Curtains is a 1983 Canadian slasher film directed by Richard Ciupka and Peter R. Simpson, from a screenplay by Robert Guza Jr., and starring John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson, Lynne Griffin, and Lesleh Donaldson.

Centered on the world of theater and filmmaking,[6] its plot focuses on a group of ambitious female performers who are targeted by a masked killer while auditioning for a film role at a prestigious director's mansion.

Curtains was intended by Simpson to be an adult-oriented slasher aimed at older audiences, contrasting with the standard genre films of the time which featured predominately teenaged characters.

Principal photography began in Toronto in late 1980, with much of the shoot taking place at Magder Studios on interior sets designed by Roy Forge Smith.

The next day, the other five women auditioning for the part of Audra arrive at Stryker's rural New England mansion: stand-up comedian Patti O'Connor, veteran actress Brooke Parsons, ballet dancer Laurian Summers, musician Tara DeMillo, and professional ice skater Christie Burns.

Panicked, she takes shelter in Stryker's expansive prop shed, where she discovers Laurian's body among the hanging mannequins and is pursued by the killer.

Thinking she has outsmarted the killer, Tara begins to climb out of the duct, only to be pulled back in and murdered with an axe, her screams echoing throughout the prop shed.

[20] The politics of filmmaking and casting are also cited as theme by Muir, who suggests that Samantha's method acting rehearsal of her role as the mentally-ill Audra distorts her mental state and, in turn, results in her developing homicidal rage.

[20] The film makes use of several theatrical props and sets, also echoing its "witty" preoccupation with film and theater, as well as recurring dialogue from its actress characters: Dwelling in the world of Variety, publicity shows, auditions, acting exercises and the like, Curtains' form nicely echoes its content... [because] all the characters are drama queens—literally—the dramatis personae are more interesting.

[27] Lynne Griffin, who had previously appeared in the slasher film Black Christmas (1974), was cast in the role of Patti, the stand-up comic, and at the time had been working in local theater productions in Toronto.

[23] Taking advantage of a record snowstorm that had hit the northeastern United States in December 1980, exterior locations were sought in Vermont for shooting, but a sudden rainstorm that melted the snow thwarted the opportunity.

[34] Curtains' troubled production largely stemmed from a clash between the film's director, Richard Ciupka, and Simcom producer Peter Simpson.

[35] Commenting during the shoot in April 1981, Ciupka expressed some anxiety about his direction of the project, particularly around effectively depicting its large cast of characters.

Nevertheless, when filming for that scene commenced, Donaldson tripped on the uneven ice and injured herself, resulting in a stand-in double being used for her long shots.

[34] Deleted scenes included a backstory sequence where, prior to arriving at Stryker's retreat, Christie is emotionally rejected by her skating coach.

"[50] Joe Baltake of the Philadelphia Daily News noted that Vernon "projects a genuine aura of menace" and that Eggar is "saddled here with a character that looks like a practical joke by her agent," summing up the film: "The movie itself is never a mystery, never frightening, but is, instead, unrelievedly solemn, given to long, mournful pauses.

"[51] Rick Brough of the Park City Newspaper ranked the film two stars out of five, adding: "Don't bother using logic to figure out whodunit.

"[52] The Buffalo News's Dale Anderson also noted the film's plot inconsistencies, adding: "Given the isolation, the snowstorm outside and the marvelous art deco appointments in the place, a sudden shift to the plot framework of The Shining might be in order, but the dramatic deftness of this crew is so slight that the act of getting half a dozen people into the same place at the same time is about all they can handle.

[54] Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times summarized the film as a "mediocre and grotesque Grand Guignol horror movie," criticizing its depiction of violence against women.

[55] Stephen Hunter, writing for The Baltimore Sun, noted that "the most affecting thing about Curtains is its melancholy subtext of failed career and unrealized aspirations," but concluded: "Only the presence of several slick professional actors—Samantha Eggar and John Vernon—and some glossy production values separate this pointless, thoroughly meretricious film from the cruder, rawer teenage hacker melodramas that it so resembles.

[57] Richard Martin of the Ottawa Citizen criticized the film for its unbelievable characters and lack of coherence, but conceded that, despite this, audiences "go expecting to be scared, to feel those delicious shivers run up and down your spine, to gasp and cry out in shock and then laugh with relief.

"[58] The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's John Dycus similarly felt the film featured a cliched screenplay but was no less frightening, writing: "You'll duck beneath your sweater sleeve at Curtains.

"[59] Among the publications who gave the film favorable reviews were The Hollywood Reporter, who described it as "the classiest, most chilling thriller to come along in quite a while… rich in surprises of a gripping, sensuous nature.

"[60] Candice Russell of the Sun Sentinel also praised the film as a "scary and suspenseful," likening its plot that of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians.

Bizarre seems too mild a description when discussing this movie, which is actually stitched together from two production periods spread out over three years, with the original director, Richard Ciupka, taking his name off the effort when producer Peter R. Simpson elected to jazz up the rough cut with customary slicing and dicing.

The fascinating backstory on Curtains is evident throughout the presentation, leaving the picture half-realized, shooing away substance to plow ahead with violence.

It's a mess, but an entertaining one thanks to Ciupka's visual ambition and ensemble work from the oddball cast, who deliver the proper level of hysteria to assist what little suspense remains.

The reason I think that ice skating scene—which really isn't all that special as far as these things go—left such a scar on many a young horror fan who caught it on late night TV is because the film is so "off" and even hard to explain in full, much like an actual nightmare.

On July 29, 2014, Curtains was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Synapse Films, featuring a new 2K transfer from the original prints, as well as a 5.1 surround sound audio remastering.

[62] American death metal band Mortician used a sample from Curtains as an introduction for the song "Audra" from their 2003 album Darkest Day of Horror.