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Scream Queens of Halloween: Danielle Harris


Celebrating Scream Queens that make the Halloween season the most wonderful time of year.

It's that time of year again, the most wonderful time of year, when I fully immerse myself in all things Halloween. A few years ago I celebrated the season with a series of pieces on favorite "Women of Horrotober" for The After Movie Diner - including love for Shelley Duvall in The Shining, Lili Taylor in The Addiction, Wendy Kaplan in Halloween 5, and Heather Langenkamp in Wes Craven's New Nightmare, among others. This year I'm hoping to do a series of posts here that similarly honor the many great women in horror history. What better way to start than with one of my favorites, Danielle Harris of the Halloween films.


Harris has starred in four Halloween films: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge Michael Myers from the initial series, and then in the Rob Zombie reboots/remakes Halloween and Halloween II. In the earlier films she's Jamie Lloyd, one of the most important and popular characters in the franchise. The protagonist of two films, Jamie is the daughter of Laurie Strode (and named in honor of the woman who plays Laurie, Jamie Lee Curtis), which also makes her the niece of that infamous, Shatner-masked mass murderer Michael Myers. Harris was only ten years old when she took on this lofty role, but her performance over the course of both films transcends her age. Already a strong screamer, Harris makes for a powerful presence onscreen in both 4 and it's direct sequel 5.


Jamie made Harris a fan favorite, so we are all thrilled to see her cast in Zombie's films several years later, this time in the role of Annie Bracket (a character originated by Nancy Kyes in John Carpenter's original Halloween). Gone was the cute as a button Harris, and in her place stood a now-thirty year old beauty instead. Harris's confrontation with Michael Myers occurs with her wearing only a micro-miniskirt; she has explained how being topless in the scene further enhanced her extreme vulnerability. It's extremely powerful, thanks in large part to the genuine terror Harris conveys throughout.


Harris has remained a horror fixture over the years in countless films other than the Halloween franchise, even directing 2012's Among Friends. She's also been in many films outside the horror genre, like Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and The Last Boy Scout, and is currently appearing in theaters in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She caused a stir online by expressing interest in being in the new Blumhouse series of Halloween reboots (two sequels to 2018's reboot have already been announced). It was all much ado about nothing, as Harris has long been outspoken and sincere in expressing her love for the franchise that made her both a star and a fan favorite among horror hounds everywhere.


The long, convoluted history of the Halloween franchise hasn't always been kind to Harris - Jamie was basically written out cannon in H20 when they cast Josh Hartnett as Laurie's son and never even mentioned Jamie having existed. Personally, then, I'm rooting for more Danielle Harris in future Halloween films. Whether she's reprising the role of Jamie or bringing an entirely different character to vibrant life, I'd pay good money to see it. For me, Harris is as important to the franchise as Curtis or Donald Pleasance (Dr. Loomis).


For all of her great horror performances, but especially her enduring and absolutely essential contributions to the Halloween franchise, Danielle Harris places high on my list of personal favorite Scream Queens. We're almost the same age, so it's always felt like we grew up together, thanks largely to the Halloween films. And little Jamie Lloyd grew up just fine.

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  1. MichaelWDenneySeptember 20, 2019 at 8:37 PM

    Nice tribute. Danielle Harris has been a favourite of mine since I saw Halloween 4 on its initial theatrical release. She grew up into a beautiful woman with a strong screen presence but I'm still blown away by her performance at such a young age in Halloween 4. I've had the opportunity to meet her twice now and that certainly has not diminished my admiration.

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    Replies
    1. Words Seem Out of PlaceSeptember 21, 2019 at 5:28 AM

      Thank you. Her performances in 4 and 5 are astonishingly good for a child actor. I’d love to meet her one day. I need to get to more cons for the chance.

      Delete
  2. HalogirlOctober 3, 2019 at 12:27 PM

    Great article! I completely agree that it feels like a lot of us have grown up with her! So very true. Danielle will always be one of my favorite scream queens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Words Seem Out of PlaceOctober 3, 2019 at 12:59 PM

      Thank you! And yes, growing up with her makes the bond between us fans and her/her characters even stronger, I think.

      Delete

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