PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Kenn Hoekstra joined the PopHorror team on August 29, 2016. His first article commemorated William Friedkin’s birthday. One year and 80-ish articles later, Kenn is here to enjoy long walks on the beach and talking about himself in the third person*.
So what is this Kenn Hoekstra guy all about? Let’s find out…
1.) What is your favorite horror TV series?
I have to go with The Twilight Zone. Without The Twilight Zone, we wouldn’t have all the other classics that came after it, like The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, Tales From The Darkside, Amazing Stories, Tales From The Crypt, Monsters…the list goes on and on. Props to the granddaddy of them all!
2.) Who is your favorite horror author?
I’m a huge Stephen King fan, but I’m going to go with Robert R. McCammon. I read Swan Song in 8th grade and it terrified me. I’ve been a big fan ever since.
3.) What really scares you in horror films?
As a kid, I was afraid of slashers and monsters and ghosts and all kinds of stuff. As an adult, the things that terrify me are things that feel like they could happen in real life. Frailty, for example, feels like something that could happen anywhere to anyone. Kevin Smith’s Red State is another great example. It just feels all too real.
4.) What mythical creature or urban legend would you like to see get its own film some day?
Going to Medusa’s island to cut off her head was my favorite part of Clash of the Titans (1981). I’d love to see a modern movie based on Medusa. Maybe a group of unsuspecting teens get shipwrecked on an island and find out the hard way they’re not alone.
5.) Who is your favorite horror movie director?
For me, there’s John Carpenter and then there’s everyone else. I can talk all day about guys like Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Eli Roth, Tobe Hooper, and Sam Raimi, but Carpenter’s films litter my top 10 list. He’s number one, hands down.
6.) Who is your favorite slasher villain?
I have to give the nod to Jason Voorhees. I saw Friday the 13th Part 2 on HBO when I was entirely too young. People getting hacked up wasn’t a problem, but I had to cover my eyes when there was nudity. ‘Murica! A few years later. I saw Friday the 13th Part V in the theater. This was back when “No Children Under 17 Admitted” was more of a suggestion and not strictly enforced. I probably watched Jason X five or six times in the theater. I cackled with glee all the way through Freddy vs. Jason. Jason’s always been the guy.
7.) What’s your favorite horror movie quote?
Probably Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead: “I’m runnin’ this monkey farm now, Frankenstein, and I wanna know what the fuck you’re doin’ with my time!”
8.) Is there a remake you like more than the original?
If you count John Carpenter’s The Thing as a remake (I don’t), then I’d go with that. In my opinion, it is the greatest movie of all time. Beyond that, I really enjoyed Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Night of the Living Dead (1990), The Crazies (2010), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006) as much or more than the originals.
9.) What is your limit when it comes to horror?
I don’t like rape scenes or cruelty to animals. The ear falling off into the soup scene in Dead Alive makes me gag. The only movie I ever turned off for being too much was a movie called Buried Alive. I rented it as a kid (14 or 15) and in the first 15 minutes or so, a female hitchhiker gets beaten and raped and has her fingernails pulled off with a pair of pliers. *click* That was enough of that. No, I haven’t even tried to watch A Serbian Film.
10.) What are some overlooked horror gems?
Oh boy, let’s see. The Hidden (1987). Satan’s Little Helper (2004). Innocent Blood (1992). The Hazing (2004). Splinter (2008). Monster Man (2003). Oh, and Santa’s Slay (2005). My wife and I watch it every Christmas!
What else would you like to know about Kenn Hoekstra? Ask him in the comments!
* Kenn Hoekstra was not harmed in the making of this interview.
