Horror Favourites – Lauren-Marie Taylor

Lauren-Marie Taylor may be best known for her role as the plucky, resilient Vickie in the iconic slasher sequel Friday the 13th Part 2, a film that cemented her place in the annals of horror history. Her portrayal of the tenacious camp counselor, caught in Jason Voorhees’ lethal path, left an indelible mark on genre fans and established her as a scream queen to watch. Yet, Taylor’s career is far from confined to the shadows of Crystal Lake. Fast forward to today, and she’s stepping back into the spotlight with her role in the chilling new horror In a Violent Nature.

In a Violent Nature is a modern slasher that delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of nature, survival, and the primal instincts that reside within us all. The film, directed by rising talent Chris Nash, has been generating significant buzz for its intense atmosphere and innovative style.

Set in a secluded, forested area, the film follows a group of individuals that end up entangled in a bloody rampage at the hands of Johnny, a vengeful specter driven by a gruesome crime committed 60 years ago. If you like your slashers full of guts,  In a Violent Nature has it by the bucketload.

We were recently lucky enough to get some time with Lauren-Marie to talk extensively about her career. In this this short exclusive piece, we delve into Taylor’s horror favourites, exploring the films that not only shaped her career but also ignited her passion for the genre.

“I love The Shining. A lot of people don’t think it’s a horror movie. I think anything that’s got blood and creepy things and ghosts or spirits, I think that that constitutes a horror film. I could watch it every day and find something new about it. Love it.

“We watched Jaws, the other day, which for me was an early horror movie. When I was young I was allowed to see Jaws, but I wasn’t allowed to see The Exorcist because my family was very Catholic, and that was a big no no. Although my brother still snuck out to see it.

“I think I was doing the film Neighbors when The Shining came to cable in the early days of cable, and my boyfriend at the time wanted to watch it. So I  half-heartedly watched it, but at the time I was more interested in hankie panky than watching a horror movie!

“So when I met my now husband 42 years ago, his favourite horror movie was The Shining, and he in general, was a huge Jack Nicholson fan. We met in the early days of cable and it used to constantly be on on HBO. And one day I said ‘you know what? I never really saw that one all the way through’. And when I watched it, I was, I was taken, hook, line and sinker. And I love Nicholson, too.””

“With Jaws, in terms of a childhood memory, we used to go to this little inland beach in the Bronx called Orchard Beach. So there was no fear of the open water, sharks or anything like that. But it was filled with jellyfish, so I don’t want to go into the water anyway.

“After seeing jaws, the next time I went to the ocean, I think it was on Long Island, Jones Beach or something like that. I went to the ocean and I didn’t want to go in. My father took us and his other kids with this other marriage that’s to the beach. And I was like, ‘I don’t go in the water, there’s sharks in that open water AND jellyfish!'”

You can see Lauren-Marie Taylor in In a Violent Nature which is out in the UK this Friday (12 July).