One-Question Interview with Linnea Quigley

When it comes to Scream Queens, they don't come any bigger than Linnea Quigley, who has appeared in over 100 films covering a span of 37 years. While some pundits may consider Jamie Lee Curtis the original Scream Queen, Linnea's horror film debut predated Jamie Lee's by three years and many consider Linnea the true holder of the title, often referring to her as "Queen of the B's." Among roles in movies that include the titles Silent Night, Deadly Night, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, and Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Linnea is arguably best-known for her role as "Trash," the orange-haired punk-rocker chick who did the graveyard striptease in the 1985 dark comedy-horror cult classic, The Return of the Living Dead.

One of Linnea's most recent films is Joe Hollow's Disciples, in which she stars alongside three other big names in Scream Queendom; Brinke Stevens, Debra Lamb, and Debbie Rochon. A horror film with those four names in the cast is sort of like a Yankees team with the names Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantel all in the starting line-up. Above photo taken 2011 on the set of A Blood Story, also directed by Hollow.

I just missed meeting Linnea back in late-1988, when she was shooting scenes for Witchtrap, which was shot on location in Fairfield, California. One of the guitarists for the San Francisco-based band I was in at the time, told us of his current job as a set carpenter for this horror film that was being shot where he lived. After hearing that, I recall our exchange went something like this:

As Trash in The Return of the Living Dead

Chris: So, who's going to be in it?

Kent: This chick Kathleen Bailey, some actor dude that's kinda an asshole ....oh, and this hot chick that's done a lot of these kinds of films is in it.

Chris: What's her name?

Kent: Linne something

Chris: Linnea?? Linnea Quigley??

Kent: Yeah, that's it.

Chris: Are you kidding?? Don't you know who that is??

Kent: I know she's done a lot of low-budget horror stuff like this.

Chris: Hell yeah she has! She's like a fucking icon in low-budget horror. She was the one who did the nude graveyard dance in The Return of the Living Dead!

Kent: Really? I didn't know that. Hey, if you guys (referring to the whole band, as we were all in the room) wanna meet her, I could set it up. I'm working on the location tomorrow night. We're building a set that's gonna be blown up. Come on by and I'll introduce you to her.

Linnea as Ginger Kowolski, meeting her demise in
Witchtrap. Said Linnea of this scene; "I got it
good from that shower head."

Naturally, I accepted the offer for the whole band and the following night, instead of rehearsing, we drove from our studio in Oakland up to Fairfield when the film was being shot. However, when we arrived, we found out that Linnea had already shot her scenes and flew back to Los Angeles that morning. We, well, actually I, was very disappointed, but watching the set being blown up was a small consolation.

I've been in touch with Linnea over the last couple of years through Facebook, often reminding her of the interview she's agreed to do with me, but her schedule keeps her pretty busy, so I decided to settle for a one-question interview with her, for now. Of course, I had a whole list of questions for her, but since I could only choose one, I chose the one I most wanted to know the answer to, even if it is not of particular interest to you, dear readers.

CHRIS CHARLES: I almost met you in person when you were shooting Witchtrap in Fairfield, California in late 1988. One of the members of my band at the time, was working on that film as a set carpenter. He didn't know who you were then, but I sure filled him in when he mentioned your name. Do you remember much about that film and does the name Kent Kiefer ring a bell?

LINNEA QUIGLEY: I can't wait to meet you (referring to me) and I don't remember a whole lot since I had just bought a house (at the time) and was moving in and doing the film and all, so not a lot (I remember about him or the film), but it was fun working on it.

(Author's Note: Sorry, Kent. I guess you didn't make that much of an impression on her.)