1987 – Clare Higgins –Hellbound: Hellraiser II

One of the few, few, few movies who actually made me ill in a theatre remains Hellraiser, first and best of an unending franchise. My main problem was when the father character played by Andrew Robinson got his hand pierced by a forgotten nail when moving a mattress. Quite a classic horror stereotype. Could have lost my lunch right then and there, on a near empty viewing room of the now closed and forgotten Atwater Cinema. Yeah, there are skinless ghosts walking around, some resolute S&M demons looking for fresh victims to brutalize, a diabolic Rubik’s Cube is turning reality on its head… but I was close to fainting by a simple nail. That hit closer to home, I guess.

There was also something quite amazing in Hellraiser: the presence of a gravely beautiful actress named Clare Higgins, who portrays a kind of repressed wife beginning an affair with her hubby’s brother (a resurrected skinless cannibal corpse brother, to be precise). Well. You though you had problems with your brother-in-law George? Does George needs to eat your flesh to reconstitute himself? Or is he just stealing your hockey cards and drinking all your Drambuie?

Clive Barker became an even more mainstream name with the success of this movie, which he directed himself. I briefly spotted Clive at his private party at the 2005 FanExpo in Toronto and boy did he not look well. Let’s see what the Internet Movie Database’s plot outline of Hellraiser has to say: “An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who’s being chased by demons after he escaped from their sado-masochistic Hell”. Quite tasty. Don’t forget these fun-loving Cenobites, otherworld pain freaks whose ranks include the charmingly named Pinhead, the major force behind the following episodes of the series, always played with chilling accuracy by Doug Bradley. Included in the cast was Clare Higgins, a then 32-years old British actress more known for her theater work (from which she has received many awards). Hellraiser was her first leading role for motion pictures, in a part that grew more and more monstrous as the plot ascended to its horrible conclusion. Yes, she played along with her gooey-looking lover, bringing him victims to dispose of for his imminent revival.

For Hellbound: Hellraiser II, her character of Julia Cotton came back, this time trying to return to life in the same fashion as her ill-fated lover in the first installment: slowly eating unsuspecting victims to gradually grow back her physical organs. My favorite scene remains when she’s in a state where she looks like a walking bloody steak, at a stage when only her skin is missing and when can enjoy seeing her walking around with her shiny musculature showing. She even fatally kisses a male protagonist in that state, sucking up his insides as an afterthought. Talk about a wet kiss! Playing the ultimate bitch from hell in a most convincing manner in these eccentric plot twists, Clare Higgins made us all fall in love with her. Well, a little bit. Often bandaged like an mummy princess with only her piercing eyes visible and wearing an elegant cocktail dress, she remains one of the most memorable female monsters in movies.

Clare will be next seen on big screens for The Golden Compass, an ambitious fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

Coming soon: The most beautiful female dead person ever. Yes, ever.

Hollywood actress Laraine Day passed away last November 10, at quite a venerable age. I have seen a grand total of two of her pictures, these being Tarzan Finds a Son! (playing Boy’s natural mother) and Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent. Coming from a Mormon background, she debuted in motion pictures in 1937 in bit parts (mostly in low-budget westerns), but soon found a role that would make her greatly popular, that of Nurse Mary Lamont, in the Dr. Kildare hit series. Laraine Day would be part of seven episodes between 1939 and 1941. As early as 1951, she had her own TV show Daydreaming with Laraine or The Laraine Day Show, that consisted of 15-minutes vignettes. Television work was destined to be the place for her upcoming acting career from then on, appearing sporadically in motherly parts until the mid-80s. She also fulfilled many duties for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She never quite became a top star, or got to work with Hollywood’s best directors, so the Hitchcock movie is the closest to a classic project that she ever came close to. There were some box-offices hits, but nothing ground-shaking. Still, she was a pleasant and more than capable performer.

Married three times, her second wedding was the most colorful, being united with baseball player and manager Leo Durocher. Laraine Day leaves behind her tons of children, grand-children, grand-grand-children, etc. And, of course, fans.

After talking about Sharlene Royer, I’ve decided from time to time to discuss local talent. What do I mean by that? Simple. I’ll introduce you to some worthy Sirens coming from Montreal or the province of Quebec region. As the Canadian dollar becomes more and more valuable, you’ll see that the quality of our female entertainers has always been top-notch!

OK now, there has been many fetish models in the history of photography: the justifiably inevitable Bettie Page comes to mind, also Pamela Green… More recently, the popularity of the Internet has been responsible for another kind of derivative subculture, where fetish personalities can enjoy more direct interaction with their fans (who can be counted by millions, seems like). Popular current models like Simone Devon, Darla Crane, Ashley Renee, Jewell Marceau, Julie Simone, Kiana, Dita Von Teese, Eve Ellis, DragonLily and countless others vie for your attention (and your $$$!) in glamorous bondage/fetish pictorials. This multi-million dollar business has been a staple on the Web since its conception. How do I know all this, I faintly hear you asking? Because I care for you, gentle reader, and would go to any length to offer credible research. Let’s say that you’ll be meeting more of these alluring ladies in the months to come. Always in tasteful presentation, has it’s been my usual trademark. Right? Right!?!?!?

Remember the difficulty in past days in acquiring that kind of “controversial” material, sold under the counter in some specialized stores. Remember Irving Klaw’s empire, which is the stereotype of how all these transactions worked. Or even John Willie’s own Bizarre publication, managed in the 50s from a mailbox in Montreal. Montreal nesting a secret bondage pix ring! Unbelievable! Ah, the beauty of waiting by the mailbox and hoping that the kindly mailman didn’t mixed your confidential envelope with your neighbor’s. Now, with the magic a simple mouse click, wonders awaits you in a most ultimate immediacy. If only we could stop the horrible abuse that gives a bad name to a most wonderful and educational tool.

But let such grim thoughts be out of our minds for the next few minutes. Let’s enjoy info on our main subject for today, Bianca Beauchamp by name, who was born in Montreal on October 14, 1977, from a French-Canadian father and Italian mother. It seems that she was named after popular 70s socialite and frequent Studio 54 guest Bianca Jagger. In late 1995, Bianca met photographer Martin Perreault when she was 18 and they began an association that has lasted to this day, centering around latex fetish photography (and also a loving relationship as bonus). When her then-employers (Bianca was in a teaching internship at her former high school) discovered her newly-launched website, she was asked to abandon that shameful foolishness or lose her job. She briefly complied but eventually decided to pursue her modeling career full-time. Lucky for us, so let’s all loudly thank Quebec’s public education system! On her birthday in 1997, Bianca wed Martin. The couple is still principally based in Montreal, that cesspool of fleshly sins, one of the world’s capital in the sexy webcams market.

So, latex fetish modeling, yes. There’s a future in it, my friends. Bianca has the distinction of being one of the few model ever to grace the cover of one of the industry’s prime publication, Bizarre Magazine. Find a copy today. There’s also Marquis, for which Bianca writes a column, and Skin Two. Even the Playboy empire came to her door, for the Girls of Canada calendar (twice to date) and some Special Editions issues. Seriously, this is an exceptional achievement for this niche, like having your picture on Sports Illustrated after winning the World Series.

Physically, Bianca’s bouncy frame proposes these comfortable dimensions: 5 ft 2 in, 115 lb, 32DD-25-35. Is there any way to be more precise? She has a trademark of fiery red hair, but like many other fetish personalities, owns a collection of colorful wigs. Oh and she never apologized for having breasts implants, so there. But Bianca, I implore you, don’t get blonde too often!

In 2006, Bianca launched her first glossy hardcover book, Bianca Beauchamp - Fetish Sex Symbol, with absolutely amazing high quality visual material. I mean, this is precise photography, in a most attractive and professional package. She even shared the lens with the legendary Julie Strain, she who was designated by Bettie Page to be her successor. Nice company, indeed. For the video game SiN Episodes, Bianca portrayed the character Elexis Sinclaire, evil biochemist and main villain.

Late 2007 saw the release of Bianca Beauchamp: All Access, a documentary about Bianca’s involvement in an event called Montreal Fetish Weekend, a three day extravangaza about dressing up in bizarre shiny clothing. Here’s a way to discreetly find all about latex fashion, of course, in an amusing and candid way, without leaving the comfort of your living room. Directed by Perreault, this production had its premiere at the 2007 FanTasia Film Festival, which I used to cover as a journalist back in its early editions. Get your hands on the 2-disc DVD now, because there’s tons of exquisite extras for your viewing pleasure.

On her website, you get the chance to choose the latex section or the more casual bikini/lingerie/nude photos section. I must admit that this site should be a model for that kind of material, for its visual impact and clear navigation. It helps a lot to have a subject as unique and fascinating as Bianca, needless to say.

The awful truth about our Latex Siren is this: through it all, Bianca Beauchamp remains a sweet and engaging girl, who doesn’t play the intimidation game, which is quite refreshing. She reigns on the fetish glamour international circuit and who are we to argue?

All photos in this article are © Martin Perreault.

1977 – Daria Nicolodi – Shock

More often than not overlooked as a mere schlock movie (often known in North America under the incredibly boring and misleading title Beyond the Door II), this remains maestro’s Mario Bava final masterpiece. Distancing herself from then-partner Dario Argento’s body of work, Daria Nicolodi stands on her own to deliver an haunting portrayal of a woman slowly driven to the point of madness. As Dora Baldini, a young wife psychologically tormented by the suicide of her ex-husband, Daria goes off the deep end in a most provocative manner. Just watch the unfortunate progression of behavior her character suffers through: from sweet mother to hysterical harpy. But what’s really the matter with her young son (played with clunky creepiness by David Colin Jr., star of Beyond the Door, a 1974 Italian horror film about possession… hence the bad Beyond the Door II title)? Why does he fool around with razorblades and cuts up his mom’s panties while she’s in the shower? Is Dora having genuine hallucinations about evil forces or is she just disturbed in her own cranium?

This film has not many characters and is surely not a globe-trotting visual experience. Of course, it adds value to our feelings of claustrophobia, shared with the unfortunate Dora. After the success of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, the early 70s saw some other works dealing with possession and/or demonic children. Shock follows that route, but with its director’s typical flair. This is without a doubt Daria Nicolodi’s best performance of her entire career, she who had more often than not been a supporting player in other pictures. Here, she carries the whole project on her shoulders, a feat that in the hands of a less capable actress would’ve sink the entire production. Oddly, it would be back to mainly secondary roles in her subsequent parts.

This remains Bava’s last directorial project; he would supply some special effects and photograpy work for a couple of later movies (notably Dario Argento’s Inferno), then pass away in 1980. For Shock, there remains the old master’s magic touch, particularly an effective jump scene at the end that does justice to the film’s title. His son Lamberto Bava also directed many scenes, as the father felt that it was time to pass the torch. Oh, and watch out for that bit when Dora’s hair moves by itself!

Next: They say that beauty is only skin deep… but what if you have no skin? Ask this actress.

Another contender for the crown of Hip Hop Model Queen can be Summer Walker. It is of course evident that she more than displays the physical attributes for the title. Geez, does she ever (ah, let’s note for posterity: 36DD-25-39!). She was born on September 28, 1984, in Beaumont, Texas and began modeling in Atlanta.

Summer soon after appeared in music videos from Ying Yang Twins, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and David Banner, among others. Of course, she was also many times the prime choice to grace the cover of music and men’s magazines.

Here are some galleries and don’t forget the official site (which seems strangely abandoned?). Shake! Shake! Shake!:

• The Hip Hop World
• Hip Hop Galaxy
• ZiggaZaggaProductions
• Official Site

Two favorite European Sirens celebrate their birthdays today: Famke Janssen turns 42 and Elke Sommer 67! Famke will probably next be seen in the horror thriller 100 Feet and Elke still pops up from time to time on German television.

She has done one single movie, Colour Blossoms, and yet I find myself still wondering three years later: whatever happened to Teresa Cheung?

One of the most astoundingly beautiful actress to be discovered in recent years, Teresa was born on May 31, 1963 in Hong Kong and is of Shanghainese origin. She immigrated to Toronto, Canada, where she finally got her University degree, majoring in Fine Arts History and English Literature. While studying, Teresa worked for her dad, who owned the first Canadian-Chinese TV network and newspaper. This led her to a become a busy socialite, being interested in fashion to the point of opening a boutique in Hong Kong and eventually traveling the world to select her high-profile merchandise. Her shopping sprees obtained legendary status. And more, she began to write a weekly syndicated column, consulted in an almost world-wide market.

In 1985, she wed Asian pop-star Kenny Bee, with whom she had two children. At some point, she had an extra-marital affair with a businessman whose own wife was dying of cancer. Teresa’s marriage soon fell apart after that adventure as, to top it all off, she and Bee were becoming financially broke. So they divorced in 1999.

In 2004, Teresa made her movie debut for her friend Yonfan’s Colour Blossoms. This colorful erotic tale with sado-masochistic overtones was quite risqué for a person with no acting experience, but she pulled it off, being nominated as Best New Artist at the 2005 Hong Kong Film Awards. Even before its release, the film was considered controversial in Asia for its steamy subject and the involvement of Teresa herself. Even her mom remained in doubt. This film’s main interest resides in its attractive cast and stunning visual colors, but it never comes close to the intensity of the modern version of Flower and Snake, for example, remaining routine softcore for most of its length. Present also is a stunning transgender performer.

Oddly, Teresa doesn’t seem to have appeared in any other high-profile film projects to date, but we’re promised to see her soon in The Poets, from director Liu Hao. She has an official site and is also quite busy with many charity work.