PopHorror Let's Get Scared
James H. Carter II is one of my favorite dudes in the horror community. He’s kind, down-to-earth, supportive of others, and incredibly creative and talented. We got to catch up on and talk about his love for cinema, how he got involved in filmmaking, his favorite black creators, his love for both Disney and horror, details about his documentary, and all things Creepy Kingdom.
PopHorror – Let’s start from the beginning. What made you fall in love with cinema?
James H. Carter II – My parents raised me to be a cinephile! Some of my earliest memories are sitting in the back seat of the car at the drive-in! Being a child of the 80’s I saw some of the greatest films of all time in the theater and we would be at the video rental store every Friday night, renting new releases. In my teens, I made it a mission to rent every single weird and obscure film in the video store.
PopHorror – That’s awesome. I know you fancy horror and Disney. What sparked those interests?
James H. Carter II – My love for Disney is also my parent’s fault. They exposed my sister and me to all the Disney films they loved when they were young. My first trip to Walt Disney World when I was 9, blew my mind! Getting to immerse myself in the films and stories that I love is a passion that I have even to this day.
I also believe that my gateway into horror was through Disney. The horrific scenes within Snow White, the hag scenes, and Pinnochio, the donkey transformation scenes, were definitely my first exposure to dark and creepy imagery and I loved it. The first film I remember pushing me out of my comfort zone was Gremlins. The scene where gremlins get chopped up in a blender and put in the microwave was really intense for 7-year-old James and when it was over I felt like I really went through something but I survived.
PopHorror – Nice! I never thought about it that way – but yes Disney is the perfect gateway drug to all things horror and spooky. Although black creators have been involved with horror forever, many pop culture horror films always like to add the “token black guy or woman” and often they also died first. How did/does that make you feel?
James H. Carter II – The unoriginal trope that black characters in horror films have to die first made me feel like the filmmakers are trying to say that black people are disposable. So of course that would make me feel pissed off. But I was always proud that Kincaid made it to Nightmare on Elm Street 4.
PopHorror – Hell yes, love Kincaid! Who is your favorite black director, writer, or actor who has worked on horror films?
James H. Carter II – I would have to go with Keith David. He is always such a pleasure to watch and listen to, on screen, and in person. And an honorable mention goes to Rachel True, even though her time in horror is limited she still made quite an impression on me. I had the pleasure of meeting both of them on the same night at the premiere of Horror Noire and they were both just as cool as you think they would be.
PopHorror – That’s so cool. What’s your favorite horror film that’s either created by black talent whether behind the screen, in front, or both?
James H. Carter II – I’m not sure what is my favorite but that the last horror film by a black filmmaker that really left an impression on me was Bad Hair by Justin Simien. I love the stylized grainy grindhouse look of the film and the premise of possessed hair is so awesome!
PopHorror – I really enjoyed that one too! We’ve made some progress with representation in films but still have a long way to go. What would you like to see in the future?
James H. Carter II – I would like to see all different types of people in major roles but with no mention or reference to the characteristics, they have no control over such as their race, gender, sexual preference, disability, etc. I think it’s important to show that marginalized groups should not be defined by what makes them different from the status quo.
PopHorror – YESSS! Many know about your love for all things The Haunted Mansion. How did this all transpire?
James H. Carter II – As I stated earlier I fell in love with Disney’s portrayal of the dark and spooky and is the ultimate display of that! Being inside the Haunted Mansion was the first time I actually got to be physically in that be a dark and spooky place. Years later when I became obsessed with Disney theme park history I discovered there was seemingly never-ending information about the development, the effects, and the backstory of the attraction.
PopHorror – I can’t wait to visit the Disney theme park. You even made a documentary about The Haunted Mansion. What inspired you to do that?
James H. Carter II – The documentary I made, Foolish Mortals, was specifically about the fan culture that surrounds The Haunted Mansion. I was inspired to make it because after a few years of doing Creepy Kingdom, I had met so many people whose lives were extremely impacted by The Haunted Mansion and I wanted to learn and tell their story. And I wanted to create a film that other Haunted Mansion fans could see themselves in.
PopHorror – So cool. I learned more about it from you as well. You also created one of the most unique and fun sites currently running: Creepy Kingdom. How did this all unfold?
James H. Carter II – I started Creepy Kingdom back in 2011 because I wanted to produce a podcast that discussed the creepy side of Disney films and theme parks. And the only reason I did it was because that was the exact kind of podcast I wanted to listen to and it didn’t exist yet. Creepy Kingdom was primarily a podcast up until the release of Foolish Mortals in 2017 when we decided that we also make movies now. The scope of what we cover and create has grown beyond just creepy Disney stuff to almost all aspects of spooky pop culture and entertainment. Although we like to stay in the PG-13ish space, not because we don’t enjoy R-rated content but because our space is where YA Horror meets childlike fantasy.
PopHorror – Fantastic. It’s what makes your site stand out! What are your long-term goals for CK?
James H. Carter II – In a nutshell, to keep creating and covering all the creepy and spooky stuff for all the people that love to consume it. There are literally millions of those people are there and we are determined to reach them!!
PopHorror – What’s your favorite thing about working in this industry?
James H. Carter II – As a creator, my favorite thing is being able to express my vision and leave my stamp on the world. As a member of the media, I love exposing our audience to new things they haven’t seen before and watching them get excited about it!
PopHorror – Me too! What’s next for you? Any upcoming plans, goals, etc?
James H. Carter II – While we are not ready to make any specific announcements right now, we have several new films, series, books, and podcasts in development and we are super excited to get these projects completed and put them out there in the world!
