Celebrate Pride Month with Desperate Living and other cool horror flicks

Pride Month is upon us so what better way to celebrate than taking in John Waters’ classic, Desperate Living? Here are some other cool horror flicks featuring members of the LGBTQ community.

Pride Month is here. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to watch some classic horror movies like John Waters’ Desperate Living. There are so many scary flicks featuring members of the LGBTQ community that are staples of the genre.

Here are five of our favorite chillers. Some are familiar titles while others are hidden gems.

Desperate Living (1977)

John Waters followed up his cult midnight movie favorite, Pink Flamingos (starring the legendary, Divine) with Desperate Living. The Baltimore native was always fond of using the same ensemble in all of his films so it is no surprise to see perennial favorite, Mink Stole taking the lead in this number.

Ms. Stole portrays Peggy Gravel who goes on the lam with her maid, Grizelda (Jean Hill) after a rather unfortunate incident involving her husband. While on the road, they find themselves in Mortville filled with rather unsavory, criminal types like Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey).

What happens next is a chaotic but wonderful mess of situations involving witches, cannibalism and other interesting scenarios. If you dig Waters as a filmmaker, you owe it to yourself to check out this diamond in the rough.

The Sentinel (1977)

The cast of this particular horror film is to die for. Chris Sarandon, Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum together in one picture? Color us very delighted.

This Michael Winner directed effort is perfect if you like supernatural thrillers. When Alison (Cristina Raines) wants to unload her smothering boyfriend (Sarandon) she decides to get her own place. When her realtor (Golden Age of Hollywood royalty, Ava Gardner) shows her an apartment in a charming brownstone, she jumps at the opportunity.

Much like Rosemary’s Baby, her particular building is full of a cast of eccentric characters including the feline friendly, Charles (Burgess Meredith), lesbian dancers, Gerde (Sylvia Miles) and Sandra (Beverly D’Angelo), and did we mention the creepy, blind priest?

There is more to meet the eye with this residence as Alison is about to find out. Watch for Walken as Detective Rizzo and Goldblum as Jack.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Actor Anthony Hopkins (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) /

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Jodie Foster, Jonathan Demme and Anthony Hopkins took home Oscars for this horror masterpiece. Neophyte FBI agent in training, Clarice Starling (Foster) gets involved in a serial killer case. She is tasked with interviewing notorious cannibal murderer, Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins) in order to help the Bureau get a profile on the perpetrator.

Jame Gumb a.k.a. “Buffalo Bill” kidnaps and kills plus size women for their skin. He is working on a human flesh suit. When he kidnaps a Senator’s daughter, the stakes are raised and Starling has to race against time to find the victim and rescue her with Lecter’s help.

Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

LGBTQ activist and bestselling author (Mrs. Murphy mysteries series, Rubyfruit Jungle), Rita Mae Brown wrote the screenplay for Slumber Party Massacre. Her intention when she originally penned the script (which was titled, Sleepless Nights) was for it to be a parody of slasher films.

However, the producers of her effort saw the potential to make it a serious, horror feature. This hidden gem focuses on Trish Devereaux, a high school senior who just wants to spend the weekend with her best friends.

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Instead of hanging with her girls and relaxing, she finds herself the target of an escaped convict who is a killer that loves power tools (specifically drills). With the help of their favorite coach, the trio take the jailbird out.

Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 (1987)

Ron Oliver was behind this production. He wrote the script for the Bruce Pittman directed effort. This film didn’t have anything to do with the Jamie Lee Curtis’ original venture in 1980, in fact, it is a totally different story.

In the 50’s, Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) was about to be crowned Prom Queen of Hamilton High when an unfortunate smoke bomb accident took her life. Since she never got to fulfill her dreams of reigning over homecoming, she returns three decades later to seek revenge.

She possesses the body of Vicki (Wendy Lyon) who is known for being a “nice” girl. It looks like the theme for this particular dance is going to be a nightmare.

Next. The Thing, Signs and other alien apocalypse movies. dark

Have you seen Desperate Living or any of the other selections? Let us know in the comments.

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