Ms. Horror Blogosphere: Entry #5

Blogger: B-Movie Becky
Blog: The Horror Effect

Upon the lap of my guffawing father, I was raised on the horror film. Armed with a clunky VHS camcorder, I fell in love with filmmaking at the age of 13 in my rural hometown of Maple Valley, Washington. Countless short films and bottles of fake blood later, I went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production, with minors in Honors and Legal Studies, at Chapman University in Orange, California. After graduation, I married the man I met over a friendly game of Counter-Strike nine years ago. We have since graduated from Counter-Terrorist vs. Terrorists to Infected vs. Survivors. When it comes to filmmaking, we are partners in crime and are constantly working on new projects. I am currently editing a documentary on ecology for a non-profit organization, and continuing to build my resume with film experience.

Are significant others generally freaked out or psyched by your horror proclivities?
Although people are often surprised when I confess my love of horror, no one has pulled out the crucifix and doused me with holy water yet. I am married to a man who has an equally undying obsession with science-fiction and action movies. Together, we revel in our insane world of genre films. Family members are generally supportive of my interests. In particular, my mother has slowly found these proclivities to be “cute,” despite her blatant disliking of horror.

What made you decide to blog?
Firstly, I got tired of just reading all these great blogs and not being able to fully participate in the discussion. Secondly, and more importantly, I was feeling a little lonely has a horror fan. There were times in film school that I felt ostracized as a horror filmmaker, as professors and students seemed to discount the genre as subpar cinema. Even outside of my academic world, I sometimes felt like I wasn’t taken seriously because movies like Silent Night, Deadly Night and Killer Klowns from Outer Space sat on my shelf. People either didn’t understand my enjoyment of “low-brow” entertainment, or refused to appreciate or acknowledge the merit of more “acceptable” horror films. Blogging became a way for me to engage in meaningful conversations about the movies I loved with peers that understood my interests.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
Debra Hill and John Carpenter initially encouraged me to make movies and proved that great films did not have to be the product of Hollywood glamor. Years later, I have found the story of Adam Green to be inspiring. Not only did he break into the genre through an amazing low-budget indie effort, he continues to be constantly productive in his chosen field. Anyone who has seen the Fright Fest and Halloween shorts knows what I’m talking about.

How does it feel to be a female horror blogger in a world where it seems necessary to have a beard to write about horror movies? Do you find that you’re not taken as seriously?
The horror community has been quite welcoming and encouraging to me. I don’t know that it makes a difference that I happen to be a woman. My blog is not themed around my gender, and I frankly see myself as “one of the guys” (pardon the male-centric phrase). I think it’s great that some of the ladies have taken it upon themselves to use their blog as a way to explore issues relating to women in horror. For me, I just wanted to chat with fellow horror fans, who have always given me respect despite the lack of facial hair.

If you could have the baby of one figure in the world of horror, real or fictional, who would it be? Not including Bruce Campbell/Ash…
By having a baby with someone, is the question implying that I should possess an attraction to the person I choose or a desire to see what his offspring would be like? If it’s simply attraction, I’d have to go with Christian Bale in American Psycho--but then again, I’m not comfortable with Patrick Batemans’ take on the whole babymaking process. Misogynistic orgies are not really my thing. If I were to choose someone that would actually be an interesting person to raise children with, I would pick Gregory Peck’s character in The Omen (let’s just hope it’s not Satan’s spawn). Or a thoughtful person like Wes Craven.

Why do all of you like Campbell so much, anyway?
When we talk about Ash, we are definitely talking about Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness Ash. He was a whiny guy in the original film. He just kicks ass and has a great sense of humor about it. Plus, he actually says, “Give me some sugar baby.” That’s how you win a girl over boys!