Marina Garrido
INTRODUCE MARINA’S ESSAY
“Books like Goosebumps gave me the opportunity to read about kids that were just like me, they saw themselves in terrifying situations where they had to fight the monsters to keep themselves and their families safe. I found strength through those characters and those stories, they reassured me that I too could fight my monsters and win, but also that being scared of the monsters didn’t mean that I was weak. ”
What is your favourite genre of horror?
I’d say Found Footage, but haunted house is another one that is very dear to my heart.
What movies would you recommend in that genre?
Grave Encounters (2011), Unfriended (2014) and, although it is not 100% found footage Demonic (2015).
What are your favourite horror movies?
Grave Encounters (2011), Hell Fest (2018), It (2017), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Haunt (2019), Annabelle: Creation (2017), Sinister II (2015), The Conjuring (2013) and Voces (2020).
What was the last horror movie that actually scared you?
It’s very hard for me to actually get scared during a horror movie, usually, my body just pumps a bunch of adrenaline and I get energized, but Voces terrified me to no end and I can’t recommend it enough.
What is your favourite moment from a horror movie?
That would be Richie yelling at Bill in the sewers: “You punched me, made me walk through shitty water, dragged me through a crackhouse... and now I'm gonna have to kill this fucking clown.” But I love every moment/scene where the protagonist is beating the killer and/or banishing the spirits/demons. Those are so cathartic to me, and they make me feel powerful and in control of my own battles.
Why is horror special for you?
Horror was what gave power and comfort back to me every single time I’d been robbed of them forever. As a child, seeing/reading about other people facing monsters, being brave enough to fight, and succeeding in defeating them made me believe that I could do it too, and so I did. As an angry teenager, it gave me somewhere to hide out from the world, a place that reassured me that cruel people get punished and no evil goes unpaid. In college it gave me purpose, it showed me the way to the career that I truly wanted and gave me the courage I needed to chase it.
What character in a horror do you relate to most and why?
Without a doubt, Eddie Kaspbrack from Stephen King’s IT (1986). I too grew up without a father and with an overprotective mother, although she was never as extreme as his, thank God. I was a very anxious kid who grew into a very anxious adult (thanks, childhood trauma!) and so, I can see much of myself in Eddie and how much he struggled with facing his fears and standing up to his mother. In fact, I have a tattoo on my wrist that recreates the writing on his arm cast depicted in the 2017 movie adaptation: LOSER in black with a red V written on top of the S.
How do your friends and family feel about your horror obsession?
Thankfully, several of my friends are also horror lovers and we have spooky movie/game nights as often as we can. My family, however, lies on the opposite end, mostly they dismiss the genre as “that awful stuff you watch/read” and insist on several occasions that it negatively impacts all parts of my life. They were NOT pleased when I got a ghost holding a bloody knife tattooed on my arm, hahah.
When did you fall head over heels in love with the horror genre?
I’ve always had a close relationship with horror, due to me turning to it for comfort after some traumatic events during my childhood. But I think that the moment I knew this passion for the genre would never go away was when I read my first King book, Night Shift (1978), at the age of thirteen.
Do you have any Halloween traditions?
Sadly, Brasil does not actively celebrate Halloween, so we don’t have the habit of trick or treating or decorating our houses. Even so, my apartment is pretty much spooky-themed all year round and my best friend and I always have a sleepover Halloween night where we play horror videogames, read creepy urban legends and watch horror movies. We’ve been doing this for 8 years, since we met when we were 15, and I hope we continue to do this for many years to come.
If you could go back in time and experience the midnight premiere of any horror movie, what would you choose?
Definitely The Blair Witch Project (1999), I can’t imagine how it must have felt to watch this movie whilst believing it really was found footage. The mix of emotions that must’ve been brought to the audience is something I wish I could experience.
What's the spookiest place you've ever visited?
As I’ve said, Halloween is not a big deal in my country, however, when I was 11 a shopping mall opened a haunted house attraction and I begged my older cousin to take me, which she did. I don’t think I’ve (or my cousin) ever screamed that much since then and I look forward to the opportunity of visiting a horror attraction again someday.