As you may know, February is “Women in Horror” month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions about being a “Woman in Horror,” and more. One of those women, who was kind enough to answer our questions, was podcaster Crystal Smith. Lets see what she said about being a “Woman in Horror”…
-PH: When did you first become a horror fan?
-Crystal: I first became a horror fan when I was in 8th grade. I was the oldest in my class so I turned 13 first. My parents let me rent Poltergeist because it was rated PG-13. I was the hit of my 8th grade class. Poltergeist wasn’t my first horror film but it was the first one I watched that made me truly love horror. My classmates and I were joyfully thrilled and scared and ever since then my house was where all the kids went to watch horror film.
-PH: Was there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of happen naturally?
-Crystal: It happened naturally. I was listening to Horror Movie Podcast and I just had an epiphany that I too can create a podcast and talk about horror movies. I found myself talking out loud and adding in my opinions so it was a no brainer to start my own show.
-PH: What does having a “Women in Horror” month mean to you?
-Crystal: Women in horror month means a lot to me. I love the idea of women having an entire month dedicated to their horror craft. Horror itself doesn’t get the recognition it deserves so its nice to see women have this.
-PH: Is there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?
-Crystal: Going to break the rules a bit and say two women. I have always loved Sidney Prescott for her amazing role in Scream, it is truly iconic. I also love Sarah Bailey from The Craft. The idea of powerful witches turning on each other and Sarah being such a bad ass at the end makes it my top 5 favorite films.
-PH: How do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?
-Crystal: I think women in horror has absolutely evolved over the years. In the beginning, women were used for their bodies and screaming. They were usually the first victims and seen as unintelligent, almost used as pawns. Now, women are the bad asses who survive and beat the killers at their own game. We also have amazing women directors behind the lens such as Lois Weber, Karyn Kusama, Rachel Talalay, and Mary Harron.
-PH: What do you think the future holds for women in horror?
-Crystal: I think we are going to start to see more only women casts for horror. We got a little glimpse of an all women cast in The Descent and more recently Annihilation. I think we will start to see women taking on more leadership roles and getting further away from the senseless sex object.
-PH: If you could serve a role in horror that you’ve never done, what would it be?
-Crystal: I would 100% either write a horror film script or play a character who goes does swinging, sacrificing herself to save her friends.
-PH: Who is your favorite final girl, and favorite female villain?
-Crystal: My favorite final girl is Sidney Prescott. She kicked ass in all 4 films, destroying the killer each time. She was also the first character I saw that really embodied the true meaning of final girl. My favorite female villain is Elizabeth Bathory from the horror film Stay Alive. She quite literally killed young girls to try and preserve her youth. How much more evil can you get?
-PH: Being that this is PromoteHorror.com, please feel free to plug your current/next horror project.
-Crystal: I host Horror Nights In Podcast. I cover all things horror and give you my honest and horrific opinion on a different horror film every Saturday night.
https://soundcloud.com/crystal-marie-595606622
We would like to thank Crystal Smith for taking the time to answer our questions, but more importantly for her contribution to horror!
