“You ever wanted anything so badly you’d do anything for it?”
What would you do for your chance at fame? Some young women with stars in their eyes spend years rehearsing a specialized skill. Some agonize over aspects of their physical appearance while others take exhaustive acting lessons. But the most ambitious—or most depraved—will kill anyone who stands in their way. Richard Ciupka’s Curtains examines the cutthroat world of stardom and the lengths women will go to achieve their dreams. But who is the true villain in a patriarchal system and will any woman ever come out on top?
Patti O’Connor (Lynne Griffin) has always dreamed of being a star. After years struggling as a standup comedian, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime. Patti heads to the lavish home of famed director Jonathan Stryker (John Vernon) to audition for the coveted role of Audra. But five other women are equally ambitious and have their hearts set on the same starmaking part. This includes veteran actress Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar), who originally bought Stryker the rights to the story. But someone wearing an old hag’s mask begins murdering each thespian hopeful, intent on eliminating all competition.
In the latest episode of Bloody FM’s The Lady Killers Podcast, Jenn Adams and Sammie Kuykendall join special guest Joe Lipsett to dish about this quirky film that grows more prescient with each passing year. What are the ethics of method acting? How does Audra represent a spectrum of women? Is Stryker the story’s true villain, and why don’t more films include figure skating kills? They’ll gather in the casting jacuzzi to answer these questions and more while celebrating the women of this underrated film.
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.