Interview: Talking Horror with A Permanent Shadow

In this interview we talk horror with A Permanent Shadow, the dark electronic rock artist.

1. What’s some of your earliest memories surrounding horror films and at what age do you think you experienced your first one?

I saw The Omen at a very early age, maybe aged eight, and it left me sleepless for a week. My parents had absolutely prohibited me from watching it, but I sneaked into the living room and saw the whole movie from my hideout. Big mistake.

2. What effect do you think it had on you, either positive or negative?

It was horrifying. I had nightmares with Damian for weeks on end. In hindsight, it must be said it’s a great movie, with no gore elements, but all the more spine-tingling for it.

3. Do you have a particular moment in horror, be it a specific film or even a scene, that defined your childhood?

Cat People was quite impactful, the worst moment being the zoo staffer losing his arm to the beast. People losing a limb to this day has a big effect on me.

4. What used to scare you?

Bad people, mass murderers, serial killers. Monsters, not so much.

5. How did your early experiences blossom into a love of all things horror?

Hahaha, I wouldn’t call it love. In fact, there are very few horror movies that I did not end up feeling disappointed by. I don’t know why most of them start off reasonably intriguing but end up being a senseless gorefest. Even Obsession which is turning into the box office hit of the summer falls into that trap. Backrooms, likewise.

6. Do you have a particular era or style of horror that you deem the best? If so, which one, why, and what are some examples of the best of that era/style?

I like psychological horror more than physical horror. Leave something to the imagination, for God’s sake! The Shining, for instance, is an absolute masterpiece of that particular genre.

7. How about genres – are you a slasher fan, paranormal lover, gorefest enjoyer, etc, or is a little bit of everything ok with you?

Paranormal stuff really scares me and can make me freak out. I remember the lost footage movies from some years ago, starting with The Blair Witch Project. Some of those I found really scary, others were just painfully ridiculous.

8. What’s the best horror film to watch alone and why?

I don’t think it’s a good idea to watch any horror movie by yourself. You should always have someone around to hold on to during the moments of maximum panic.

9. Likewise, what’s the best horror film to watch with a group (beers and popcorn included) and why?

I’m not a group person. That said, I would never watch a movie like Seven by myself. In fact, I would never again watch Seven.

10. What is an overrated film or franchise? Please explain.

The whole Scream franchise is just really boring and so predictable. The first instalment of SAW was cool, however all the sequels were really poor. Same with I Know What You Did Last Summer. Why they decided to resuscitate it, I have no idea. You may have guessed I’m not a friend of franchises in general. Rarely has a sequel added anything to the original movie. I mentioned Obsession earlier, I think its success is not quite deserved, although I do think that Inde Navarrete is cool.

11. What is a modern horror film (the last ten years) that you just loved and why?

The one with the coked-up bear. I can’t remember its name, but it was hilarious.

12. What scares you now?

Movies, not so much anymore. The state of the world is much scarier than anything a screenwriter could come up with.

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