Horror movies often grow their biggest fan basesbecause of their flagship villains. But what about the genre’s heroes? Believe it or not, there are also a great number of good guys that keep us returning to the spookiest corner of cinema! Many people love Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) from theScreamfranchise, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) from her variousHalloweenfilms and timelines, and of course, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) of theEvil Deadmovies. Tobe afraid of something, you also have to have someone that you’re afraid for. That, or someone that you want to see kick some creepy ass.
Sometimes, we don’t just come back to horror for specific characters, we come for the actors. This genre holds many names that are near and dear to fans' hearts, but the most unsung of them all would have to beTom Atkins. When you first look at Atkins, he might not feel exactly like a big screen hero, especially with that big cartoon mustache. Just spend a few minutes with him, and you’ll come to learn that he delivers no-nonsense, bad-ass performances all the time, but just with enough self-awareness that he’s still a ton of fun. Throw an entire decade’s worth of classics on top and you’ll end up with one of the mostunderrated faces (and mustache) in all of horror.
Horror is Equally About Heroes and Villains
Horror has always had figures for us to root for.Vincent Price,Peter Cushing, andLon Chaney Jr.fought off ghouls and beasts in the Golden Age of Hollywood,Donald Pleasencewarded off evil in the 70s, and Jamie Lee Curtis has beenfighting the good fight for decades. Tom Atkins, on the other hand,is the ’80s unsung horror king. Fans of that particular decade in the genre know him well, but it’s time that he shared the limelight along with these juggernauts in chills.
Despite having a career that stretches all the way back to the late ’60s, Tom Atkins really came into his own in the ’80s. At the turn of the decade, he had his first ofthree collaborations withJohn Carpenterin 1980’sThe Fog. From there, he would go on to bring the stache to one classic genre picture after another.Escape from New York,Creepshow,The Ninth Configuration,Lethal Weapon,Night of the Creeps,Maniac Cop, and, of course,Halloween III: Season of the Witch, just to name a few. No matter who he’s sharing the screen with, Atkins always comes out on top, and is one of the primary reasons that these movies have gone on to be so beloved.
Tom Atkins is the Hard-Ass, Mustache-Wearing King of Horror Movies
Atkins isn’t any ordinary leading man, though. He’s not in thesame category of genre movie iconsasKurt Russell, or even Bruce Campbell. He’s kind of the anti-Tom Selleck, with a face that is defined by his mustache. Like Selleck, Atkins has also played many rough-around-the-edges authoritative figures. However, he’s never as intimidating as his characters are often written to be. That being said, he seems to know it.There’s always agood whiff of hamreeking off of the screenwhile watching a Tom Atkins movie. He takes that stache and position of power and goes the dirt bag-lite route,making him the perfect leadfor the grimy horror movies that he inhabits.
In most other movies, we’d probably find these pervy creeps that Akins plays hard to root for. It’s only when he, in particular, is pitted againstsupernatural forces, zombies, and cults, that these folks look like good guys. Tom Atkins' many shady cops, doctors, and army captainsare fun to root for because he plays his parts with total sincerity. There’s no fooling around when itcomes to playing Nick CastleinThe Fog, or Detective McCrae inManiac Cop. Atkins has such an every-man quality to him that, even when he’s giving line delivery his all, you can’t help but laugh a little any time he’s in the frame. Atkins shouldn’t work as the hero of all of his movies, but his B-movie track record and self-aware-yet-dedicated work on screenmakes him the ultimate schlock star.
Tom Atkins' Best Roles Are in ‘The Fog’ and ‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’
While Atkins' filmography is stacked, there are two movies in particular that exude what makes him such a great figure in the world of ’80s horror. Both come from John Carpenter, those beingThe FogandHalloween III: Season of the Witch. Now,Carpenter didn’t directHalloween III, but he did produce it. This movie also came out two years after Atkins' starring performance inThe Fog, so it feels like his work had to have impressed Carpenter enough that he included him.
In both movies, Atkins plays strange, lonely, ladies' men. Both characters are made out to be total studs. They pick up girls left and right, but, ultimately, they have a sadness to them. We don’t know too much about his character inThe Fog, Nick Castle, but he does have that vibe to him. Castle enters scenes likethe kind of guy who wants everyone to think thathe’s the coolest person in the room, but if you look at his eyes, you’ll see that this guy has been through some hard times (a trait he fully utilizes inNight of the Creeps).
‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’ Gets Signed Tom Atkins Action Figure From NECA
Atkins notably played Dr. Challis in the horror franchise’s third entry.
Unlike the almostensemble nature ofThe Fog, Atkins (and his mustache) is the full-on star ofHalloween III:Season of the Witch. In it,he plays Dr. Dan Challis, who is basically the same kind of character as Castle, just with facial hair this time around. Carpenter must have picked up on Atkins' abilities at playing sad macho men, so to double down, a divorce subplot is thrown in as well. No matter what his characters might be going through,they always get to the bottom of what’s going on. InThe Fog, Nick Castle helps Jamie Lee Curtis and the gang figure out what’s really going on with theghostly fog that’s taking over their town. InSeason of the Witch, he’s uncovering the sinister plot of a giant costume corporation to take Halloweenback to its pagan roots. Atkins looks like the kind of guy who could build a fence in his sleepandin the middle of a crippling divorce.Devilish forces of evil are small potatoes for a guy like him.
If you’re in a horror rut and need a North Star to follow for more horror goods, thenthere’s no one better for you to latch on to than Tom Atkins. His ’80s run in particular will give you a goofy time, while not being too in your face and knowing about it.In the way that the chills of a Halloween moviepairs perfect with the holiday’s candies, Atkins goes perfectly with horror. He’s the fun element that makes every eerie aspect palpable. All hail the mustached icon, which is Tom Atkins.
