Dissecting Fear: An Interview with Marc Shoenbach / Sadist Art Designs
One of the best thing about doing what we do here at TrueHorror.net is meeting new, like minded people. This website has opened up so many doors for new friendships and collaborations that I would have otherwise never made. For that I am extremely grateful. It is especially cool when those new people are on the same wavelength as you when it comes to things you enjoy creating. As many of you know we love creating our own faux movie posters here as well as ones for existing films. Which brings us to Marc of Sadist Art Designs. The New York based artist specializes in creating custom poster art for media design and has a special love for retro horror and art house stylization. I remember being put on to Marc's work by a mutual pal, Uncle Tnuc and was really impressed by just how perfectly it captured the style of 80's horror poster art. What he creates would feel right at home in the horror section of any video store in the 80's. He has done work for Fangoria and countless independent horror films who are all looking for that magical retro touch. Thanks to his chosen field, I expected to get a unique perspective on the subject of VHS cover art and horror posters and he did not disappoint. From the get go Marc has been a supporter of TrueHorror.net and has just been an all around cool dude, so we are happy and appreciative to have him contribute to our ongoing "Dissecting Fear" series of interviews. Now while Marc doesn't scare easily, he still provides insight into his love affair with horror films while displaying his love of the F word. We are also happy to share some pieces of Marc's work that represents what Sadist Art Designs is all about.
As a child what horror film and/or character scared you the most and why do you feel they had this effect on you.
Michael Myers. Hands down. Halloween II was the first horror film I ever saw when I was 4. My older brother, who was about 13 then, had also been fascinated by the boogieman. Around that time in the early 80's, my family had just gotten cable TV and Halloween II was the film HBO had been showing on repeat as was common to repeat movies on cablte TV back then. While Myers scared the fuck out of me, I couldn't help but be captivated by his presence. That emotionless mask gave me nightmares that really fucked me up. Back then, though I think the childhood innocence masqueraded the true fear, and like so many horror fans today, is what made horror and being scared a good feeling, not one to shy away from but to embrace. Yeah thanks a lot Michael!
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| Crying Skull poster design inspired by Halloween II opening sequence by Sadist Art Designs |
Do you have an example telling of an instance or two where this fear really manifested itself and had an impact on you or your behavior?
Of all the horror movies I had been watching back then, the only time I had ever been affected by it was by one dream. Only one. At the time, my second oldest brother (two years older than me) had shared a room with me. I remember one night I dreamt Michael Myers had come inside our room! But he had brought a friend, this stranger fucker wearing a hawaiian shirt and yellow dishwashing gloves. Myers worked on my brother while Dishwashing Gloved Man choked the fuck out of me! Horror movies don't usually scare me. Just that one time. It's mostly the local news that haunts me.
What horror movie VHS covers or posters scared you as a kid and why do you feel the poster or cover had this effect on you?
I wouldn't use the word scared. Because like I said, horror movies don't scare me. They fascinate me. I'm much more scared about tales of kidnappings, hijackings, and home invasions...and house fires. But, VHS titles affected my life so profoundly as you can imagine. Covers like Friday the 13th part IV, Return of the Living Dead1/III, Chopping Mall, and Halloween II to name just a few, were truly pieces of art that left etchings on my brain. Hell, I make a living now trying to recreate those feelings of nostalgia it brought me.
Do you have a specific example of a time you may remember that you have come across one of these VHS covers and have it have an effect on you when you were younger?
Hmm...Covers that are more simplistic that are shrouded in blackness give me the creeps. FT13IV, Bloody Birthday, Halloween I/II...something about that blackness around it, that void is what scares me. I don't know why. It's like, I think about all that darkness and I imagine whats lurking in the shadows. You ever see the cover of Halloween the paperback? The one with the boy in a ghost sheet with a jackolantern as a fucking head? he's surrouonded by all this blackness! Lots of 70's and 80's horror paperbacks do this. Creeeeepy!!!
What is your definition of "scary" when it comes to modern horror films these days? So many people are quick to say a film isn't scary but each person has a different definition of "scary" and what that means.
Movies that use primitive fears to scare their audiences will always be the most effective. Night Of The Living Dead works really well despite the unbelievability of walking zombies. This has a lot to do with the notion of feeling trapped and confined in a place where all this madness is going on outside and the is the idea of "Whats out there and how many of them are there?!" The beginning of "Scream" played with this concept really well too. That idea of being vulnerable. Remember Drew Barrymore was in the living room on the phoen with the creep (Ghostface) ? Look at those large ass windows with no shades! She was a sitting duck, man!
What do you NOT consider scary or not like in your horror films?
Unless treated really carefully, like The Changeling or The Sentinel, ghost stories do nothing for me.
What do you look for or want to get out of horror films these days?
Oy. I haven't been to a modern horror movie in quite a while. I stick with the oldies. I just want to have fun and I wanna dig the characters. While I didn't love "It Follows" like everyone and their mothers, I thought the group of kids and their relationships worked well. I like realistic relationships in modern horror. The Innkeepers did this really well. 80's films didn't as much. But that is okay, they were cheese and they get a pass!
What is your favorite recent horror film and why?
I really dug The Innkeepers and The House of the Devil. Haha, does the latter count? I also thought Cloverfield was fan-fucking-tastic. I loved Tusk too!
Lastly, do you feel these is a certain way or mindset to have to watch a horror film as far as it being effectively frightening?
Stay off your fucking phone if you want to be scared! If you're watching a fun one, post #nowwatching posts on Instagram to get involved in the horror community. Just remember, part of the experience of being scared is putting yourself in the characters situations. So pop some popcorn, kill the lights, and enjoy!
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Here is a batch of some of Marc's fantastic work. Below it you will find links to all Sadist Art Designs online presence.
You can also follow Marc and Sadist Art Designs on Instagram for plenty of cool horror goodness and behind the scenes looks at the making of his posters : @sadistartdesigns
Website: http://sadistart.blogspot.com/
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