INTERVIEW: Hailey Piper talks books!

For the first Positively Horror interview of the new year, the brilliant genre author Hailey Piper was kind enough to answer some questions. Please enjoy the full interview below. 

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

Hi, I'm Hailey Piper! I the author of horror novellas The Worm and His Kings from Off Limits Press, Benny Rose, the Cannibal King from Unnerving, and more. This spring, The Seventh Terrace will publish my first short story collection, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, and later this year Strangehouse Books will publish my first novel, Queen of Teeth. I've also had a few dozen stories in different publications, and I'm known for writing queer fiction and hopping around all subgenres of horror to do so. 

What was your introduction to horror and at what age?

I can't remember a time that I didn't love monsters, and I obsessively read Goosebumps books as a kid. Definitely my earliest memory of adult horror was accidentally being shown a monster movie The Unnameable at age 5. It was very R-rated and though I only caught half of it, I doubt my brain has been the same since.

I picked up The Possession Of Natalie Galsgow after seeing many posts about your work on bookstagram. Do you feel that the bookstagram community has helped push your name out there on the horror book scene?

The community plays a big part. I love the creative photos Bookstagrammers take, and when I'm tagged, I'll often see comments by people who've never heard of me but now want to pick up The Possession of Natalie Glasgow or others. It is much appreciated.

Where do you get your inspiration, and what is your creative process? 

Inspiration can come from anywhere, there's no single source. What's important is to jot down thoughts and observations when they occur and keep them. Most of it will be junk I never use, a little of it will become story seeds, but I can't tell the difference right away, plus you never know what a later point of view will bring to old notes. Enough notes in correlation can become a story. The actual process changes for every story, but the notes give enough fertile ground that the story can grow in whichever shape or direction it needs.

What has the current lockdown/pandemic situation done for your inspiration? 

I'm sure there's been some impact, but I can't really discern how I've absorbed it, only what I've done with it. I've stopped saying no to myself with various concepts and executions; many of us have come out of 2020 a bit stranger than we went in.

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

Oh, there are so many impressive and talented authors writing horror right now. Joanna Koch, Eden Royce, Sara Tantlinger, Stephen Graham Jones, Gwendolyn Kiste, Andrew Cull, I could go endlessly and still miss loads of people. My TBR pile is a mountain.

And is there anything that you're currently working on that you'd like to talk about?

I'm revising a couple larger projects right now, outlining future ones, and writing short stories; I can never write enough of those. You can keep updated by finding me at www.haileypiper.com or on Twitter via @HaileyPiperSays.

Thank you again for having me!

Thank you again to Hailey for the interview. To check out Hailey's work just click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Hailey-Piper/e/B07HDYFL2C/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

GUEST BLOG: SOUNDTRACK SPOTLIGHT: BLACK CHRISTMAS

For this soundtrack spotlight it’s time to get festive with the 1974 ‘Black Christmas’ and an expertly minimal soundtrack from Carl Zittrer.

For a Christmas horror it starts with a nice rendition of silent night to get the audience into the right mood and create a nice sense of calm, but then as the camera changes to an ominous first-person view, the music shifts to a more sinister tone using overlapping drones. 

Any sense of calm is extinguished when the sorority receives a menacing phone call.

When Claire leaves to finish packing, we can see from the first-person camera that there is someone else in the room with her, this time rather than the drones heard previously, there are muffled percussive piano sounds as though the piano strings are being struck and dampened from within the piano. After this scene the music again stops until Claire’s body is revealed to the sound of sudden plucked strings fading to an eerie single vocal.

The next time there is any music is when the sorority receives another strange phone call, this is accompanied by the same muffled percussive piano sounds as before.

In a later scene Peter is playing a rather intense piano piece badly for a recital, this is the first diagetic piece of music since the Christmas songs at the party in the opening scene.  Peter later takes out his frustrations on the piano by smashing the strings inside, creating the same percussive piano sounds as the non-diagetic music used for the killer. 

After the death of Mrs. Mac and during the next phone call from the killer the piano sounds begin to become clearer. 

Other than the sounds during the death scenes and phone calls there is not really any music in the film, making the music all the more effective when used. 

The next use of diagetic Christmas music is when a group of carol singers come to the sorority house, this is then mixed with the non-diagetic piano sound as the killer enters Barbs room while Jess is at the door listening to the carol singers. 

When Jess starts to investigate after finding out that the calls were indeed coming from inside the house, the drones begin again this time building slightly in volume each time the further Jess gets into the house.

During the final scene as the camera pans from the house and the credits start to roll there is no music at all, just the sound of the phone ringing, getting louder.

All in all this was an extremely effective soundtrack in creating an identity for the unseen killer and his erratic behaviour with the use of very percussive atonal sounds. A recommended Christmas classic.

INTERVIEW: Geroge Elias of Geprge Elias presents.

positively horror recently got the chance to ask George Elias some questions, please enjoy the full interview below:

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

I'm a writer/director/producer and occasional actor. I am a fan of horror of any kind although I'm not much of a fan of possession horror or horror comedy to be honest.

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

I honestly couldn't say when my exact introduction to horror was but I remember being very young and being introduced to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist. Good times.

You produce a lot of genre content that is readily available online through George Elias Presents and Antiks Entertainment. Has social media helped push your work out there?

Absolutely! In fact a big portion of my audience comes from Facebook.

Your pieces often play on lighting and score to create the horror atmosphere. Do you have any artistic influences for these that you think have translated into your work?

I always enjoyed films that left a lot to the imagination. I love suspense! I feel that what you don't see is often more important than what you do. As far as influences go? I have always been a HUGE Kubrick and Hitchcock fan.

You recently made your first found footage film, Review, which I found to be really affective. Are there any other sub genres you'd like to explore, or ones you've already worked with that you'd like to take a deeper dive into?

Hmm? That's a tough one. I would definitely like to explore a western or space film. As for the found footage genre? That was actually a request by several people in my circle. They challenged me to make a found footage film and I thoroughly enjoyed making it.

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

Vincente DiSanti of Womp Stomp Films, David Sandberg, Nicholas Grant of Graveyard Cinemas has some interesting ideas, Isiah Cain is a unique up and coming talent and Freeze Frame Pictures are really good too.

And are there any projects you're involved with when the lockdown is lifted that you'd like to talk about?

I am always working on new things so the best answer I can give is simply to just stay tuned. 

Thank you again to George Elias for the interview. Click the link below to check out his great work:

https://www.youtube.com/c/GeorgeEliasPresents

SOUNDTRACK SPOTLIGHT: 1920 (SPOILER VERSION)

 

For today’s soundtrack spotlight I will be looking at the Indian possession horror 1920, directed by Vikram Bhatt with a score composed by Adnan Sami. 

During the opening pre-credits scene the first five minutes has no music as introductions are made and Mr Mehta, an architect, is to stay at a mansion to work on the designs for a new hotel that will be its replacement.  When Mr. Mehta is working late at night alone in the mansion the first minimalistic music is introduced in the form of high pitched, scratching strings which gradually crescendo as the tension builds, the tension is suddenly broken by a clock chiming much louder than the music.  Mr. Mehta begins looking around the mansion further bringing the swelling high pitched strings back with a lower pitched ostinato repeating, this is when he begins to hear someone screaming from upstairs, as Mr. Mehta investigates the noise he becomes trapped in the staircase at which point percussion is added bringing the tension to a head. 

In the opening scene we hear some sparse strumming of a sitar over some gentle strings while Arjun is praying. The music changes to Beethoven’s Fur Elise that Lisa is playing on the piano this weaving of diegetic and non-diegetic music carries while Arjun is writing a letter to Lisa leading then to a full string melody to end the scene. 

In the next scene Arjun and Lisa are ambushed by Arjun’s family. The strings mount as the family set fire to the car to kill Lisa, Arjun manages to fight off his family, bringing in a pulsing bass line within the strings and the melody ascending in pitch informing the urgency of the scene. 

After this first act, a montage scene begins accompanied by a musical number commonplace in Indian cinema, this technique is used throughout the film to break up the acts. 

The couple arrive at the house and an intense melody plays, foreshadowing the horror that awaits them. 

During the couple’s first night in the mansion Lisa wakes up to hear the same screaming from the intro scene,  and the high strings begin to build as she looks around the house, though this time there are sounds that begin to mirror Lisa’s movements. 

The next day as she brings up the subject to Balwant, the caretaker, there are low pitched bass swells accompanying her questions regarding a presence in the mansion, this technique is used to great effect portraying Lisa’s unease as Balwant is obviously hiding something. 

Again Lisa begins to look around the mansion to the same high strings, finding that a previously locked door is now open, inside she comes across a piano, she begins to play and as she does we get a crescendo of intense strings and horns again mixing the non-diegetic and diegetic sounds. While the music plays, the imagery suggests the presence is moving towards the mansion, as if summoned by the music. Lisa runs outside triggering fast paced strings as she chases the presence to no avail. Upon Arjun’s return the door is again locked as if it had never been open. 

During the next night Lisa has fallen asleep next to a gramophone, upon waking she takes the needle off of the record, but as she leaves the room a sudden and loud outburst of Beethoven’s fifth symphony blasts from the gramophone, as Lisa returns and removes the needle once again the music begins to play. She removes the needle for a third time and in the silence begins to hear her name being whispered through the horn of the gramophone. This time when Lisa runs through the mansion we are not met with the same quiet tense strings from that of previous nights, but rather a loud orchestral movement with weaving horn and string melodies. 

Another montage and musical number introduces the next act, in which the music grows in intensity on the night that Lisa is awoken and attacked by the demonic presence, a chase then begins, re-introducing the fast melody heard earlier when Lisa was chasing the presence, but this time she is running from the presence, until it finally catches her and the music suddenly stops and we are left with Lisa’s scream echoing through the otherwise silent house. 

After Father Thomas visits the now possessed Lisa, they have a brief exchange in which the music takes a secondary role, staying quite low in the background while Lisa shouts at the priest. We are then greeted with a gentle melody as Lisa is admitted to hospital, until again it is returned to the large intense orchestral score while Lisa confronts the doctor. 

Again a montage and musical number is played out to end this act and move onto the next, which deals with the history of the mansion. 

During the flashback sequence the music becomes minimal and sparse until Radha runs to the well to discover Mother Kesar’s body, when a higher and more staccato piece is played in substitute of the earlier lower chase music. 

We are again greeted with a final montage and musical number to bring in the final act. 

In the final act, the exorcism takes place, beginning with minimal music as the tension builds and as Lisa breaks from her binds, the music becomes heavily percussive and then cutting out to single repeated piano notes. 

As Arjun and the priest search around the mansion the music builds from percussive into the loud strings and horns this time accompanied by choral vocals representative of the religious ritual being performed. The choral vocals eventually drop out but the music keeps building until Arjun begins his prayers from his introduction of the film, a constant cacophonous percussive rhythm intertwines with the prayer and becomes louder and louder as Arjun goes from speaking to shouting the words of the prayer. 

The use of crescendo throughout the film works perfectly to build the tension of each act, especially with the slow build of each night leading to Lisa’s possession starting quite minimalistic and adding greater instrumentation and more intricate melodies with each night that passes, this theme progresses through the film with the crescendos building to a cacophonous pulsing rhythm in the final act.  Also the use of mixing the non-diegetic and diegetic music helps to immerse the viewer and creates an empathy for the characters.   

Due to the films North Yorkshire location and 1920 time period mixed with the orchestral score makes it feel like a Hammer Horror version of the exorcist.  I highly recommend giving this film a watch and a listen.  

SOUNDTRACK SPOTLIGHT: 1920 (SPOILER FREE)

For today’s soundtrack spotlight I will be looking at the Indian possession horror 1920, directed by Vikram Bhatt with a score composed by Adnan Sami.  

The film tells the story of an architect given a job at a mansion, at which he and his wife stay while he works on the designs for a new hotel that will be its replacement. And of course the mansion is home to a malevolent sprit. 

The film is broken up into several acts, with first act starting with minimal instrumentation and melody, with each act that follows the instrumentation and intricacy of melodies grows to enhance the tension of the film as a whole. Each act is separated by a montage accompanied by a musical number commonplace in Indian cinema. 

Within each act there are moments of diegetic and non-diegetic music and sounds being utilized together, diegetic being sounds that are heard by the characters within the context of the narrative and non-diegetic sounds being a score heard only by the audience.  For example, there is a scene where the main character Lisa, played by Adah Sharma, is playing the piano, which is considered diegetic, however the non-diegetic background strings of the score begin to accompany the piano, emphasising and representing the tension of unseen forces felt by the character. 

There are foreshadowing techniques used in the score, to alert the audience to something that may not be obvious or known by the characters yet, for example when the couple arrive at the mansion and an intense melody plays, foreshadowing the horror that awaits them, and also shows the mansion as a key protagonist of the film. 

The use of crescendo throughout the film works perfectly to build the tension of each act, especially with the slow build of each night leading to Lisa’s possession starting quite minimalistic and adding greater instrumentation and more intricate melodies with each night that passes, this theme progresses through the film with the crescendos building to a cacophonous pulsing rhythm in the final act.  Also the use of mixing the non-diegetic and diegetic music helps to immerse the viewer and creates an empathy for the characters.    

Due to the films North Yorkshire location and 1920 time period mixed with the orchestral score makes it feel like a Hammer Horror version of the exorcist.  I highly recommend giving this film a watch and a listen.  

INTERVIEW: Derek Nelson talks infront of, and behind the camera

Positively horror was recently lucky enough to spend some time chatting with the brilliant Derek Nelson.  Please enjoy the full interview below.

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

So I’m originally from Chicago and have been acting ‘professionally’ since 2012, but didn’t get much work until moving to the UK in 2015. Two years later in early 2017 I was cast as a small role in my first horror film Cabin 28 directed by Andrew Jones. Andrew gave me my first big professional job in a feature film and I have him to thank for giving me my first job in horror. Since then I have done 15 horror films and have found that the horror fan community has the most kind and loyal fans anyone could ask for. 

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

I have this memory from when I was a kid, about 8 or 9. My father used to watch all the bloody, violent, and horrific films in the basement as per orders from my mother. I remember walking through the basement seeing gory snippets from the opening of Blade, parts of Predator, and also From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money. Flash forward about 5 years and I’m sharing a room with my older brother and I come home from school to see the ending of the Exorcist. I remember being both grossed out at all the green and engrossed at what was happening on screen. Those were some of the earliest memories I have with Horror films. 

You work both in front of and behind the camera, do you have a preference to where you like to be? 

I’ve been very lucky to get the opportunity to work both sides of the camera and I have to say my preference is to work crew and act in the same project. What I love about working on the crew is you get to see the entire film being shot. You’re there from the first set up to the last and I just love that. If you’re acting then you usually get to do cool stuff like punch a Nazi or get strangled by a guy in a clown mask. However, when you are just acting, unless you’re the lead, you’re generally there for a few days max so you don’t get a great sense of how the rest of the film is going. I love being able to dive into a project and devote all of my energy into one overall goal which only happens when I’m on set. I find that the more I work with a crew and make friendships the better my performances become when I step in front of the camera. We build a trust together and for me it makes for a positive environment where everyone creates their best work. 

Your filmography is almost entirely horror is that something you've actively worked towards?

Yes I have! I love the crazy things we get to do while making a horror film. I’ve fought Nazi-Werewolves, hunted a T-Rex, killed by a raptor, killed by a killer clown, killed by a psyco in a panda mask, been a werewolf tearing apart people in an inn, and been an undead scarecrow hell bent on reuniting with my long lost daughter. I mean what other genre allows you to do cool shit like that? My wife thinks I’m crazy when I tell her what film I’m off to do next and I love it. 

You have a few projects recently released, and some coming up, would you like to tell us a bit about them?

So the US just saw the release of Andrew Jones’ A Killer Next Door which we shot last year in Wales. The film is about real life family butcher John List, played perfectly by William Meredith. It follows Harriet Rees as our lead female in a James Stewart type role spying on her next door neighbour whom she thinks to be John List. The project was really special to me as Andrew gave me a lot more responsibility on the crew side of things and I consider it the film that really developed my interest in all the aspects of filmmaking. Unfortunately there is no UK release yet but it should be out soon. 

September 1st sees the US release of The Haunting of Margam Castle which was another film I shot with Andrew last year. The film is about a group of American parapsychologists who are tasked with doing an investigation at Wales’ most iconic haunted castle. That project was really exciting because we got the opportunity to shoot 4 nights in Margam Castle which was incredibly eerie! The film also stars many hammer horror greats such as Caroline Munro, Judy Matheson, Derren Nesbitt, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jane Merrow, Simon Bamford, and Star Wars alum Garrick Hagon. I was really lucky to work with such experienced legends of the genre and we were so grateful to get so many for the film. The UK release is slated for October 19th!

And on September 28th A Werewolf in England comes out in the UK. The film is about A Parish Council and a criminal taking refugee in a countryside inn that becomes besieged by blood thirsty werewolves. This film is directed by the incredibly talented Charlie Steeds. What makes me so excited for people to see this one is that all of the effects are practical. It was bloody carnage and all done in camera. Charlie was kind enough to let me play one of the werewolves as well as help him with his crew duties. The amount of heart, soul, blood, mud, and tears we all put into that film has made it something really special to me. The cast is incredible, Charlie is a mad genius and what he’s been able to do with the film will give people the werewolf film they’ve been waiting for!

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

Some of my favourite people working in the genre at the moment are Mike Flanagan, David F. Sandberg, Patrick Wilson, and Fede Alvarez to name a few. The first thing I saw from Mike Flanagan was Oculus and thought it was such a unique take on the genre, and he smashed it out of the park with Hill House. David F. Sandberg just comes off as the coolest, most humble famous person making horror movies out there. I also love his youtube channel and how candid he is when talking about his process in filmmaking. I find him really inspiring. Patrick Wilson is just one of the most grounded actors I’ve seen in horror films recently and he’s gone to work with some incredible directors. And finally Fede Alvarez blew me outta the water with his Evil Dead remake and I really enjoyed 90% of Don’t Breathe. 

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

This month I am working on a killer rat film called Rats: Reborn with Scott Jeffrey and Jagged Edge Productions. In that film I will be playing the Rat as well as working on the crew. After that I will be helping Charlie with his next film. I have also been attached to Huw Lloyd’s feature film debut School Hall Slaughter which is an 80s inspired slasher film which we are currently funding and plan to shoot next year!

Thank you again to Derek Nelson for the wonderfully insightful interview. To find some of the projects mentioned in the interview just follow this links below:

Pandamonium:

https://mycho.weebly.com/pandamonium.html#

Werewolf in England:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Werewolf-England-DVD-Reece-Connolly/dp/B08976YWJG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+werewolf+in+england&qid=1596803044&sr=8-1

Haunting of Margam Castle:

https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Margam-Castle-Derren-Nesbitt/dp/B08BG7QPBW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Haunting+of+margam+castle&qid=1596803155&sr=8-1

Killer next door:

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Next-Door-William-Meredith/dp/B087646CNK/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=a+killer+next+door&qid=1596803114&sr=8-4

And to support the upcoming School Hall Slaughter, click this link:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/school-hall-slaughter?fbclid=IwAR2Q-JPnxinaKkTsfvDYVy_ZtT51_OR8YLsP6JvTMiVMe792Onngf9iCh-s#/

INTERVIEW: Maniac star Megan Duffy on working in the genre

Positively Horror is pleased to bring you this great interview with the brilliant actress, producer and director Megan Duffy. Please enjoy the full interview below.

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

I’m probably most known to the horror community for my role opposite Elijah Wood in the Maniac remake. I also appear in All the Creatures Were Stirring, Holidays, Fun Size Horror, Dread Central’s Monsterland to name a few.

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

Probably PBS is fairy tale theater! Shelly Duvall! Omg! I remember being haunted by so many of them, especially “the Little mermaid.” The original tale is much different than the version Disney gave us.

Your role in the Maniac remake is a fan favourite, what drew you to the project and what was the experience like for you?

I normally turn down auditions for roles in horror movies with nudity, but when the audition for maniac came in and I saw that Alexandre Aja was producing, I had been such a big fan of Piranha 3-D that I decided to go in to read for it. At that time Elijah wasn’t attached yet.  The POV style made it extra tricky to shoot, but I’m always up for a challenge. It was hard work for everyone involved and still one of my favorite projects that I’ve been a part of.

What other horror film do you think would make a great remake/reboot?

I sometimes wonder what a new EXORCIST would be like. (For the record, AutoCorrect capitalized the title, not me! )

You have been involved in different genres but you can often be found in horror. What keeps you coming back to the genre? 

wild horror isn’t my main career focus, I really enjoy much of the horror community. Some of my best friends are horror creators and I have received terrific support from the fans.

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

Everything Jordan Peele touches turns to gold. I spent some time in Nashville in the fall working with Tony Todd on a new film, and he was such a delight who exceeded my (already high expectations). I think the new Candyman is going to blow us away. I also can’t wait to see what Chelsea Stardust does next. She directed a project called Seeing Green that I star in and I got to see first hand that she’s an incredible talent who’s only just beginning to show everyone what she’s capable of.

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

The film I worked on with Tony is called “The Reenactment. It’s the first feature by filmmaker/director Andrew Ford. It’s set in the 1990s and is about a crime reenactment show film crew who get more than they bargained for while investigating a location. I play Jane, the crew’s producer/director. Tony also stars, as well as the wrestler James Storm. We had an absolute blast filming in Nashville.  I could really go for some hot chicken and whiskey right now! I’ve also gotten into directing recently. I just had a short film I made premiere as part of the Chattanooga film festival, and I am currently rehearsing a (zoom) play I’m directing that will premiere online August 7 starring Tony award winner Daisy Eagan, Star Trek’s Rico Anderson, and Whitton Frank of The Under VR world.

Thank you again to Megan Duffy for the interview. Below are some links to check out:

Embrace your inner monster 

Directed, shot and edited by Megan Duffy:

https://vimeo.com/345767132

Music video directed and edited by Megan Duffy:

https://dailydead.com/megan-duffy-directed-music-video-for-sean-kellers-the-monsters-trick-or-treat/

Short film Seeing Green directed by Chelsea Stardust, starring Megan Duffy:

https://youtu.be/MzFcxBykQmk

You can find Megan online at:

https://instagram.com/imateacuphuman?igshid=f1a3xo2qag6m