Horror’s Craziest Mothers
Today is Mother’s Day, and what better way is there to celebrate this day than by sitting down and watching some great crazy mom-themed horror films? Below is a list of the bat-shit craziest bunch of moms you’ll ever meet. Who are your favorite crazy moms from film? Whom did I miss? Note that this list is in no particular order.
Norma Bates, Psycho (1960)
You have to start the list off with the Patron Saint of crazy moms, Norma Bates!! Norma is second to none in being overbearing and brow-beating the shit out of her son!!
Mrs. Loomis (Debbie Salt), Scream 2 (1997)
In her defense, Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf) is just avenging her son’s death. But let’s not forget that her son is a psychopathic killer!!
Mum (a.k.a. Vera Cosgrove), Dead Alive (1992)
Not only could Vera (Elizabeth Moody) give old Norma a run for her money in the overbearing department, but Mrs. Cosgrove is literally the mother of all zombies in this gore-heavy film. Vera is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey and not only becomes a zombie, but also creates a legion of zombies in her small New Zealand town. Not even Dr. Freud himself could help Lionel at the end when dear old mum becomes a twenty-foot tall behemoth zombie-vulva-monster!
Lucy Harbin, Strait-Jacket (1964)
In this classic William Castle film, written by Robert Bloch (also the writer of Psycho), Joan Crawford, who is locked up in a mental hospital for twenty years for decapitating her husband and his mistress, is released. When she reunites with her daughter, people start mysteriously turning up without heads. Coincidence? Strait-Jacket asks the question, “Does killing skip a generation?”
Mrs. Wadsworth, The Baby (1973)
Some women are baby-crazy and love them so much they can’t stand to see them grow up. I’m not sure that’s the main motivation behind Mrs. Wadsworth’s (Ruth Roman) behavior, but this is a pretty sick momma. She’s a domineering mother who keeps her twenty-something son in an infantile state through intimidation, physical abuse, and an electric cattle prod. His sister also sleeps naked in bed next to him. Yeah, this is pretty high up on the sleaze-meter!
Nola Carveth, The Brood (1979)
Here we get a slight variation on the crazy mother. Don’t worry; Nola (Samantha Eggar) is crazier than a shit-house dung beetle, but she’s crazy in that Cronenbergian way. Nora gets to screw her kids up before they are born. Nola gives birth to her own rage and sends it out into the world to cause chaos and havoc. Add to this Nola’s penchant for licking the blood and gore off her brood when they are born, and you know you’re deep in Cronenbergian territory.
Erica Sayers, Black Swan (2010)
This is the most recent film on my list, and Erica (Barbara Hershey) has more than earned her place here. Overbearing, fanatical, and trying to make up for her lost youth, Erica pushes her daughter Nina (Natalie Portman) beyond the breaking point. Plus, Erica likes to sit in a corner and watch her daughter sleep. Yikes!!
The Queen, Aliens (1986)
The only non-human on my list. Even though the Alien Queen isn’t human, she protects her brood until her final breath. I guess it helps having acid for blood and a mouth within a mouth within a mouth!!
Margaret White, Carrie (1976)
Okay, okay … I concede. Margaret (Piper Laurie) might just be the craziest mother on this list. I think old Norman looks well adjusted compared to Carrie!! Besides Margaret being insane, when you add a heavy dose of religious fervor to the mix, things get a lot out of control.
Pamela Voorhees, Friday the 13th (1980)
Oh, Pamela. This poor mom feels so much guilt for not being there for her child that she goes on an epic killing spree to avenge his death and alleviate her guilt. Those horned up, substance-altered camp counselors let her son, Jason, drown; and now there’s hell to pay.
Mother, Mother’s Day (1980)
Forget The Baby… Mother’s Day is so sleazy that you need a shower after watching it!! Mother (Beatrice Pons) lives out in the woods with her two inbred, hillbilly, psychopathic sons. Her sons fight for her attention and love, and Mother makes it clear that the best way to get her love is to excel in the areas of rape and murder. Mother, in fact, teaches them how to rape and murder. When her sons kidnap a group of girls camping, this film goes down the rabbit hole of sleaze. I love every second of this film!!
Dorothy Yates, Frightmare (1974)
Electric drills, psychopathic children, and cannibalism are the things Dorothy (Sheila Keith) has to deal with. After being institutionalized for eighteen years, Dorothy is out and still has the same old urges. Frightmare answers the question, “Does killing skip a generation?” No… no, it doesn’t.
Special Mention: Madeline Matheson, Grace (2009)
This film gets a special mention because Madeline Matheson (Jordan Ladd) isn’t like the other bat-shit crazy mothers above. Madeline isn’t a killer; in fact, she’s just the opposite. Madeline loses her baby in the final month of her pregnancy. The baby is stillborn, and Madeline is so devastated that she wills the dead infant back to life. But there’s a price to pay. Some mothers just care too much!!
There’s the list. Let me know what you think. Whom did I leave off? Is there anyone that doesn’t belong here?
