Entertainment Earth

10/01/2016

Horror Crush: Cami (Camille) Cooper

It's October! And, if you are a long reader of mine, you know that I try post a lot more horror write-ups during this month. Now, I realize I been posting more and more horror posts, but I, in turn, have realized that you guys are reading more of them. So, I am replying by posting more of what you guys wanna see. Anyway, let's jump right into this month's first post:


Today I add one of my biggest childhood crushes to this site's ever growing Horror Crushes, the beautiful Cami (Camille) Cooper!

Camille Cooper was born in Los Angeles but grew up in New York. She began acting in soaps General Hospital and Knots Landing. The first time I saw her was probably in the comedy Like Father, Like Son. And, while I liked her in that, it wasn't till later that she really caught my eye. She appeared in an episode of Werewolf (All Hallow's Eve), which I used to enjoy and watch as a kid. But, I don't remember much of it, much less she being in it. 
Her most memorable role is the one where I totally fell in love with her in: Wes Craven's Shocker. Shocker was Craven's attempt at giving us a new Freddy Krueger in Mitch (The X-Files) Pileggi's Horace Pinker. The movie has it's issues. Peter Berg makes for a terrible hero. It's also, at times, terribly silly or corny. But, it holds a special place in my heart. I saw this at the right age, being only about 12 or 13. I was deepening my love for horror, and Craven was one of the director's I was becoming obsessed with. This movie sealed that for me.
The awesome metal soundtrack (which I used to listen to all the time on tape), the cool FX, and Pinker were enough to make me love it. And, there was one more thing for me to love: Camille (here under the name Cami) Cooper. She was the perfect all American girl next door. Naturally beautiful, blonde, blue eyes, and with a sweet smile to die for. As our hero Jonathon's (Berg) girlfriend who gets knifed by Pinker, she was the perfect embodiment of that. She comes back as a ghost (at first blood-caked ala Carrie), to haunt and help her nice, but lame boyfriend battle Pinker. Honestly, she is more interesting and memorable than Berg, even of some this comes off corny. It helps that Cooper is quite good in the role. Though, I will say that even when I saw it, as a kid, I thought if one can have sex with a ghost, that is one I would totally try it with! Also, and this proves that I was always a weird kid, thought she looked good even covered in blood.
 
 
The next thing I distinctly remember seeing her was the movie she did right after: the oddball but hilarious and gooey horror/ comedy Meet the Applegates. She is the daughter in an all American family of giant mantises disguised as humans. I was so fucking happy to see her in this! She looked great, of course, and similarly I thought, eh, if giant bugs looked like her dating one wouldn't be all bad (yeah, I told you I was a weird kid!)! Sadly this movie has never been on DVD much less Blu-ray. And, it is a shame cause I recall it being really funny, over-the-top, and slimey!
Her last acting gig was in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace. Now, I don't remember anything about this movie, much less her being in it. Which considering how much I loved her probably says a lot about this flick...
She serves as director of legislative affairs for The National Association to PROTECT Children. She spearheaded what was the largest crime bill for the 110th Congress. But, she made a return to horror fandom when she appeared on Scream Factory's release of Shocker. The Blu-ray is fucking awesome, and she still looks gorgeous!
I still love Shocker, all these years later, as watching it on Blu-ray last night proved to me. And, I still love Cooper. I gotta say that I wanted a girlfriend like her when I was a little kid. And, you know what? I still do! And, with that I proudly add her to this site's Horror Crushes!

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