Women in Horror: Featuring Nowal Massari

As you may know, February is "Women in Horror" month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions about being a "Woman in Horror." One of the women, who were kind enough to answer our questions, was the terrific writer/performer Nowal Massari. Lets see what she said about being a “Woman in Horror”…

-When did you first become a horror fan?

I became a horror fan at the ripe old age of three. My family was in the basement, watching Hellbound: Hellraiser II, I was supposed to be in bed, however, I don't like being told what to do. I snuck downstairs, hid behind the couch (so the adults wouldn't force me to go back to bed) and watched the nearly the entire movie without being detected. Pinhead fascinated me. After that, I made my aunt take me to see horror films in theaters and I rented them every weekend at my local video store. 

-Was there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of happen naturally?

For me, it just sort of happened naturally. About three years ago, I began writing for a website and that led to meeting lots of different people and brought me tons of opportunities!

- What does having a "Women in Horror" month mean to you?

When most people think of horror films, they tend to think of the slashers. With WIHM, it gives people a chance to celebrate the strong females in the genre, or if they are unfamiliar, the chance to learn about them. Viva la Scream Queens and Final Girls!

-Is there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?

It's hard to pick just one woman as a role model, because they all mean something different to me. Though if I had to choose one, I would have to go with Marilyn Burns. She was one of the sweetest women I've ever met and her performance in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre will forever haunt me. Underrated and absolutely, bone-chillingly brilliant!

-How do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?

There's a greater presence of women in the genre now. My favorite example is Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook." While a lot of people hated it, I adored every single moment. It was smart, atmospheric and beautifully done. With her success as both writer and director in the genre, I believe that even more female driven horror movies are heading our way. I can't wait to see what she does next!

-What do you think the future holds for women in horror?

Tough to say, but I believe that the next year is going to be HUGE for women in horror all across the board. Writing, directing, starring...you name it and women are going to do it. 

-Being that this is PromoteHorror.com, please feel free to plug your current/next horror project.

I don't currently have any big projects in the works, but you can catch me performing as a part of the Pacific Northwests "Grotesque Gorelesque" troupe, or my various musings on a bunch of different platforms!

Nowal is a Writer at Living Dead Magazine, Writer at Paranormal Pop Culture and Goldie Goodnight- Portland's Marvelous Masked Maniac of Burlesque at Grotesque Gorelesque (bio from FB)

You can also find her on Twitter, and Facebook!

We thank Nowal Massari for taking the time to answer our questions, but more importantly for her contribution to horror!