Elecia Page

What is your favourite genre of horror? 
It is so hard to pick! Probably science fiction horror. Both genres are great vehicles to discuss social issues and anxieties and explore our current fears, and mixed together can work really well. SF horror also makes interesting commentaries on power – the idea of ‘we could do it but SHOULD we do it?’ has been around for years, shown in stories like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and typically has disastrous consequences … And humans still haven’t learned! 

What movies would you recommend in that genre? 
Definitely the classics – Alien (1979), The Thing (1982), The Fly (1986). I guess I also love body horror too! My favourite sci-fi horror of more recent years is probably The Invisible Man (2020).   

What are your favourite horror movies? 
The Descent (2005), Alien (1979), The Witch (2015) and Halloween (2018) are in my top five favourites. My all-time favourite movie though – and I’m going to make a case for it being horror here – is Jurassic Park (1993). Children’s horror often gets overlooked. Jurassic Park has a lot of scenes at night or in the dark, and it’s full of monstrous shadows and sharp-toothed creatures feasting on flesh. The scene in Jurassic Park where Ellie braves the velociraptor infested power shed to turn the power back on and feels Ray Arnold’s arm reassuringly on her shoulder … only to discover his arm has been chomped off from his body and is just hanging lifelessly onto her is truly horrific! I couldn’t get enough of it as a kid. 

What was the last horror movie that actually scared you?
I found It Follows (2014) incredibly unsettling. It’s not often that I’m scared by a film, but It Follows really gave me the creeps. I find home invasion movies pretty horrific because I find someone entering a safe space to do harm really upsetting, so that’s probably why It Follows stuck with me. I actually think the film is excellent, especially the score. Shape-shifting sex demons stuck on an endless stalk loop until they kill is just super disturbing.  

What is your favourite moment from a horror movie?
It’s the ‘good for her’ moment for me! You know, when a woman who has been treated badly or had a horrible experience makes a decision for herself that usually has deadly consequences for those around her. Thomasin at the end of The Witch (2015) freeing herself from the oppressive patriarchal expectations of the 1600s or Dani in Midsommar (2019) finally saying goodbye to her shitty boyfriend are perfect examples of this for me. 

Why is horror special for you? 
My parents introduced me to horror movies, and most of my early memories of watching horror films are with them. My Dad sometimes took me to see horror films in the cinema before I was old enough for the age rating. They fully encouraged my love of horror and I am very grateful to them for it. 

What character in a horror do you relate to most and why? 
I relate most to alternative or quirky outsiders in horror movies. This is probably down to watching movies like The Craft or Beetlejuice as a teenager. If they wore black, listened to rock music and didn’t fit in with hetero cis society, they’d be my favourite characters. In my essay in the anthology, there is a lengthier discussion about identifying with outsiders as a queer person. 

How do your friends and family feel about your horror obsession?
Fully supportive! My partner and I run Out For Blood, a queer horror film festival, so horror is a huge part of our lives. We often watch horror movies with our friends and family. 

 When did you fall head over heels in love with the horror genre?
I always enjoyed horror as a teenager, but I think my love grew even more after meeting my partner and starting the film festival.

Do you have any Halloween traditions?
Our Halloween tradition is pumpkin picking followed be a scary movie. Last year, we went with a dear friend and then came home for a feast and watched Hocus Pocus (1993). It was very wholesome and I’m excited to do it again this year. I also always choose a handful of horror books to read over October. Last year I read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (sinister travelling fair), The Lottery short story collection by Shirley Jackson (humans being awful to each other) and Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (killer mermaids).  

If you could go back in time and experience the midnight premiere of any horror movie, what would you choose?
It has to be Alien – it must have been such a terrifying experience not knowing what to expect! I bet it was excellent. 

What's the spookiest place you've ever visited?
I like visiting places that have a gruesome history or spooky local lore. I’m not sure what the spookiest place would be, but York, U.K., has some scary folk tales! I’ve been on a few of the ghost tours in York. Walking the cobbled streets in the dark and hearing about the ghosts of marching Roman soldiers, plague victims and workhouse children is definitely eerie.