Category: Traumatots

RANDI ALLEN only appeared in one movie and it was called CATHY'S CURSE. If you've ever seen it you will have no questions about why she threw in the towel and gave up the biz for good. Although the movie's problems are legion, it should be pointed out that RANDI is not really one of them. She easily act rings around the adult actors involved (then again how could she not). Still, not every child actor could deliver insults like, "Fat, dried up old whore" with such convincing malicious glee. As far as her post-CATHY life goes we have searched and come up empty handed. Wherever you are RANDI, with this award we apologize for the assumed nightmare that making this film must have been and we thank you for the countless hours of (torturous) entertainment you have provided us.

OLIVER ROBINS has the distinction of appearing in what may be the single most Kindertraumiest scene of all time. In POLTERGEIST when a certain clown puppet attacked Oliver's character Robbie Freeling, Kindertrauma history was made. In fact, Robbie's late night slumber difficulties spoke to an entire generation of tykes who looked to the screen and nodded knowingly. Sometimes Robbie's fears were unfounded, like in the case of his sudden squeamishness toward his own Chewbacca t-shirt; other times they were more than warranted, like the time a tree came to life and yanked him out of his bedroom window. OLIVER ROBINS also happened to star in what is unequivocally one of the greatest television horror movies of all time DON'T GO TO SLEEP along with RUTH GORDON and megastar and HOGAN FAMILY dissident VALERIE HARPER. He meets a bad end, but perhaps not as bad as the sister he aided killing in a prank gone wrong that begins with tennis shoe laces being tied together and ends in an exploding car and a burned alive sibling. Add POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE, and a highly regarded episode of the eighties version of THE TWILIGHT ZONE entitled "MONSTERS" into the mix, and you have a kid whose OFFICIAL TRAUMATOT status (unlike his parent's choice of orthodontists) can never be questioned!!!

Portraying little Damien Thorn in 1976's THE OMEN, HARVEY STEPHENS brought an incredible naturalness to a part that may be the last word in evil child roles. With his light hair dyed jet black and his butter wouldn't melt smirk STEPHENS rode his tricycle into the nightmares of viewers of all ages. His admission into the sacred ranks of The Traumatot guild is a no-brainer. He may have only one major film role to his credit but when you do something right the first time why mess with perfection?

 

 JOSHUA JOHN MILLER (sometimes just JOSHUA MILLER) worked along side some of the greatest figures in modern horror including TOM ATKINS in HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH, CRISPEN GLOVER in RIVER'S EDGE, LANCE HENRICKSEN in NEAR DARK and be still my heart, ZELDA RUBENSTEIN in the rap mangling musical holocaust TEEN WITCH! (Top That!) In addition, his father is none other than JASON MILLER a.k.a. Father Karras in THE EXORCIST, so we're talking genuine horror royalty here. His first novel THE MAO GAME was published in 1997 when he was just 21 and he went on to direct the film adaptation of it as well. No slouch in his youth and equally productive to this day, renaissance man JOSHUA JOHN MILLER certainly deserves to be recognized around the globe as an OFFICIAL KINDERTRAUMA TRAUMATOT!     

 

 Born in Japan, the talents of tiny totling PAMELA FRANKLIN were Godzillian in size. In her screen debut she not only went head to head with DEBORAH KERR but also child actor wunderkind MARTIN STEPHENS in the broody classic THE INNOCENTS. This outstanding performance soon lead to an unflinching cinematic confrontation with intimidating grande dame of cinema BETTE DAVIS in THE NANNY. Where other child actors burnt out or squandered their talents on non horror fare, Pammy graduated into a full genre presence in the seventies, appearing along side the great ORSON WELLES in NECROMANCY a.k.a. THE WITCHING, battling giant rats in THE FOOD OF THE GODS, combating a supernatural Mt. Everest in THE LEGEND OF HELLHOUSE and taking on SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS in the timeless AARON SPELLING produced television classic. We acknowledge not only P.F.'s definite acting talents but also her consistent lifelong contributions to horror with our greatest honor…THE TRAUMATOT AWARD!               

 

 Even if you don't know his name, you're sure to have seen BILLY JACOBY before. He appeared in nearly every other television show and movie produced during the eighties. Juggling multiple monikers throughout his career and now known as BILLY JAYNE, this OFFICIAL TRAUMATOT's genre resume may be the longest on record. Putting aside his most visible turn as the wise-cracking Buddy in the teen TOOTSIE-in-reverse masterpiece JUST ONE OF THE GUYS, his credits include BLOODY BIRTHDAY, HOSPITAL MASSACRE A.K.A. X-RAY (in which he was paired again alongside BLOODY BIRTHDAY costar ELIZABETH HOY), THE BEASTMASTER, the great SUPERSTITION, the classic CUJO, the amazing NIGHTMARES, the nearly unwatchable DEMONWARP and even the DAVID DeCOTEAU helmed JUDY LANDERS infected trashathon DR.ALIEN among others. It's high time we all salute the hardest working TRAUMATOT in the business!     

PAMELYN FERDIN was the queen of child actresses in the seventies and her credits are extensive. She lent her voice to Lucy in many a CHARLIE BROWN special, jumped onto the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE in STAR TREK and even took time out to DISS JAN'S WIG on THE BRADY BUNCH. Several of her credits fall into the horror/thriller camp. A television movie with RAY MILLAND called DAUGHTER OF THE MIND, plus theatrical titles like THE BEGUILED, THE MEPHISTO WALTZ, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?, and when she was a bit older, cult favorite THE TOOLBOX MURDERS. Her recognizability may have cost her the chance of being the ultimate horror icon though, she lost the role of Regan in THE EXORCIST when it was decided the film required an unknown. (The role went to fellow animal rights activist LINDA BLAIR) She may have missed her opportunity to vomit on a priest, but we here at Kindertrauma recognize a traumatot when we see one, so here's to you Pamela. Sorry we never got to see your head spin!

 

 

Who can deny MARTIN STEPHENS' precise, sharp as an ice-pick, performance in 1960's VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED? Any child actor can shelve emotions and play a robot, but convincingly exuding cold, calculating super intelligence is another story. STEPHENS pulled it off with otherworldly ease and found a permanent home among the legendary icons of horror. One year later he amazingly out did himself with his portrayal of Miles in THE INNOCENTS, an adaptation of HENRY JAMES' classic ghost tale THE TURN OF THE SCREW.  Here he may have delivered the best child performance of all time; subtle, fluid and slippery as a fish, Miles is at turns menacing and angelic, a padlock whose combination changes with each viewing. At one point the most prominent and successful child star in Britain, he prematurely put a cap on his career with the JOAN FONTAINE HAMMER-mobile THE WITCHES. Currently working as an architect STEPHENS can rest at night with the knowledge that his contributions as a child actor, particularly in the horror genre will never be equaled. You sir are forever a TRAUMATOT!

After his trailblazing performance as Jamie Benjamin, a sexually-charged preteen plagued with poor social skills, a bad bowl cut, and a penchant for feeding neighbors to the carnivorous creatures living in THE PIT, the IMDB trail on child actor sensation SAMMY SNYDERS just about runs cold, save for an appearance in an episode of something called THE LITTLEST HOBO. Based solely on his stellar work in THE PIT, KINDERTRAUMA is pleased to bestow a TRAUMATOT award upon Mr. SNYDERS. Fans of SNYDERS will be pleased to know that after leaving the big and small screen behind, he is now "one of Toronto's hottest jazz teachers!" Jazz dance, that is.

 

MICHAEL STEPHENSON starred in two films for Italian director CLAUDIO FRAGASSO. The first was the little seen BEYOND DARKNESS (LA CASA 5) and the second was TROLL 2, an in-name only sequel widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. Is TROLL 2 really that bad? Yes, it is, but it's also strangely lovable, endlessly entertaining and probably ten times funnier than anything intentionally so. Fans are rabid and legion; most can recite the film verbatim. There might be better child actors out there, but certainly none of them have ever been required to swallow the spoonful of insanity that poor STEPHENSON had to, and for that he deserves, if not our praise than at least our pity. The great news is that MICHAEL is currently working on a documentary about his experiences and the phenomenon that followed. If it turns out anything like the trailer, we're in for a (green) treat! If you'd like to keep up to date on all things TROLL2, stop by BESTWORSTMOVIE, the official TROLL 2 fansite!