What Should Jason Do?

It's Friday the 13th again! Which means everyone will celebrate by watching Friday the 13th movies and enjoying the exploits of Jason Voorhees, as he slashes his way through teenagers and sequels alike. If you are keeping track Jason's film total stands at 12. One through X to Freddy vs Jason and finally the 2009 version. As most fans have heard by now, a new Jason film is in the works but has been pushed back yet again. It is now slated to open on January 13th, 2017. Apart from the early rumblings it would be a found footage flick (an angle that thankfully seems to have been scrapped) and some comments from producers wrongly stating that fans want to know where Jason gets his power from, not much is known about what to expect from the upcoming installment.

While I love the series for all the same reasons everyone else does, I don't think that I could actually consider any film in the series a GOOD film. The series has it's definite high points and absolute low points, but I have yet to feel like any of them really transcend being anything more than entertaining slasher films, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. I am also inclined to agree with a friend who recently while discussing the films stated considered part 4 to be the definitive slasher film. These are the perfect films to watch with a group of friends late at night with some popcorn, drinks and laughs. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement and the possibility of a truly great Friday the 13th film still exists (though with platinum dunes in charge, the possibility is much lower) At this point there have been many things done with Jason, pitting him against Freddy(something that should have been so much better), sending him to outer space in the future (terrible but fun) and there is even that one time he spent 2 minutes in Times Square. So while I have no power over what happens with this next film, there are some things I want to see in a Jason film, that would go a long way to making it a more interesting and satisfying.

1. CRYSTAL LAKE IN THE WINTER.

This is something I have seen requested and wanted over and over again. I couldn't agree more. I realize some people want Jason OUT of Crystal Lake to give us something new, but the Camp blanketed in snow and the lake frozen would already give us a new setting for Jason to stalk and do his thing. In addition to providing some new kill possibilities for Voorhees (Think icicles and the sub zero temperatures in the lake) the visual possibilities are exciting as well. I for one would love to see Jason walk through a blizzard while he hacks away at his victims. Also yes, Camps are closed in the winter, so that could lead to...

2. A NEW VICTIM TYPE

While part of the fun of a Friday the 13th movie is watching camp counselors get slaughtered, Camps generally aren't open in the winter, perhaps have Jason stalk a group of hunters who encroach on his territory. A group of hunters would provide more of a challenge to Jason while still being vulnerable, especially when not expecting him. Hunters being hunted (ala Predator) would also offer a different kind of dynamic and parallel not generally seen in a Friday the 13th film. This would offer a chance as well for...

3. A MORE SERIOUS FRIDAY FILM

As stated earlier, part of the charm of the early Friday films were the teen characters that were dispatched one by one. The problem with these characters is there wasn't much room for emotional depth in a group of kids looking to get high and get laid. By bringing in a group of the aforementioned hunters, you are able (with proper writing) to bring a new twist to the story and perhaps result in a much more serious story with some characters (again all in the writing) who aren't just a bunch of cliche's and machete fodder, which will give the proceedings some real stakes. Obviously this is something that would have to be worked on much deeper to successfully accomplish it, but a Friday film played straight would also result in...


4. A MORE MENACING AND FRIGHTENING JASON

I will give the Platinum Dunes F13 film one thing and one thing only( I hated that film), they certainly attempted to make Jason scarier and more brutal while implementing (only marginally successfully in my opinion) some survivalist tactics in his arsenal and behavior, however when the victims are a bunch of non likable, illogical, caricatures, it makes what Jason does have less of an impact. Having Jason take on a group of survivalist/hunter types who can handle themselves will again raise the stakes and make Jason's victories against them all the more earned as well as bring a new level of menace to his stature. Still I think another way to make him a bit more scary is to go back to the more feral behavior that was found back in the first 3 movies featuring him, where he was more wild and less calculating. He lives in the woods and as such should be a bit animalistic in his behavior. I think giving him that sort of unpredictable nature would go a long way to restoring some of his creepiness that was more prevalent in the early films and bring the character back to his roots. He is NOT Michael Myers, he is not cunning, and not as smart as Michael, nor should he behave like Michael. He has his own personality and it should be prevalent in this new film.

5. A DIRECTOR WITH A VISION

One thing I think most Friday the 13th films if not all of them suffer from, is never really having a visual director, easiest way I can explain what I mean is...no one will ever analyze shot compositions the way they do John Carpenter's Halloween. Sure there are some cool scenes here and there, and I am well aware the director of Part 6 went for a bit of a Gothic tone with it and Marcus Nispel basically delivered The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake featuring Jason, which while serviceable, really failed to make any impact and just felt like a bit of a retread right down to the rays of light coming through the trees at night in the woods. Imagine what someone with a real sense of style and a confident unique voice could do with the winter setting. I remember seeing Alex Aja's High Tension for the first time and thinking, this is what horror films need more of, these shots and angles and overall mood and atmosphere are amazing. Something I thought Aja carried over into his Hills Have Eyes Remake, yet completely fitting the vibe of the subject matter. So yes I would love to see what someone with a strong sense of style and creativity could bring to the franchise.

6. GO THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE WAY OF EVERYTHING I HAVE JUST SAID (except for 5)

Yes, I realize that just sounds so dumb after I spent over an hour typing the previous 5 up. But let me explain, While I would be a huge fan of a serious and grim Friday the 13th film set in the frigid dead of winter, I have to say that after watching the film The Final Girls directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, that this is the OTHER thing I would love to see a Friday the 13th Film do. Make a full blown period piece that has fun with the concept of Jason and the Camp. Make it vibrant, energetic, and respectful of the source material while breaking new ground within that. I don't want a comedy in the way The Final Girls was one, but the way it approached the overdone material of a summer camp and it's legendary killer was just refreshing while still having a ton of heart. If someone could do that with Jason and Camp Crystal Lake it too would be awesome.

The Final Girls was full of beautiful cinematography, colors and shot compositions while bursting from the screen and this is why I said that my previous suggestion would still stand. A director with a vision could bring the 80's, Jason, and Camp Crystal Lake to life in a way we haven't seen before. The trick here would be to do it without making it eye roll inducing or too juvenile as many horror films tend to do when trying to be tongue in cheek. You really have to keep the comedy and fun within the right context to make the violence and gore still have the appropriate impact. I have even said The Final Girls is the best Friday the 13th movie in years and clearly wears it's inspiration on its sleeve. So why not take some inspiration right back and create a vibrant, retro styled Friday film that can play up all the iconography of the series and the things we loved about those films? While really doing it with a flair not seen before in these films. All the while fixing the things that did not age so well? I say this would be the other satisfying route to go for Jason and his series.

So there you have it. Those are the things I think could go a long way towards breathing new life into the Friday the 13th Franchise. Granted I came up with this list extremely short notice, but I feel it is stuff I have always thought about. Whether any of that will happen remains to be seen, and I feel like more than likely we may get more of the same, which while that will always be fun and entertaining, it still won't be the Friday the 13th film that we as fans deserve. Either way, long live Jason and enjoy your Friday the 13th.

Dissecting Fear: An Interview with Horror Writer Stef Hutchinson

Today we are excited and honored to welcome Stef Hutchinson as today's guest for this latest installment of Dissecting Fear. Stef is responsible for what are arguably (seriously, you can't actually argue this because it is true) the best Halloween and Michael Myers stories told since the original two films. The author of the critically acclaimed Halloween comics; One Good Scare, Nightdance, 30 years of terror, Autopsis and The First Death of Laurie Strode, Hutchinson displayed an innate understanding of the characters Michael Myers, Laurie Strode and of course Dr. Sam Loomis. The results yielded stories that were respectful of the source material while still treading new ground. Sometimes those stories were based on the main characters of Loomis and Laurie, while others, built off of minor background characters such as the Mackenzie's expand and add depth to the world created by John Carpenter and Deborah Hill. He understands Myers is much more than just a guy with a mask who stabs people. He understands what it is that makes Myers such a compelling and frightening character due to the way he torments his victims long after he has physically disappeared from their lives.

I cannot recommend how imperative it is for fans of Michael Myers and Halloween to at the very least, read these stories. Unfortunately The First Death of Laurie Strode was cut short due to issues with the publisher that were beyond Hutchinson's control. Still even the first two issues in that series serve as an intriguing and worthy sequel to Halloween II. Had he been able to carry on with his plan, he would have finished off the Laurie Strode story and then bridged it into Halloween 4 and beyond. Hutchinson had a way of making the most out of even the weakest elements and installments in the series as evidenced by his work on a Laurie Strode tale found within the 30 years of terror book that serves as a well told prequel to Resurrection. It is a shame we could not see where things would have gone in the Halloween comic book universe created by Hutchinson. 

 Stef was kind enough to take some time out and answer some questions for us.  For all the years I have known Stef, one thing was apparent he has always had strong opinions on what horror is, means and needs. Even when we have disagreed on things relating to horror, his opinion is always insightful and valuable. I think this will be evident when you read his answers below! 

As a Child what horror film and/or horror character scared you the most and why do you feel they had this effect on you?

The first one – and in many ways the last – to have a major impact was The Shape in the original Halloween. There had been precursors for me, but these usually involved singular moments in other stories which wouldn’t always fall into the horror category (I’m thinking of the Witch at the top of the stairs in the forgotten children’s TV film, Quincy’s Quest, and the majority of Scooby Doo villains, things like that).

What these innocuous monsters had in common was a scene or moment that directly correlated to the real world I lived in. A shadow at the top of the stairs. Someone – something - lurking in the garden. Moments that fit perfectly on the straight line between mundane, real life experiences and horrific nightmares.

Halloween is a film that doesn’t just fit that line – it effectively replaces it. Its horror breathes in the everyday and its madness lurks on the periphery of the ordinary. It can’t help but be unsettling.

Obviously, no film can have that sort of impact on a person without the right context – the where and the when of that first viewing. I was seven years old, immersed in a fascination with my own fears, in a darkened room. And thus it scared the living shit out of me.

Do you have an example telling of an instance where this fear really manifested itself and had an impact on you and your behavior? 

The fear was already there, I think. I was fairly neurotic in that respect, although it was in that weird, abstract way that it is when you’re young – the more primal stuff. You don’t know why the way the light falls on that wall scares you, it just does. The best horror stories tap right into these spaces.

In some ways it’s reductive – unexplained feelings given form – but I guess that’s just part of growing up anyway. Simplifying stuff, inventing meaning, coping mechanisms and all that. Along the way, certain images and motifs from the genre seem to become hard-wired because of the impact they make.

What VHS covers or horror movie posters scared you as a kid and why do you feel the poster or cover had this effect on you?

They didn’t scare me as much as they fascinated me. As a kid, I would always wander to the Betamax section of the video store - because it was much smaller, the horror films were on lower shelves, covers right there to see. Seeing the covers would be enough for me to invent the films in my head – and again, the more abstract / vague the image, the better. The covers for the first three Halloween films, Scanners and Dead & Buried, for example.

Do you have a specific example of a time you may remember that you have come across one of these and it had that effect on you when you were younger?

Friday The 13^th Part 2 comes to mind. I didn’t see the Friday films till I was 11 or so, simply because they weren’t readily available here in the UK (I think we got parts 3, 4 and 5 all in 1987, as well as a re-release of the original). Part 2 (on the CIC label, if memory serves correctly) was a common sight, however. I never saw any images of Jason – or if I did, they didn’t stick with me. It was the outline on the cover and the image of Mrs. Voorhees head upon the shrine that did.

From there, I had my own idea about what Friday The 13^th was. Many years later, when I was working on a Friday script (an unsolicited wee thing), I found myself going back to the mythology in my head, merging it with what actually did already exist.

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  what "scary" means.

That’s a tough one. I can’t recall the last time I was scared in any way. I mean, there have been jump scares here and there, but that’s not really the same, is it?

What do you NOT consider scary or not like in your horror films?

Relentless gore and violence, to be honest. I’ve always liked the red stuff in my horror films, but in recent years, I think too many filmmakers have used it as a crutch. It’s particularly notable in the human-on-human violence (films following the Hostel trajectory and so on). My thinking is that ANYONE can invent horrible things for one person to do to another. I find the relentlessness of that type of horror to be ultimately very, very boring.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for gore and violence when used by articulate filmmakers or when there’s a purpose behind it (for example, the cold, intellectual anger that permeates Martyrs). It seemed for a while there we were stuck in a cycle of graphic one-upmanship, ironically to the point of boredom.

What do you look to get out of horror films these days? 

I look for surprises. Not the same old stories retold. Admittedly, in my own small way I’ve contributed to this problem by writing the Halloween comics, but I did try to avoid retreading the same beats and instead went inwards, focusing on the subconscious stuff that doesn’t really translate to film – at least not within the accepted Halloween aesthetics.

I just want something new, fresh, that doesn’t rely on the same old recycled crap. That doesn’t mean I’m opposed to franchises – I love long-form storytelling and iconic characters, although the sheer glut of horror merchandising that keeps coming out with the same characters over and over again makes me fucking nauseous.

What is your favorite recent horror film and why?

My favourites from the last few years are Excision and Maniac. Neither was scary, but each both had a voice and identity that I appreciated. They both felt unique.

Excision was a breath of fresh air from start to end (like an indie film going to hell) and Maniac transcended its origins as a remake to become something quite special. Both of these films actually left me with an actual feeling, which is an achievement in itself.

 Do you feel there is a certain way or mindset to have to watch a horror film as far as it being effectively frightening?

I think there’s a lot to be said for the theatre experience. As an adult, the corners of my home aren’t filled with the same imagination they were all those years ago.. Watching a horror movie with a crowd – particularly the more fun ones – is great. It’s almost interactive. Then there’s the opposite – an empty cinema – which is just as fulfilling.

I was always envious of Americans and their access to horror movies growing up, because so few of them here made it to cinema screens. What you guys got to see on the big screen usually went straight to video here.

I used to sneak in to the few that did show (well, not so much sneak in as blatantly lie about my age – 13 playing 18) and very few people would be there. I saw The Exorcist at a midnight screening. I was 13 then, and there were 3 or 4 other people in there. Fantastic!

But that’s the physical place, I guess. Not the mental place. In that respect, you just have to approach it with an open-mind, and also in a scenario when you are not going to be distracted. There are few things that compare to the magic of being fully pulled into a film’s world, be it horror or not.

Do you feel there is any correlation to your tastes in horror films now based on the horror related experiences and viewings of your youth? And if so could you elaborate on that a bit as to what way they were affected?

There definitely is, but a lot of that is due to the childhood experience as a whole. The borders on reality aren’t quite set at that point, and things can crawl in. I had a few real-life scary experiences that correlated with my viewing, and there’s also the way I’ve come to understand the world in the last few years.

I like the subjectivity of experience, the vagueness etc. There’s a dreamlike sensibility there, in the same way that memories are like sunlight flickering through a tree. Given that the cinema screen is the same at 24 frames per second, so it seems to me that on some sort of subconscious level it captures that feeling.

For example, how an adult can look to child’s eyes, how a shadow that flutters may contain any number of horrific beasts. The monsters are already there. I think this is why, as a horror and film viewer, after discovering Carpenter in my childhood, Lynch was the next logical step and inspiration.

I’m agnostic, probably atheist, so I don’t believe in ghosts or the supernatural, but I do believe we know very little about the universe itself and what reality actually is. That to me, is terrifying, and to go further and imagine a subjective universe, unique to each individual – imagine the sheer number of horrors.

We all have our demons, don’t we?

Thanks again Stef for taking the time out for us to pick your brain, as you know it is much appreciated! 

Everyone else be sure to track down the Halloween comics so you can get a proper Michael Myers fix that as fans we all deserve. Most can be found on ebay currently, in single issue of paperback form. 

TrueHorror.net October Mix vol. 4

While this month has not quite been as productive as we had originally planned and hoped for due to the ever present reality of circumstances beyond our control, we are excited to be able to share with you our October Mix Volume 4. This House of the Devil inspired mix should keep you in the spirit of things all the way through to Halloween and beyond. Very special thanks to Ryan Harris for mixing this years volume and Karla Quintana for her amazing artwork she created specifically to help create our cover!

Dissecting Fear:An interview with The Ghost In You

Today we return with an all new installment of Dissecting Fear, this week's guest is an extremely talented musician, horror lover and Halloween enthusiast. His name is Billy Polard and he records under the name The Ghost In You. I met Billy after he reached out to me a while back during the launch of TrueHorror Music. We have since stayed in touch and I have become a big fan of his music. Not only a musician, Billy also sings and writes all his own songs. 

Originally my intent was to post this article up at the midway point of October, but due to a number of reasons, I had to unfortunately postpone it until I had the time to give it the attention it deserves. So my sincere apologies go out to Billy as I know it would have been perfect for him to have this posted during his favorite time of year. Still I feel his music and love of Halloween and horror will help everyone who reads this cope with the dread post Halloween depression syndrome.

Earlier this month Billy was kind enough to contribute his song "Ten Thirty One" to our Halloween Compilation EP . The song is a truly beautiful heartfelt ode to Halloween. Being that this article SHOULD have been posted in October, we asked Billy what his favorite Halloween memory was. His answer is in depth and you can tell he has an unbridled passion for the holiday. 

"I don't think I can pinpoint any one specific memory as my favorite. The thing that I enjoy most about Halloween really boils down to a feeling it gives me. How that feeling could turn even a boring trip to the drug store with my mom into a fun Halloween adventure. I recall being a kid and the excitement I felt when the sun would start to go down earlier and earlier each day. The leaves would start changing and falling, the weather would start getting cooler. There was this really special spooky feeling that I felt in my bones. I can still remember when I was 5 riding the bus home after school everyday in the fall. I'd get so happy approaching my house, knowing I'd soon be seeing the scarecrow that my dad hung from the tree in our front lawn, slowly swaying in the breeze. It's because of all these little special feelings that I still love Halloween to this day.

That's exactly what my song, "ten thirty one" is about. It's my love letter to Halloween and all the nostalgia and emotions the fall season brings. Inspired by my memories of growing up in my old neighborhood, the leaves changing, carving jack o lanterns, my mom dressing up like a witch, the homemade costumes she made for me and my brothers, watching scary movies, and everything else that comes with the Halloween season. There's even a nod to "John Carpenter's Halloween". One of my favorite movies of all time.

If you feel that same sentimental way about the season that I do, I think you'll enjoy the song. I also made a music video for it. I directed, shot, and edited it last October. I even made the vintage style skeleton mask seen in the video, and the person wearing it is my oldest childhood friend, Brett Schmoltze. The whole thing really was a personal project and I tried my best to capture visually what I saw in my mind when I recorded the song. I hope watching it triggers the same nostalgia and emotions that I felt writing it."



After watching that video it is obvious Billy is not only a talented singer, songwriter and musician, but that his passion for Halloween fuels much of his creative process at times. Billy is also a lover of horror films and remembers many of his early experiences with them. Continue on to read his in depth answers to our Dissecting Fear line of questioning!

AS A CHILD WHAT HORROR FILM OR HORROR CHARACTER SCARED YOU THE MOST AND WHY DO YOU FEEL THEY HAD THIS EFFECT ON YOU?

For me, it was Chucky. I don't think that's an original answer, but that doll literally ruined a few years of my childhood. I could not sleep with the lights off. I made my parents leave the hallway light on and my door cracked open because I really believed Chucky was at the foot of my bed. That movie came out in '88 when I was 4, so this is probably 89 through 92 that my sleep was totally ruined. For a while it was also Michael Myers. When I'd have to go to the bathroom, I'd rn and cover my eyes because if I didn't I'd see that white face in the shadows.

DO YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF AN INSTANCE OF TWO WHERE THIS FEAR MANIFESTED ITSELF AND HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR BEHAVIOR?

Aside from truly believing that what my child mind created was real, it only affected me by making me really, really scared. As much as I didn't like being frightened, at the same time it was also a feeling I craved. It was my own choice to be scared for the most part. I begged and begged my parents to rent Child's Play for me. They wouldn't let me rent the actual copy, but surprised me one day with a taped off television version, commercials and all. I assume what they were trying to prevent me from absorbing was the bad language, but curses were the least thing they should have been concerned about. If you take the profanity out of the film, it's still just as frightening! Haha. That taped off TV VHS was my holy grail for a while. I shared it with all my friends. When you are a kid, horror movies are kind of like pornography. They're things you are not "supposed" to be watching and you share them with all of your friends. I must have watched that tape 50 times, until my parents stopped giving a crap and I was allowed to just walk down to the video store on the corner and rent whatever I wanted.

WHAT VHS COVERS OR HORROR MOVIE POSTERS SCARED YOU AS A CHILD AND WHY DO YOU FEEL THE POSTER OR COVER HAD THIS EFFECT ON YOU?

As I mentioned before we had a video store at the end of our block growing up. Like most kids of my generation who love horror, there is a certain nostalgia from the (now extinct) video store horror section. There is the time when you're only able to run by it, trying not to catch a glimpse, then there's the time when you became more intrigued and fascinated by all the box art. I'd stand in the section for what seemed like an hour, just looking. Those are really memorable times for me. I don't think todays generation will ever know that experience. I can't picture them when they're older saying "Hey, remember scrolling through the Netflix queue when were kids? That was awesome!"

The original question though all goes back to Chucky again for me. Seeing that huge (then life sized) doll on the poster for the original Child's Play hanging on the video store wall...I was in horrified love. It's an image that is tattooed on my brain to this day. I was just discussing this very poster last week. I'm refering to the painting of Chucky with his arm outstretched holding the snake voodoo knife. The one that is so beautifully painted it almost looks like a photograph. In fact, for years I thought it was. I am nothing if not a nostalgic grumpy old man, so seeing all the awful, awful photoshopped images that movie studios choose to release our favorite movies in, rather than the original painted covers or posters...honestly infuriates me. I will NEVER understand this choice. I would stare at the VHS covers almost as long as it took to watch the movies themselves.

I do not say this sarcastically at all, but that original Child's Play VHS cover is a beautiful work of art. If that's what art is, something that draws you in that you just can't take your eyes off of, then to me there is no difference between that painting of Chucky and the Mona Lisa. I have been trying to find out who painted that for years with no luck. So if any of your readers have the answer, please let me know. I'd love to read an interview with the artist and to know more about how they were offered the project.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SCARY? WHEN IT COMES TO MODERN HORROR FILMS? SO MANY PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO SAY A FILM IS NOT SCARY, BUT EACH VIEWER HAS A DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF WHAT SCARY IS TO THEM.

This is a loaded question. It's hard for me to get scared these days, but that does not mean a film isn't effective or good. Take something like Re-Animator. It's not really scary, but it's a great, creepy, fun horror film. It is very rare that a horror movie can scare me. The thoughts or images certain films provoke can be frightening or creepy, but I'm rarely truly scared. It also depends a great deal on viewing conditions. If I recommend a horror film that gave me those feelings to a friend, I always say "Watch it in the dark, if possible with a headset on, and with no distractions. Put down your fucking smartphone for an hour and a half!"

The last modern horror film that honestly scared me was "The Blair Witch Project". Though that is hardly a modern horror film now. I finally sat down to give it my full honest opinion two years ago (after the hype finally cooled down haha). Going back to the perfect horror movie conditions, I watched this alone, in the dark, at 4am with a headset on. It honestly had me on the edge of my seat. I felt lost in the woods with them. I'll have to view it a second time to see if it holds up to my initial opinion. I am really a big fan of a certain atmosphere in movies. Sometimes a movie can not be incredible, but the setting can be just what the doctor ordered. I love woods and leaves and old houses, etc. 

WHAT DO YOU NOT CONSIDER SCARY OR NOT LIKE IN YOUR HORROR FILMS?

Little..."creepy"...children. I am so tired of this cliche. It is so overdone and hardly ever scary. But sadly, as with most of the world, we are idiots and apparently eat it up. So they'll keep making that same film over and over again until we stop paying for seats. How many more movies do they have to make where a family movies into a new home and their child suddenly starts acting strange or sees things, or starts drawing morbid images in crayon? and speaking of moving into a new home, I am so tired of every family in a movie being super wealthy. It seems to me that people in Hollywood are so detached from reality. I would find it much easier to absorb myself in the movie's world if the family were living in a small apartment or moderate house. Yes, I understand they try to set a mood, but you don't ALWAYS have to make the parents profession be a writer, actor or work for a popular magazine. Seriously, who are they targeting here other than themselves? I'd sympathize much more with a construction worker or a supermarket cashier.

The second thing I do not consider scary in horror films...internet and cellphones. That can all go to hell. Yes I understand this is the world we live in today, but back to my "old man" comment...I still use a flip phone. I can't stand the use of technology in horror movies, or this tween style generation. I don't find haunted text messages scary, I'm sorry. I would totally be okay with every horror movie taking place only from 2001 or earlier. 

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR OR HOPE TO GET FROM HORROR FILMS THESE DAYS?

I am not a fan of all the paranormal activity/teen style horror movies of this generation. I am also not really a fan of most supernatural horror films either, unless done right. I mean, is the idea of a walking, talking killer doll realistic? No, but I think it is all in how well a film is made. Direction, special effects, acting etc. Thanks to Tom Holland's direction coupled with Kevin Yagher's amazing effects work, I really believed that Chucky was alive. I feel like crowds today need too much too soon. It is all either terrible cgi, PG-13 jump scares with no real story, or remakes of classic films, but with cgi...and don't get me started on remakes. I don't think you have enough time to hear my opinions on that. Did I mention I am a grumpy old man!?

I honestly don't watch or enjoy many modern horror films at all. There are too many twists that films try to make as well. If it's about a murderer, all I need is a creepy atmosphere and a killer. Take a tip from my favorite horror film of all time, Carpenter's Halloween. I don't need to be shocked at the end. You don't need to try to reinvent the wheel. Like "High Tension" for example. I saw that movie when it came out, and it is one that I own, so I do enjoy it, but I cannot tell you how disappointed I was at the end of the movie.  (SPOILER ALERT) when it turns out that it was her the whole time killing everyone, I was deflated. I was so excited while I was first watching it in the theater, thinking to myself "This is awesome. It's just a normal family on a farm and there is a fucking psycho killing them." I did not need a single thing more...and it was all the more frightening and believable for it. That stuff really happens. I didn't need to have split personalities, or some spirit, or to be tricked to have it be effective...it already was. What is more common in the world, random acts of violence or people with multiple personalities?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RECENT HORROR FILM AND WHY?

I honestly could not tell you. Not that I won't watch new movies all (I won't pay to see them in the theater any more though, but when I watch them on Netflix or whatever, they are instantly forgotten. That is not really a good sign if I can't remember them. 

LASTLY, DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A CERTAIN WAY OR MINDSET TO HAVE TO WATCH A HORROR FILM AS FAR AS IT BEING EFFECTIVELY FRIGHTENING?

I feel like you either have to go in totally cold, with no or low expectations, and or have the perfect viewing condition...quiet and in the dark. I am a big fan of watching television with a headset on. Not only to block out outside sounds and not disturb people late at night, but it really allows you to get into the movie's world. I have a 55 inch television with a headphone jack. Instead of spending 100 bucks on a wireless headset, I bought a 25 foot cable off of Amazon for 6 bucks and just comfortably watch in bed with my earbuds. I love it.

SHAMELESS PLUGS TIME! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE US WITH SOME INFO ABOUT YOU AND YOUR MUSIC AND ANY FINAL THOUGHTS! 

I have been recording as "the ghost in you" for almost 10 years now and have written, recorded and released two full length albums. I am currently working on my third. I record everything myself at home in my bedroom, although my latest song, "fear the fall" was recorded from inside my car. My albums can be found on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp (cheapest), or just about anywhere else you can download music from. I was also just released on vinyl for the first time. I recorded a cover of John Lennon's "Oh Yoko" for the double album, "I Saved Latin - A tribute to Wes Anderson". It also features Matt Pond, Juliana Hatfield, Phox, Saint Motel, Sara Lov and many more. 

"Ten Thirty One" isn't the only reference to my favorite horror film. I also have a song called, "The Shape" on my second album "Wet Wood". The song isn't about him, but was just my little inside wink to Michael Myers. that song and the rest of my entire catalog can be streamed or downloaded from my official website http://www.theghostinyou.net/ All of my music videos and anything else I create can be found there as well. 

You can follow me on instagram at @theghostinyoumusic (this time of year it's mostly Halloween junk) 

and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theghostinyou

Thanks for reading this nonsense and for asking me to be a part of your site!