Dulce Maria

What is your favourite genre of horror? 

I am open to watching almost any horror movie, but my favorite genres are the 80s slasher films, body gore/horror movies, and French Extremism. 

What movies would you recommend in that genre? 
As far as the slasher genre is concerned, I am going to go with the obvious ones like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Hellraiser. Specifically, the first ones because even though the entire collection of these are excellent, in my humble opinion, I would say the first ones have stood the test of time and perhaps even tastes.  

I love Hostel and consider it to have been a turning point in my love of horror. Two American guys lost in Europe? What could possibly go wrong? 

French Extremism is a trickier one to suggest for because I do think they require a certain approach. But, I always recommend Martyrs because it has so many twists and turns, you have to continuously check yourself and interpretations of what is happening. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who can’t watch a movie without their phone, basically. 

What are your favorite horror movies? 
This is so difficult to answer! I will focus on the ones that I can watch repeatedly and the ones that really changed my view of what horror could do: Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Hostel, Evil Dead (the new one), Martyrs, and Inside. 

What was the last horror movie that actually scared you?
Hereditary freaked me out so much! I love Ari Aster’s movies and find them to have pushed the definition of horror. This is a very “in my opinion” perspective but Hereditary, especially, left me confused and quite troubled.

What is your favourite moment from a horror movie?
Oh gosh. I want to say there are several scenes from Martyrs that ultimately messed me up. It has been a while since I have watched it but aside from the ending, which everyone who has watched it knows about, the bathroom scene in that movie was the ultimate horror for me. There is so much visceral pain that not only gets under your skin but also tests psychological boundaries. Also, I need to emphasize that I am talking about the original French version since I never watched the remake. 

Then there is the bedroom scene in Nightmare on Elm Street. I love how the moonlight really sets the mood for the lines between dream and awake to break. Then when Nancy sees Tina in the school hallway – talk about classic terror. 

Why is horror special for you? 
Growing up, I always heard “uno no debe temer a los fantasmas; uno debe temer al vivo porque ellos si pueden hacer daño” – or something like that.
 Basically, this says that one shouldn’t fear ghosts but that one should fear the living because they are alive and can cause actual harm. I know horror stories often tell you that ghosts can also cause harm, but I am 37 years old, almost, and I have yet to see a ghost harm (though I do believe they haunt). 

Horror is an escape for me from the harsh truths of the world and knowing it isn’t real also makes it easier to sometimes laugh at. Granted, there are some horror movies that leave no room for laughing but even after the experience a really serious horror movie may put you through, you can still move on with your day, or night, after you finish it. You can always close your eyes and turn on all the lights. When I watch horror, especially after a very long day or week, I feel more relaxed and ready to take on what may come because at least it won’t be a giant spider or human skin masked killer.  

What character in a horror do you relate to most and why? 
Although my essay focuses on what I feel has been my experience with horror turning me into a “monster” to face the monsters, I think this blur reminds me how it is possible to relate to both. I think of Frankenstein, for instance, and think of the many people who died because they were accused to be witches. We are lucky we live in a time where people strive to tolerate, minimally, so now being a “weirdo” is celebrated. Granted, there are some limitations to how much weirdness society will tolerate, but for the most part, we’ve grown. So, I want to say I relate to the monster and the heroine both at once; if you’ve seen the movie Revenge (2017) that was on Shudder, then there is a perfect example of what I mean. I am sure there are many others but that one is the one I think of that is most in proximity in my head. 

How do your friends and family feel about your horror obsession?
Well, both my friends and family know that I love horror movies and will occasionally indulge me in a movie viewing but I guess because some of my tastes can be extreme, they tend to have to mentally prepare at times for whatever wildness I may put on. Overall, though, they are very supportive!

When did you fall head over heels in love with the horror genre?
Definitely as a kid. I am going to say around 9 years old or so. Besides watching movies, I used to read the Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark books with my friends all the time. I haven’t seen the film they made of it and I think it is because I want to keep some of that nostalgia I have with the images that were in the book because they used to scare me. 

Do you have any Halloween traditions? Before I had my son, I really didn’t have any traditions besides maybe hanging out with friends and watching slashers because they were classic. After my son though, I do try and dress us up and I like to try and “make” a horror costume for him if possible. For instance, I created the baby’s outfit for him from Addams Family Values his first Halloween (it was easy enough). 

For his second, I dressed him up as Chucky; I got a pair of his overalls and purchased a striped shirt from a thrift store and did my best to make it look like Chucky’s outfit. I wrong “Good Guys” on his overalls with glue and let it dry then I painted it red with nail polish. I also sewed some pattern like his shirt to the pant cuffs on the overalls and eventually painted his hair orange. I think having my son motivates me more to try and create traditions for him and Halloween seems to be both our favorite, so it works out. 

We often go to Spirit Halloween during the season so he can play with the animatronics, and I can see what else I can purchase. Now that I am an adult, so they say, I have a real job that allows me to purchase décor, so I have actually been building a collection. I often say the only reason to purchase a house is to decorate it for Halloween; also, I make my Christmas as spooky, black, and purple, as possible because for me, winter feels even scarier than fall. 

If you could go back in time and experience the midnight premiere of any horror movie, what would you choose?
The Exorcist. I remember reading somewhere that people fainted during that premier and I know that for me, the first time I watched it, I was so terrified so being able to have gone to the theater the first time it was released must’ve been such an awesome experience. Culturally, it seems, The Exorcist reached more than the horror audience because it involved religion, family, and the occult and to have it premiered in a theater where anyone could watch must have been such an event! I am pretty sure if I wouldn’t have had anyone to go with me, I would’ve gone alone. 

What's the spookiest place you've ever visited?
I visited Prague once and went to a torture museum. I know it is not what we might traditionally think of when we consider spooky places but the display of torture devices alongside the descriptions and then the stories about how these were used on people filled me with not only dread but sadness. I left that museum emotionally and mentally drained and I am usually able to observe without getting so involved but that time was different, and I carried the heaviness with me well into the day and night.