What makes a good 'Scream Queen'?

By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Just what makes a good movie “scream queen”?

She must be in dire jeopardy: Things that go bump in the night. Threatening phone calls. Being stalked by an insane killer with a very large knife. Violent visions. Ghostly apparitions. Big apes with large crushes.

And of course, a “scream queen” must have a great decibel range.

Brittany Snow, who was the conniving teen in “Hairspray,” makes her bid for “scream queen” status in the horror flick, “Prom Night,” opening Friday. Will she become the new Fay Wray or the 21st-century incarnation of Jamie Lee Curtis? Only time — and the box office — will tell.

But here’s a look at some horror divas who have screamed their way to movie success. And here is a look at the upcoming spate of horror movie remakes. (Suzanne Tenner / Screen Gems)