Zoë Rose Smith
“But Anna and Dani wear their grief on their sleeves and don’t allow it to consume them completely—instead, they fight like the final girls they are. That is why even all these years later, I still wake up, put on my mayflower crown and leather boots to keep on fighting.”
What is your favourite genre of horror?
This will come as no surprise but extreme horror. Quite a controversial and divisive sub-genre that really gets underneath the viewers skin and sees how far it can push our boundaries.
What movies would you recommend in that genre?
All the movies I like in this genre are ones I typically tell people do not watch. However, I recommend A Serbian Film, Salo, August Underground, Guinea Pig series, Baskin, Cannibal Holocaust and Nekromantik.
What are your favourite horror movies?
Pretty much all of the above recommendations are some of my favourites, but other horror (non-extreme) I love are Lords of Chaos, The Devil's Candy, The Evil Dead, You're Next, I Spit On Your Grave, As Above So Below, Borderlands, Resolution.
What was the last horror movie that actually scared you?
It takes a lot to really genuinely scare me, but the last film that made me feel truly fearful has to be Borderlands. If you can get through the final scene you'll have nightmares for a long time.
What is your favourite moment from a horror movie?
Hard question! One of my favourite has to be the nurse scene in Exorcist III: Legion. Hands down one of the creepiest moments in horror!
Why is horror special for you?
Most people think of horror as something that is just based on ghosts and jump scares but it's actually so complex. I love all film, but horror has such scope to be anything it wants to be and explore so many topics that other genres just can't do. Have you ever seen a rom-com that faced loss and grief head on and made an impact? Not really. Whereas horror has the ability to do exactly that. Through the horror genre, so many deep and meaning aspects of life can be dissected, allowing the audience to really resonate and connect, which I think is more powerful than anything.
What character in a horror do you relate to most and why?
Pauline from Excision. That choice might seem quite perverted to a lot of people, but I go into more detail in my Hear Us Scream piece. Essentially, she's discovering herself and learning what her personal authenticity is. I struggled with doing this for years, especially after dealing with so much grief but she was an anchor point for me, and still is.
How do your friends and family feel about your horror obsession?
I don't really speak to my family... Maybe because I like watching people get tortured?! Ha! They find it fascinating. It's an area of my life that whilst is very, very dominant, I also keep quite separate. It's like living two lives a lot of the time. Most of my friends are supportive and love to hear about projects I'm working on but they don't want to know about the movies I watch. There's a lot of intrigue because of the extremity of my viewing habits but I believe in consensual horror, and so I don't force anyone, unless asked, to listen to me talk about movies involving torture.
When did you fall head over heels in love with the horror genre?
As soon as I watched The Evil Dead. I know this was just the one for me!
Do you have any Halloween traditions?
Just a huge party! Here in the UK, Halloween is quite a small event but my parents always used to throw these amazing Halloween parties. I can't say that I've reached their level of awesome yet but I always try to throw a good one with lots of decorations, games like apple bobbing, costume contest and spooky music.
If you could go back in time and experience the midnight premiere of any horror movie, what would you choose?
I think seeing The Exorcist on the big screen would have been an unforgettable experience!
What's the spookiest place you've ever visited?
I've been to lots of spooky places and had some weird encounters (I'm still a huge skeptic though!). As teens, we used to break into an abandoned mental asylum to sleep the night... So yes, those idiots in horror films do exist! I don't think it was haunted but it was damn creepy there, we would always find old prams and toys lying about it. It really felt like a horror film. Now it's a new shiny block of flats which sucks, but it was fun to stay awake terrified all night as a teen!