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Sunday 19 July 2020

INTERVIEW: Felix I.D. Dimaro talks writing hard hitting horror


Positively Horror recently got the chance to chat with the brilliant up and coming  horror author Felix I.D. Dimaro during the lead up to the release of his new novel Bugspray on eighth of August. (Pre order link at the bottom of interview).  Please enjoy the full interview below. 

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your relationship with the genre?

I was born in Nigeria and raised in Toronto, Canada in a couple of ‘at risk’ neighbourhoods. Rough places that helped to shape my outlook on the world as well as what I include in my stories. From there I went to the University of Toronto and graduated with a BA in Psychology. The combination of my upbringing and interest in psychology both play into the horror that I write. I write mostly about human monsters and issues of morality.

What was your introduction to horror, and at what age?
I feel like I’ve been watching horror for as long as I can remember. I am the youngest of four boys, and I had to watch what they watched. Most of that was horror. I distinctly remember being terrified of the Cenobites from Hell Raiser at like seven years old. In terms of books, it was Goosebumps by R.L. Stine.
  
Your debut book, How to Make a Monster, a collection of short stories is pretty hard hitting, where does your inspiration come from and how do you get into a headspace for your writing?

My inspiration comes from what I’ve seen and experienced in my life. I was dealing with death, discrimination and other hardships pretty early on. On top of that I have known good people who have had to do bad things (sometimes for good reasons). So, I write about the thin line between humanity and monstrosity that we all struggle not to cross. Sometimes it’s hard to get into the right headspace for the really dark stories, but that’s what vodka’s for :P

Your upcoming novel Bug Spray is available for pre-order now, could you tell us a bit about it? 

Thanks for asking. Bug Spray is a hard one to talk about without spoiling. I’ll just say it’s a story that centers around a power-hungry man, the suicide of his employee, love, and vengeance. I’m calling it a Romance of Horrors, and I think it’s a fun but scary story that touches on a lot of what’s going on in society, particularly in terms of  sex and power dynamics.

Who are some of your favourite people working in the genre at the moment?

Like a lot of horror readers, I was stuck on mainly Stephen King for most of my adult life. Over the last few years, I’ve realized that I’ve been cheating myself out of a lot of great stories by not branching out. So, that’s what I’ve been doing, particularly with Indie horror writers. There are some great ones out there, and I’m looking forward to figuring out a favourite as I explore them more.

And are there any other projects you’re involved with that you’d like to talk about? 

I’ve actually just finished up the rough draft to a novel called “Blue Lips” that centers around addiction, gang violence, and things that exist inside and outside of this world that may influence us more than we know. I’m excited about it because it ties into some of the other stories I’ve written, including “Bug Spray.”  
Thanks again to felix for the great interview. You can pre order Bugspray by following the link below, and buy How to Make a Monster which is out now:
You can find Felix on his social media accounts by following the links below:


Sunday 12 July 2020

INTERVIEW: Huw Lloyd talks school hall slaughter and more


Positively horror recently got the chance to interview the brilliant genre podcast host, and creator of the upcoming horror School Hall Slaughter. Please enjoy the full interview below.

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your relationship with the genre.


My name is Huw Lloyd and I’m a writer, director and the host of The Undead Wookie Podcast. I live in Pontypool South Wales with my wife and dog. I have been obsessed with horror all my life and the podcast came about from my obsession and love of discussing and dissecting horror.  

What was your introduction to horror, and at what age?

My introduction to horror was being taken to the cinema in Merthyr Tydfil to see Ghostbuster. So I was about five years old and I clearly remember when Sigourney Weaver started rising off the bed and snarling I freaked out! I had to go and stand outside with my mother until that scene had finished. From then on I was just hooked.

Your upcoming film 'School Hall Slaughter' is currently in the crowdfunding stage, with some great perks for backers. It started as a short, did you always know that you wanted it to be a feature?

Thank you, I love the perks we have put together and I think they are a lot of fun. I always thought it had the potential to be a feature and I had written various drafts over the years of the feature script. But after I had finished putting the short film together I knew the universe needed to be expanded. So I just ploughed ahead and put the script together and then Derek Nelson came on board and we are up and running.  

Where did your inspiration for the film?

The short film was nearly eight years in the making and the feature script had spent the best part of eleven years in various different stages and desk draws. The idea was born out of one of those special moments that only a true horror fan can truly appreciate. Alone, in total darkness, wandering the corridors of the school I teach in search of a prop for a school production that had been left behind. The caretaker had let me into the building and swiftly vanished. So there I was fumbling around in partially lit corridors with only emergency lighting to guide my way. When my brain decided to ask the question, what if we couldn't get out and someone wanted to kill you? On that night School Hall Slaughter was born.  

You also host a podcast where you get to talk about the genre with fellow horror lovers in different areas of the horror community. Is there anything coming up on the show that you'd like to share?

We have got some great episodes coming, Welsh filmmaker Andrew Jones will be back on soon. Gareth Evans (Director of the Raid, Raid 2, Apostle, Gangs of London) said he will be back on at some point. The show is great because we tend to be very laid back and we all pitch different episodes, its great.

Who are some of your favourite people working in the genre at the moment?

That’s a good question… I’m a big fan of Ari Aster, I loved Midsommar. I love folk horror anything involving a sinister cult, I’m in. Of course there’s Robert Eggers who is such a clever filmmaker and packs so much detail into his films. There are some great indie filmmakers working in horror, guys like Andrew Jones and MJ Dixon. I think the MYCHO universe he has created is really good and clever. However I always find that I return to my favourites Carpenter, Bava, and of course Fulci.

And are there any other projects you're involved with that you'd like to talk about?

I’ve been doing a little bit with Jae Prowse who has been on the show a number of times and is just a great guy. Jae is putting together a new horror magazine called Horrified Magazine (@HorrifiedMag). However my main focus is on School Hall, it’s pretty all consuming at the moment.

Thanks again to Huw Lloyd for the wonderful interview. You can catch the Undead wookie Podcast by following the link below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-undead-wookie-podcast/id1279443501

And to donate to School Hall Slaughter, just click this link:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/school-hall-slaughter#/