Janus Blythe (born January 29, 1951) is an American actress and scream queen known for her roles in horror films. She played major roles in films by Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and other major horror film directors during the latter half of the twentieth century. [1] [2] [3]
A major role was that of Ruby, a feral girl in the middle of the Nevada desert, in the original 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes directed by Wes Craven. Craven wanted the actress playing the role to be fast, and Blythe won the role by racing other girls trying out for the role and beating them. [4]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | The Centerfold Girls | Roommate | (as Janis Lynn) |
1974 | Phantom of the Paradise | Groupie | (as Janis Eve Lynn) |
1975 | Aloha, Bobby and Rose | Bar waitress / dancer | |
1976 | C.B. Hustlers | The C.B. Hustlers | (as Janice Jordan) |
1976 | The Cheerleaders | Cheerleader | |
1976 | Eaten Alive | Lynette | (as Janus Blyth) |
1976 | Drive-In Massacre | Alan's Date | (as Tiffany Jones) |
1977 | Black Oak Conspiracy | Melba Barnes | |
1977 | The Hills Have Eyes | Ruby | |
1977 | The Incredible Melting Man | Nell Winters | |
1978 | Zuma Beach | Jennifer | |
1980 | Marilyn: The Untold Story | unknown role | |
1984 | The Hills Have Eyes Part II | Rachel / Ruby | |
1986 | Spine | Carrie Lonegan | |
1992 | Invasion of the Scream Queens | Herself | |
2010 | Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape | Archive Footage |
Wesley Earl Craven was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Due to the cultural impact and influence of his work, Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre. Amongst his prolific filmography, Craven was best known for his pioneering work in the horror genre, particularly slasher films, where he mixed horror cliches with humor and satire.
Freddy Krueger is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as the spirit of a child killer who had been burned to death by his victims' parents after evading prison. Krueger goes on to murder his victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the real world as well. In the dream world, he is a powerful force and seemingly invulnerable. However, whenever Freddy is pulled back into the real world, he has normal human vulnerabilities and can be destroyed. He is commonly identified by his burned, disfigured face, dirty red-and-green-striped sweater and brown fedora, and trademark metal-clawed, brown leather, right hand glove. This glove was the product of Krueger's own imagination, having welded the blades himself before using it to murder many of his victims, both in the real and dream worlds. Over the course of the film series, Freddy has battled several reoccurring survivors including Nancy Thompson and Alice Johnson. The character was consistently portrayed by Robert Englund in the original film series as well as in the television spin-off Freddy's Nightmares. Englund has stated that he feels the character represents neglect, particularly that suffered by children. The character also more broadly represents subconscious fears.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare is a 1994 American meta slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, creator of 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street. A standalone film and the seventh installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, it is not part of the same continuity as previous films, instead portraying Freddy Krueger as a fictional movie villain who invades the real world and haunts the cast and crew involved in the making of the films about him. In the film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Craven originally intended, being much more menacing and less comical, with an updated attire and appearance.
A scream queen is a term used to describe an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films; this happens either through an appearance in a notable entry in the genre or recurring roles in the genre. A scream king is a term used for a male equivalent.
Heather Langenkamp is an American actress, writer, director, producer, and prosthetic makeup coordinator. She is recognized in popular culture for her prolific work in the horror genre and scream queen roles.
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. The film follows the Carters, a suburban family targeted by a family of cannibal savages after becoming stranded in the Nevada desert.
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American film actress and model. She began her career as a child actor, and had her break-out role in Disney's 1993 Halloween comedy-fantasy film Hocus Pocus. Shaw also appeared in Ladybugs (1992) and L.A. Without a Map (1998).
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Johnny Depp in his film debut.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is a 1988 American fantasy slasher film and the fourth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film was directed by Renny Harlin and stars Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, Lisa Wilcox, and Danny Hassel. Following the death of Nancy Thompson, Krueger reappears in the dreams of Kristen Parker, Joey Crusel, and Roland Kincaid. After completing his revenge against the families who killed him, Krueger uses Kristen's best friend, Alice Johnson, to gain access to new victims in order to sate his murderous needs. The film is a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and was followed by A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989). It is often popularly referred to as "the MTV Nightmare" of the franchise.
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 American horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film of the same name. It was written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film High Tension, and directed by Aja. The film starring Aaron Stanford, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie de Ravin, Dan Byrd, Robert Joy, and Ted Levine; follows a family that is targeted by a group of cannibalistic mutants after their car breaks down in the desert.
Alexandre Jouan-Arcady, known professionally as Alexandre Aja, is a French film director best known for his work in the horror genre. Aja rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension. He has also directed the films The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mirrors (2008), Piranha 3D (2010), Horns (2013) and Crawl (2019).
Nancy Thompson is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. She first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as a teenager hunted in her dreams by enigmatic serial killer Freddy Krueger. In this film, she was portrayed by Heather Langenkamp—who reprises the role in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Langenkamp later portrayed a fictional version of herself who embodies the role of Nancy in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994).
Sidney Prescott is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Scream franchise. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in Scream (1996) followed by four sequels: Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011) and Scream (2022). The character appears in the Scream films as the target of a series of killers who adopt the Ghostface persona, a ghost mask and black cloak, to pursue her. In each film, the Ghostface killers often murder people close to Sidney and taunt her by phone with threats and intimate knowledge of her life or the murder of her mother, leading to a final confrontation where the true killer is revealed.
The Hills Have Eyes Part II is a 1985 American horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Tamara Stafford, Kevin Spirtas, John Bloom, Michael Berryman, Penny Johnson, Janus Blythe, John Laughlin, Willard E. Pugh, Peter Frechette, and Robert Houston. The Hills Have Eyes Part II is the sequel to the 1977 film. The film was produced by Barry Cahn, Jonathan Debin, and Peter Locke.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 is a 2007 American horror film and the sequel to the 2006 film, which itself was a remake of the 1977 horror film. The film follows several U.S. Army National Guard comrades as they fight for survival against the mutant people living in a military base in the New Mexico desert. The Hills Have Eyes 2 was directed by German film director Martin Weisz and written by father and son team Wes and Jonathan Craven. A graphic novel titled The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning was published by Fox Atomic Comics to accompany the release of the film; it was released July 3, 2007. The film stars Michael McMillian, Jacob Vargas, Flex Alexander and Jessica Stroup.
Stranger in Our House is a 1978 American television horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Linda Blair, Lee Purcell, Jeremy Slate, Jeff McCracken, and Jeff East. It is based on the 1976 novel Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan. The film premiered on NBC on October 31, 1978, and subsequently received theatrical releases in Europe under the title Summer of Fear.
Jeramie Rain is an American screenwriter, producer, philanthropist and former actress. Rain began her career with starring roles in several local stage productions in Charleston before moving to New York City in the early 1970s. After appearing in a string of commercials, she made her film debut in the crime film The Abductors (1972), then became known for roles as Sadie in Wes Craven's controversial horror film The Last House on the Left (1972) and Willie Mae in Albert T. Viola's comedy film Preacherman Meets Widderwoman (1973).
Marianne Maddalena is an American film producer. She was born in Lansing, Michigan, and was Wes Craven's producing partner for many years. They had a company together called Craven/Maddalena Films. One of their productions, Wes Craven's New Nightmare was nominated for Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards in 1995. Music of the Heart garnered two Oscar nominations; one for Meryl Streep as Best Actress and one for Best Song for "Music of my Heart." Over the years, she produced countless hit films such as Red Eye with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, the Scream (franchise) and Vampire in Brooklyn with Eddie Murphy. She was behind the US debut of visionary filmmaker Alexandre Aja with The Hills Have Eyes.
The Hills Have Eyes is an American horror franchise that consists of four horror films, as well as a graphic novel and merchandise. The first film was released in 1977, The Hills Have Eyes; the series was rebooted in a 2006 remake. The films focus on a group of people stranded in a desert who become hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills. The films collectively grossed over $132 million at the box-office worldwide. The series was created by Wes Craven who is known for the Nightmare on Elm Street films and Scream films. The series has featured actors and actresses including Dee Wallace, Aaron Stanford, Michael Berryman and Emilie de Ravin.