Neu horrormeisters Jason Blum, James Wan, and Leigh Whannell are at it again. This weekend, the third chapter of their Insidious film series opened in theaters. The new movie is a prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family. In the film, psychic Elise Rainier, played by the great Lin Shaye, uses her abilities to help a teenage girl who is the target of a dangerous supernatural entity. Cue jump scares and spooky music. Possessed teens have always been popular in horror cinema, a metaphor of sorts about the threat against innocence and the dangers of those raging hormones. Here are some of the crazier examples of teens who met their fate with demons from the beyond. Feel free to share your own picks, below.
Suzanne, Night of the Demons (1988)
In a wacko Diane-Ladd-in-Wild-at-Heart moment, Linnea Quigley’s Suzanne paints her face with lipstick then pushes the tube into her nipple after becoming possessed during a Halloween party at a haunted house. She’s the life of the party.
Sonny, Amityville II: The Possession
Horror sequels don’t have the best reputation, but Amityville II: The Possession has a great unhinged Italian horror vibe — thanks to Damiano Damiani behind the camera. The movie is a fictionalized retelling of the DeFeo family tragedy (which happened in real life) — the owners of the home before the Lutzes of the first film moved in. The most WTF scenes in the movie depict an incestuous relationship between the teenage boy who killed his family and his sister. It’s rumored that the real Ronald DeFeo and his sister Dawn were engaged in an affair.
Arnold, Christine
Arnie is a real nerd until he buys a red 1958 Plymouth Fury nicknamed Christine who seems to have a strange effect on his personality. They have an unhealthy relationship, like any stunted adult and their inanimate girlfriend would.
Regan, The Exorcist
A pre-teen girl becomes the bride of Satan and his demonic legion after playing with a Ouija board. She levitates, spews pea soup, does horrible things with a crucifix, and has a real potty mouth.
Everybody in The Evil Dead (1981)
Five kids vacation in an isolated cabin in the woods. One by one, they become victim to a demonic curse that ends in mayhem. Just about everything and everyone is possessed in Sam Raimi’s film, including the trees (that rape people). Bruce Campbell’s Ash barely makes it out alive, fighting for his life as his possessed pals attempt to lure him to the grave.
Nell, The Last Exorcism
Actress Ashley Bell missed out on a career in the Olympics. All the insane contortions and backbends you see in The Last Exorcism were real and performed by the actress herself.
Emily Rose, The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Arachnophobes beware: Emily Rose dines on spiders in the movie based on a real-life case of demonic possession. When supposedly possessed, the real Anneliese Michel ate spiders and coal, bit the head off a dead bird, drank her own urine, performed 400 squats a day, and tore her clothes off her body. Cheery stuff!
All the teens in the town Mill Basin in Black Roses
Ah, the rock ‘n’ roll horror genre of the 1980s is a unique breed. The 1988 cult film Black Roses, featuring a metalsploitation soundtrack with greats like Lizzy Borden, King Kobra, and Tempest, centers on the kids of a small town who slowly become possessed by a rock band. If you ever wanted to see The Soprano‘s Vincent Pastore get eaten by a speaker, this is one to watch.