POSITIVELY HORROR INTERVIEWS CORY CHOY

Positively Horror recently got the opportunity to ask the brilliant Cory Choy some questions about his new film, and all things horror. Please enjoy the full interview below:

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

Since I was a kid I've been fascinated by the unknown and the supernatural. A few stories really stuck with me-- The Emperor and the Nightingale and The Girl With The Green Ribbon when I was a smaller child. A Wrinkle in Time and The Martian Chronicles when I was a little older. Doctor Who, The X-files, Army of Darkness, Poltergeist, The Ring, Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity. I've also had a few personal encounters with things I can't explain-- but that would be a whole long story in of itself. The first short film I made in college, Rude Awakening was the story of a boy afraid of the dark and his cat. As a sound mixer, I've worked on more than a few horror films-- from Troma's notorious musical Poultrygeist to Matthew Lawrence's punk rock Uncle Peckerhead to the more cerebral The Sound Of Your Voice and fast-paced Body. 

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

Oops I think I just answered that!  

Could you tell us a bit about your new suspense thriller horror Esme My Love?

The description is "When Hannah notices the symptoms of a terminal and painful illness in her aloof daughter, Esme, she decides to take her on a trip to their abandoned family farm in a desperate attempt to connect before they have to say goodbye." -- but play that against the trailer and there is purposeful tension between the two. 

Where did you draw your inspiration for the film?

A woman told me about the experience she had seeing an angel when she was a new mother. To me, what she described was absolutely terrifying. However, to her, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever experienced: it was an encounter with God. Her story stuck with me. I would think about it often over the years. That's one part of the core of the story. The other core inspiration was discovered while I was shooting a music video up on a defunct farm in Hague, New York (where Esme, My Love was filmed). The place was absolutely beautiful, magical. One of the sisters that owned the property also happened to be the town historian. We talked a lot about her family history, the town's history, and the legends in the area. Esme, My Love combines those two things-- a woman's experience seeing an angel, and a family's history and lore-- and is augmented by moments that come out of my own childhood experiences. 

Three films I drew upon for inspiration were The Babadook, Tree of Life, and Old Joy. I guess Wings of Desire as well.

Esme My Love is a slow burn, with only two people in the film, what approach did you take to keep the film so compelling with limited cast and setting?

We set out to make something both Beautiful and truly Terrible at the same time. We focus on the intense love that Hannah has for Esme, but we also know that she's hiding something. It's a slow burn, but we start out with a lot of tension and emotion and try not to let up all the way till the end of the film.

The sound design and score are absolutely mesmerising, did you know what you wanted going in, or did it develop around the film? 

The ending song was chosen when we wrote the script. In editing we realized we wanted to actually make it part of the story, the diegetic world. We then based the score completely melodically on that ending song and made sure that every piece related to it in some way so that when the audience arrived there it would feel like that was the inevitable conclusion. I always knew I wanted two different composers, but what I didn't realize is that we would eventually find ourselves in a place where the composers would actually be collaborating so heavily. It was pretty cool.

On set I made sure to record things as bare bones as possible, relying on a single boom as much as possible. For sound design there were certain things we knew we wanted from the get go, but there was a lot of exploration and change as we dove in for real. Using breath and sounds of the body. Making the environment more of a living, breathing, presence.

What is your favourite horror trope?

The jump scare-- but after you've been building and building and building 

What is something you'd like to see more of in the future in the genre? 

I love magical realism. So movies like Pan's Labyrinth. Completely separately I'd love to see conspiracy theories like QAnon more thoroughly and deftly explored by horror.

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

Jennifer Kent, Bong Joon-ho 

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

Absolutely! I'm gearing up to make a horror series called Dimo Duck. Right now I plan for it to be a multiverse. You can hear a podcast teaser-trailer here: https://vimeo.com/640153757

Thank you to Cory for the great interview.

Check out the links below to follow Cory's work:

www.esmemylove.com

www.silversound.us

POSITIVELY HORROR INTERVIEWS JOSH WALLACE

Positively Horror recently got the chance to ask Josh Wallace a few questions about his upcoming film, and working in the genre. Please enjoy the full interview below:

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

When I was younger I loved being scared. Me and my friends would re-enact the MTV show Fear where people would stay in allegedly haunted places and have to do challenges like sit in a pitch black abandoned morgue for an hour. We basically did that but instead of a morgue it was my family’s clearly not haunted garage. I’ve been chasing that same adrenaline rush since and it turned me into a horror buff growing up.

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

This wasn’t necessarily my introduction to horror but it is one of my favorite memories which is that when I was a child my dad convinced me and my brothers the Blair Witch Project was a real documentary before we watched it and it truly was the most terrifying movie watching experience of my life. 

Could you tell us a bit about your new comedy horror keeping company? 

Keeping Company satirizes the horrors of capitalism, politics, and classism that are so prevalent in today’s America through the classic pairing of insurance sales and serial killers. 

Where did you draw your inspiration for the film?

The Coen Brothers were a huge inspiration for the film in terms of the tone and Hitchcock was a major influence in terms of the look and feel.

It is said that the comedy and horror genres are very similar in execution, what was it like to crossing over from comedy to comedy horror?  

It’s actually scary how seamless it is to transition between comedy and horror. I think no matter what genre we attempt, Devin and I are similar in the fact that we cope with things through humor so that comedic view point will always be brought to the table. It’s the way we examine and comment on the world around us. The nice thing about horror is that, like comedy, it can also effectively examine and comment in a similar (albeit generally more vicious) way. 

What is your favourite horror trope?

People going into any scary dark place in an already scary situation. 

What is something you'd like to see more of in the future in the genre? 

It would be great to see more culturally diverse stories in horror. We are starting to see it but it feels like we’re just scratching the surface. 

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

David Bruckner, Mike Flanagan, Nia DaCosta, really enjoyed Hanna Bergholm’s Hatching

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

I’m currently working on a tv project with Disney+ and 20th Television that’s in the early stages of development but Devin and I are also working on another satirical genre-bending film we hope to get off the ground within the next year!

Thank you to Josh for the great interview. 

To check out more from 1091 follow the links below:

https://www.instagram.com/1091pictures/

https://www.facebook.com/1091pictures/

https://twitter.com/1091pictures

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkML5g9N_azgHB7KQJ5fWLw

 

POSITIVELY HORROR INTERVIEWS AMY MCCAW

Positively Horror recently had the opportunity to ask the great UKYA author Amy McCaw a few questions. Please enjoy the full interview below. 

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

I’m the author of Mina and the Undead, a YA murder mystery set in 1990s New Orleans, and I’ve been a horror fan for as long as I can remember.

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

My first brush with horror came at a very young age. My dad owned a video shop, and I was always drawn to the forbidden horror section with the murderous dolls and strange creatures on the cover. The fact that I wasn’t allowed to watch those films only made them more appealing! I started watching horror films at age 11 or 12 at sleepovers, but I read horror from around age 9 or 10. Point Horrors were the first scary books I read and I still love them now.

Your new book Mina and the Slayers is the follow up to your debut hit Mina and the Undead, could you tell us a little about it?

Three months after the events of Mina and the Undead, Mina's settling into her new life. Despite the teething problems in her relationship with Jared, she has her sister back, new friends and a part-time job to die for. Over Halloween, Mina and the gang have planned a spooky week of Gothic restaurants, horror movies, ghostly tours, creepy carnivals and a costume ball.

But the fun doesn't last. Mina is on work experience with Detective Cafferty while the police are investigating a savage masked killer and a rise in suspicious 'animal attacks'. During her own investigations, Mina discovers a mysterious group of slayers, who are battling to control the rogue vampires.

The threats circle closer as Mina spends her days with the police and nights with the slayers. Will she and her friends survive Halloween without being staked, stabbed or bitten?

How did you find the process of writing a sequel to such a popular debut?

Everyone told me that writing a second book would be more difficult, and that was definitely true! I had as long as I wanted to polish the first book before submitting it to agents. By the second book, I was writing to a tight deadline with the knowledge in the back of my mind that people had enjoyed the first book and I wanted this one to compare. 

Writing a sequel had its benefits, because I already knew the characters, voice and the world. The challenge was making sure the book had continuity from Mina and the Undead in everything from how characters speak to location details. I also wanted it to be just as bloody and elaborate as the first book, if not more so. 

Mina and the Slayers already seems to be creating a buzz online, is the bookstagram community a big help to getting the word out there?

Thank you! I hope so. The online book community have been an amazing support for both books. Publishers will only buy more books when an author is doing well, and I have the online community to thank for spreading the word and shouting about Mina and the Undead online. I really appreciate the people who have continued to support my second book.

Where did you draw your inspiration for the series?

So many places! I think I’ve been gathering inspiration for these books since I started reading, writing and watching horror. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favourite TV show, and I definitely aspire to write books with characters you can root for and plots that will keep you guessing like Buffy. My main inspiration came from visiting New Orleans in 2012. The atmosphere and creepy locations of the city, as well as its gruesome local myths, gave me the idea to write this book.

What is your favourite horror trope?

I have so many! My favourite two are probably the masked killer and the final girl, especially if they’re used together. Scream is still one of my favourite horror movies, and I think it’s a perfect homage to the slasher genre as well as a fun, twisty story. 

What is something you'd like to see more of in the future in the genre?

I think horror in YA fiction is having quite a moment and I’d love for that to continue! I think UKYA authors in particular are creating some amazing books that deserve to get worldwide recognition.

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

As I’m part of the book community, I’ll focus on authors for this one. I think that Dawn Kurtagich, Kendare Blake, Goldy Moldavsky, Cynthia Murphy, Kat Ellis and Kathryn Foxfield are exciting YA authors to look out for. Adam Cesare also writes brilliant books for young adults and adults, and Grady Hendrix is amazing if you’re looking to read adult horror. I’ve recently discovered Manga by Junji Ito, and the stories and art are some of the most brilliant and disturbing work I’ve come across in any medium.

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

I’d love to write Mina book 3. I’m also working on some other projects that I can’t talk about yet, but I’m very excited about them! 

Thank you again to Amy for the wonderful interview. To find out more about Amy and buy her books checknout the links below:

https://www.amymccaw.co.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/amymccaw

POSITIVELY HORROR INTERVIEWS LEE ANN KURR

Positively Horror recently got the chance to put a few questions to Lee Ann Kurr, the brilliant director of the new film 'Student Body' which is making a big splash amongst genre fans right now! Please enjoy the full interview below:

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

I come from a classical acting background, which moved towards more of a playwriting focus, and then towards screenwriting and directing. I grew up really in love with Hitchcock films, as well as coming-of-age teen movies like John Hughes’ films, so I wanted to make something that was influenced by both.

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

I have a very vivid memory of watching The Ring at a friend’s birthday sleepover when I was in middle school. I was absolutely petrified and didn’t sleep for a week. And it’s funny– my cinematographer Luka Bazeli, his father shot The Ring. So it all comes full circle!

You have a new film out 'Student Body', could you tell us a little bit about it?

Student Body is a coming-of-age story with a slasher/ genre twist, and deals with teenager Jane Shipley as she tries to navigate difficult friendships and the invasive mentor-like figure of her math teacher. When she and her rebellious peers break into school on a Friday night to horse around, it soon becomes apparent that someone is watching and following them– and they may not be able to escape.

Where did you draw your inspiration for the film?

Many places! Hitchcock, John Hughes, films like Alien and Psycho which have more of character-driven, slow-burn front half followed by a more genre-filled/ horror-driven second half, Lynne Ramsay’s film You Were Never Really Here which deals so wonderfully with the implication rather than explication of violence, and of course other teen greats like Heathers and Clueless.

You have a wonderful and diverse cast for 'Student Body', is it important to you to have diverse representation on screen?

Absolutely, I really wanted the five main teens to feel like a Breakfast Club for this generation, and that meant having actual representation onscreen. Hughes was a wonderful filmmaker, but he was limited in some ways and a product of his time, and I think YA/ teen content is right to move beyond his limitations.

What is your favourite horror trope?

Again, I really love horror movies like Alien and Psycho that take their time. I like that we spend the front half of Alien getting to know all the people on the Nostromo and all the weird politics within the ship, before things start to get really crazy with the xenomorph. With Psycho, the shower scene doesn’t occur until midway through the film. The entire front half is about Marian Crane, a fascinating and complex woman who’s making imperfect choices while trying to get out of a conundrum. Then she has an incredible sit-down scene with Norman Bates as we get to know him a little– all before the famous

shower scene. With Student Body I wanted to give the film time to let the circumstances and relationships marinate before the genre elements really kick in and act like the burner under the pot for things to boil over.

What is something you'd like to see more of in the future in the genre?

I think it’s abundantly clear that the horror genre is extremely male-dominated, still overwhelmingly coming from a white, straight, male, cis-gendered place, even more so than other genres. I’m looking forward to other voices coming to the forefront and expanding what the genre is able to express through different points of view and life experiences.

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

Shoutout to Ana Lily Amirpour, Issa López, Rose Glass, Nia DaCosta, Anna Rose Holmer, Jennifer Kent, Julia Ducournau, Coralie Fargeat, Lynne Ramsay, and all the other amazing womxn making beautiful horror/ genre films right now.

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

I’m aiming for my next film to be a ghost story about moving on from the trauma of the past, so hopefully that’ll become a reality soon!

Thank you again to Lee Ann Kurr for the great, insightful interview. You can catch 'Student Body' streaming now.

addressing the Jamie Clayton Hellraiser announcement backlash.

It was announced yesterday that actor Jamie Clayton, known for her roles in the L Word and Sense8, is to play Pinhead in the new Hellraiser film. The backlash to this announcement was immediate, with people flooding online horror groups with their distate at the news. It seemed that wherever I turned online I was met with negative comments regarding this casting choice. 

This right here is the reason I started Positively Horror. The way the negativity to this announcement spread, started to dwarf the voices of those welcoming, and excited by the announcement. My aim with Positively Horror is to make sure there is positivity in the community that I love, when the negativity is so loud, and seemingly impossible to avoid. 

The backlash to this announcement is some of the loudest and fastest spreading I've seen for quite some time so I felt compelled to jump on here to address it. 

I'll address the main complaints that I've come across so far;

Firstly,  people aren't happy that it is a woman in the role. I've even seen one complainant saying that it shouldn't be a woman because they arent threatening enough, if that isn't a perfect example of the deeply ingrained patriarchal, privileged worldview I don't know what is. Now, without even crediting Jamie Clayton for her acting abilities she has been shunned because she is a woman. I'd like to take a few quotes from the original source material 'The Hellbound Heart' novella which talks about the gender of the cenobites:

“He was having difficulty guessing the speakers gender with any certainty. It’s clothes, some of which were sewn both to and through its skin, hid its private parts and there was nothing in the dregs of its voice or in its willfully disfigured features that offered the least clue.”

“Only these sexless things with their corrugated flesh.”

“Not it he now saw, but she. The hood that it had worn had been discarded, as had the robes. The woman beneath was grey yet gleaming."

When the cenobites are described here, early on in 'The Hellbound Heart' they are shown to be genderless in their androgynous appearance and disfiguring body modifications, which would suggest that anyone of any gender should be able to play the part, not just a male actor because that's what you're comfortable with. 

The third quote describes one of the cenobites as revealing herself as female, which I'm sure would put the "women can't be threatening" argument to bed. So this first complaint falls flat immediately when referencing the source materail.

The second complaint is that if its not Doug Bradley its not Pinhead. Doug Bradley is phenomenal, I adore him and his portrayal as Pinhead, but guess what, if Jamie Clayton takes over the role, Doug Bradley's films don't cease to be. You can still revisit them as much as you like, and continue to appreciate him in the iconic role. Something I've begun to wonder over recent years, is why don't we as a community want to accept someone new filling a well loved role if it means we get to see more of a favourite character on screen? In the theatre world it is completely normal to have roles played by different people, and as a theatre patron you get to experience someone filling that role and giving their own interpretation. You may have favourite portrayals of Elphaba, but wouldn't be up in arms everytime you saw it on the west end with a different cast. It seems like a strong sense of entitlement to something that doesn't actually belong to you. 

The third complaint is one that thankfully I haven't seen too much of yet, but it is there, like a festering boil. The transphobic response to the role being given to a trans woman. Once again, putting aside Clayton's acting prowess just to complain that the studio is pandering to 'woke Culture'. As I've shown earlier in the post, any gender should be able to play the role, and anyone with a shred of awareness knows that REPRESENTATION.MATTERS! 

I'd like to wind down this rant by taking a quote from the man himself, Mr. Clive Barker regarding this new production,

“This is a Hellraiser on a scale that I simply didn’t expect. David and his team are steeped in the story’s mythology, but what excites me is their desire to honour the original even as they revolutionize it for a new generation.” As well as being a producer on this film, Clive Barker is the man that created Hellraiser, so if he is excited for it, surely we can be too. 

I am personally very excited for this and would like to congratulate Jamie Clayton on landing the iconic role!

Catch up with Briana Morgan

Positively Horror recently got the chance to catch up with the brilliant horror author and playwright Briana Morgan as she prepares for the release of her latest novel Mouthful of Ashes. Please enjoy the full interview below:

Last time we spoke you were just preparing to release your horror play Unboxed. Firstly, how have you been?

Yes, it’s been a while! I’ve been doing well. For about six months, I couldn’t write anything. I think I stalled out because of the pandemic and burnout in general. Since getting back into writing, I’ve revamped my Patreon, finished writing my adult horror novella Mouth Full of Ashes, and started drafting a new found footage book. I’ve also been writing a lot of short stories.

You released a short story collection since we last spoke called The Tricker Treater and other stories. Could you tell us a bit about that?

It’s a collection of stories featuring the themes of love, loss, betrayal, and sacrifice, among others. I’ve always been intrigued by horrors real and imagined, so the collection contains monsters, ghosts, and humans doing inhuman things.

If you could choose only one story from the collection to be turned into a film, which would it be?

It would be hard to pull off, but I would love to see “The Tricker-Treater” adapted into a film. I designed the monster in that one, the Tricker-Treater, and I’d love to see him on the screen.

You run a Patreon for fans to keep you with your works in progress and have fun film nights amongst other things. What is your experience with getting to interact with fans in this way?

It’s so humbling to have people supporting me and wanting to spend time with me outside of reading my work. I feel I’ve really built a community of like-minded friends and fans, and I’ve seen some genuine friendships blossom among my supporters as well. Creating a Patreon is one of the best things I’ve done as an author.

What else can people expect when joining your Patreon?

When you subscribe to my Patreon, you’ll get access to an exclusive Discord server, movie nights, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and more. I’m planning to start streaming video games soon, and once I hit $100/month, I’ll be posting monthly vlogs. 

What is your favourite horror trope?

It’s so hard to choose! I’ve always been a sucker for the final girl, though.

What would you like to see more of in the genre in the future?

More diversity. More disabled protagonists. Less sexual assault and exploitation of women.

You are currently gearing up for the release of Mouthful of Ashes, which is available for pre-order now. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Mouth Full of Ashes is my love letter to The Lost Boys. It’s one of the first vampire movies I ever saw, and it sticks with me as one of my favorite horror films. If you’ve seen The Lost Boys and want something queerer and more modern, this novella is for you.

Here’s an overview:

Mourning the sudden loss of her sister, Callie Danoff wants nothing more than to embrace a fresh start in a new town, leaving the haunting memories of her sister’s death behind. But when her brother Ramsay drags her to a spooky boardwalk, the two become entangled with a local vampire gang and its enigmatic leader, Elijah. Callie refuses to accept their existence... until she and her brother unknowingly ingest vampire blood. Now, they only have three days before they turn into vampires themselves.

With her carefree summer thwarted, Callie must trust a group she barely knows in order to save her family.

And is there anything else that you're currently working on that you can talk a little about? 

I have a story in the upcoming Kandisha Press anthology Slash-Her, and I’m super excited about that. I’ll also be appearing on some podcasts this fall, sharing readings on YouTube, and reviewing books for The Wicked Library. Beyond that, I’m working on a found footage book that I’m looking forward to querying.

Thank you Briana for the great interview. Please check out the pre-order link below to grab your copy of Mouthful of Ashes:

https://amzn.to/3Are9MB

And check out Briana's social media accounts below:

https://twitter.com/brimorganbooks

https://instagram.com/brianamorganbooks

https://tiktok.com/@brianamorganbooks

Hellraiser on the big screen!

The other night I went with my twin brother to see one of our long standing favourite horror films on the big screen, fully uncut! 

Hellraiser is a beautifully macabre adaptation of the Clive Barker novella The Hellbound Heart, and even all these years after its release it still packs a punch.

I first saw hellraiser when I was around thirteen and was getting into horror more and more. The hellraiser films were being shown on television late at night, and being the only person in the house that could fully work the vcr, I set it to record them without parental consent (what a rebel!). Flash forward to the next day when my brother and I sat down to watch it. We didn't know how to take it, we'd never seen anything like it and admittedly said that we didn't like it upon first viewing. Of course, this is because it was so far removed from anything in the genre that we'd seen up to this point. We were used to slashers and comedy horror in the early stages of our horror journey, and the sheer audacity of Hellraiser had left us stunned. 

We could have left it there, but it played on our minds and we had to soon revisit it and delve further into the labyrinth with Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. This is when we fell in love! 

Hellraiser was such a unique experience, with it's originality and melodramatic flair that it is a joy to experience every time I revisit it, finding new things to marvel at each time. Uncle Frank may be the monstrous antagonist of the film, but Julia is a truly magnificent villain and she will go down in history as a wicked step mother not to be trifled with. 

Getting the opportunity to see Hellraiser on the big screen made me fall in love with it all over again, and it was an entirely immersive experience letting the Christopher Young score wash over me from the title screen until the end of the credits roll.