Horror Crush: Elisha Cuthbert

In continuing my promise of giving you more horror crushes for Women in Horror Month, I give you one of the most beautiful and, I think, underrated women to ever grace our genre: the gorgeous Elisha Cuthbert!

Elisha was born on Nov. 30, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (goddamn, Canadian girls are fine!). She began her career at age nine doing children's clothing modeling, as well as foot modeling. She made her TV debut on kid's horror series Are You Afraid of the Dark, as a series regular. I was already too old for this show, so I really never watched it. However, it is cool that she started out in the genre.

She wouldn't return to horror till five years later in 2005 with the awesome and ass kicking remake House of Wax. I really don't like calling it a remake, though cause it really is quite different from the classic Vincent Price movie of the same name (itself a remake of Mystery of the Wax Museum). Where as the Price film was classic gothic terror, this version is an updated slasher take on it. It has a rough edge and a decided mean spiritedness which gives it a nice breath of fresh air.

The acting is good. I know some think of Paris Hilton being in this and are turned off by even the idea of her. But, she dies horribly and brutally. And, quite frankly she is fine for what her character is. Cuthbert really shines, though, as Carly Jones, the female lead in the film. She makes for a tough, sexy, smart, and likable final girl. In fact, she is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best final girls of the 2000s, at least. Also, I gotta add, that being a brunette (dirty blonde?) looks hot as fucking hell on her! Anyway, the solid villains, awesome gore, and thrilling climax, all amount to a movie that deserves far, far more love than it sometimes gets.

 

She would appear in one more horror movie two years later. That film is the controversial (at the time) torture porn flick, Captivity. In it, she plays a model who is held, well captive, by an unseen sicko who watches and tortures her. The movie is pretty violent and, for a studio horror movie, pretty nasty and rough. I recall some where uncomfortable with it when I saw it in the movies. This is another underrated film. Cuthbert, again, is excellent in her role. She starts off vulnerable but as the movie progresses she gains strength. The ending is really fucking cool, insuring this left a good taste in my mouth. If you have never seen it, I give it a strong recommendation, as I do the above mentioned House (which I do give the edge to).

 

 

Since, then no horror movies with her in it! Come on, Ms. Cuthbert the genre misses you! Come back and do another horror flick! Please!