PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Heather Buckley is a powerhouse in the horror genre – producer, actress, journalist – and that’s just the beginning. Anyone who is anyone knows who she is, or has seen something she’s worked on or been a part of, such as the films We Are Still Here (2015 – read our review here), Circus of the Dead (2014 – read our review here) and The Ranger (2018 – read our review here), a ton of Making Of documentaries on movies like House (1985), the RoboCop franchise, Army of Darkness (1992), and the Phantasm franchise, as well as interviews with Patricia Arquette, Andy Garcia, The Walking Dead’s Scott WIlson, and Stacy Keach. In celebration of Women in Horror Month, I interviewed Heather, and we talked about her career, women in the genre, and of course, horror movies.
PopHorror: How did you get your start in horror?
Heather Buckley: I was very nervous around horror films growing up. My father watched them in the den, and I would catch glimpses out of the corner of my eye, leave and replay the imagery in my head. I would be upset, but tried to come to terms with it, rolling the content around my mind.
As I entered middle school, I had a friend tell me to give Friday the 13th a chance, and that horror movies were fun. I was enough of an outsider to actually understand Jason Voorhees’ motivation this time around. I was hooked on the nightmare/worse case scenario point-of-view and the fantasy of these monsters as other. Just like me.
PopHorror: What are some of the challenges women face in the industry?
Heather Buckley: I don’t see a lot of variety in the types of woman in narrative films. Art changes the gender narrative of what we can be. Having access to being the storyteller as a writer and director would help drive all the stories girls can be in.
PopHorror: How can we increase gender equality in the genre?
Heather Buckley: Greenlight films made by women. Give first time female directors a chance – the same chance you give guys. Talk about the bias, talk about the lack of inequality, talk about female coded content, be open with what you don’t understand. Never be defensive, just listen; we should be working to make things better for everyone.
PopHorror: What does having a Women in Horror Month mean to you?
Heather Buckley: Remind the world we are here. Remind the world through genre focuses on female characters and stories we have been historically shut down from actually being the authors of them.
PopHorror: Who inspires you?
Heather Buckley: Roger Corman inspires me, and William Castle – they both embody a combination of genre as sideshow and business independence. My two dream collaborators would be Walter Hill and Paul Schrader.
PopHorror: Please tell us about what you have coming up next.
Heather Buckley: I have a few things in development… just waiting for that green light.
PopHorror: What’s your favorite scary movie?
Heather Buckley: Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – it exemplifies the raw intensity of what would come to define the next evolution of the modern horror film.
