[WiHM] Interview with Pod Mortem Co-Host, Renee
Tell us a little bit about yourself! What is your role in the horror community?
Hi there! My name is Reneé Hunter Vasquez and I am a content creator in the horror community! I cohost the podcast Pod Mortem alongside my husband and my brother. We cover all kinds of horror!
What was the first thing you encountered that made you fall in love with horror?
My love of horror predates my conscious memories! Both of my parents are horror fans and I was introduced at a very young age. We were a house of Stephen King and John Carpenter for as long as I can remember and it absolutely shaped who I am as a person. My love of horror is as much a part of me as the fact that my eyes are brown and my hair is curly.
What does the horror community mean to you?
In a word: The horror community means everything to me. Since I have entered this community, I have made more meaningful relationships than I have in my entire adult life. I feel like people who embrace horror are inherently empathetic and value human connection. The horror community is incredibly embracing, particularly for those of marginalized groups where full embracement is, unfortunately, difficult to come by.
Since launching your podcast, what have been some of the most memorable moments for you?
When we launched the podcast, it was at the beginning of the pandemic. My husband and I work in the restaurant industry and had recently been furloughed, as restaurants in Texas were closed. The time felt very bleak and hopeless and Pod Mortem was something to funnel my energy into. It almost became a symbol of hope. When people that we didn’t know began to reach out and leave comments or request films, that was a major moment. When we launched our Patreon and were overwhelmed with the people who believed in us enough to support us, it cemented that we were doing something right. Last September, we opened a Discord for our Patrons and the sense of family and community found in that Discord may be the most memorable moment of all. Knowing that we were able to provide comfort for people in such an uncertain time or in their own personal dark times is the most meaningful thing.
Who are your favourite women in horror?
That is difficult! There are so many amazing women in horror! I have to mention Rachel True, who was such a symbol to me as a child. When I saw her in The Craft, not only did a idolize her as a woman, but a woman of color in horror. I had never before seen myself represented in that way in a horror film. As far as content creators, there so many fantastic women-led podcasts. I am a huge fan of Kat and Jazz from Girl, That’s Scary, Ashley from Dead and Married, and Ariel and Candace from Not Your Final Girl!
If you could invite one woman from horror to dinner who would you invite and why?
My knee-jerk reaction is Jamie Lee Curtis. Not only is she the original final girl, but I think she has an incredibly unique perspective. Her mother, Janet Leigh, was the leading woman of Psycho, a pioneering horror film and experienced both celebration and repercussion because of it. I would ask her how that influenced her decision to take the lead role in Halloween. I would ask her how she felt about her franchise being rebooted and remade so many times, the ups and downs of being an iconic woman in horror, and how the industry has changed from the 1970’s until today. It would be a fascinating conversation!
Women in horror have been making progress, but it’s clear that a lot of work is still needed to ensure that representation is correct and widespread . What is the importance of Women in Horror Month?
Women in Horror month is massively important. I mentioned earlier about how much it meant to me to see Rachel True in The Craft when I was a kid. Horror seems to be a very male-dominant field. It is so important for the next generation to see that women are not only capable to creating fantastic horror content, but we excel at it. In most cases, as a woman, we need to work that much harder to reach the same heights as our counterparts. Every woman that you see in horror has worked incredibly hard to get there and they deserve any and every spotlight. We have come far, but as we move even further, it is up to us to lift each other up.
In honour of celebrating Women in Horror, who do you believe readers should keep an eye on in terms of women in horror?
I am personally keeping an eye on anything coming from Karyn Kusama, Nia DaCosta, Rose Glass, and Jennifer Kent!
What do you have coming in 2022 that you can talk to us about?
Pod Mortem just celebrated our 100th episode in February! We will continue moving forward, full steam ahead!
