Interview: Talking Horror with Famous Strangers (Written)

Famous Strangers, the dynamic and innovative band known for their dark, moody, and mysterious sound that blends atmospheric, visual storytelling with powerful, intense music, talk horror (past and present) with us.

What are some of your earliest memories surrounding horror films, and how old were you when you first experienced one?

Amanda: Frankly, it’s hard to dig up the first horror memory, but I do remember being absolutely terrified by a video game. it was this creepy grave guy on the TV. *Braden Interrupts: “Mario? (everyone laughs) No haha…It was like a board game, but also a video game, and he would talk through the television. That guy haunted me. I still don’t even know what game that was, but it scared the hell out of me. Just the vibe of it… eerie as fuck.  The game was called Nightmare. And I’ll say Freddy Cougar, especially the scene where they’re in the hospital and he like rips out her veins and she’s hanging from her fucking veins.

Jeff: My first experience probably goes way back to when I was around five or six years old. Maybe even earlier, I remember watching Friday the 13th, and The Exorcist was another huge one. My dad saw it in the theatre when it came out, and he told me people were actually passing out in their seats. So those two, a good slasher and a solid demonic horror, were my first real introductions.

I actually gotta add one more movie in there. I was definitely around six years old, and our babysitter brought over An American Werewolf in London. When the first werewolf attack happened, I hid under the blankets for a long time. That whole movie kept me under there really. It stuck with me for years.

Braden: I wasn’t really into being scared as a kid, so it took me a while to get into horror movies. But funnily enough, one of the first moments I remember was seeing a poster of The Exorcist in our jam space when I was in one of my first bands. I asked, “Hey, what band is that?” and my band mate just looked at me like, “What are you talking about?” I hadn’t even seen The Exorcist yet — didn’t realize it was a movie. Once I finally watched it, I was like, “Whoa”.

Beej: Same here. The Exorcist really freaked me out, especially anything involving church themes or demonic stuff. But also Poltergeist, I’ll never forget that girl standing in front of the static TV. That scene always creeped me out.

How old was I? I’m not even sure, just young enough to be terrified by that kind of stuff. Horror movies definitely hit different when you’re a kid.  I gotta mention also the Michael Jackson thriller. When that came out, that freaked me out.

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

Jeff: I’m gonna say a positive effect because it made me realize potential fears that I had and how to overcome them and grow from it. Now I’m into that stuff and it doesn’t bother me. It’s mind over matter for me.

Braden: I agree. It helps me grow. When I get scared of something silly in a movie, I stop and think, oh, it’s not a big deal. And then I try to think about other things in life that way.

Amanda: Obviously, on the positive note, you grow up watching these films and then just become obsessed with all the horror movies. It gets you digging deeper into the rabbit hole of those productions. But they definitely scar me too. Still, it’s a great gateway for imagination and even writing metal music.

Beej: Like Amanda said, yeah, definitely scars you. You always remember those moments when you were so scared. But at the same time, you go back years later and watch how that movie was made, and it gives you a whole new perspective. Like, ah, it’s not real. I definitely love watching behind the scenes.

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

Jeff: Nothing that really defined my childhood, but a scary scene for sure was in American Werewolf in London. That first werewolf attack, and then the way he transformed and just kept getting worse all the way to the end of the movie, it really got to me.

Amanda: I don’t know about childhood exactly, but The Fourth Kind messed me up for a couple months. Also, I love watching that whole series like The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Nun. If you watch them all in a specific order, it ties together into one story, which I love. I’m weirdly into true story possession films, and yeah, that definitely messed with my head for a bit.

Beej: I’m not totally sure how to answer this one, but one of the scariest scenes I remember from when I was younger was in Pet Sematary. There was this girl’s sister who had spina bifida or something, and she was bedridden upstairs. She would call down in this creepy voice, like, “Rachel… Rachel, is that you?” Then there’s this scene where the girl slowly walks up the stairs, opens the door, and you just see bones in the bed. Then the sister turns around and her face is so terrifying. It still kinda haunts me to this day.

Braden: I’d say the scene in Ghostbusters where humans turn into dogs really terrified me as a kid. That one definitely defined part of my childhood.

What used to scare you?

Amanda: The dark. Back in the day and honestly still to this day.
Braden: The shadows.
Beej: Bad, evil hauntings.
Jeff: I can’t really think of an exact answer… Actually yeah…possession. The Exorcist kind of stuff. That used to get me.

How did your earlier experiences blossom into a love of all things horror?

Amanda: I don’t even know if this is actual horror, but I love movies like Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas…all those spooky kid movies that just hit differently. But I’m also obsessed with the real demonic possession stuff, especially when it’s based on a true story. I definitely have a weird fascination with that kind of horror, like a deep curiosity about it. It’s dark, but it grabs me every time.

I also love seeing how horror movies are made, the behind-the-scenes stuff, the production, the effects. Watching the process after seeing the final film has always pulled me into the creative side of horror. I think that’s what really stuck with me. And obviously, horror and metal go hand in hand, so many metalheads are obsessed with horror films, and the energy between the two worlds just blends.

Beej: My favorite kind of horror is definitely psychological. Anything that seriously messes with your mind — where you think things are going one way, and then way later down the line it totally flips and throws you for a loop, that’s the good stuff. I love those stories with big twists that keep you guessing. They dig deep and stay with you.

Also, when Amanda mentioned kid-style horror, it totally sparked something. Coraline, man, that one is just creepy as hell. It’s super eerie, super drab in tone, and just makes you feel unsettled the whole time. I love that movie. It’s wicked.

What horror genres are your favourite: slasher, paranormal, gore-fest, psychological, or is a little bit of everything okay with you?

Jeff: Honestly, I’m a fan of a bit of everything. But if I had to pick, I’d say slasher and paranormal are at the top for me, and yeah, I do enjoy a solid gore fest too. It all depends on the mood, but I appreciate all the different flavours horror has to offer.

Braden: Paranormal all the way. That kind of stuff always hits hardest for me the unknown, the spiritual, the stuff that creeps around the edges of reality. That’s my favorite kind of horror.

Beej: Definitely a little bit of everything, but psychological horror is still my top pick. The kind that messes with your head, gets under your skin…. those are the ones that stay with me the longest.

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

Jeff: Whenever I’m actually alone and want to watch something scary, one of the first ones I go to is The Conjuring. I’ll usually watch the whole series. It’s a good one to watch in the dark by yourself. Creepy as hell.

Braden: I would never watch a scary movie by myself.

Amanda: I used to never wanna watch scary movies alone either, but now I find myself at witching hour, three in the morning, watching all the paranormal stuff. The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun — I’ve watched The Nun like twice in one night. I’m just obsessed.

Beej: Yeah, if there’s a horror movie on and I come across it, I’ll watch it. I don’t go outta my way to watch them alone, but it’s fine by me either way.

What’s the best horror film to watch with a group? Beers and popcorn included? And why?

Amanda: Maybe the fun ones, like the originals — Friday the 13th, Freddy Krueger, Scream, Halloween, all those classics. You can still chat and be loud and obnoxious, but you’re still totally into it. They’re perfect for group vibes.

Braden: With friends and popcorn, I think any of the summer camp–themed movies are the best. Stuff like I Know What You Did Last Summer or Final Destination — those ones where you’re like, “I knew that plane was gonna crash,” or “That tire’s totally gonna go through his face.” You get to hang out, laugh, yell at the screen. The spoofs of those movies are great too.

Jeff: Yeah, totally agree. Final Destination is a good group one. The classic staples /series (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street) are always fun.

What’s an overrated horror film or franchise? Please explain.

Jeff: I don’t like to say anything is overrated because, you know, I’m not a movie producer and I respect people’s art. But if I had to pick one that didn’t hit for me the way people said it would, I’d go with The Blair Witch Project., it didn’t really give me that bang.

Braden: Yeah, I feel like any big franchise starts to feel a little overrated after a while. They just get so hyped up and sometimes lose what made them great.

Beej: Definitely the ones where they just keep making remakes over and over. I mean, it’s cool to revisit classics, but it’d be nice to see some new ideas instead of the same movie getting rehashed again and again.

What is a modern horror film the last 10 years that you’ve just loved and why ?

Jeff: I’m gonna say…It. That one was actually pretty spooky. It stuck with me. Creepy, well done, and just had that old-school horror feel but with a modern polish.

Beej: I’m going with all the Saw movies. That whole mentality, having to play these twisted games to survive, making impossible choices, it’s wild. Just the craziest setups you could imagine, and somehow they keep raising the stakes.

Braden: I don’t think I’ve seen too many new ones in the last 10 years.

Amanda: I gotta agree with Jeff. It impressed me. At first, I didn’t really understand it, but then it hit me how you could be scared and laughing at the same time. And Bill Skarsgård, man… just nailed it.

What scares you now?

Amanda: Some days life.

Braden: Some kind of accident, like from a vehicle… an airplane, a motorboat, a quad, or a motorcycle. Anything like that.

Beej: Yeah, I gotta go with Braden on that. Airplanes and stuff. I’ve flown a lot in my life, but I’m still scared every time. I hate it. I know they’re safer than cars, the numbers prove it, but it still freaks me out.

Jeff: I think what scares me most is just missing out. Time moves so fast and you never know when your last day is. I try to do everything, say yes to everything, because I don’t want to miss out on life.

Beej (again): Also, as a band… we’re all definitely scared of shitty ass, lame people.

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