Talking Horror with Little King (Interview – Written)

In this interview, Little King, the dynamic rock band, talk horror (past and present) with us.

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

I was born in 1972, and my earliest horror film memory is DEFINITELY “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” with Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nemoy. I was 6 or 7, and why my parents (who were otherwise pretty cautious) decided it was a good idea to take my older brother and me to see it in the theater is a total mystery. We were friggin’ TERRIFIED, honestly. I still have thoughts of it and an occasional nightmare, no joke. The pods, the pointing and screaming, the slow takeover of San Francisco by aliens…it was all so realistic and plausible to 7-year old me. My God…I think I still have trauma. Thanks, Ma and Pa!

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

As I said, it was not a fun memory. I love movies, and horror is a genre that I still delve into quite a bit. More psychological and less gore, although I do love some of the older slasher movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th.” But something about that movie just stuck with my brother and me. Almost 50 years later, we STILL talk about how we had nightmares for years after we saw it.

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

Other than “Body Snatchers,” I would have to say “The Shining” had a profound affect on me. Most of my generation grew up reading Stephen King…and I devoured everything he wrote up until “Tommyknockers.” But “The Shining” was one of those rare times when the movie might have even been better than the book. Jack was such a force of nature, and of course my favorite director of all time, Stanley Kubrick, was at the top of his game.

When the audience finally gets to see what Jack has been typing for all of those months, well…”all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” resonated for sure. Then, when he chases Wendy up the stairs slowly and threatens to bash her brains in…pure magic!

4. What used to scare you?

Nuclear war. Growing up in Seattle, we were very near Boeing and the US war machine was kinda flourishing there. When the Russians shot down Korean jetliner 007 in the early 80’s, we were all on high alert. I don’t remember if that made-for-TV movie “The Day After” had come out yet, but I do know that I would hear jets flying overhead at night and quite seriously wonder if it was, in fact, the end of days.

5. 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?

As I said, I like less gore and more psychological horror and thrillers. The two movies I just mentioned were classics, and I do love some more “modern” stuff like “Drag Me To Hell” (Justin Long is very underrated…he was awesome in “Tusk,” too!) I loved the Devil stuff, too…”The Exorcist” is a classic that scared the shit out of me, although it kinda feels cheesy and dated now. I don’t know…slasher stuff doesn’t scare me at all. I’m way more frightened by what might be around the corner. I liked “Saw,” too. It was definitely gnarly, but It worked for me. Quite clever.

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

Definitely a little bit of everything, but if it’s too silly, I lose interest immediately. There’s gotta be some seriousness and some building…I prefer paranormal for sure over those other genres. “The Ring” and “The Others” really stand out. I think that scene in “The Others” where the dead caretakers come up the hill is one of the scariest moments ever on film. Samara Morgan in “The Ring” was equally terrifying…that’s just a great movie, to me.

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

Okay…so I GET it, but I am not a fan of the Friday the 13th franchise. It’s just not my thing. Too silly, too obvious…they’re iconic and I respect them, but it’s not something I would ever sit down to watch. Not too big a fan of “The Conjuring” films, either.

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

Oh I just loved “Tusk.” It’s so fucking weird and funny and horrifying. I am not sure what subgenre it’s classified under, but damn I dug it so much. Also liked “Swallow” from 2019 and “La Llorona” from 2019. Good stuff.

9. What scares you now?

Bending over to tie my shoes!

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