Nerd Dating: Online Dating Part 2-More Pros and Cons
OK, I know I haven’t posted a lot recently, but the fact is I have spent the last five days fixing mistakes made by other people. I don’t want to get into it except to say that it really sucked. Anyway, let’s have more fun discussing the pros and cons of online dating.
Pro: given time to consider your words you can avoid blurting out something really stupid or inappropriate. Most of us have said dumb things without thinking in our lifetime. I have found I tend to sound better and smarter if I have even a couple seconds to consider my words before pressing send. Even IM seems smoother that way.
Con: if you are illiterate or like to wRiTE liKE ThiS you will look like a moron. Yes, spell check is great but if you lack basic spelling and grammar skills you can really look stupid. Also, that wanna be gangster mixed upper/lower case writing is the online equivalent of tying to impress a girl by covering yourself with paste and rancid meat (and being a moron). I don’t care if you have seen girls do it. Trust me, you will never get anywhere with those girls, and you don’t have to be a guy to be brain-damagingly stupid.
Pro: you can meet people who share your interests. Yes, if there is a girl out there who shares your love of 14th century bardisches, Snorky from the Banana Splits, or debating the eternal Captain Kirk/Captain Pecard argument (Kirk, IMO) this is the place to find her. Unfortunately, any girl who lists anything remotely nerdish or cool will have her email box filled by other nerds so fast her laptop may melt down.
Con: your specific interests may well repulse the majority of women out there. I play Warhammer and love it. However, as much as my dream would be to date a girl who plays it this is the last thing I would list on my profile as I know the vast majority of the girls out there would take one look at it and say “What is this guy into? He must be some kind of dork, playing with toy soldiers.” There is the cool, sexy nerd (you know, the hipster teck geek. Die hipster scum) and then there is the just plain old nerd. You need to seem to be in the first camp to intrigue a girl online. Try to find a girl who is willing to to help you and tell her what you are considering listing as interests. If she at any point wrinkles her nose and says “really?” dump that item.
Pro: you can claim to be into things that you have done once or twice in your life. Ever been on a pony ride at a carnival? Then you could claim to be into horseback riding. Completed a paint-by-numbers painting of a kitten? Then you are both artistic and into animals. Again, I don’t recommend out-and-out lying, but as long as you are ready to reap the whirlwind when she finds out your passion for ballroom dancing is derived from dancing with your mom at your sisters wedding, then go nuts.
Con: she can (and probably will) do the same thing. Trust me, this plays both ways and if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. If she claims to match your passion for Star Trek that most likely means she watched a couple episodes with her brother years ago. Girl Trek fans exist, but unless she lists it on her profile unsolicited she is probably trying hard to match up to your level of geek.
Pro: you can do it from your home. If the burden of bathing, dressing, and grooming weighs very heavily on you, you could theoretically pull it off from the comfort of your desk chair and never have to put any effort into it at all. This is a horrible idea and I highly UNRECOMMENDED this. However, it remains a pro.
Con: if you are prone to being anti social, this will only make it worse. If you feel intimidated talking to women trying to meet them online will only aggravate your condition. The only way to really get over being shy is to force yourself to get out of the house and talk to women.
I think that’s it. Next dating post I will either get into understanding other posts or writing your own. Not sure which is better. I think understanding posts would be funnier, though, so I am inclined to head that way.
As for the whole Wolverine vrs Freddy Kruegar question, it is interesting and boils down to actual powers. If Freddy can attack adults and just chooses kids than he would be highly competitive with Logan. On the other hand, if Wolverines healing powers can fix damage done in dreams than Freddy could never actually kill him. I think I am going to call this one a draw (Blood and Steel image courtesy of the Wolverine t shirts).
I am kind of into horror movie, so for today I post the question of who would win, telekinetic introverted high school hero (in my opinion) Carrie versus champion of the popular good looking kids Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Nerd Dating: Spotting crazy girls early pt 5
OK, I’ve reached the point in this series that it might have been easier to just list the ways you can spot non-crazy girls (I hesitate to use the word “sane” in this circumstances) but it seems you have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding that extremely rare creature. What this really is is how to spot girls crazy enough to severely complicate your life and/or cause you physical harm. The ones who will only cause you emotional pain I consider entirely datable. All things in life are relative. Here are a few more spotting tips.
16. Excessive tattoos and piercings. Personally I actually find it really these really attractive, but that is my own cross to bear. I also had a thing for my own piercings back in the day, but I think when I first started this whole dating advice blog I mentioned that I personally make a lousy boyfriend, so take that for what you will. Women (and men) who feel the need for multiple visible piercings and tattoos tend to have all kinds of “Pay attention to me” issues. I kind of see 
them as showing different symptoms of the same mental issues that strippers suffer from.
(Pinhead says “Pay attention to me as we tear your soul apart”. Image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
17. Excessive cosmetic surgery, makeup, and elaborate hair styles. Another train wreck. Women who go for this sort of thing have massive self esteem issues. Again, you have to look for the excessive. A girl who has a mole removed or a bad scar worked on is not excessive. Nose, lips, and eyelids really is. A girl who gets a breast enhancement to make her body more proportional I don’t consider excessive. A girl who gets a breast enhancement so big that comparisons to sporting utensils bigger than a billiards ball become functional is excessive (think _____ball-sized). A perm is not excessive. A blowout that takes an hour or more every morning is. Also, watch out for women with excessively trimmed eyebrows. If it looks like her eyebrows were drawn on with a pencil stay away. This goes triple for girls who have their eyebrows plucked out and replaced by tattoos in their place.
18. Does she talk about her private grooming practices early on? Girls who feel the need to tell you exactly when and what kind of bikini wax she got are fishing around to see if they can get a reaction from you in order to better mess with your mind. There is also a very good chance she feels you aren’t paying enough attention to her, and there is an extremely good chance that you can never in your life pay enough attention to her.
I gotta run. Something just came up. More tomorrow.
Interview with Firefly veteran Danny Nero part 4
Continuing my interview with Danny Nero, stand in extraordinaire. The photo on the left is Danny in full demon attire with Angel star Andy Hallett (the Host) at a Angel charity posting board party. I’m sure you know Andy tragically passed away in 2009.
D: Most of the outdoor filming for Angel happened in downtown LA. I used to live near there, and it’s always fun to recognize a particular piece of wrecked transit building or warehouse on the show. They also filmed The Crow down there. However, I know from personal experience that the neighborhood is 
one step up from a demilitarized zone. One thing I admire about Joss is his dedication to his personal vision. I guess a few crack dealers and gang members will not stop him from filming late at night in a terrible neighborhood. Have you found that such concerns are truly not an impediment to his getting the shot he wants? What are some of the most bizarre, dangerous, or just out of the way locations he has dragged the whole crew to? (Crow image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
Danny: If you are familiar with the series, Angel’s first season hang out was a rather cramped underground lair that proved to be a difficult set to shoot in so by the end of season 1, it was blown up with the best pyro demonstration I’d ever witnessed! The explosion on the exterior of the building took place at about 3am on the Brooklyn street at Paramount and although it didn’t make a lot of noise (that was all added in later) it did send some huge fireballs out in all directions. One unintended effect was the trigger of the fire sprinklers in the soundstage directly behind the facade which flooded one of “Roswell’s” sets. I’ll bet that was costly!
The whole crew wished we had a convenient all-purpose alley set on the back lot to use but no we had to make many trips to downtown L.A. for so many of those all-nighters. There were plenty of real live rats that didn’t enjoy us being there but they didn’t bother me. I did pause one time when a medium size rat was running toward me one night and then it vanished into a hole in front of me covered by some rags. The alleys were always disinfected by the locations guys but sometimes that wore off before the sun came up and we had to resort to Vick’s around the nostrils.
There were resident’s of lofts in some of those neighborhoods that weren’t happy to see us. We all did our best to stay quiet late at night but it’s tough when you have a small army working carrying equipment and shining bright lights and talking on walkies. Some locals painted large camera symbols with red circles and slashes through them on brick walls where we needed to shoot. One night, I was standing on DB’s mark for a lighting setup when I was drenched with water tossed from above. I really considered myself lucky that it was ONLY water! We had heard stories of other nasty things being tossed down on unsuspecting crews.
The actors were mortified that I was a target and all graciously offered their trailer shower’s for me if I wanted but I just found some dry clothes and was
good to go.
So as much as I loved the “Angel” cast & crew, when I got wind of “Firefly” in the works sometime during season 3 of “Angel”, I asked the powers-that-be to send me. We were working in the soon-to-be-razed Ambassador Hotel kitchen fighting off small creatures called “sluks” when I told DB that I was going into space with Joss and that set him off. I was one of several crew from both “Angel” and “Buffy” that were making the jump and he stopped everything for a moment to ask “And who ELSE is going over to Firefly?” God bless my dear friend Andy Hallett raised his green hand and jumped up and down which broke everyone up. I can’t tell you how much I miss Andy!
We really had become good friends and getting the call from his Dad early one morning last year was such a horrible blow. I flew back East to Boston with Dayne Johnson who did Andy’s make up and Mark Lutz who played the Grooselug and we drove down to the small Cape Cod village to be pall bearers for Andy. We who were lucky enough to know him will never forget him.
Interview with Special F/X guru Shane Saucedo Part 3
This morning I conclude my interview with Shane Saucedo from Hellbent Studios.
Dave: Have you seen an increase in smaller, independent films since the advent of easily accessed editing and filming resources?
Shane: Yes!!! And better quality.
Dave: Very cool. What tips would you have for someone looking to produce an independent horror short and looking to get some inexpensive special effects going?
Shane: Plan it out carefully and to the point of being call anal, then find someone with experience and willingness to answer questions for the how to parts. Then do a film on the fly, quick shooting and so on. Try to equal the quality. Above all, have fun with it and let people do their respective jobs. Keep an open mind and keep it simple.
Dave: Words to live by in any occupation. If someone were interested in getting into special effects, what would be the best thing to start with?
Shane: Hmmm…I am self taught, but there are some excellent schools out there to get you started in makeup. The thing I would suggest is to get involved with your local film scene, find someone open to mentoring you and be willing to do the thankless work for a while. All the greats have done this and it seems to help put it all into perspective. As well as finding out if you are apt and willing to do the work. It’s not for everyone and takes a certain type of personality as well.
Dave: What projects are you working on currently? Anything exciting you can give us a hint about that will be coming out soon?
Shane: Two features I can’t even say the names of (sorry, contractual) and a lot of smaller stuff for WWII re-enactors and some Star Wars prosthetics, as well as we are developing the Halloween props, masks, makeup, and products line for our company. We are always interested in working on Indy films or just answering questions on how to stuff as well. We do a lot of fan props and commission type work for small business and the haunt industry. We are doing a test market on etsy.com/hellbentlabs to see response to the different props we are starting out with and a couple appliances.
Dave: How can readers follow or contact you?
Shane: Feel free to contact us @: facebook.com/Hellbent Fx. Our website is under construction and going to be updated as soon as our tech is free. 
Www.hbsfx.com but its not much to look. (LOL)
(Facebook image courtesy of the horror movie t shirts)
Dave: Thanks Shane. This was awesome.
Shane: I want to give a special thanks to Dave here at Nerd Kung fu, it was a pleasure to meet you and we most definitely look forward to the next one!
Dave: Thanks for your time, Shane. I hope to see more stuff from you guys soon.
That’s it. I found Shane to be a very chill guy, and the masks and props they were selling at the show were of extremely high quality, so if you have a project you want some help with, be sure to contact him.
Next post I’ll be back on budget dating, but I am working on an interview that I think will be extremely cool, so keep checking back for that.
Interview with Special F/X guru Shane Saucedo part 1
I’m going to take a break from the dating advice to publish an interview I did with Shane Saucedo from Hellbent Studios, a special effects studio that specializes in horror effect, although from talking to Shane it sounds like they can do almost anything. I met Shane at the Horror Convention in Sacramento last month and his business seemed fascinating to me, so I figured I would share that with you all.
Dave: Tell me how you got started in all this.
Shane: I started makeup effects at a very young age. In high school I wanted to be a firefighter, and after graduation I followed through with that. After ten years in the fire service I followed my interests in makeup fx. I did do fx work while working as a firefighter but chose to walk away as I didn’t see the future for me there. So I took the chance and walked away from the fire service to start working in a small animatronics shop in Las Vegas. There I was allowed to learn the animatronics side of things. That led me into moldmaking and other disciplines of the trade. I followed then went freelance and then opening my shop, Hellbent Studios.
I am able to keep the price down on all fx work due to a low overhead Sometimes I just love the project and that drive me too! We travel everywhere to work on an array of different features and projects and that really keeps it fresh and new. My partner Dave and I love to travel.
Dave: Right on. How did you get your first start in learning special effects?
Shane: My father was fascinated with the 50’s sci fi films and movies in general. He also grew tired of me stealing his tape and anything else out of the garage to make masks and body parts. I was 8 when he had enough and drove me to the local theater costume shop. That was my start to the world of makeup fx.
Dave: How long have you been doing it?
Shane: Since I had control over my hands. I got my first mask when I was 6 and immediately started the scaring.
(Hellraiser image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
Dave: When did you found Hellbent Studios?
Shane: I always say in 1974 but truly company started in 2000.
Dave: What films have you and your studio worked on?
Shane: I will refer to the studio as the group within: we go as far back as the Blackhole for the older guys, Cherry 2000, Casino, Buckeroo Banzai, Urban Commando, and more indy films than I can list here.
Dave: Wow that is so cool. You just named one of my favorites as well as an all time classic in Cherry 2000. I could only hope to one day find a robot girlfriend. What types of special effects is your studio particularly adept or well known for?
Shane: Not sure really. I have never thought of it. I guess I would say our prop work. LOL!
Dave: What has been the hardest special effect for you to pull off to date?
Shane: Hmmm, I would have to say burning an old Jeep Wagoneer. The director didn’t really allow time to prep the vehicle for the burn, so we had no time to remove shock bumpers, battery, etc. We ended up increasing the accelerant to a super hot mix of av-gas and Lacquer thinner mixed with Diesel and one other ingredient to create the look the director wanted. It was a hard gig because of the safety of it.
Dave: Which clip are you most proud of?
Shane: I would have to say a 30′ T-Rex we built for a museum peice. A lot of work ends up on the cutting room floor in film.
(continued tomorrow)
Nerd Dating: Dirty Dating Tricks Part 4: Eye Contact
I think it kind of ironic that I am stuffing this one into the dating tricks category rather than in normal dating techniques, but I thought about it and decided that some of you would actually respond better and apply it more if you can think of it as a trick rather than a standard practice of human behavior.
The fact is, while you are engaged with her in any kind of conversation, do your best to look into her eyes at all times. The eyes are the windows of the soul, and she will feel a deeper connection as the date progresses.
This has always been something of a struggle for me. I am constantly distracted by movement, and for years I would only stare at the girl’s mouth as she talked because it was moving. Kind of threw a lot of my dates off. (Lips image from Rocky Horror courtesy of the movie t shirt category)
The other thing about looking into her eyes, aside from the development of a connection and real relationship, is it give you a focal point that will not get you into trouble. Women, in my experience, are by nature usually distrustful and suspicious of guys, as well as insecure about their appearance. Every time you look away from her eyes you are probably triggering a negative response. In fact, I believe I can reasonably predict the reaction based upon where you look. If you look away from her eyes at the following this is (likely) her thought process:
Down from her face: “He’s looking at my breasts.”
At her hair: “What’s wrong with my hair?”
At her mouth: “My lipstick is smeared.”
At her hands: “My fingers are too short/long/fat/skinny” or “He just noticed the chipped nail.”
Over her shoulder: “He’s looking at another woman.”
If you mistakenly do this then better think of a compliment quick. “Wow, your hair looks great tonight!” “That ring is very cool.” This is pretty much the only way to keep from going bad. However, there are very, very few compliments you can make in the chestular region, so getting caught looking at her chest is pretty bad. Also, if you are distracted by something over her shoulder (I am all the time. That whole “distracted by movement” issue really screws me up sometimes) better find something besides the hot waitress you just noticed to point out to her right away. “Look at that cute dog!” However, if the cute dog is being walked by a super hot girl you are pretty much screwed.
Eye contact is critical. If you can’t meet her eyes she will assume you are not really into her or trying to hide something from her.
By the way, as an interesting aside, one of the reasons dim lighting is considered more romantic (in addition to blurring your lines and more or less making you look a lot better) is your pupils dilate to the most open, making that whole “soul-to-soul” connection that much more powerful. That’s a reason why candlelight works. Something to keep in mind.
Interview with Indy Horror Queen Reyna Young Part 4
Today we conclude our interview with Reyna Young, indy horror movie producer, horror show host, and rabid horror fan.
Dave: Tell me about Last Doorway Productions.
Reyna: Last Doorway Productions is an independent horror company I started to help promote everything that I do and what I stand for. I started doing short films and the only way I could think of getting it out there was too start my own company to help promote my work. Not long after I started it my husband got involved and we have been non stop ever since. We do Film Festivals, a show, movies, write books, and anything else I throw at him. What happens is I say I want to do something, get started doing it and then tell him we’re doing it and he goes along with my ideas. LOL. Like when I started A Nightmare To Remember International Horror Film Festival. I started it, put out a press release, and then told him we were throwing one. I do it to him all the time, it drives him nuts but I know he loves it. So yes its been four years for Last Doorway Productions in November and it’s been a crazy and wild ride, but I love it.
Dave: How many films have you produced?
Reyna: I produced four films before I met John and 13 after. Both features and shorts. I have 45 scripts written for short films and I feel so behind. I want to make it a habit to shoot a short film every weekend but until then I will keep on writing.
Dave: What advice would you have for someone that wanted to get into making indy horror films and connecting with the community? Is there a website where someone to start?
Reyna: Email me anytime with any questions you have. I get asked a lot by fans how they could get started. I tell them pick up a camera and start making a film. Put yourself in it and go from there. Buy a cheap editing program and it’ll be easy to start learning how to edit and create. Get your friends involved and start off with a one minute short and build from there. Sometimes you can’t sit around waiting for someone to call and ask you if you want to be in the film; you have to get up and do it yourself. But anyone and everyone feel free to contact me for any questions you might have at [email protected].
Dave: Top 10 Greatest Horror Movies in your opinion:
Reyna:
1. Halloween
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
3. A Nightmare on Elm street
4. Friday the 13th
5. Alice Sweet Alice
6. Dracula- Béla Lugosi version.
7. Frankenstein-Boris Karloff
8. Creature From the Black Lagoon
9. The Exorcist
10. Evil Dead
Dave: Great list. You not only hit all the greats in the genre but nailed a couple of my all time favorites. Thank you very much for your time, and good luck with the documentary and all your future projects. (Frankenstein image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
Interview with Indy Horror Queen Reyna Young Part 3
Today we do part 3 of our interview with Reyna Young, Miss Misery on the Last Doorway Show and owner of Last Doorway Productions.
Dave: As a film producer and director, do you find that the actors that work the best in horror films are actually horror fans themselves, or can an accomplished actor produce a decent performance in spite of not actually liking horror films?
Reyna: A good actor is a good actor. If they don’t like horror it doesn’t mean that they’re not going to put in one hundred and ten percent. I think it doesn’t matter if you’re a fan at or not; it’s all in the skill. However, I think that a horror fan doing a horror film is more exciting to them then if they weren’t.
Dave: Do you see a shift in types of horror movie roles for women from the 50’s until now?
Reyna: I think that every generation is going to have a shift change. From then until now yes females have gotten stronger roles, they have had more of an input in the films and an opportunity to voice out and be behind the camera if they wanted too. So yes we are not just victims to be killed we also do the killing ourselves. (Invasion of the Saucer-Men image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
Dave: Recently there have been a couple female horror antagonists, but they are few and far between. In fact, the only ones that come to mind is the girl from The Ring and Carrie. Any idea why the killer in the majority of films is male? Is it just tradition or does the role of slasher/killer naturally seem to fall onto men?
Reyna: I guess men are viewed as being strong so they are automatically considered the killer. In independent films women seem to be playing the killer more. But yes in Hollywood films it seems to be more male. I think it’s because men are viewed as being stronger but at the same time as a good friend of mine put it that she feels men are stronger but women seem to take more pain then men can in the films.
Dave: How did you get started on your documentary?
Reyna: Well I saw a documentary called Something to Scream About hosted by Brinke Stevens and it was interesting to watch but there were only 8 women in it. There was nothing ever since then to watch and I wanted to learn more about these females. So I decided why not ask independent females their thoughts and take on the genre. I also wanted to find more females who are in the genre to connect with and talk too. I knew a lot of the females in the genre but there were more out there if I looked deep enough. Yes I found a whole bunch of women and they were so happy to be a part of this documentary. I am happy to know them love them all. I cannot thank them enough. By just contacting these females they contacted other females I didn’t know about and from there the list of women grew. There are still so many women I couldn’t get that I wanted to have. I guess I can always do another one. 🙂
Dave: How long did the production take?
Reyna: It took over two years to make and it was worth it. I am very happy with the results. It’s been a long journey of computer crashes, fixing footage, and arguments between John and me. John has been amazing through the whole process helping me with editing and doing camera work while I interview these women. He has been nothing but supportive.
Dave: Was he a horror fan before or after meeting you?
Reyna: He was a casual fan. He really didn’t watch them a whole lot until he met me. I showed him a whole different world. He loves horror now. MUHAHAHAHAHA I polluted his mind…
Dave: How did you get the resources together?
Reyna: I contacted every single woman I knew in the industry. They all jumped at the opportunity which was great. A lot of the women I could not travel to see or had scheduling conflicts so they filmed their answers and sent them to me. This was very helpful (yes they all get credited for it, as did who ever helped them with the footage). We did do some traveling and it was so nice to meet the women face to face or just see them again. I got a lot of good answers in this doc from these women and their insight into the genre. I was very impressed with all these women. They are all a big influence on me.
Dave: How many interviews did you conduct?
Reyna: Well there are 34 women in the doc and I cannot even remember how many I interviewed. It was so long ago but it is in the credits. LOL. I wish I could have interviewed every female. I really do. There are so many I have not met yet and wish I could have. I’m sure I will in the future.
Dave: Who was the best interview, and why?
Reyna: They were all great to interview. I loved hanging out with the girls and learning more about them. The one woman who just amazed me was Lynn Lowry. (http://www.lynnlowry.com/) She had so much to say and I learned so much from when she started out in the horror genre to now. She is wonderful. I cannot wait to see her again.
Dave: How many film clips did you include in your documentary?
Reyna: I tried to include whatever was given to me. Anyone who agreed to have their footage showed I included. I wanted to show a vast variety of the films the women were in and again promote their films and the film makers.
Continued tomorrow
Interview with Indy Horror Queen Reyna Young Part 2
Today we continue our interview with Reyna Young, horror queen extraordinaire and owner of Last Doorway Productions as we talk about independent horror films and her documentary on women in horror, Welcome to My Darkside.
Dave: You mentioned the world of independent horror. Is it fair to say that there is an entire subculture of independent horror producers and fans? If you are involved in that world do you find that you tend to know everyone else into indy horror and everyone tends to support each other as much as they can?
Reyna: There is a whole world of Independent Horror and we all pretty much know each other. Yes there is a lot of support and help when we need it. Everyone tends to lend a hand when one of us needs it. It’s really nice. I admit I have met assholes but then again that’s anywhere you go and any genre you’re in.
Dave: What role do you see women taking in modern and sub culture horror movies today?
Reyna: I see more and more females coming up in this genre as director’s, producers, and editors. Yes there is still the majority of females who are actress’s but those actress’s are often stepping behind the camera or writing they’re own script to show that they’re more then just a naked body in front of the camera or a pretty face in a horror film.
Dave: What roles would you like to see them take?
Reyna: I like to see women take on director and writing roles. I mean females have this inner darkside to them; they want to see blood and they want to see people die and they want to show everyone what their made of. They’re not just in front of the camera to be a star. They can also write, direct, and produce. I think it’s wonderful when a woman can do so much for a genre she loves and kick ass.
Dave: Is there a distinct, discernable difference between films produced by women or men? Can you make an accurate guess as to the gender of the writer or the director, or is it not obvious?
Reyna: I guess it really depends on the film. I mean I can tell the difference sometimes between a film directed by a man and a film directed by a woman so yes there’s a difference. Like for example the first Twilight film I admit was good and you can tell that a lot of heart was put into it. Then I watched the second and third installment directed by men and it seemed sloppy and put together fast. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that a man directed the films but having females touch on a love story makes a big difference.
Dave: Do you think female roles in horror movies are treated fairly?
Reyna: Well we are always going to have the bimbos or naked women getting killed in front of the camera. There is nothing is wrong with that but you have to see that there are a lot of strong females characters in the horror films. 
Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween or Adrienne King in Friday The 13th are examples of strong female roles. Yes they were females who ran from their killers and even cried but gained strength in those films. They stood up, fought back and were a strong female influence. I wanted to grow up and be Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween because she fought off the bad guy. She was my hero. Sure there are the films that females are treated unfairly but there are also films where they rule. It’s kind of a 50/50 thing. (Friday the 13th image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
(continued next post)
Interview with Indy Horror Queen Reyna Young Part 1
Last week at the Sacramento Sci Fi and Horror Convention I met Reyna Young, independent horror film producer. She owns Last Doorway Productions and, with her husband John, has recently produced Welcome to My Darkside, a Documentary of Women in Horror. It seemed really interesting and so I thought I would interview her and put it up on my blog as a break from all the dating advice. I plan to do other interviews in the future as well
Dave: How did you first get into horror movies?
Reyna: When I was a little girl I was never allowed to watch horror films. I woke up my little sister one morning in October, and we snuck into my dad’s VHS collection. I pulled out John Carpenters Halloween and ever since then I became obsessed with Horror. From there I watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and A Nightmare on Elm Street and started reading Edgar Allan Poe! I’ve been obsessed with horror ever since and it’s been fun. (Texas Chainsaw Massacre image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)
Dave: Do you have any experience in horror movie production?
Reyna: I write, direct, produce, and edit my own horror shorts and features. My husband John Gillette edits and does camera work for me as well. I started my own film company called Last Doorway Productions and since 2006 we have 9 shorts and one feature under our belt and another feature and my shorts on the way. I am also Horror Hostess Miss Misery of The Last Doorway Show show we created to help promote independent artists. We have 60 episodes and more on the way.
Dave: Do you consider yourself more of a horror movie fan, horror movie producer, or documentarian?
Reyna: WOW!! Well I like to think that I’m all three. I am inspired every day to do something new and I learn from everything I do. I am a huge horror fan; always have been and always will be. Yes I produce horror films, help out on sets, and get involved with as much movie stuff that I can. Welcome to My Darkside is my first documentary and yes I want to do more. I want to do one on men in the horror genre and get their aspects on things.
Dave: Who do you see as the biggest influence in horror movie productions today?
Reyna: That’s a hard question because everyone is an influence to me. I give everyone credit who picks up a camera or just gets off their ass and does something. Anyone who does what they love and feels good about doing it. In a world of re-makes right now I must say I have noticed more and more people getting into the world of independent horror and it’s coming up a lot more these days. I have friends who were never into independent horror and now that’s all they watch. Independent horror I think will help influence people to do more original films then just remakes.
Dave: What do you think is the motivation behind all the horror re-makes? Is it a tribute to classic horror or just a lack of creativity in Hollywood?
Reyna: Well, I think that originality is lacking and the only way they keep the money rolling in is if they re-make all these classics. I have heard teens nowadays say that they didn’t know A Nightmare on Elm Street was a re-make. I think that’s pretty bad.
(Continued next post)
