In the eyes of many, the 1980s were a golden age for Horror cinema. A time when modern Horror characters like Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees and A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger were born, so came the age of the sequel, with studios pumping out one after another, and eager audiences flocked to theaters. In an era where home media became part of everyday life, there was a video store in every small town across America, as many gravitated to the Horror section, anxious to gaze at one eye-catching VHS cover after another.
A genuinely unique period, while many consider it a time of masked killers and deranged madmen with axes and drills, on screens, another new Horror icon shone: the Scream Queen. While not new to the ’80s, the Scream Queen became legendary during the decade, and most would agree that it was the first time female characters became the focal point of Horror films. From Linnea Quigley in her countless roles (such as 1985’s The Return of the Living Dead and 1988’s Night of the Demons), to Adrienne Barbeau (featured in films such as 1980’s The Fog and 1982’s Creepshow), and Heather Langenkamp (who became a star with 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street), these women stood out. Joining them as one of the Scream Queen elite was Brinke Stevens, a young lady who made her big-screen debut in 1982 with the era classic The Slumber Party Massacre.
Only the beginning for Stevens, from here she would not just star in one or two more features, but would take on well over 100 roles in the next forty-plus years. Truly prolific, Stevens embraced the Horror genre and has comfortably transitioned to diverse parts in film and television over time. Proud of her work and eager to approach each project, Brinke Steves recently sat down to chat about her experiences, her work on the new film Dorothea, and more.
Cryptic Rock – You began your career in entertainment over four decades ago and have built quite a resume in film and television since. Tell us, how would you describe your journey in film and television?
Brinke Stevens – I always say that my career chose me. I didn’t choose it. I was a scientist in San Diego, California, and intended to remain a scientist my whole life. Fate had other plans for me. I married my college sweetheart, Dave Stevens, moved to Los Angeles, couldn’t find a science job, and was suddenly cast in my first Horror movie, The Slumber Party Massacre, in 1981.
I enjoyed the experience of screaming and running from a drill killer and dying horribly. I just kept doing it, thinking that I would eventually find a science job, but I never did. I eventually became an actress that way. I got pigeonholed in Horror movies right away.
For some reason, probably because of the video revolution that was happening in the ’80s, people were churning out a lot of films like factories: Full Moon, Roger Corman, Fred Olen Ray, Dave Dakota. I got in with them and was making six or eight movies a year back then. One thing led to another, and I became a Horror icon.
Cryptic Rock – It is really fascinating how you started in academia and headed into film. Do you still have a passion for marine biology and science like you did when you were younger?
Brinke Stevens – Yes, I do. What I was studying was dolphin communication, but nobody wanted to talk to dolphins because they were slaughtering them in tuna nets, and the Navy was strapping bombs on their back. They would have to feel really guilty about killing them if they knew they were intelligent animals. This was back in the ’70s. Now, there’s much greater understanding and acceptance of animal intelligence, thanks to documentaries like My Octopus Teacher (2020) and a new one, The Last Dive (2025), about manta rays.
You see stories on Facebook all the time about animals helping each other. Certain whales will protect seals from killer orcas, which is unheard of; that kind of cooperation in nature. I was a little bit ahead of my time that way, but I’m so happy that the world is finally catching up and viewing animals as not just dumb beasts, but co-inhabitants on this planet of ours.
Cryptic Rock – Most certainly. Animals are extremely intelligent. It’s astounding how animals naturally have instincts to do things. An animal could be born and start walking right away. A lot of people overlook the instincts that animals have. As you said, it is getting better, but it is unfortunate.
Brinke Stevens – Yeah. Well, thank God, the main beliefs are changing, where it used to be that man was put here to subdue the planet. Well, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that. Now, let’s cooperate.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. The first film had a starring role was 1982’s The Slumber Party Massacre, which has become one of the most iconic ’80s Horror films. As you said, it was like a factory, with people pumping out these movies one by one, especially with the video revolution. Are you surprised to see how The Slumber Party Massacre has sustained itself for all these years?
Brinke Stevens – Yes, I’m pleasantly surprised that Slumber Party Massacre has had such staying power, but it has such an interesting story to it. Corman never made many Slasher movies back in the day. It was written by a woman, Rita Mae Brown, and directed by a woman, Amy Jones. In the film, the women are very feminist. They’re the strong characters. They’re the ones talking about sports, objectifying men sexually, gang up on the killer in the end, and beat him. It was a really unusual movie for its time. I never knew how rare it was to have a Horror movie directed by a woman. I wouldn’t see that again for years. It was a very special film.
It was my first feature film. I’d only done one short before that. Yet, it is still the film I’m best known for. Everybody says, “And to Brinke Stevens, star of The Slumber Party Massacre,” even though I’m only in it for around 20 minutes. One thing I notice at conventions is that people tend to buy my photos from The Slumber Party Massacre and the DVDs, and they all have a story about where they were, how old they were, what they were doing, and the very first time they saw it. Like, “I was nine years old, and my babysitter let me watch it,” or, “I was 12 years old, and my older brother rented it and let me watch it.” All of them are obviously way too young for that kind of material, but it impressed itself on their brains. They’ve been fans ever since.
Cryptic Rock – Many people have similar stories from growing up in the ’80s about watching things they probably shouldn’t have been watching at the time.
Brinke Stevens – You’re probably right.
Cryptic Rock – It was a different time. In many regards, the VCR was the babysitter a lot of times.
Brinke Stevens – Yes, that’s very true. Movies, in my opinion, were a lot more fun in the ’80s. Even movies like Private School (1983) were just fun. I did a lot of Horror Comedies like Nightmare Sisters (1988). There was a lot of black humor in Slumber Party Massacre. People laugh. Even in Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988), there was some funny stuff in that. I loved doing the Horror Comedies. They weren’t gore-soaked like so many movies are today.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. You mentioned how, early on, you were pigeonholed in Horror. Was Horror something that you grew to have an affection for once you were involved in it so deeply?
Brinke Stevens – I enjoyed my very first movie, The Slumber Party Massacre, because I had never really acted before. Before that, I was just a short film for a USC student. I had no idea prior. I had to summon up all these emotions that you never encounter in real life. You don’t run, scream, and die in real life.
I’ve done movies where you get possessed, start out good, and then get evil. You get bitten by a vampire and become a killer. It’s all these things that you’ve never had practice for. I really grew to love the variety. Even though they’re Horror movies, I’ve played doctors, nurses, the president of the United States, police commissioners, and teachers. It’s acting. It just happens to be in a Horror movie.
Cryptic Rock – Right. Horror definitely gives you the ability to do things you may not do in major motion pictures or more mainstream movies. There is definitely more ability to do those things in Horror movies. That could be a lot of fun.
Brinke Stevens – It is. Horror has been very good to me. I never intended to be an actress. I never took an acting class. I just fell into it, expecting that sooner or later, someone would point at me and say, “You, you’re not an actress. Get out of here.” But nobody did. I got better and better at it.
Even being pigeonholed in Horror, I kind of resented it at first because I was sure I would become an A-list actress. I was in large movies with small roles, like This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Body Double (1984), The Three Amigos (1986), and Psycho III (1986). I thought, “My parts will get bigger, and I’ll be an A-lister.” It never happened.
I became a big fish in a small pond. To be called a scream queen (Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, and I) really was something. It was a phenomenon that had never existed before us. Sure, there were Horror actors going back to Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Most of the actors in ’80s films wore masks like Jason, or they were disfigured like Freddy.
Here, you get these three gorgeous young women who are taking their clothes off, they’re meeting you in person at conventions, and talking to you. What a wonderful thing it was. It was a great time to be alive and to be a pretty girl in Hollywood making Horror movies.
Cryptic Rock – The Horror fanbase is probably the most dedicated of any fan base. Regardless of whether you never attained what you said, becoming an A-list actress, you have that legacy in Horror. This far supersedes any of that, honestly, because Horror fans are so dedicated that they will continue to support.
Brinke Stevens – I totally agree with you. You always hear how Hollywood casts you out if you’re over 40. You’re used, then you’re too old. Whereas, they still embrace me in Horror. As I’ve gotten older, my roles have changed. I’m no longer the nubile co-ed doing a shower scene, but, as I said, I’m a police commissioner, the president of the United States, a senator, a doctor, a research scientist. The roles have followed me throughout my career, changing, but now it’s age-appropriate stuff.
I’m really grateful for that, that the fans still want to see me and still remember me from the ’80s. All of us, me, Michelle, and Linnea, are thrilled that we still have so many fans come up at conventions and talk to us about our movies. Finally, we’re all starting to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at film festivals and at some conventions, which makes me feel like my life hasn’t been wasted. It’s like, “Thank you.” I’m thrilled that my 40 years in this industry and my body of work, almost 300 movies, are being celebrated.
Cryptic Rock – That is fantastic. It’s definitely well worth it, too. You deserve it. You talk about all the roles you played. Dorothea, this film gives you more of a minor role, but in the short time you are on screen, you are a character you feel empathy for. You feel bad for this character and what they’re going through. Her husband is sick in the hospital, dying, and your character is really struggling. How did this part come about for you?
Brinke Stevens – This was the second movie I’ve done with Chad Ferrin, who, in my opinion, is a brilliant renegade genius. I would work with him on anything. The first movie I did was last year, in June. We shot Ed Kemper, where I had a much bigger role. In that movie, I played Ed’s mother’s best friend. I was in a lot of scenes, a lot of wardrobe changes, period clothes, period cars. My character, Sally, got to drive a ’73 E-type Jaguar. If you’ve seen those, they are sexy cars. I always wanted one, and I finally got to drive one!
In Dorothea, he did not make me audition. I did have to audition for Ed Kemper, but only because I was untried. He’d never worked with me before, and many of his people wanted to see what I could do. In Dorothea, he just hired me. It was a sympathetic role; you feel bad for her, and my character was a victim again. I die in these True Crime movies, but so does everybody.
Cryptic Rock – Well, as stated, your character definitely leaves an impression on you. Dorothea is a Horror movie, but it is also a Dark Comedy. More than a straightforward Horror movie, it definitely has a little bit of a tongue-in-cheekness to it. Would you agree?
Brinke Stevens – I totally agree with that. I was so surprised by how many people, including me, laughed out loud when we saw it at a screening in the theater. It was funny. A lot of that was Chad’s writing, and Susan Priver also gave a tremendous performance as Dorothea.
I especially liked it when she would break the fourth wall, look directly into the camera, and say something. I also liked it when she spoke very gently but said terrible things. The guy falls down the stairs and says, “I can’t move my legs.” She says, “Of course not. Your back is broken.” Terrible things delivered in the sweetest way possible. She really inhabited that character. I can’t even imagine what that does to your head to play that kind of character.
Likewise, Brandon Kirk in Ed Kemper, Chad’s earlier movie, plays such a vicious person who comes across as so likable. That’s a real talent to do that.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. Speaking of the character Dorothea, you feel sympathy for her at first. Obviously, she came from a horrible situation with a physically abusive husband. Then it comes to a point where you think, “This person’s a little psycho.” It’s hard to feel bad for Dorothea after a while.
Brinke Stevens – True Crime stories are very popular right now. There are also many podcasts about them and related topics. It brings a whole different slant to things compared to regular Horror movies. You still get a body count, but these are real people, not cinematic characters, not made-up fantasies. These were real people who actually killed a significant number of other people, sometimes horribly. There’s such a fascination for that that the human mind is capable of doing such heinous things.
Dorothea comes across as a sweet, loving, caring old grandmother. Everyone says in the interviews that she was actually like that. It’s always the quiet ones that live next door. She wasn’t obviously evil to people. Those are the scariest ones where they seem so normal, and yet lurking under the surface is this terrible, evil drive.
Cryptic Rock – Right. That is truly scary, as you said, like the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Being a part of this film, did you work with much of the other cast, or were you just on set for your scenes?
Brinke Stevens – I was only there for a few days at the house location. There were many other actors involved. I ran into Ginger Lynn Allen there. She plays one of the victims as well. I did meet a lot of the other actors off-camera. For the most part, all of my scenes were just with Susan, who played Dorothea.
It was a fun old house. We don’t have many old houses in Los Angeles, but this one is from the early 1900s. It was a historic property somewhere in downtown Los Angeles. The house was really interesting to shoot in. I love period things. Ed Kemper was set in the late ’70s, early ’80s. Dorothea was in the ’80s.
There are very few movies that have a wardrobe person and a hair and makeup person these days because the budgets are too low. Even though Chad’s budgets are fairly modest, all the money is seen on the screen. He has wardrobe people with period clothes, hair and makeup people, period furnishings, props, and cars. It’s just delightful that he has such an eye for detail.
Cryptic Rock – It is nice that Chad Ferrin cares enough to put that much detail into it. That is refreshing to hear.
Brinke Stevens – He’s fun to work with. The first time we worked together, you were always a little unsure of a new director. I did a scene, and he didn’t say anything. I took him aside later, and I said, “Was that okay?” He said, “If it weren’t, I would tell you.” I got the idea that if he doesn’t say anything, that’s good. Just do what I’m doing.
Cryptic Rock – Sounds like a good situation. You have worked consistently over the years. With Dorothea now completed, do you have any other projects coming up that haven’t been announced yet you could mention, or anything set for release?
Brinke Stevens – Yes. I’m constantly working. Last year, I did eight movies and eight conventions. It’s about the same this year. I’ve been in the remake of House on Haunted Hill (2024), Spider Baby (2024), and Kevin Kills (2025). Lots and lots of movies.
I’ve got a new one I’m shooting soon called Midnight Maniac, which is a great role for me. I’m so excited. I play a final girl. I’m the sole survivor of a serial killer. I managed to escape, and I put him in the hospital in a coma. I go on a TV talk show to describe my ordeal. In his hospital room, the television set is on. The killer hears my voice, snaps out of his coma, unplugs himself from the monitors, and comes after me a second time. We have this incredible, huge showdown where I ultimately blow him away with a shotgun.
The irony is that the actor playing the killer, I killed him with a shotgun in another movie. It’s like, “We have to stop meeting like that.” We’re shooting it up in central California near Fresno. He’s a big, tall guy, so he gets to play the villain.
Cryptic Rock – It seems like there is a lot of good stuff coming up for you.
Brinke Stevens – Yeah. I’m really excited about this role. I can’t complain at all. I’m still in demand at conventions. I’ve got so many next year. I’m pretty much booked up for next year with conventions and movies already. It is very exciting; God bless the Horror community, they keep going and keep me going.
Cryptic Rock – Yes, it is wonderful to see! As you said, the roles have obviously changed over the decades to more age-appropriate ones. With that in mind, you are awarded the opportunity to play all these different types of characters. That is exciting too.
Brinke Stevens – It is, yes. Especially in Chad’s movies, like being Ed Kemper’s mother’s best friend. I’m around Ed Kemper a lot, and I don’t see anything wrong with him. I think my character thinks he’s cute and harmless. That was interesting to have that dynamic with him.
Also, the actor just immersed himself in that role. When I saw Brandon Kirk at a later screening of Ed Kemper, he was handsome, well-dressed, personable, and nothing like Ed Kemper at all. I thought, “Wow, man, that is acting.”
Cryptic Rock – It sounds like you have had many great experiences over the years.
Brinke Stevens – I’m really excited that Dorothea played in theaters. If anybody finds it at a theater, see it on the big screen. As you said, you nailed it; it is very Black Comedy. It’s not blood-soaked. There are deaths in it, but it’s humorous.
Cryptic Rock – There is definitely a lot of satire to it, and there is a lot of dark humor to it. It is a little reminiscent of something that perhaps was made during the ’80s in a way, which was a little more fun.
Brinke Stevens – I love the ’80s. That was my favorite time to make movies. They seemed more innocent. I did a lot of Horror Comedies. Michelle Bauer and I went to a film festival in Canada this year, and they showed Nightmare Sisters at a theater for the audience. We did a Q&A afterward, and so many people laughed. We laughed out loud.
The script is genuinely funny when the nerdy boys are talking to each other. It was written by Ken Hall, who did a lot of stuff in the ’80s. It was just great to see it again. I don’t think we’d ever seen it on the big screen. We appreciated it so much, whereas it was just kind of a throwaway movie when it was made.
Cryptic Rock – There are so many great Horror films from the ’80s. As you said, and it is a good way to put it, there was a little more innocence in the movie-making. In current movies, especially major motion pictures nowadays, there is too much computer-generated imagery and a lack of story. It just doesn’t feel like a film anymore.
Brinke Stevens – I did see del Toro’s Frankenstein earlier this week. I’ll watch anything he makes because it’s so sumptuous, lavish, and lush. I love the sets, the costumes. I think that he really has a vision.
Cryptic Rock – He is an exceptional director. Broadly speaking, it seems, for example, how many Jurassic Park movies can they make? It does not even seem like it is about the story anymore.
Brinke Stevens – No, I think you’re right. A lot of the lack of quality comes from too many sequels. The first one is always the best. The second one isn’t too bad. The third one sucks. Nobody sees four, five, and six.
Cryptic Rock – It’s true. Someone who has been involved in Horror as long as you have, have there been any Horror movies that you have seen that you really enjoyed? Do you have any favorites?
Brinke Stevens – When The Evil Dead series came out by Sam Raimi. I loved The Evil Dead (1981). I enjoyed watching Bruce Campbell. He was so funny, and he had a great physical comedy, just the way he used his body. I also saw the more recent Evil Dead Rise (2023), which I thought was very well done. I enjoyed that too.
I recently watched Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025). I had seen maybe the first movie and the second movie and loved them because they’re so Rube Goldberg, where you think you know how they’re going to get it, but they don’t. Something else happens, and then something happens, and the ending ends up totally different than what you expected for each kill. I did enjoy the newest one, Bloodlines, because the opening sequence was incredible. The tower that is slowly falling apart, all because of a waylaid penny. It was absolutely amazing the way they did that. I don’t mind CGI in movies if it’s used like that. I thought the rest of the film was surprisingly gory. I didn’t remember the earlier ones being quite so bloody, but this one was really in your face.
That seems to be a trend. Increasing gore and shock value, like the Terrifier movies. Genuinely shocking images in there, which I personally don’t want to see. I watched them to find out what they were about, but I wouldn’t watch them again.
Cryptic Rock – There is definitely an audience for that. There is something great about leaving something to the imagination. Even ’80s films that were more graphic still left some to the imagination. You do not always see the knife going all the way in. You do not always see the knife being twisted, and it zoomed in on that so much.
Brinke Stevens – And the guts spilling out and all that.
Cryptic Rock – Right. You are left to use your imagination to figure it out.
Brinke Stevens – Yeah. Exactly. Look at my first movie, The Slumber Party Massacre. You don’t see me die. You hear me scream. You don’t see my death. Sorority Babes, the two demons pull me apart, but you don’t see that. You see them starting to, and then it cuts away. Yes, I avoided a lot of graphic deaths in the early days.
Cryptic Rock – Yeah. It is interesting to see how films have changed. Involved in film as long as you have been, what do you think are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned from this wild and crazy career?
Brinke Stevens – I would have to say I’ve learned that hard work pays off. Being a nice person pays off. I believe I’ve done as many movies as I have and worked with so many directors because I have a good reputation as a hard worker, and I’m easy to work with. I’ll let them do anything to me. They can cover me in slime if they want to. I think that’s really important, having a good work ethic. It just came naturally to me. I was always a hard worker, but I can see that it’s really paid off based on my career longevity and popularity.
Cryptic Rock – That is a good lesson for life. Treat people the way you want to be treated, work hard, and the good things will come.
Brinke Stevens – Absolutely. Horror is such a relatively small family that if you’re not a good team player with everyone else, then people find out, word gets around, and nobody wants to work with you.
No comment