A-Z Challenge 2013: Q is for Linnea Quigley!

It's the seventeenth post in this challenge - and I'm not sure there's anything funny to say about that - so bugger it - let's just get to it!

Q is for Linnea Quigley!

I first encountered Linnea Quigley in the late 70’s when the movie Fairy Tales played on the Showtime cable network, At the time – as I was about to enter puberty – I only had one requirement for movies like this – as much nudity as possible. Fairy Tales – a bawdy retelling of various bedtime stories – certainly fit the bill. Now, I didn’t know who Linnea Quigley was at the time – but my viewing of that movie has stuck in my mind for more than thirty years, so it definitely was my first time seeing her in a movie!

Born in Davenport Iowa in the late 50’s, Linnea Quigley moved to Los Angeles in the mid 70’s and quickly broke in to low budget filmmaking as an actress. Her first film was Psycho from Texas, in which she played a barmaid. She went on to small roles in movies like Deathsport, Don’t Go Near the Park, the aforementioned Fairy Tales, Stone Cold Dead, Graduation Day, Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dreams, and Get Crazy. She moved up to supporting roles in The Young Warriors, Savage Streets, and Silent Night Deadly Night. Then came Return of the Living Dead. Quigley’s performance in writer/director Dan O’Bannon’s spinoff sequel to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead made her a B Movie star.

Trash. No, that's her name. I totally dig the look!

In the film, Linnea plays "Trash," a badass punk chick with an interesting outlook on life...and death...

Right after her little "worst way to DIE" speech - Trash jumps up on a nearby gravestone and does an incredible nude dance. And a little after that - well, I don't want to give anything away about this zombie movie - but her worst nightmare comes true.

But it is a zombie movie, so this doesn't end her time in the movie. Trash rocks this very entertaining zombie flick - and back in the midwest I know for sure of one teen who developed quite the crush on Ms. Quigley.

She moved on to some softcore T+A flicks, then worked for director David DeCoteau in Creepozoids. They worked well together, and started to work together often as Linnea took on the title of 80’s Scream Queen – along with her frequent co-stars Michelle Bauer and Brinke Stevens – they memorably teamed up for Nightmare Sisters for director DeCoteau. Linnea ran with the Scream Queen title – appearing in dozens of horror films over the next several years. She also managed her own Horror Workout tape - just about to debut on DVD!

A smattering of her movie titles from across her career include Treasure of the Moon Goddess; Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama; Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers; Blood Nasty; Night of the Demons; Assault of the Party Nerds; Vice Academy; Robot Ninja; Beach Babes from Beyond; Burial of the Rats; Jack-O; Horrorvision; Zombiegeddon; and Vampitheater. That's 14 titles from a listed 121 (!) over at the IMDB!

She’s a very appealing presence in all of her films – sometimes playing a quiet introvert but more often playing wild and crazy characters – which is all the more fun due to her tiny size (5’2’’) and willingness to take it all off. I’ve always enjoyed seeing her pop up (and pop out) in anything I’m watching – and I’m looking forward to seeing her reunited with Bauer and Stevens in DeCoteau’s 1313: Cougar Cult – though Linnea herself warned me the movie isn’t much.

Linnea Quigley. Michelle Bauer. Brinke Stevens.
Back in the day.

Stevens, Quigley, and Bauer back together in recent times.

Speaking of her warning – we met recently at a horror convention – and I’m delighted to report that Ms. Quigley is a wonderfully warm and friendly presence in person. I’m also doubly delighted to let you know what she has a sharp eye for good blogging – as you’ll see in this clip:

Linnea and Craig - friends to the end.

“R” you ready to come back tomorrow for some more? Please do, and until then you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!