Ms. Horror Blogosphere: Entry #7

Blogger: Chris Hadden
Blog: Fascination with Fear

Quite possibly the oldest (or damn near it) member of this competitive ladies' club, I've been infatuated with horror for over thirty years. If it were a school, Stephen King would be my literature prof, John Carpenter my shop supervisor, and Wes Craven my guidance counselor. Throw in Rob Zombie as my current events teacher, and I've had an education. I have no formal training in writing, movie-making, makeup effects, or film history, but I believe experience is the best teacher, and practice makes perfect. On those rare occasions when I'm not watching, reading or writing about horror, I'm either working at my 'real job' or watching Thoroughbred Horseracing, my other passion. My husband and I own a cabin about an hour north of home that looks a lot like the one in Evil Dead and is surrounded by woods that very much resemble the ones in The Blair Witch. I live in one of those typical Stephen King kind of small towns you find in horror... more Derry than Gatlin--thank God, 'cause kids annoy the hell outta me.

What initially drew you to the horror genre?
In what seems to be the norm among us horror fans, my parents left me alone to watch both Friday the 13th and The Exorcist at a very young age. I know, WTF? But hey, I couldn't be happier. Between that and reading The Shining by flashlight under my covers when I was like, 10 or so, I discovered something simple about myself. I like to be scared. Frequently. And I'm always thinking of ways to escape the monster in the closet.

Are significant others generally freaked out or psyched by your horror proclivities?
My hubby is tolerant, yet weary of my horror obsession. Sometimes, when the Netflix queue gets too horror-centric, he freaks out and begs for a gladiator movie (which I am totally cool with). He likes horror, but has expressed extreme discontent (not unfounded, really) with the entire genre in the last several years, and states he hasn't been scared by a movie since the last five minutes of The Blair Witch Project. I definitely concur. That being said, however, I am willing to keep looking. He, on the other hand, is not. But he never tries to deter me from horror, and is content to surf eBay whilst I watch the latest piece of drek I thought looked good but was proven to be otherwise.
Simply put, no one will get between me and my horror.

How would you best describe your blog?
It's really just an conglomeration of chaotic, rambling thoughts on horror. A lot of reviews of stuff I've seen or read. Wandering thoughts on favorites I've seen dozens of times, and meandering discussions on new films I've added to my extensive DVD library or seen through Netflix. I love lists, so there are a lot of those.
I am by nature a completely sarcastic and snarky individual, and I can rant quite properly if inspired to do so. Nothing gets me going faster than a really bad horror movie. I aim to be fairly straightforward, without any of those confusing anecdotes and bewildering over-your-head drivel.

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?
It's really not my ambition to "be the best" (*shaking pom poms here*). I was never a cheerleader. I write on horror for two reasons. I have to write, and horror is my friend. Personally, being male or female matters nothing to me as a reader, and I can only hope a lot of people feel the same way. If it's decent, I'm gonna check it out. For instance, I believe "Final Girl" and "Day of the Woman" are two of the finest blogs out there on horror, and they are both by authors of the female persuasion.
And in all honesty, I don't care if I'm taken seriously, because I have never been the type of girl to sit in the corner and rock while sliding a Prozac down my throat and weeping for someone to understand me and/or love me. Sorry.
Quite simply, I'm insanely selfish. To a fault. I always do what I want, when I want.

Is image more important for female horror bloggers than male? If so, why?
I'd have to go with yes on that, sadly. Usually, you either have to look like Kate Beckinsale (or possibly Elvira in the horror field) for anyone to take notice. But I believe the horror genre is somewhat more discerning than other genres. More accepting of women, in general. Word of mouth (including internet coverage) is the best way to get out there, and I'm psyched to have anyone take a look at my blog. Generally, I think most people expect horror blogs to be written and edited by men. It's a stereotype that I (and my fellow righteous female bloggers) are trying to change. I hope we're succeeding.

Bang, Marry or Kill: Freddy, Jason, Michael. Please explain your answer.
First off, I'd kill Freddy. Hack him to pieces immediately with Jason's machete. I'm sorry, but Fred's slap-slick snide remarks would be the end of him, and fast. If anyone's going to be sarcastic in bed or otherwise, it'll be me, dammit. And if I want a dude with scary hands in bed, I'm gonna pick Edward Scissorhands over Freddy anyday (Johnny Depp factor notwithstanding).
I'd marry Michael, and you know why? Cause I just love him that much. And best of all, Michael keeps his mouth shut. He never says a thing. Quiet is good in a marriage. I love the strong, silent type who doesn't talk back. And since I'm not family to him, and not a raging slut, perhaps I'd have a chance to stick around. I'd like to help him come to terms with all that anger and channel it into more... shall we say, gratifying behavior.
So that leaves the bang, and that'd be Jason. Okay, he'd have to leave the hockey mask on, cause I saw F-13th Part 3, 'kay? I know what's under there. But doesn't he just seem like the mind-blowing sex kind of guy? He's so ferocious, so... unrestrained. Hopefully he doesn't start that stalking shit though. I get the feeling a PFA wouldn't do any good. Unless Michael would come to my rescue... then that's the kind of fight I'd pay to see... Michael vs. Jason.
Go Mikey.