office.  But it has developed a cult following over time.  It has also spawned direct-to-video sequels without the involvement of any of the original cast.

campbell - lion king 2
The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride – 1998

Later that year, Campbell did voice work in Disney’s direct-to-video sequel to The Lion King.  Campbell voiced Kiara, the only daughter of Matthew Broderick’s Simba.  Reviews were mixed to positive.  Even the positive reviews put their praise in the context that Lion King 2 was good by the standards of direct-to-video movies but poor by comparison to the original.  Disney had high hopes for the project and shipped 15 million copies.  They sold only 13 million which is still impressive even if it fell short of their original projections.

campbell - 54
Neve Campbell – 54 – 1998

Campbell ended the year starring opposite Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek and Mike Myers in the disco drama, 54.

The movie was set in the legendary nightclub Studio 54.  Studio 54 became the hardest club in the world to get into when disco became a sensation in the 70’s.  It was a haven for drug use and homosexuality.  But the party came to an end in the 80’s with the death of disco and the incarceration of the club’s founders for tax evasion.

Myers played Steven Rubell, one of the two co-founders of Studio 54.  How historically accurate was 54?  The other partner was never mentioned.  The story is mostly fictionalized.  Despite the marketing material, Phillippee was the lead.  Myers’ Rubell is a background character in what amounts to a soap opera.

When test audiences reacted badly to certain plot threads, the studio demanded changes.  Audiences objected to a gay kiss between male leads as well as a happy endings for several of the characters they did not feel deserved them.  The changes resulted in 45 minutes being cut from the film replaced by 25 minutes of new scenes and voice overs.  Not surprisingly, the end result was a bit of a mess.

Reviews were negative and 54 bombed at the box office.  A director’s cut was eventually released on video to better reviews.

campbell - three to tango
Neve Campbell – Three to Tango – 1999

In 1999, Campbell tried her hand at romantic comedy opposite Matthew Perry and Dylan McDermott in Three to Tango.

McDermott played a rich businessman who thinks Perry’s character is gay.  He decides to hire Perry to keep an eye on his mistress played by Campbell.

Puking, crotch injuries and homophobic humor.  The only way this could be worse would be to end on a Hooties and the Blowfish song.  Check, check and double check.  The trailer for this movie is a stark reminder of why I rarely watch romantic comedies anymore.

Three to Tango received appropriately terrible reviews and bombed at the box office.

Neve Campbell - Scream 3 - 2000
Neve Campbell – Scream 3 – 2000

In 2000, Campbell returned to the Scream franchise in what was supposed to be the final chapter of a trilogy, Scream 3.

When Williamson sold his Scary Movie script, he included treatments for two sequels.  His contract stipulated that he would write all three films should they be made.  But with Scream‘s success, Williamson went on to other projects.  Among other things, Williamson made his directorial debut with Teaching Ms. Tingle.  When it came time to write the script for Scream 3, Williamson wasn’t available.  Instead, he handed in pages of notes.  The studio hired Ehren Kruger to write a script based on Williamson’s treatment.

Williamson’s notes returned the story to the town of Woodsboro.  It ended with the reveal that all the killings had been staged by a Stab fanclub.  Much of the story took place in a high school.  Following the real life tragedy at Columbine, the studio considered scrapping the movie entirely.  Ultimately, they decided to make Scream 3, but they threw out Williamson’s notes and started from scratch.  They decided to play down the violence in favor of satire.  But Craven insisted that if the movie was going to be called Scream it needed to include the same slasher elements as the first two films.

Much like the second film, the script was being written and rewritten as filming was underway.  Three different versions of the ending were filmed because at the time no one knew the final fate of Patrick Dempsey’s character.

Scream 3 received negative reviews.  Many critics noted that Scream 3 was the kind of movie the first Scream made fun of.  Despite the bad reviews, Scream 3 was reasonably successful at the box office.  It failed to break $100 million like the first two films, but it still turned a healthy profit.

Neve Campbell - Drowning Mona - 2000
Neve Campbell – Drowning Mona – 2000

Later that year, Campbell appeared opposite Danny DeVito, Bette Midler and Jamie Lee Curtis in the comic mystery, Drowning Mona.

Midler played a terrible person who drowns in a car accident.  DeVito played the police officer who investigates the case.  He believes that someone tampered with the brakes on her car.  But Mona had so many enemies that everyone is a suspect.  Campbell played DeVito’s daughter.  Her mother must be a real looker.

Reviews were bad and the movie flopped at the box office.

campbell - panic
Neve Campbell – Panic – 2000

Campbell ended the year starring opposite William H. Macy in Panic.

Macy played a middle-aged hit man who becomes fixated on a girl he meets in his therapist’s waiting room.  Campbell played the girl Macy focuses on during his mid-life crisis.

Reviews were mostly positive, but Panic did not receive a wide theatrical release.

Campbell had been going strong from 1994-2000.  But in 2000, both Party of Five and the Scream franchise wrapped up (although Scream would eventually be revived).  With those high profile projects completed, Campbell started focusing on more independent projects.  In 2001, she starred in Alan Rudolph’s comedy/drama, Investigating Sex.  In 2002, she starred opposite Jeremy Irons and Sissy Spacek in the TV movie, Last Call.

campbell - the company
Neve Campbell – The Company – 2003

In 2003, Campbell starred in Robert Altman’s drama, The Company.  Campbell spent years developing the movie.  She received a producer and a story credit.  The movie was clearly very important to Campbell given her background in ballet.  Reviews were mostly positive but The Company flopped at the box office.

campbell - blind horizon
Neve Campbell and Val Kilmer – Blind Horizon – 2003

Also in 2003, Campbell starred opposite the King of What the Hell Happened, Val Kilmer in the direct-to-video thriller, Blind Horizon.

In 2004, Campbell played a femme fatale in James Toback’s mostly improvised When Will I Be Loved.  She also starred opposite Christian Slater in Churchill: The Hollywood Years.  In 2005, she appeared in the TV movie, Reefer Madness: The Musical.  From 2006-2009, Campbell appeared in a bunch of movies you have probably never heard of and TV shows you probably didn’t watch (aside from a guest spot on Medium in 2007.

campbell - scream 4
Neve Campbell – Scream 4 – 2011

In 2011, Campbell returned once again to the Scream franchise for Scream 4.

Once again, Williamson was hired to write and once again he had to bow out due to other obligations.  As with Scream 3, Ehren Kruger was brought in to finish the script.  And as with all the Scream sequels, rewrites were being done while the movie was filming.

A new cast of younger actors was brought on board to carry on the franchise if need be.  But reviews were mixed and Scream 4 was the first in the series to disappoint at the box office.  But despite relatively weak domestic box office, there has still been talk of making a fifth film in the series which remains popular overseas.

In 2012, Campbell guest starred on Grey’s Anatomy.  She also starred in the cable mini-series Titanic: Blood and Steel.  In 2013, she starred in the Lifetime movie, An Amish Murder.  The movie was meant to launch a TV series starring Campbell but the series never materialized.  She had a guest spot in an episode of Mad Men in 2014 and is slated to appear on the Netflix series, House of Cards in 2016.

So what the hell happened?

After several years of juggling a hit TV show and a popular movie franchise, Campbell decided to switch gears.  She didn’t quit show business.  In fact, she has worked steadily since the early nineties.  But she chose smaller projects that didn’t reach the mainstream.  As a result, it seemed to most audiences like she disappeared.

Of course once an actress disappears, it becomes very difficult to come back into the spotlight.  The door is always open for Campbell to return to the Scream franchise although that became a lot less likely with the death of Wes Craven and the adaptation of the series into a TV show.  Outside of Scream, her options have become limited.  In July 2013, she started filming a science fiction film called Division 19.  The movie attempted to raise a mere $50,000 on Kickstarter.  In spite of Campbell’s presence, the project raised just over $11,000.

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admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

I was JUST wondering about Campbell last week! I always found her appealing, even though she’s middling as an actress. In fact, I even sat through the awful Three to Tango (on TV) and found myself not turning it off because darn it, I really like her and Perry and Oliver Platt and John C McGinley and Bob Balaban. I will watch all kinds of dreck if the actors are good. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t bad. It was. Scream still entertains every couple of years in October after I’ve already run through Psycho, The Thing, etc. The stories of… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

One of the things that has kept me from writing about Cambpell for so long is that outside of Scream, she didn’t have much of a movie career. She has been frequently requested because in the 90s she was extremely high profile. And then the new millenium rolls around and Campbell seems to vanish. Although as I have come to find out, no one ever really vanishes completely. So I was trying to choose my next subject. I wanted to pick someone who genuinely fit the mission statement of WTHH and not just a career retrospective masquerading as WTHH. I… Read more »

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

At the time Lion King 2 was released, I was vaguely aware of Campbell’s involvement. It makes a certain kind of sense when you remember she ws still on Party of Five. Less so when you think about her R-rated movies. Is it any weirder than Jeremy Irons being in Lion King 1 though? The man’s hardly a kiddie actor himself… Although I will say that I find it weird she’d agree to a direct-to-video movie when she was considered a rising startlet at the time. Maybe she just heard Lion King 2 and did it because Lion King 1… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

Irons as Scar made sense to me. After Reversal of Fortune, he was the go-to Hollywood bad guy. They even included a sly reference to Irons’ Oscar winning role.

Campbell makes sense too if you view her as the star as Party of Five. But if you think of her as the star of Scream (which is how I see her having never watched the TV series) I would have never thought of her for Lion King 2.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Oh, OK. Sorry, I just get tired of people complaining about actors who do mature stuff doing kids movies sometimes…

Although I would argue that it’s debatable that Claus is the villain in Reversals of Fortune. The movie doesn’t really make it clear that he killed Sonny and he doesn’t really antagonize the lawyer or his students. But that’s just me…

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

No need to apologize, Higgins. I promise, I don’t bite. I haven’t really experienced people complaining about actors who do mature material also doing kids stuff. But I can see where that would be annoying. I was approaching it from a marketing/casting point of view. If I’m casting The Lion King 2, I don’t think to call the girl from Scream and Wild Things. Most of my target demo hopefully has no idea who she is. But calling the Party of Five girl makes sense to me. I certainly have no objection to the casting on moral grounds or anything… Read more »

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Oh, OK. I understand now…

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Actually, now that I think about it, do you think you might do a future WTTH article on Jeremy Irons?

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

I think he’s certainly a viable candidate. He fits in with guys like Kevin Spacey; character actors with enough charisma to pull off leading man roles. But not quite enough star power to be A-list leading men.

I doubt I will get to Irons any time soon, but I wouldn’t be surprised to cover him eventually.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

OK, Thanks for telling me!

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Actually, if you ever do to get Irons, maybe you could do James Earl Jones as well. To be fair, he has had many characters under his belt that people remember and love but, considering the amount of iconic roles he’s had and how popular he is as an actor, you’d think his career would actually be better than it really is (if you look it up on IMDB, he’s done a plethora of TV movies and even some Direct-to-DVD work) (Also, and I hate to say this, but his race might’ve been a factor in how he’s never become… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

James Earl Jones would make for an interesting article. He’s had a great career as a character actor. But I don’t see getting to him any time in the foreseeable future. In the distant future, it could happen.

Now I have “This is CNN” stuck in my head. Great voice.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Higgins

Speaking of “Star Wars”, I wonder (since I’ve noticed that Harrison Ford’s name has just been taken off of the poll for future WTHHT candidates) if Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) would make for a good “WTHHT” candidate instead? I know that Hamill reinvented himself as a prolific voice actor (namely his role as the Joker on “Batman: The Animated Series”), but his career as a film star never really went beyond “Star Wars”. Maybe part of Hamill’s problem was his car accident, which he was involved in in-between “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back”, which (because of the… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

I was wondering when some eagle-eyed commenter would notice Ford’s absence from the poll. I decided in light of Ender’s Game to give Ford a stay of execution. He’ll be back eventually. But I felt now was not his time.

Hamill would make a good candidate. There’s no doubt the car accident and reconstructive surgery played a part.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

I don’t mean to repeat what I said before, but I think part of the reason why Neve Campbell’s career fell off is because she (or at least, I immediately get the impression) chose to fall off the radar so to speak. From what I’ve heard on IMDb, she relocated to London so she could pursue theater while starring in indie films (basically, she wanted to branch out more with her roles) and live a more peaceful life? Unfortunately, Neve for all intents and purposes, wasted a good deal of her “prime” shying away from more commercial (or things that… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

She definitely could have made a bit more money if she had embraced her scream queen image a little more. But then again, she made three Scream movies during the peak of her career. And by Scream 3, horror was changing again. J-horror was on the rise. The Scream-influenced horror movies were already passé. So I don’t know how much more she could have done in that genre either.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Maybe that’s part of the reason why the fourth “Scream” (which came out 11 years after the last one) didn’t perform as well at the domestic box office as the previous ones. “Scream” I suppose, created a brand new horror sub-genre, the post-modern, deconstructive, teen slasher genre. “Scream” in essence is perhaps more of a ’90s franchise so to speak, that didn’t when you get right down to it, didn’t have that much of a long self-life.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

The idea behind Scream 4 was that slasher reboots were big, so Scream 4 was kind of spin on that. I actually wonder if they wouldn’t have done better with a straight reboot recasting all the characters.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

re: reboots…JEEZ, ya gots to wonder if there are any screenplays in/near Hollywierd that ARE NOT “reboots/re-imaginings” of existing movies! Also, I often found through painstaking scientific research, if a movie title has a number greater than “3” at the end of the title, it’s likely a BAD movie, and it’s CERTAINLY a bad movie if it has “words” after the number, i.e., “The Howling VIII: The Itchy & Scratchy Show.”

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Star Trek is the exception to that rule.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country are some of the best of the series.

That’s part of the appeal of reboots though. Lets you go back to a fresh start.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

10 Film Franchises You Really Should Stop Watching After The First Movie: http://whatculture.com/film/10-film-franchises-really-stop-watching-first-movie.php/6 Scream By the mid-90s, the slasher/horror genre, long known for the numerous franchises it spawned, was in decline. Enter 1996’s Scream, written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, a film which helped to reinvigorate the genre, and spawned a series of sequels (and imitators) of its own. The movie was best known for killing off its biggest “name,” Drew Barrymore, in the opening scene, as well as the now iconic quote: “Do you like scary movies?” It was also critically praised for its self-aware meta-commentary… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

A look back at the Scream franchise part I. Scream: still entertaining, but with a genuine learning curve. http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2011/04/look-back-at-scream-franchise-part-i.html It remains to be seen whether or Scream 4 can become the first breakout mega-smash of 2011, drawing in nostalgic 20-somethings and 30-somethings while bringing along the next generation who grew up watching the first three films on DVD over the last decade. I was invited to Tuesday night’s press screening but had to decline due to not being allowed to bring guests (IE – my wife). But in the meantime, let us take a moment to both reflect on the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

SCREAM 4 (2011): http://cinefilestv.blogspot.com/2014/10/scream-4-2011.html Directed By: Wes Craven Written By: Kevin Williamson Cinematography By: Peter Deming Editor: Peter McNulty Music By: Marco Beltrami Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panittiere, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Mary McDonell, Marley Shelton, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, Lucy Hale Shenae Grimes, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Aimee Teegarden, Britt Robertson Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill and… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

A look back at the Scream franchise part III. Scream 3: Scared of Columbine’s shadow, a horror film series cuts its own throat. http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2011/04/look-back-at-scream-franchise-part-iii.html It remains to be seen whether or Scream 4 can become the first breakout mega-smash of 2011, drawing in nostalgic 20-somethings and 30-somethings while bringing along the next generation who grew up watching the first three films on DVD over the last decade. I was invited to Tuesday night’s press screening but had to decline due to not being allowed to bring guests (IE – my wife). But in the meantime, let us take a moment… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Review: Scream 4 (2011) exists purely to acknowledge its own pointlessness. http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-scream-4-2011.html Scream 4 2011 110 minutes rated R by Scott Mendelson It is rare that a film spends such a large chunk of its running time basically admonishing its own existence. Yet Wes Craven’s return to the world of Scream is not only a relatively unnecessary franchise revival, it wears its uselessness on its sleeve. Call it ‘meta’ or call it a genuine distaste for those who would demand a fourth installment of this particular series, but Scream 4 shouts early and often about the myriad of ways in… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Recent Movies Guaranteed To Age Terribly: http://whatculture.com/film/10-recent-movies-guaranteed-to-age-terribly.php/3 Scream 4 Wes Craven’s Scream franchise certainly had a lot more legs than many people expected – the postmodern horror series has been running for over 15 years and received critical acclaim over its run. By the fourth installment it was clear though that Scream had run out of steam. One of the aspects which made the earlier installments in the franchise so entertaining was the clever plotting – audiences were genuinely engrossed in trying to figure out which character (or characters) were behind the Ghostface mask. By Scream 4, however, not only… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Scream gets a full-season order from MTV: http://thedissolve.com/news/3782-mtv-scream/ Like our current Movie Of The Week, The Blair Witch Project, the 1996 slasher satire Scream was so wildly influential and successful that it split the history of horror into two distinct categories: before and after. Scream infected the slasher genre with a winking sense of self-awareness that led to a slew of imitators and knock-offs, including the sequels Scream 2 and Scream 3. For a good two- or three-year stretch, it seemed like every damn horror movie spent as much time winking at viewers as it did disemboweling teenagers for drinking… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

MTV Releases Trailer for Scream Television Series: http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/521831/releases-trailer-scream-television-series https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qqzgSjZQlLo Post by tigermaskxxxvii on 55 minutes ago I like the Randy Meeks-esque “You can’t do a slasher movie as a TV show” part. On the other hand, it’s kind of funny that MTV let this stay in the script of whatever episode it’s in (I’m guessing the pilot) and use it in the promo. It’s one thing to be meta and self-effacing. But to do in a way that just says “Yeah, this is built to fail”. That line is totally gonna be the rope that the critics hang this show… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

She apparently didn’t want to be typecasted as someone who only does Horror films which is why she declines doing so many of them. That said, she hasn’t actually done that many outside of the “Scream” series and “The Craft”, so I don’t think it’d hurt to do another one or two down the line for her.

Shemp
10 years ago

re: The movie attempted to raise a mere $50,000 on Kickstarter. In spite of Campbell’s presence, the project raised just over $11,000. I dunno ’bout you, but I found this factoid kind of sad. NOT sarcastic/she-deserves-it “sad,” but genuinely sad, as in unfortunate…you’d think Neve fans would pony up a few bucks each. But maybe it’s like with Winona Ryder: The guys (and gals?) that had crushes on Neve C graduated high school and/or college and “moved on,” as someone on these pages so aptly put it…and when you’re (reduced to) co-starring with Val Kilmer, the writing’s on the wall,… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Yeah, I ended the article there because it seemed like an appropriate “O how the mighty have fallen!” kind of factoid. Having said that, I do believe the movie still went forward. I’m assuming they had other backing. $50,000 isn’t even enough money to distribute a movie. So I’m guessing it was meant to cover a fraction of some cost. Still, I doubt the movie will ever be released in theaters. I have to admit I have no real opinion one way or another on Campbell’s acting abilities. I never watched Party of Five. I know her from the Scream… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

I think another byproduct of Neve’s slip into irrelevancy if you want to call it that is the overall feeling that “Party of Five” itself has pretty much become a forgotten TV show from the ’90s. Hell, Lacey Chabert for example is if anything, probably more recognized now for “Mean Girls” than “Party of Five”:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/party-of-five-is-the-great-forgotten-drama-of-the,100492/

Shemp
10 years ago

Heck, Lacey C is not that “recognized” lately, either — otherwise why would she be posing in her underwear for MAXIM recently? What was the last movie (popular, decent, or good) was she in that WASN’T “Mean Girls”?

There IS a reason why Fate’s Fickle Finger is called thus.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

I thought being a Maxim girl was what Lacey Chabert was best known for.

I don’t think many people remeber from Party of Five for 2 reasons. One, everyone seems to have forgotten Part of Five and poor, poor Scott Wolf. Two, on Party of Five, Chabert looked like this:

And now she looks like this:

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Well, I guess the Collective We won’t by hearing Ms. Lacey say, “I don’t want people to look at me as a sex object.” Or maybe we will, anyway. Kirsty Dunst said very similar in her ROLLING STONE article…you know the issue, the one where DUNST WORE VICTORIAN UNDERWEAR ON THE COVER.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Anyone who has ever appeared on the cover of Maxim (which includes Dunst) has no business complaining about being objectified.

Chabert has appeared on the cover twice. Dunst once. Scrolling through a list it appears Bridget Fonda posed for the cover in 99 as did Orse McGowan (Campbell’s Scream co-star). Campbell herself has not been a Maxim girl.

Campbell’s other Party of Five co-star, Jennifer Love Hewitt, has graced the magazine cover 4 times.

Not sure who has the record. A quick Google search failed me.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

re: Anyone who has ever appeared on the cover of Maxim (which includes Dunst) has no business complaining about being objectified.

Bleepin’-A right there, daddy-o!

Personally, I LIKE seeing nearly-naked boss-lookin’ ladies, really…but it’s galling when the gals that pose in the near-altogether get all pseudo-feminist about women being seen as [fill in blank] “in this society.”

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

re: I guess the Collective We won’t by hearing Ms. Lacey say, “I don’t want people to look at me as a sex object.”

In her first Maxim she said that bs. Even, she said she wouldn’t do that again because she is shy. Yep, except perhaps her other Maxim and each forgettable movie that she has done.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  John

re: In her first Maxim she said that bs. Even, she said she wouldn’t do that again because she is shy. Yep, except perhaps her other Maxim and each forgettable movie that she has done. GOSH, what a surprise! Is typical, and not unique to actors, either: Many of us wish to appear that we have INTEGRITY, standards, convictions, etc., but we’ll do WHATEVER benefits us the most in the long or short run. “Commercials? I’m A SERIOUS ACTOR — such things are beneath my dignity! I mean, I’ll DO commercials, but only where they’ll air in a nation that… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

It’s funny what people can excuse in their own behavior. You can rationalize anything if you try hard enough.

Having said that, if I could make a living posing for pictures, I would. Objectification would not be a concern. Sadly, I will never have the chance to profit off of my own objectification.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

re: You can rationalize anything if you try hard enough.

Yup.

My attitude is: We all need to make a living — I get that. Do WHATEVER you want to make a living, but leave out the holier-than-thou bs.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Sure. But I get that most people aren’t very self aware. Like you say, that isn’t exclusive to actors. Most people excuse their own behavior when they would condemn someone else for doing the same thing. Or will attribute their own actions to a noble cause while assuming someone else didn’t have a good reason to do the same thing. Everyone lies to themselves a little. Everyone is guilty of a bit of hypocrisy. Some more so than others. It becomes really obvious with big stars posing in their underwear on national magazines. Doesn’t leave you a ton of wiggle… Read more »

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

re: Many of us wish to appear that we have INTEGRITY, standards, convictions, etc., but we’ll do WHATEVER benefits us the most in the long or short run. re: It becomes really obvious with big stars posing in their underwear on national magazines. Doesn’t leave you a ton of wiggle room to get prudish. Many people would do anything for profit. Many people want to appear that they are just, straights, moral. And people who do both. Or none. I would never be a drug dealer, for example. And I’m not saying never that I’m a saint. Miley Cyrus and… Read more »

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Out of sheer curiosity, I searched something with “empowered women” and she and found interesting things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FPvgZ9UDMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa2R1Tn63vg
I don’t dislike, I’m also agree that the girls should have role models mentors that inspire and teach them there are more opportunities for them to become in professionals and not only be boobs and legs in a magazine.

Out of sheer curiosity I searched a “tribute to Don Henley” too, and no results, Idk who was the girl.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  John

I mentioned “Don Henley” because Walden’s Pond or whatever was/is his pet charity and because he’s an arrogant celeb that likely has a yacht with lots of pretty things on it…and some of the pretty things don’t want to be seen as “sex objects,” I’ll wager. They sail with Captain Don because of his ecological concerns and his way with a lyric. Again, I just think it’s “funny” (in that ironic/oh-come-ON way) when some “actresses” say they don’t want to be viewed in a “sexual” way…especially because if they WERE NOT viewed as such, some of them would have no… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

I recently watched the most recent Resident Evil movie. Don’t judge. Anyway, M-Rod and crew couldn’t act their way out of a wet paper bag with a hole cut out. But DAMN!

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp

Well, at this rate, Lacey is doing much better than her “Mean Girls” co-star and previous WTHHT subject, Lindsay Lohan. I find it funny that Lacey Chabert has worked w/ several WTHHT alumni. She was of course on “Party of Five” w/ Neve Campbell, she was in “Daddy Daycare” w/ Eddie Murphy, and she was in the remake of “Lost in Space” w/ Heather Graham. I almost forgot that she was in “Not Another Teen Movie” (as a spoof of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character in “Can’t Hardly Wait”) w/ Molly Ringwald.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

I think you have just named every movie Chabert has ever made that was released theatrically. She’s doing fine as a sex symbol. And I’m sure she’ll continue to act in direct-to-DVD and Lifetime movies for quite a while. But I don’t see her ever being considered a legit actress the way Lohan once was. Heck, for all her problems, Lohan still has more of an acting career than anyone else in Mean Girls (SNL alumn excluded). Lohan is still a draw as an actress, so she keeps getting work despite being an embarrassment much of the time. Chabert is… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

I think maybe part of Neve Campbell’s problem is that at her peak, she was really more of a “star by association”. What I mean is that stuff like “Party of Five”, “The Craft”, and the “Scream” franchise were hits, but not necessarily because Neve was in them. It’s sort of no different than her “Scream” co-star Courteney Cox and “Three to Tango” co-star Matthew Perry w/ “Friends”. To put things into proper perspective, I would be hard pressed that many people were virtually dying to see the next “Neve Campbell movie” let alone the next “Scream” movie that just… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

Definitely agree. Campbell was never really the draw even with her hit TV show and movies. She just happened to be in something that was successful. And clearly, she decided she had enough of that in 2000 when Scream and Party of Five came to an end. Although I do think that movies like Three to Tango and Wild Things show that Campbell did pursue mainstream movie stardom for a while.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I don’t know that it is so much a matter of bad luck. I think it just comes with the territory of making these little movies. Also, I don’t think she’s especially invested in advancing her career these days. Seems like she’s set for life and kind of taking it easy.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

They Didn’t Quite Make It Big, But Made Good Nevertheless: 15 Actors Who Barely Missed The A-List: http://styleblazer.com/132765/they-didnt-quite-make-it-big-but-made-good-nevertheless-15-actors-who-barely-missed-the-a-list/12/ Of no relation to Bruce, Neve Campbell rose to prominence in the mid-1990s thanks to a starring role on the prime time soap Party of Five. During her television tenure Campbell took starring roles in horror films like The Craft and the Scream series. Then came Wild Things, a Hot neo noir that paired her with Denise Richards, Kevin Bacon, and Matt Dillion to become a sleeper hit in theaters and a major hit on video. 54 cast her alongside Mike Myers… Read more »

Jake
Jake
10 years ago

Neve was at her hottest in 54. Like Bridget Fonda in Godfather III, I would’ve liked that film better if she had been in it more.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Jake

She actually had the perfect look for that movie. It’s a real shame how 54 turned out. I have a real fondness for the disco era and was really looking forward to 54. But then it turned out to be a limp soap opera. Really disappointing. Thank goodness for The Last Days of Disco which came out three months earlier. I definitely think 54 could have benefitted from more Campbell. But then, it could have benefitted from just about any changes. I’ll have to try and check out the director’s cut some day.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Jake

‘It Girls’ Who Fizzled Out:
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-itgirlswhofizzledout/6/

Neve Campbell: Party of One

Canadian actress Neve Campbell seemed to be the breakout star of TV’s “Party of Five,” but when she tried to translate that success to the big screen, she got roles in movies like “The Craft” and “Wild Things,” in which the most-talked-about aspect of her performance was an infamous lesbian kiss in a pool with Denise Richards. Her most successful film role so far has been as the stubborn survivor of the “Scream” franchise, but her non-“Scream” roles have been mostly forgettable.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ACTORS WHO NEVER LIVED UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL:
http://www.looper.com/2138/actors-never-lived-potential/

NEVE CAMPBELL

The ’90s were very good to actress Neve Campbell. Not only did she star in the hit TV series Party of Five, she helped scare the you-know-what out of millions of moviegoers in the uber-popular Scream franchise. Unfortunately, Campbell’s career petered out over the next two decades. These days, she only tends to appear in guest spots on TV shows like Mad Men or Grey’s Anatomy, which always serve as a frustrating reminder of a career that could have been so much bigger.

johnny 88
10 years ago

I always liked her, and I always thought she was somewhat under-rated. Pity she’s not been abel to make it outside the “Scream” franchise. Thanks for this post really enjoyed it

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny 88

I think a lot of people misunderstood Wild Things. It was a satire. It played things extremely straight so that it could also be enjoyed as a dumb erotic thriller. But underneath, it’s really making fun of those movies. If you watch it on that level, it’s great. I don’t agree that it hurt the careers of everyone involved. I don’t think it did much one way or another for Kevin Bacon or Matt Dillon. But it gave Bill Murray a chance to stretch a little. It helped build Denise Richards into a Bond girl – after which her career… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny 88

“Horrible miscast?” Because she wasn’t a blonde bimbo type? No. I think she was believebale enough for the world the movie creates. If they had cast someone who seemed more dim in the role, the final reveal may have been more surprising. But also less believable. Not that believability is really a factor when we’re talking about Wild Things. It was a joke, people.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Assessing Neve Campbell: The Reluctant Scream Queen: http://www.pajiba.com/career_assessments/neve-campbell-career-assessment-the-reluctant-scream-queen.php Subject: Neve Campbell, 37-year old Canadian actress Date of Assessment: April 13, 2011 Positive Buzzwords: Scream queen, television Negative Buzzwords: Limited range, ambivalent The Case: Ah yes, I vaguely recall an actress named Neve Campbell, who was fortunate enough to strike upon a rather popular franchise and make some quick cash before the world discovered that she possessed the a mere three facial expressions and, well, that was it. In short, Neve Campbell was the Kristen Stewart of the 1990s, albeit with far less lucrative paydays and a chronic head tilt instead… Read more »

Shemp
10 years ago

JEEZ, that Pajiba writer sure gave Neve C both barrels, huh? Ironically, Winona Ryder said in an interview — in the early or mid-’90’s? — that there are lots of people in the “acting biz” (my phrase, not hers) that aren’t really actors [I paraphrase] but they’re good-looking humans that want the big paydays and benefits that come with being an actor…or to be more exact, a “Hollywood star.” Ryder, whatever her faults, has always seemed to be serious about acting, whereas performers like Neve C are stars without really being actors. She “never wanted to be an actor”? Then… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp

Sexual Sarah Silverman’s Naturals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWH4QqfmJbY

Sarah shows Dave her eerily accurate Neve Campbell impression (at the 2:04 mark).

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp

Neve Campbell based on some of the interviews that I’ve seen her in kind of struck me as a woman who was slightly pretentious and rather ungrateful. Please note, that I’m not accusing Ms. Campbell of being difficult to work with as a reason for why her career suffered. Also please note, that I’m basing this primarily on memory (if I can find the clips on YouTube, than of course, it would help tremendously) and I’m going to paraphrase a bit. When “Party of Five” was canceled in the year 2000, I recall seeing Neve be interviewed on “Entertainment Tonight”… Read more »

Shemp
10 years ago

PS: I can anticipate what some folks are gonna say: “Yes, but she’s been working steadily since…” Guess what, LOTS of people WORK, but few people have a burning ambition to be in movies that no one that doesn’t visit a Redbox is going to see or a movie that plays in 4 theaters before being exiled to the bin at Walgreen’s. Nevertheless, I wish Ms. NC luck.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp

25 A-List Hollywood Actors Who Fell the F Off: http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/25-a-list-hollywood-actors-who-fell-the-f-off/neve-campbell Neve Campbell Best Known For: Scream (1996), Wild Things (1998) Most Recent Project: The Glass Man (2011) Roger Ebert once predicted big things for Neve Campbell. Of her work in Scream II, he said: “The camera loves her. She could become a really big star and then giggle at clips from this film at her AFI tribute.” It takes a little more than a ménage à trois in Wild Things and the role of leading lady’s voice in Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride to land that sort of tribute tribute.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

I previously brought up the notion of Neve perhaps being a female Jason Patric in which it seemed like they didn’t want to fully pursue mega-stardom so to speak. I also think that Neve Campbell has the same problem that another previous WTHHT subject has in Kirsten Dunst (i.e. deciding to narrow your target audience w/ movies the masses more than likely wouldn’t care much about). It seems like that Kirsten had made so much money off of doing the “Spider-Man” movies (similar w/ Neve and “Party of Five” residual checks and the “Scream” movies) that she decided that she… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: Whatever happened to Neve Campbell?

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=4633637&postcount=7

Neve wasn’t your standard Hollywood beauty.

Scream trilogy ended the little career she had.

That is my guess.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

’90s movie stars we completely forgot about

http://www.looper.com/40982/90s-movie-stars-completely-forgot/

Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell got her first big break when she was cast as Julia Salinger in the teen drama Party of Five. This led to major film roles, such as her starring appearances in The Craft and the Scream franchise. After the superstardom started to fade, Campbell continued to act on both the big and small screen. She reprised her role as Sidney in 2011’s Scream 4 and most recently appeared on season four of the Netflix original series House of Cards as political consultant and recurring character LeAnn Harvey.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

There have been a few revelations since I started this series. One is that no one completely disappears. Steve Guttenberg still works steadily. So do Val Kilmer and Sean Young. Most people don’t know they are still working, but they are. Rick Moranis doesn’t act any more, but he still works in entertainment when it suits him. Once you achieve a certain level of stardom, there is always going to be something available to you.

As for the “3 facial expressions” comment, that is still more than a lot of actors out there.

Shemp
10 years ago

“In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed (wo)man is king (queen).” – Lt. Columbo

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

That Columbo was a wise one. Appearances to the contrary.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago

Great article! Glad to see WTTH is back!

By the way, about a few months ago, I made my own What The Hell Happened? article with Jon Heder as the subject-http://www.manic-expression.com/apps/blog/entries/show/26143845-what-the-hell-happened-to-jon-heder-

What do you think?

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

Glad you enjoyed the article. I have not been over to read your article yet, but I will make a point of doing so.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

OK. Though it’s not that long, actually, but take your time…

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

lol – just been busy.

When I started this blog, I had more “downtime” at work. But since then, I have taken on greater responsibilities which has left me less time for this sort of thing during the week. But I’ll carve out some time to read it this weekend.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

OK

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I don’t know if you read it but, if you haven’t, I’d recommend reading the re-edit I did of it because I actually find out what the hell did happen to Jon Heder after writing the article: http://www.manic-expression.com/apps/blog/show/35453743-what-the-hell-happened-to-jon-heder-re-edit-

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Higgins

I checked it out. Good stuff.

I definitely go back and update articles all the time. Sometimes it’s because someone posts something in the comments section that I was unaware of. Sometimes, it’s just a new development or I find a clip or picture of something that wasn’t available before. It’s sort of impossible at this point for me to keep up with all 60 (and growing) articles. But I do my best to not let any one article fall too far behind.

Higgins
Higgins
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Thanks!

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Higgins

Why Did Jon Heder Vanish after “Napoleon Dynamite” – He Explains his Mormon Beliefs:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?p=4880362#post4880362

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Higgins

Why Hollywood won’t cast Jon Heder

http://www.looper.com/17515/hollywood-wont-cast-jon-heder/

Shemp
10 years ago

re: I recently watched the most recent Resident Evil movie. Don’t judge. Anyway, M-Rod and crew couldn’t act their way out of a wet paper bag with a hole cut out. But DAMN!

I shan’t judge. I saw “MACHETE KILLS” wherein M-Rod and co-star Amber Heard [SLIGHT SPOILER ahead] have a fight scene together, which was so appropriate as both are hot ladies that can’t act to save their lives. (Head, er, Heard recently said in an interview that she doesn’t want to be “a celebrity” because it’d detract from her “art.” HAH!!!)

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Well, the lovely Ms. Heard did star in arty projects like Drive Angry in 3-D and The Playboy Club…

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

“Drive Angry” is one of the WORST of Nic Cage’s the-paycheck-cleared movies…and Heard was at least as expressive as a box of Totino’s Pizza Rolls (defrosted).

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Drive Angry was so bad it was awesome. I love that movie. I howl every time I watch it. This is not an endorsement of its quality. William Fitcher is terrific in it. Heard is hot as hell. And Cage is giving one of his fun, goofy trademark performances without really trying. I know it’s crap. But it’s entertaining crap. Heard clearly had bigger things in mind for her future. And for a minute, I though she was on her way.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I hear you — some of “Drive Angry” was close to the so-bad-it’s-weirdly-entertaining zone. Fitchner was the lone touch of class. As for Ms. Amber H, looks will only carry one only so far — maybe Depp will have some influence on her career but she remains a pretty face/body that can’t act for . Otherwise, she’ll likely end-up in the same Dustbin of History as Sherilyn Fenn, Shannon Elizabeth, and other yummy-lookers that think “range” is something on which one might boil water.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

I think Heard’s chance at stardom has past. She had a brief window where everything was lined up. She was cast in a ton of movies and none of them caught on. The Playboy Club was her last grasp at the brass ring. She’ll keep working as long as she wants to in low budget/indie/direct-to-video stuff. But she’ll never be A-list.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Dating Johnny Depp might be a good move for her. It could keep her in the public/casting director’s radar – maybe enough to land a lucky role.

She’s hot- but pretty wooden.

She might also be an example of someone who SHOULD NOT have come out- could have cost her a role or two.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

I honestly had no idea she was bisexual or that she was dating Depp. Yeah, I can see how coming out might have hurt her career and dating Depp could give it a boost.

I watched a couple episodes of The Playboy Club and that thing was a disaster. It didn’t do anyone any favors. I also so Heard in The Joneses with Demi Moore and David Duchovney. “One-dimensional” was the word I would use to describe her performance.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Why Amber Heard Isn’t a Bigger Star: An Investigation:
http://cmplx.it/1br4wjY

With “3 Days to Kill,” Amber Heard’s disappointing career in Hollywood continues. What gives?

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Michelle Rodriguez vs Amber Heard?
I need watch Machete Kills!!!

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  John

WAIT FOR THE DVD…oh wait, it’s probably not in theaters anymore…it was intermittently entertaining but it’s NOT worth $11~! (Mel Gibson out-Shatners Shatner, though!)

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

JK, No problem. I’ve never paid anything just for one scene.
I prefer to watch it on TV or Youtube. Or never, don’t care.

John
John
10 years ago

Neve Campbell “What The Hell Happened” – The Blind Items
http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2013/12/blind-items-revealed_5031.html

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  John

Someone once told me: Every story has THREE sides – his/this; her/that, and THE TRUTH. I’m not sticking up for John C, but it does take two to, uh, tango — if Person #1 (regardless of gender/orientation) is “stringing along” Person #2 (ditto), realistically nothing is preventing Person #2 from saying, “You know, I don’t think this is working for me, I’ve waited long enough, so either things change (for the better) or I’m outta here.” I’m all for giving relationships “a chance” or 3, but if the same shite happens over & over again, it’s time to re-evaluate and/or… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp

10 Formally Awesome Actors Who Made Us Forget Why They Were Great: http://whatculture.com/film/10-formally-awesome-actors-made-us-forget-great.php/5 7. John Cusack Once upon a very many years ago, John Cusack was one of the straight up coolest sonofaguns on the planet. I know that may seem like an alien thought, one that jars uncomfortably with what you know to be true now. But stay the course and consider the evidence, he had films like the seminal “Stand By Me”, the never not cool “Grosse Point Blank””, the utterly haunting “The Thin Red Line” and bonkers film making weirdness at its very finest with “Being John… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Ways John Cusack Can Get His Swag Back: http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/04/10-ways-john-cusack-can-get-his-swag-back/ When we first caught a glimpse of the preview for this weekend’s Edgar Allan Poe-inspired thriller, The Raven, not a head in the room was left unshaken. From a premise that reads like a weird rip-off of Urban Legend to a hilarious moment featuring the gun-wielding author crying, “I’ll send you to hell!” from behind a rock, each clip surpasses the last as proof that this flick may take the cake as the most unintentionally funny of the season. Stepping into Poe’s shoes is none other than John Cusack, who,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Battle For Relevancy: 15 Stars Struggling To Stay Popular: http://styleblazer.com/170465/the-battle-for-relevancy-15-stars-struggling-to-stay-popular/8/ Middle age has not been kind to John Cusack. The handsome actor has always been perfectly suited for quirky comedies, romances, and the odd action film or two. Unfortunately Cusack has seemed to have a hard time moving past those niche roles. More theatrical turns in films like The Raven, The Paperboy, and The Frozen Ground have failed to resonate with audiences or critics, making us wonder what the future holds for Cusack. At the age of 47, the star can’t quite return to the sorts of lovelorn man-boy… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

MOVIE JAIL: THIS WEEK’S DEFENDANT IS…JOHN CUSACK!

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/movie-jail-this-weeks-defendant-isjohn-cusack

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

You’re right, but some girls are stupid (some guys too, of course).
It’s psychological too. When a gambler bet and loses much in a game, then keep playing and betting (and often losing more) so they “could” win then the loss wasn’t loss but “a investment”.
That happen a lot in relationships. Many people are enslaved in relationships with no future, or they are losing their dignity, just because they have spent many and good years.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  John

Interesting rumor. Personally, I don’t buy it. Not for a minute. Campbell and Cusack did have an on-again-off-again relationship. And Cusack behaved badly. But I don’t believe that Campbell ruined her career trying to marry him. Even if she told me that, I wouldn’t believe it. Sounds like the kind of thing a bitter ex might say, but that doesn’t make it true.

John
John
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

The site have good and confirmed rumors, but I also thought what you say at the end.

However, I have seen many women doing crap that they don’t want, that hurts them and against their selfesteem, just because was asked by a dick. Then later they are complaining and unhappy. So, it don’t seem incredible to me.
He is a douche and she is compliant without selfrespect. Anything is possible.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  John

I don’t doubt for a minute that Campbell’s relationship with Cusack hurt her career. Or that she blames him for ruining it. Those things seem possible. But the rumor makes Campbell out to be a victim to the extent that she is somehow blameless for her own career. Apparently, Cusack talked Campbell out of a franchise? Who’s to say that was a bad move? Which franchise? He certainly didn’t stop her from making Scream sequels.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

The whole Neve Campbell-John Cusack thing somehow reminds me of Kim Basinger’s relationship w/ Alec Baldwin possibly having a negative effect on her career. I’ve posted in Kim Basinger’s WTHHT comment section articles pointing to how Alec Baldwin’s alleged jealousy and overall domineering presence supposedly wrecked havoc w/ Kim’s career. Now I don’t know for sure of course, what exactly happened between Neve and John Cusack. I do think however that this “blind item” is too crucial if you want to call it that, to not be overlooked. I would even suggest that it should be added or integrated to… Read more »

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

OR it could just be that fickle Hollywood is tired of Neve’s 2.5 facial expressions and near-monotone delivery…just has it will likely tire of Kristin Stewart, the Neve C of our day (unless KS learns to really act).

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  John

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=19431820&postcount=56

As for Neve…sorry no sympathy here. She had an obsession with a dude who she knew was banging different girls for years. Bird brain, bye.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  John

Re: Reese Witherspoon: Racist Backstabber?

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=11677443&postcount=115

Wait..did anyone guess Courteney Cox? The actress she backstabbed could be Neve Campbell who took the lead in Scream where Court met her husband David. At the time, Neve had a hit show with Party of Five. Since then…nothing. And Court is from an affluent family from Alabama. And she’s been around for a while…the Springsteen video, Family Tides, Ace Ventura movie.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=15111007&postcount=129

I’m leaning towards Courtney Cox. (Perhaps David Arquette was messing with Rose McGowan and Neve Campbell on the set of Scream)? She was a model before acting in Hollywood. The only problem is that she has won very few awards.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  John

Re: John Cusack Says Hollywood is a “Whorehouse” & Almost Like Kiddie Porn: http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=19421270&postcount=17 July 17, 2013 She will talk about it now. Sometimes. She has to be in a good mood and you have to catch her at just the right time. I have known her forever, and even I don’t know everything there is to know. She says it started off great and that she was shocked to be the focus of this guy who at the time seemed to be at the center of the universe. He was A list. He was movies. he was everywhere. He… Read more »

Patrick Caraway
10 years ago

ok not once did you answer where she is..instead you give her life story..learn write

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

I think you left off a “to”. 😉 Might want to start using capital letters and punctuation when you are telling someone to (I assume) learn TO write. But thanks for that valuable feedback. I’ll treasure it always.

Joboots
Joboots
10 years ago

Heard that Neve is in talks to star in a legal pilot for TNT…….

http://tvguide.com/News/Neve-Campbell-TNT-Guilt-By-Association-1077816.aspx

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  Joboots

Good luck to Ms. Neve! (And that’s not sarcasm…honest.)

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Joboots

Neve Campbell exits “Guilt by Association”:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/neve-campbell-exits-tnt-pilot-guilt-by-association/

The “Party of Five” alum had a change of heart about the TNT legal drama pilot.

Shemp
10 years ago

Why, Neve, WHY?!? And tonight only an hour or so ago I wished you luck!

The Campbell Curse has struck…again? WTF?

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

lol – sounds like the Shemp curse to me. You shouldn’t have wished her luck. 😉

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

re: sounds like the Shemp curse to me.

Believe me, I considered that too.

Joboots
Joboots
9 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

Neve had a guest shot on the season 7 opener of MAD MEN……..

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/neve-campbell-mad-men-season-7-premiere-cameo-222534790.html

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  Joboots

I saw. I wonder if we will see her again.

Either way, it was a pleasant surprise. Now I’ll ask the question I asked on FB. When did Pete become the most well-adjusted character on the show?!?

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Joboots

Neve Campbell on ‘Mad Men,’ ‘90s Nostalgia, and Why the ‘Scream’ Movie Franchise is Over: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/14/neve-campbell-on-mad-men-90s-nostalgia-and-why-the-scream-movie-franchise-is-over.html he star of ‘90s favorites ‘Scream,’ ‘The Craft,’ and ‘Party of Five’ discusses her mysterious new role on the AMC series, her film career, and more. Now she’s played a big role in two of the coolest decades. Sunday night’s Season 7 premiere of Mad Men treated us to a host of familiar faces. There was Don Draper (Jon Hamm), in all his brooding, solipsistic glory; Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and her delusions of Hollywood stardom, as well as a very Sharon Tate-y pad;… Read more »

Joboots
Joboots
10 years ago

I believe becoming a mama in recent times was part of the reason she passed as maybe it
was a bit too soon to get back to the grind of a weekly show,to be honest!!!

Joboots
Joboots
10 years ago

Heard that Julia Stiles was tapped to replace her…….

http://vulture.com/2014/03/julia-stiles-gulit-by-association.html

Joboots
Joboots
10 years ago
Reply to  Joboots
Mastro
Mastro
9 years ago

My thoughts on Neve Campbell are- meh-

Does she actually have any fans? Almost every other actor here has impressed or touched us in some way- Campbell- at her best- was a placeholder- her worst- a wet blanket.

I don’t dislike her- I just have achieved almost complete apathy in regards to her career.

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

She definitely has fans. I’m not one of them personally. I would best describe myself as apathetic same as you. But she was good on Mad Men last night. I always like to see a WTHH subject pop up somewhere. Especially a quality show like MM.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Jon Hamm said “Woah” when watching Don Draper’s “Mad Men” premiere scene with that 90s TV star:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/13/jon-hamm-on-the-final-season-of-mad-men-and-the-advice-he-got-from-bryan-cranston-and-tina-fey.html

“It was remarkably affecting,” he said of that scene. Why? “Because we shot it a million years ago and I’d forgotten about it. But it’s a beautiful moment, and she’s so good in it. It’s nice to see her again on screen. It’s this weirdly tender moment that kind of comes out of left field. I was pleasantly surprised by it.”

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago

I’m with Hamm on this one.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

I wonder who else got Neve Campbell being interviewed on the National Geographic Channel’s “The ’90s: The Last Great Decade?”

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

Flopped Actors/Actresses Thread: http://forums.boxoffice.com/index.php?/topic/6035-flopped-actorsactresses-thread/page-5#entry472128 Neve Campbell is a good example of a flopped actress. She was sexy as hell. I fantasized about her so much when I was younger. I had her FHM shoot all over my walls. But anyway, yeah, ummm, she starred in Scream, and she was good, then the 3 sequels over the years, but she never really did anything else apart from rely on that franchise. Apart from her Party of Five days, I’ve not seen her in much else besides knowing she was in Wild Things and Studio 54. A true flop. Courteney Cox went… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Fan Rant: Career Killing Crushes: http://news.moviefone.com/2010/01/09/fan-rant-career-killing-crushes/ Last night I finished watching a new straight-to-video comedy called Falling Up. It was pretty mediocre, but I watched it mainly because it had a good cast: Annette O’Toole, Mimi Rogers, Joe Pantoliano and Snoop Dogg. OK. I didn’t watch it for them, entirely, but because of Rachael Leigh Cook. I have had a movie crush on Rachael for years and this will be the fourth straight-to-video movie I have endured just for another glimpse of those amazing eyes. But the question is: why is she in all these straight-to-video movies? If my adoration… Read more »

Shemp
9 years ago

re: Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne were both in films for decades before their screen persona emerged and they became leading men and stars. Nowadays, no one has any patience. We need immediate payoff. If an actor doesn’t deliver in 18 months, that’s it. YA KNOW, you bring up a very good point! Heck, look at TV shows — SO many fine/decent shows in the past few years have gone down the terlit ‘coz they weren’t “immediate” hits. Meanwhile, most folk forget (or didn’t know) that neither MAS*H nor ALL IN THE FAMILY were “hits” in their debut seasons. As… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

How about Neve Campbell’s “The Craft” co-star Fairuza Balk as a future WTHHT subject: http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/overlay/17-career-comebacks-wed-love-to-see/1.js Fairuza Balk Best known for: “The Craft,” “American History X,” “The Waterboy” Last seen in: Straight-to-DVD thriller “Dose of Reality” Comeback plan: Balk was one of the most intriguing screen presences of the mid-to-late ’90s, winning mainstream attention with her killer performance in the 1996 teen-witch thriller “The Craft” and following it up most memorably with a genuinely gonzo turn in the Edward Norton Neo-Nazi drama “American History X.” And yet perhaps owing to her left-of-center persona, her career all but dried up by the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

STYLE HEROINE: FAIRUZA BALK: http://miista.com/style-heroine-fairuza-balk/ Remember her? Fairuza Balk was a ’90s movie staple. Immediately recognizable, one of those actresses who always seemed to just be playing themselves on screen, she came to fame with the 1996 film The Craft. She played Nancy, HBIC of a high school coven of amateur witches which finds real power with the arrival of the new girl in town, their forth member. Nancy is a black lipstick and combat boots kind of girl, rough around the edges with a penchant for esoteric spirituality — not too far off from Fairuza. Prior to this film… Read more »

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

cusack realthsioship with her didnt hurt his career hes always been indie actor at heart with drop blockbuster movies

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  shitbrick

I really need to write up Cusack…

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Did Kevin Williamson’s 1999 Predictions About Horror and Neve Campbell Come True? http://movieline.com/2011/04/14/did-kevin-williamsons-1999-predictions-about-horror-and-neve-campbell-come-true/ I’m relieved that Kevin Williamson is back in our lives, even tangentially, thanks to Scream 4 (or Scre4m, if you prefer your horror cinema Ke$hified). But while he’s giving fine, diplomatic interviews in 2011, the Kevin Williamson of 1999 who confessed his insecurities to Movieline magazine might be even more entertaining. Did his predictions about teen slashers and Neve Campbell (not to mention the cast of Dawson’s Creek) manifest? Let’s visit the Movieline vault and see. In 1999, the world was more than a year away from… Read more »

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