She's a blogger, filmmaker, and movie reviewer hailing from New York but currently in the very warm state of Florida who also puts fashion in the mix of her fore interests. Keeping true to my word, I wanted to know more about Zena's inspir- and asperations for all her endeavors...
My mother is a HUGE horror movie fan, always have been and
always will be. I'm the youngest of six children and whatever my mother
watched, all of my siblings would gather around and watch with her. My father,
on the other hand, is a big scaredy-cat and isn't afraid to say he won't watch
something because it will give him nightmares. I was pretty much
watching...listening to horror movies before I was even born, before I could
even fully remember! And since then, it's always been a major part of my life. I
know many girls were into horses, ballerinas or even baking. I was in to that
stuff as well, but horror was my calling. I would rather watch Night of the
Demons '88 than Eureka's Castle...and Eureka's Castle was AWESOME.
What gave you the inspiration to start the horror blog,
Real Queen of Horror?
My inspiration was myself. I did it for me since it was
something I have always loved. Right before I created Real Queen of Horror, I
felt like I didn't have an identity. However, I noticed there was one thing
about myself that ALWAYS stayed consistent. That was my love for horror.
In the
past, I had many websites but I'd get bored with them, terminating them within
two months. But with Real Queen of Horror, I knew it was going to be different
because horror was not a phase for me. Since I watched horror movies on a
daily, I thought, "Why not create a site about the horror genre?"
Rather if it's horror news, reviews, interviews...anything horror related was
something I wanted. The only thing I wish is that I created the site sooner.
What challenges and triumphs have you experienced as a
Black woman in the horror industry?
I come across many people who feel that I shouldn't be a horror fan. They think it
makes me "crazy" because that's what I like, while other times they
feel I'm lying because I don't look
like a horror fan. I had no idea that a dress code applied! There are even
people who insist on challenging or quizzing me. I honestly don't mind because
I love horror movies and I love talking about them.
What are your aspirations for yourself and other Black
women filmmakers in the horror industry?
I have many goals for myself, but just so this won't be a
thirty page essay, I'll share two! Aside from Real Queen of Horror, I'd love to
write full time for a horror based magazine or website. I also aspire to be a
filmmaker. I've made short films here and there; however, I'd love to do more
on a large scale. I know that it's not going to be easy. I constantly
experience people refusing to read Real Queen of Horror, let alone anything I
write simply because of my complexion.
As for other black women filmmakers in the horror industry,
I don't want them to give up either. It's unfortunate that we won't get noticed
or even be looked at as being attractive unless someone higher up feels that
they would like to give us a chance...or if we dress slutty. It's sad and
unfortunate, but it's true. I want other black women in the horror industry to
stay true to themselves. If horror films is what you'd want to do because you
love it, then do it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. However, if you're
just using horror films as a way so you can get your foot in the door, I say
study up.
There are people like myself who have been watching horror movies
their entire lives and truly love it. If you can only hold a conversation on
the basic, common horror movies, please go back to the drawing board. To make
a horror movie doesn't only mean blood and gore, there are mechanics about this
genre. Mechanics that were paved by previous horror film director legends. Just
like there is formula to action movies or fantasy movies, there is a formula to
horror movies. If you're in it for the money, fame, attention or because you
were inspired by Michonne from The Walking Dead, the truth always comes out. I
simply want to be a part of the horror genre because I love it. I hope you do
too.
What can you tell us about any of your current or future
projects?
There are a couple of upcoming projects. At Real Queen of
Horror, I received a sponsor who wants to host a 60 second online film
festival. The grand prize is 100 bucks! The second upcoming project are my
short films! I aspire to be a film director, so this year I will showcase about
three of my short films which I plan to share in festivals and with other film
reviewers. Lastly, I'm going to be bringing back my detailed horror movie video
reviews. I used to do them consistently; however, my schedule became a bit
hectic. I plan on bringing back those reviews, it will be every Monday night
starting in February!
