"Come to Me": An Interview with Burlesque Queen and Zombie Walk Founder, Kristina Lakey.

What do you get when you combine sugar, spice, and everything nice...with an extra bit of Chemical X? No, not the Powerpuff Girls(awesome, but less awesome than my interviewee). The product is a sassy, sexy, smart, business-savvy, kind-hearted, talented, bold, wise, and horror-loving, Kristina Lakey! From her work in not only giving to others through charity(and as an ASL interpreter), but also inspiring them to love and fearlessly own who they are, I consider her a a SUPERhero. I had the pleasure of meeting Kristina for the first time at DAYS OF THE DEAD Chicago in 2012 when I noticed her and her husband, Dan, walking around the convention hall dressed as "Amy Peterson" and "Peter Vincent" from the original Fright Night. Being that Fright Night is one of my favorite horror films of all time, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a photo! 

It was not long after the convention that I came across Kristina on Facebook and sent her a friend request. I'm glad she accepted because it gave me the opportunity to get to know her and all of the incredible work she does.  Always fierce and always working hard, Kristina is one of the most influential people I know as well as the biggest Fright Night fan I have met(she has an amazingly chilling video of her signing to the film's "Come to Me"). 

Kristina is has been a founder, powerhouse, and the creative genius behind many things, including a burlesque troupe known as The Fischer Bodies and the Flint Zombie Walk, to name a few. I've had the honor of interviewing and getting to know many incredible people in the horror world and Kristina is by far one of the finest. 

Kristina with William "Charley Brewster" Ragsdale. Photo Credit: RSII Photography

1) Let's start out with the typical question to horror fans: when did you first become a fan?

This is a funny question because I can't remember it. I can't recall a time when I wasn't a horror fan. I grew up on horror films. When I was in Kindergarten I would race home from school every day and watch Beetlejuice until my Mom told me it was time for bed. She, my sister and myself would rent stacks and stacks of VHS tapes on the weekends and watch them, one after another. So I guess the answer to that is I've been a horror fan for literally as long as I can remember.

2) I don't even have to ask what films you love since I know you're a huge Fright Night fan! What is it about Fright Night that stood out to you?

It's true! I'm a Fright Night fanatic. Again, I was so young when I saw the film for the first time that I can't even remember how old I was. My mother saw it with some friends and came home and rented it for us. It must have been '89 or so, just a few years after it came out. Initially what attracted me to it? I can't recall. I do remember having a very inappropriate crush on Chris Sarandon (that may or may not linger today..). But the adult in me can now put words to why I love it so much. 

First, the story captivated me. The idea that something awful was happening and nobody would believe the one person who knew it. I fell in love with each and every character and how complex they were and how they all fit together to tell the story. I was simply enamored of the special effects. Evil Ed's wolf transformation, the pencil in Jerry's hand - it all seemed so effortless and wonderful. Scary at times and gory at times but nothing over the top. Everything had it's place. I never went to bed as a kid being freaked out by Fright Night and I love that. I think that's my favorite part of the film. It isn't extreme gore or violence or sex. It's about a little bit of everything which, to me, creates a more realistic story.

Everyone who is in the arts has a moment they turned onto it and a reason. Fright Night was what got me interested in acting myself, in creating other worlds and in things like make-up and effects. Quite honestly I feel like I owe a lot to Fright Night.(1 and Part 2)

3) You're also the founder of The Fischer Bodies which performs Vaudeville-style theatre. From reading the description on Facebook, you're not only sexy, but powerful, sassy, and inspiring! Please tell us more about your performers, performances, and The Fischer Bodies as a whole!

The Fischer Bodies was something I started when I realized that I needed to learn to love myself. It was really that simple. I put out a call on Facebook to see if my other theatre friends felt the same way or would be interested and I got some positive response. That was three years ago! I can hardly believe it. We perform burlesque theatre, as I call it. We really do a wide variety of performance. Sometimes it's about putting on an entire show with a script we wrote from the ground up. Sometimes it's about putting a twist on an old favorite,as with our upcoming How Dr. Frank - N- Furter Stole X-Mas: A Rocky Horror X-Mas Show. Sometimes it's about doing classic 1940's style burlesque for private parties. But it is always, 100% about loving ourselves.

Our troupe consists of Nada Teezovich(founding member), Paige Turner(founding member), Dish Delish, Twiggy Boylust, Chaz Boner, Furvus Mendax and myself, Victoria NigthShade. We all serve several functions from costumes, to writer to music editor to anything you can think of that is required for the production of a show.

Our hallmark is dark and mysterious. We do a lot of horror themed burlesque as a few of us are tried and true horror buffs. We've even taken our shows on the road to different horror conventions, which is something we greatly enjoy. But we do love to throw humor in anywhere we can. Dish Delish and I have this great little number set to the Jaws theme music. Silly, campy, dark, mysterious, classic, positive and vibrant. I think those words describe who we are and what we do but honestly? You have to see it for yourself.

4) You do a lot, including the Flint Zombie Walk! What was the inspiration behind starting it? Tell us more about its awesomeness!

The Flint Zombie Walk was something I started originally as a sort of PR stunt for Flint City Theatre. The Theatre does a lot of underground, strange plays and a Zombie Walk seemed like a good way to get some awareness of the group. We paired up with a charity and had about 75 Walkers that year. It started simply enough, just like that. The next year we had Kyra Schon from Night of the Living Dead as a celebrity guest and the event grew to about 200 Walkers. The third year we had Sharon Hill from Dawn of the Dead and we skyrocketed to 700 Walkers. I started taking things very seriously at that point. Each year we chose a charitable organization and Walk on their behalf. The event is run like a mini horror convention, featuring horror vendors, entertainment and celebrity guests. We've welcomed Ken Foree(Dawn of the Dead), Alex Vincent(Child's Play), William Ragsdale(Fright Night), John Tenney(Realm of the Weird), Jim Krut(Dawn of the Dead) and the others I listed above. I go to horror conventions a lot so seeing these people isn't a new concept to me. But to see the patrons of my event get to meet their horror idols? It's just the best thing I can think of. On top of that we get to give back!  

The sixth annual Flint Zombie Walk will take place on October 4th and you can check out www.flintzombiewalk.com for the low down.

5) Quite the entrepreneur! What is some of the best advice you've heard or lessons that you have learned in your time as a successful business woman, entertainer, and horror lover?

I suppose you can call me an entrepreneur if you consider my payment is experience and fulfillment. Working with lots of different types of people can be a challenge because everyone has different needs and wants and points of view. The first and best thing? Not everyone has to be your friend. And that's okay. Not everyone is good for you. You aren't good for everyone. And that's okay, too. If that's the case don't force what shouldn't be. Find the people that you work well with and develop a bond wherein you trust them and hold them accountable but you're also strong enough to move on alone if things don't work out. Be willing to look at your own shortcomings and recognize your own flaws.

The most important thing I can think of is be kind and be genuine. Allow what you're doing to come from your heart and from your passions. Be positive! Use social media to your advantage but don't bog it down with everything awful going on in your life. Save that for your tried and true friends. Keep it light and positive and allow people to become attracted to your work because they can see your happiness. Even if they don't share your exact interestes they will find your demeanor lovely. It's a great way to make connections and a great way to be happy!

6) You're certainly one of the most inspirational women in the world of horror. You're determined, smart, fearless, and caring so I wonder... who or what inspires you?

Wow! What a compliment. That's so sweet of you to say.  My inspirations come from gentle, good hearted people. ( I think that's why I like you so much, Diandra. ) My Mother, my husband, my daughter and my close friends. The people that I hold close are those who have found a way to navigate life while being kind. Aside from human beings, a lot of my inspiration comes from this great need that I have to constantly express myself. It's a blessing and a curse. It won't really allow me to stop any of the work that I do. But it also allows me to experience things in a way that only an artist does. A lot of the inspiration that lives in that well comes from horror films. Maybe that's why I love horror so much after all. It allows me to be the exact opposite of what I am in a very safe way, without risking anything. *light bulb moment*

Photo Credit: RSII Photography

7) What is your proudest achievement and your greatest goal?

If we're strictly talking about my work in horror my proudest achievement would have to be the growing success of the Flint Zombie Walk and the connections I've made with my own favorite horror celebrities as a result. It always starts out as a business deal and ends with the guests and I being real friends. We hang out when we're in one another's towns, call each other on the phone, have get togethers whenever time permits. I've been able to cross over from being a fan to a friend and that means a lot to me. Their work, my fan-girl-geek-ness, it's all irrelevant because they've ended up being fantastic humans that I'd want to know anyway. And I feel lucky that they care to know me back.  

My secret goal that I haven't told anyone until this moment? To be on the other side of the signing table. Not necessarily for film but for the work I'm already doing. To travel to conventions with my burlesque show and bring horror fans real horror burlesque and to have those people as excited to meet me as I am to meet them. Or maybe it's because I did land a role somewhere that meant something to somebody or because of my modeling or...or...or....it almost doesn't matter. If I do what I love and someone else wants to hang with me because they love it to? It's the ultimate fandom experience.

8) Any future projects? I know they'll be worth keeping an eye out for.

I'm always working on burlesque shows so you can keep up to date there by searching for The Fischer Bodies on Facebook or by visiting www.thefischerbodies.com.

The 6th Annual Flint Zombie Walk will take place in October and you can find out more by finding us on Facebook or visiting us at www.flintzombiewalk.com.

Miss Dish Delish and I have a horror blog you can check out at http://babesinhorrorland.blogspot.com/.

And coming soon I'll be starting work on a very special project that I can't really talk about at the moment. It's still in it's beginning stages of development but it does involve some modeling and lovely ladies and some hardcore fan girls!

The Fischer Bodies as Masquerade of the Red Death

(Left to right) Victoria NightShade, Dish Delish, Nada Teezovich

Photo Credit: Brian Ingersoll

I thank Kristina for giving of her time to answer these questions and hope that you will check out her work! "Oh, you're so COOL, [Kristina]!" No, really, you are!

Here is the video of "Come to Me" that I mentioned earlier....check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxQ999S9Rq8

Also, here is Kristina performing a burlesque tribute to Fight Night at Mad Monster Party.

FINAL FANBOY of the week! Hail to the King, Baby: Interview with Adam "Ash" King

Conventions are bliss for we horror fans. It is a time for us to mingle with those of "our kind" and bond over the genre we love, taking a step out of reality and into film. This sense of being a part of film is heightened by the presence of costumers stalking, crawling, and striding down the halls. Whether we know the characters or not, we can not help but want to steal a photo or two. If we do recognize a character, we want a photo all the more, especially if the costume is extremely accurate and well-done. One of the most spectacular and shocking costumers to see at conventions is Adam King who costumes as "Ash Williams" from the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness films. Adam is a charming fellow with a personality fitting of Ash and incredible costumes to boot! If that isn't enough, he actually looks strikingly similar to Bruce. Female fans, including myself, can't help but fangirl! Can you blame us? His incredible knack for emulating the character's appearance and personality to perfection has gained him a place in the DAYS OF THE DEAD convention's official hero and heroine costuming group, Heroes Within Us. I had the fantastic opportunity of interviewing Adam recently about his costuming and his love for all things horror and Evil Dead/Army of Darkness. Prepare to "hail to the King", the ADAM KING!

1) Have you been a horror fan from a young age?

Absolutely. When I was between the ages of 6 to 8, it was the mid-eighties and slasher horror was more popular than ever. Freddy and Jason were household names and everybody's older teenage siblings were excitedly riding the waves of fear adrenaline that their movies offered. That's how I was introduced to it all – word of mouth and quick glances at the television as they played in the dark. My oldest friend and I grew up together, daring ourselves as children to sit through the movies we weren't supposed to see while no one was around! It didn't take long for he and I to become hooked and crave more, scouring the nearby Mom & Pop movie rental store for new scares based solely on the incomparable cover art on the VHS sleeves. We would ask his older brother to rent them for us (which he found to be hysterical), and we would devour them with just a hint of fear still in our wide eyes. After the birth of our obsession, any hang-out time, sleepovers and camping trips were filled with hypothetical conversations about who would win in a fight: Jason or Freddy? Lol! You know... the important stuff.

2) When did you first become a fan of Ash, Evil Dead and Army of Darkness? What about the movies attracted you to them?

I honestly didn't see any of them until I was about 15 or 16, and that fact alone (given my childhood pinballing from one horror film to the next) still astounds me! Lol! What's even funnier is that I was given the nickname “Ash” by others, who said it was due to my likeness to Bruce Campbell, a few years before I even saw any of the films. It was a nickname that stuck all the way through the last two years of high school and into college, and I still get it from old friends from time to time.

The first film out of the series I ever saw was Evil Dead 2, followed by Army Of Darkness a few days later. I was immediately a fan. There was something so original about them... the camera angles, the excessive amounts of over-the-top blood and splatter, and the perfect balance of laughs mixed in with the horror! To me, the series stands out as a pillar in the horror genre and is a perfect example to all future horror writers and directors that this is how it's done. I sincerely hope that Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell still have at least one more movie left in them to add to the series.

3) Out of Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, which is your favorite?

Definitely Evil Dead 2, followed closely by Army Of Darkness. Don't get me wrong... I love the first one, and I admire what the first film brought to the table! The original definitely stands alone in my mind. There is a bit of levity to the original film, but that is obviously unintentional. Like I stated above, I adored the hell out of the mix of laughs and horror that part 2 offered, and the slapstick humor and one-liners that has come to define the character of Ash that we all know from Army Of Darkness. 

4) Why and when did you decide to first costume as Ash?

Originally, I had made the Hero Ash costume from part 2 for a Halloween costume contest at a casino back in NY. The prize for first place was $5,000 and I had always wanted to try and make the chainsaw as a prop, so I figured this was the perfect time to give it a shot. I had finished everything and entered the contest, walking out on stage and giving the crowd my best. The whole place went nuts! Lol! But sadly, the judges had no idea who I was and I didn't place at all. After losing, I went home and tossed the whole outfit in the corner except for the chainsaw. That found a home on top of my bookcase.

Not long after, I had been introduced to the world of horror conventions by one of my best friends, Janine. She went on and on about how much fun they were and how I'd fall in love with them as much as she and the rest of my circle of close friends had. Needless to say, I was instantly game for this! But she had one condition: I had to wear the Ash costume. Lol! I was so incredibly reluctant. I reeeally felt like it would be awkward, having never been to a con and not realizing that there would be others in costume as well. Lol!

Much to my surprise, I was extremely popular and had an amazing time! I was asked to return to the con in character next time, and invited by a few others to attend their future cons. I made quite a few new friends on that first trip, one that would be most noteworthy would be Jeff “Wickedbeard” Cochran who has become like a brother to me since.

5) Which is your favorite Ash costume?

It's kinda hard to choose one, but I'd say the Hero Ash outfit because of its iconic look. If I'm going for comfort to decide a favorite, I'd have to go with S-Mart Ash. The Farewell To Arms Ash costume is a lot of fun for me because the severed hand that's perched on my shoulder is sound-activated and its fingers move on their own. Lol! It usually catches people off-guard when they pose for a picture with me and it randomly starts doing its creepy-crawly thing!

                                          

6) What are some of your favorite moments from the times you have been in costume?

Now THIS one is a tough answer. There is an insane amount of memories to sift through. I ended up making friends with the guys from Boondock Saints because they loved my outfit. I've met Danny Hicks from Evil Dead 2 and have become close friends with him... he is such an awesome guy, and I feel very fortunate to have him as a friend! He says I look more like Bruce than Bruce does! Lol!

I've met Kassie DePaiva from part 2 as well, and she was such a sweetheart of a lady! She had laughed over how I was giving her flashbacks of being in the film and had thanked me for the memories. For a short while, there was a picture of her and I on her official fan page, which was an honor.

I met Ted Raimi in Jersey and had a blast talking with him! Lol! He's a riot! All weekend long, he kept giving me shout-outs from across the con! At one point, he said to me “Oh, man... I just have to get your picture, dude. I have some people I need to send this to.” Turns out that he had Tweeted it to Bruce on his page and said something about having found his double! Bruce liked it. I have yet to actually meet Bruce (which is insane) but he was shown my pictures by my friend, Janine, and she quoted him as saying “Holy s#!t... Not only is this the best Ash costume I've ever seen, but what really floors me is... this kid f*%king looks like me.” LOL!

But my absolute favorite moment goes to a little girl that had to be no older than 9... I was at the Days Of The Dead in Indy and was stopped by a Mom and Dad who had a shy little daughter by the hand. As she was peeking at me from behind her Father's legs, her Mom asks me “Can she have a picture with you? You have no idea... Ash is her all-time favorite character (then whispers) and she thinks you're really him!” Naturally I thought that that was the most adorable thing ever and went straight into my Ash act, donning the voice and playing out the part for this little girl. I bent down to one knee and posed for a picture with her, and just as I was about to stand back up the little girl meekly squeaked out “Ash... Can you pick me up? I wanna sit on your shoulder and take a picture.” After my heart melted, I hoisted her up on my shoulder with one arm and held her legs while she hugged my neck and revealed the biggest smile ever! Lol! Before we parted ways, I gave the little girl a loose page from my Necronomicon prop and told her to protect it for me. She pressed it against her chest and nodded fiercely.

The next day, I ran into them on the elevator and the little girl still had the page! Her Mom looked to me and said “Thank you so much for yesterday! You have no idea how much it meant to her, and us! She hasn't stopped talking about it since! She hasn't let go of that page for a second, and she even wanted her Dad to play pretend with her last night that he was Ash!”

That has to be, without a doubt, my favorite memory! That's what it's all about for people who do what we do.

7) Do you have a favorite piece of Evil Dead and/or Ash memorabilia?

There are signed glossies I have that I wouldn't trade for anything, and a prop single-bit axe I have that's dripping with green gore made by propmaster Tim Miller. But my favorite piece of legit memorbilia is something given to me as a gift by James Howard. It's a piece of the roof from the cabin from part 2, and also a stone from the chimney.

                                                   

8) I have to ask, knowing how much you love the films, what are your thoughts on the remake? Especially without Ash.

Honestly, I'm glad that they respectively left out the Ash character. It's not that I'm one of “those fans” who would've automatically hated it, it's just that I think the character wouldn't have been properly utilized with the way the script played out. So... how do I feel about the remake...

I think that it's an incredible horror movie that works best as a stand-alone flick. It should not be considered as a story that fits in canon with the earlier films, in my opinion. Hats off to them for using more makeup fx than CGI, which was a major nod to how they did it in the originals and one of the best parts to me! In short, I loved it for what it was and I always trust in Sam and Bruce. Definitely a horse to always bet on.

9) What can we anticipate from you in the near future?

I'm actually working on new outfits for future cons at the moment. The first one up will be Medieval Ash from Army Of Darkness, complete with a molded chestplate, cape and brand new gauntlet hand – made out of real materials. Possibly a spear, as well! Lol! The second one is Deadite Ash from part 2, which I am very excited about but may take a little while. I want to get everything just right with that one, from the sculpt of the makeup to the white-out contacts.

Outside of Days Of The Dead and being a part of Heroes Within Us, I'm hoping to get back into acting again. I did a few small parts in indie shorts, but would like to pursue bigger roles. Preferrably in horror movies, of course. As far as anything else goes (if you're reading this, Sam), I'm ready for your relaunch if you decide to use Ash in Evil Dead 2. Lol!

10) Other than the Evil Dead films and Army of Darkness, what are some of your other favorite horror movies?

I have always loved the Friday the 13th series, no matter what. And for the record, Kane was the best. The Nightmare series will always have a place in my heart for sure, too. There are tons of others, mainstream or otherwise, like Shaun Of The Dead, Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, the Phantasm series, Return Of The Living Dead, In The Mouth Of Madness... anything from Sam Raimi, a slew of different zombie flicks, and faaar too many others to mention here. 

11) Please tell us your favorite Ash line!

It's kind of a tie between the classic “Groovy” and “Gimmie some sugar, baby.” 

12) Last, but not least, what would Ash do for a Klondike bar?

Learn to say the words right this time.

                                 

Son of a Hundred Maniacs updates

As you may or may not know, I am the publicist for the popular fan film SON OF A HUNDRED MANIACS. Over the past month or so, we have been teasing a lot about a new glove. We are on the verge of releasing those new images. Here are some update videos from writer and director, Andrew Daniels, and myself.


Andrew:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxrIxUNASB8

Myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUjBWekf0zM


The film's trailer:

Review/analysis of WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE

Below is an essay I composed for a Film As Art class last semester. We, the students, had the option of choosing any film and I picked what is not only my favorite horror film, but also one of my favorite films of all time: Wes Craven's New Nightmare. The review was well-received by my professor and as was the film. He named it not only his favorite Wes Craven film, but also his favorite film reviewed. Enjoy!

 When filmmakers create a film, they anticipate that it will be successful and leave its mark. Sometimes, this mark reaches farther than they’d have ever expected, extending over multiple generations and completely engulfing audiences to life-altering levels. It is rare to find someone who could be flashed a tattered, dirty red and green sweater without them recognizing that it belongs to Freddy Krueger. He is bound to our culture, bonded to its very heart and soul in ways that stretch to vast, immeasurable lengths. The following of his films is so strong, so influential that it’s almost overpowering, leaving everyone to wonder what’ has been created and what influence it has on the world. Wes Craven brilliantly explores these very ideas through his film, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, a meta-film examining the impact of the films, looking upon them as a living creature who haunts those who originally had a hand in the birth of the infamous and overwhelming phenomenon that is A Nightmare on Elm Street.  

       Ten years after the nightmares first began on Elm Street, the film’s original heroine, Heather Langenkamp, is now living an average life in California with her husband and special effects artist, Chase, and their son, Dylan. Despite choosing to remain faithful to her duties at home and away from the world of macabre, Heather seems unable to shake the world of horror in which she has become a prevalent figure. She is harassed by a man claiming to be “Freddy Krueger”; calling her house at odd hours and threatening her safety. On top of her terrifying stalker, Heather is offered a starring role in a new Nightmare film that resurrects her old foe. As Heather finds herself surrounded by horrors from her past, Dylan begins acting strange, almost as if possessed. Soon Chase passes and Heather suspects there is something sinister at work. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that an ancient evil force is trying to break free from his chains and make her worst nightmares a reality. Heather must choose whether or not she is willing to put on her pajamas one last time and face what she has been avoiding for so long in order to save her son and humanity. 

       The film does not forget the 1984 classic from which it spawned, often paying tribute to it with many cleverly placed homages. These homages are not only nostalgic moments for audiences, but they also tie in nicely to how the “real Freddy” looks upon Heather as “Nancy”, recreating these events to reinforce his relationship with her and goad her into playing along. The opening sequence is also an influential homage. This scene shows the audience that they are about to view a piece that reminds them of the film they known and love, but also has a modern flare and is set in “reality” as opposed to the same Nightmare universe from the previous films. Interestingly enough, the film never has an opening title sequence. Wes hoped to trick the audience into questioning whether or not what they were viewing was fact or fiction, especially because it featured the stars and crew who made the first movie possible as themselves. One of Wes’s many brilliant moves when making the film was his desire for it to feel like a documentary. Not only does the lack of the traditional title sequence throw off the audience, but many of the technical aspects in the film have a natural element to them. While the film has fairly steady camera placing, the shots often closely follow a character’s actions, zooming in and moving with their changes in body position rather than standing still. The camera movements are also somewhat off balance and shaky at times, influencing the audience to mentally place themselves in the scene as though they were really there. Despite his dedication to keeping the appearance of reality front and center, Craven enjoys paying homage to some of the horror greats. One shot in particular occurs when Heather spots the police at her door after awakening from her horrific dream about Chase’s death. She realizes at this moment that her dream was not only a dream, but also revealed what has just happened to her husband. To covey the feeling of a horrific realization, Craven utilizes Alfred Hitchcock’s famous “Vertigo effect”, of a dolly in, zoom out. Craven also selects several natural lighting choices to create the tone of certain scenes, in a way that continually reinforces the idea that this is not a movie, but rather a reality. For example, after chasing Dylan across the freeway, Heather discusses with John Saxon how her husband really died; instead of highlighting her eyes with artificial lighting that might seem out of place, Wes uses the moonlight and the leaves shining through her patio doors to illuminate Heather’s face in a way that focuses on certain features while maintaining the dark and spooky tone the movie takes on at that point.  

       Horror film scores are often a spoiler for the scares; in this film, while the score has those moments, it pushes the limit of horror by not only encompassing the loud moments that heighten the audience’s sense of fear, but also adds tension and even tenderness at times. It is a diverse score that takes the audience through the ups, downs, and sharp bends within the film itself. The film’s scenery mainly consists of an every day environment, until the movie takes a turn for Freddy’s lair. Being an ancient being, his lair oozes remnants of the old world, from paintings on the walls, to the seven deadly sins over the fire pits, pillars, vases, and the like. The lair represents Freddy’s iconic boiler room, but in a way that parallels his change in nature and character from the Freddy of the films.

  One of the most symbolic and intriguing moments of the film is Heather’s interview scene which points out the Nightmare phenomenon, sets up the introduction of the “real Freddy“, and symbolizes Heather’s relationship with the series. Although it is early in the film, it is already known that Heather feels uncomfortable revisiting her past experience with the Elm Street films, which is not picked up by the enthusiastic host, who is itching for more answers. Much to Heather’s dismay, she’s surrounded by Elm Street. The effects of the series are visible in the show’s audience: a crowd filled with individuals of all ages dressed in Freddy gear, holding Freddy signs. When the host introduces Robert and he emerges, he’s the goofy Freddy that he evolved into during the later films. This silly “film Freddy” contrasts against the later, darker “real Freddy” in the film to emphasize the entity torturing Heather is not the same Krueger. It is not until Robert stands in front of Heather, with the spotlight upon him, and his shadow is cast over Heather as he shouts “You are all my children now”, that he transforms into a dark figure claiming ownership over the souls of the fans. The shadow cast back on Heather not only symbolizes that her heroine, Nancy, is living in Freddy’s shadow, but also that the darkness of real evil is looming over her life, preparing to strike. 

          Wes Craven’s New Nightmare received rave reviews from critics, but not such great box office results. Often criticized by fans for not being “scary enough” or for not having a sufficient amount of gore, the film receives mixed opinions from the fan base itself. Personally, it is not only my favorite Nightmare film, but also one of my favorite all-time films for its endless list of brilliant storytelling elements put into the film. It is an underappreciated film that brings into light the affect films can have on our lives, particularly on those closest to us, and the innocent wisdom and instinct that exists within children. As Wes has mentioned, although horror is often criticized, if we refuse to make “art” about it, we will only lose more of our sanity because we choose to ignore those primal parts of life. Wes understands the significance of sending messages to the world through movie-making. Through horror, he warns us about some of the things we overlook or deny exist. However, thankfully for us, these tales of boogeymen and the ancient demonic forces embodying them are only fictional; at least, for now. 

Who is the Girl on Elm Street?: The "(sorry it's a) Wall of Text" Introduction

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog! This is my very first one so I am nervously, but excitedly ready to begin posting. Before I get into the blog content, I'd like to share a little about myself for those who may not know me.



 My Story

 My name is Diandra Lazor and I'm at the ripe, but somewhat awkward age of 20. I am a very passionate horror fan. Although I'm not yet a horror aficionado, I'm working my way towards it. I have a lot of catching up to do because my bloody rose of horror lovin' was not planted until a few years ago and did not begin to bloom until about a year and a half ago. I grew up in a very catholic household where I can't say I was unwilling to rebel against the very conservative and wholesome values of my immediate family. In fact, I even had dreams of being a nun. When I reached high school, I even earned the title "sister Mary Lazor-Beam" from a teacher who thought the nunnery was missing someone like me. That ship has sailed, but I still laugh about it. I saw my first horror film in seventh grade, Jeepers Creepers, and it horrified me for months. When my family moved next to a small field, I was constantly paranoid and would scream if I saw anyone or anything to do with the movie. Despite being wholly holy and having a family that rarely if ever watched a horror film, I always had an odd fascination with the macabre and spooky things. A traumatic childhood haunted house incident kept me at a safe distance, but I loved the old monster movies, would get up early in the morning just to watch the Jaws films(the Universal Orlando ride was my favorite as a child), couldn't-stop-watching-to-the-point-of-obsession Ghostbusters and Hocus Pocus, and had an intriguing love-hate relationship with Freddy Krueger. A Nightmare On Elm Street would come on the television from time to time we always seemed to cross paths at the moment when a slashed up and crispy Marge was sinking downward into her bed. It was the most terrifying image of my childhood, yet I found myself singing the "1,2 Freddy's coming for you..." song with my best friend on car rides. I was a pretty conflicted child, right? I didn't know it at the time, but that movie would change my life.

When the summer of my freshman year arrived, my family took a trip to western Ohio to a place from where my father originated. At the time, I was obsessed with the 2004 film The Phantom of the Opera(being the life-long queen of obsessions, this made obsession #26 for me, and my biggest obsession to date! Or so I thought). The town was small and quaint. A typical Midwestern town that was eerily empty, particularly around the playground. Such a nice place in a week with nice weather, but things were quiet. My father kept rambling about some watertower the town was known for. When we finally reached the hotel, which had a very picturesque view of the watertower, I grudgingly took a photo in front of it. That night I had the Freddy Krueger dream that completely consumed me. I had many Krueger dreams before, but this one was the most real and he kept talking about a "Nancy". "Who's Nancy?", I thought. When I woke up, I was utterly obsessed with Freddy and A Nightmare On Elm Street. On our way out of the beautiful but spooky town, we crossed paths with an Elm Street.

When we returned home I rushed out to rent the films. I began with the sillier ones first(Freddy's Dead and Freddy vs Jason) before finally renting the original. When Nancy came into the film, I was in shock. I couldn't believe the Freddy in my dream had mentioned this girl from this movie whose name I had never known, but who actually existed. As the movie progressed I fell in love with her. I knew the following Halloween, I would have to be her for Halloween. In the meantime, my love for her grew and I slowly began branching out into the other films and even some of the online resources. That Halloween I did dress as Nancy and continued to do so for the next 3 years. I had such rave reviews from my friends and family that I decided to take it to the fans through online resources. I took a few photos in costume and fans seemed to like it. That's when I decided to create a Facebook profile. As time passed I became more and more of an Elm Street fan, with Nancy leading the way as my favorite character of both the franchise and of all-time. My costuming grew and I branched out further and further.

Today I am a more avid Heather/Nancy/Nightmare fan than ever and have come across some truly amazing people in my life who I'm happy to call friends. I had had the honor of being a part of so many things like the Nightmare Companion(www.nightmareonelmstreetflms.com), Krueger Kollectables, the Indie fan film Son Of A Hundred Maniacs, be an assistance for actor Mark Patton of Nightmare 2, DAYS OF THE DEAD convention's "Heroes Within Us", represent Ohio with Scares That Care, and experience so many things beyond my wildest dreams.


All About the Blog

With encouragement from friends, I am now delving deep into the world of horror and loving every bit of it. I'm intrigued with everything that's out there and want to utilize this blog to highlight some of the best aspects of the horror universe. This blog will include everything from Indie horror, art, and books; to literary analysis of films and research topics; to tips and tricks from horror entrepreneurs(convention heads, podcasts, panel moderators, review blogs, website owners, etc.); to notable fans; and maybe even more! I am always open so if you have anyone or anything you'd like to know more about or how to do, or think there is an Indie film, an artist, a book, etc. you would like me to check out, please feel free to contact me and I would be more than happy to consider your suggestions.

With coffee in hand and "Stay Awake Fast" at my side, it's time to get nutty as a fruitcake and dive right in! I hope you'll enjoy.



Whew! That was a blog post full!!