In my opinion, the sidekick or second banana is one of the most essential roles in most horror movies. Whether they are helping out the hero or the villain, the sidekick characters are usually the glue that holds the story together. Without having these lovable characters in the movie, it just wouldn’t be the same.
It would be like Bonnie without Clyde, Lois without Clark, Paris Hilton without her inability to close her legs. Lot’s of these characters do not get the credit they so rightfully deserve, so here is my list of sidekick characters that I feel deserve a shout out.
WARNING – SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
1. The Frog Brothers – Lost Boys
When somebody mentions The Lost Boys to me, the first thing I think about are usually the comic geeks by day/wannabe vampire hunters by night, Frog Brothers. Forget Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric, these guys were the ones that made the movie enjoyable in my opinion. If they ever decide to do a sequel to this popular vampire flick, I’d like to know what happened to these characters. Come on, make the sequel already! I would actually be willing to see Corey Feldman in a movie for a change.
2. Jack – American Werewolf in London
Wasn’t Jack a great friend to David? He came back from the dead only to beg his friend to kill himself? Now, that’s a true friend there! Even though undead Jack was used in very few scenes, the scenes worked effectively and were quite memorable. (Unlike the use of the undead friends in the forgettable sequel.) Jack was able to give the film some comic relief in between the horror, and made for one of the most unique sidekick characters seen in a horror movie.
3. Pinhead’s Crew – Hellraiser 1-2
Even though Pinhead was the most popular of the cenobites, the rest of his crew inflicted just as much pleasure and pain (well…mostly pain) on the unlucky souls that entered Hell. The Female Cenobite, Butterball, and Chatterer were great additions to the series, and they even looked freakier than their leader, Pinhead. Now that I’m writing this, I’m in the mood to rent the whole series. (Well…maybe the first three at least. The others were a tad bit disappointing.)
4. Chop Top – TCM 2
If you’re one of those people who prefer this sequel to the original cult film, it’s probably because you loved the crazy, music loving war vet, Choptop. (It can’t be for Dennis Hopper, that’s for damn sure!) Choptop was the latest addition to the cannibalistic family, and stole the show from even Leatherface. The scene in the radio station scared me so much as a child, and still freaks me out to this day. Where’s that Choptop spin-off already??
5. Evil Ed – Fright Night
Evil Ed was probably the strangest and most memorable character in this vampire cult hit. He plays both the hero and the villain’s sidekick, and is even funnier when he gets turned into a vampire. (a.k.a. “Dandridge’s bitch”) Who can forget the infamous line, “Oh, you’re so cool, Brewster?” Too bad he wasn’t in the sequel. Maybe he could have saved it how somehow.
6. Frankenstein Monster – Monster Squad
Frankenstein, (or if you want to be politically correct, Frankenstein’s monster) was the perfect addition to this (almost) family friendly movie. His few moments on screen were memorable, and I still to this day get all teary-eyed when he gets pulled back into the time warp at the end of the movie.
7. Randy – Scream franchise
Who didn’t love this geek of “Ducky”-like proportions? A lot of people may have thought Matt Lillard (a.k.a. “The Ham”) stole the show, but to me, it was Randy (a.k.a. the unrequited love slave to Sidney Prescott) who was the series’ backbone. Any true horror fan appreciated and understood everything Randy had to say about horror movies. He stood out from the rest, and was even able to steal the scene in his glorified cameo in the third installment from beyond the grave.
8. The Ghost Trio – Frighteners
I really enjoyed this Peter Jackson horror/comedy, but the parts I loved the most were from the Stuart, Cyrus, and Judge, the ghosts that helped out Michael J. Fox “haunt” people’s houses. To me, this movie was way more horror than comedy. When the effectively funny bits do show up however, the ghosts were the ones responsible for the laughs. (Anybody remember the infamous mummy/Judge scene?) If you haven’t already seen this, go rent this under-rated ghoul fest.
9. Ed – Shaun of the Dead
Who would have thought a beer-guzzling, lazy, drug-dealing slacker with no ambition would be a kick ass zombie killer? Ed provided many laughs and when he gets bit, it is genuinely a sad moment. Although, now he is a video game playing zombie in Shaun’s shed, I’m sure he would still be the scene-stealer if they ever decide to make a sequel.
10. Amanda – Saw franchise
It’s funny how this character started out small and expanded into one of the most important roles in the series. From playing a victim, to a hero, to playing Jigsaw’s right hand (wo)man, Amanda has displayed her undying loyalty to her mentor. (If getting thrown into a vast pale of dirty needles doesn’t prove one’s loyalty, what will?) Without her help, Jigsaw would have never been able to succeed in all his well-laid plans.
