Podcast creator Nikki Durbin wears many hats:
To start, please introduce yourself:
My name is Nikki Durbin. I’m a screenwriter, director, movie lover and all-around barrel of fun when I feel like being one. From as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a filmmaker by profession. Today, I’m still chasing that dream, and I’m closer than ever before. I’ve won several laurels for writing projects I’ve completed, and I see film as a form of art and expression that can change the world in big ways, which is why I’m utilizing the opportunity to bring light to underrepresented women, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices in every way possible. I’m a creative person who loves to relax by watching movies, writing screenplays for movies, talking about movies, thinking about movies, and fighting for women’s rights against the patriarchy. You know, normal everyday stuff.
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
Horror is anything that makes me feel uneasy while still being entertaining. Having grown up on movies like The Thing, Hellraiser and SAW, it takes a lot to unsettle me these days. If someone can manage to make a film that captures enough realism to ground the story and then make it horrific, that’s a true piece of art. Recent films that come to mind are Men by Alex Garland, which managed to illustrate the terror of being a woman in isolation with an omnipresent male presence (livened up by stellar performances from Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, both of whom I absolutely adore) and Watcher by Chloe Okuno, which took the isolation aspect and grounded it even further with a real woman’s perspective on what it means to have no one believe you (again, brought to life by an incredible display of acting talent from Maika Monroe). Then there’s films like the Terrifier franchise and the never dying SAW films that stand out as true accomplishments in gore and humor for managing to always be original and still getting a giggle out of me when needed. I love seeing all the different ways a person can be killed and/or dismembered creatively on film.
What made you want to work in horror?
As a kid, my mom used to go against the social norms and took me to see a variety of movies at the theatre. I regularly missed days of school just so I could spend my day in the movie theatre and absorb another perspective of film expression because, according to her, “not everything can be learned in a classroom” and she was absolutely right. Seeing everything from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to Collateral and even Men in Black, American Psycho and The Exorcist, all at a very young age, shaped my brain and allowed me to be accepting of all genres and forms of storytelling. Additionally, I grew up playing horror video games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Zombies Ate My Neighbors, all of which presented me with a very undefined preference in media, and I don’t know very many people who like as many varying styles as I do, spanning every genre imaginable. To me, art starts in the story, and any genre can be art. I’m an artist, and horror, just like any other act of storytelling, is a wonderful way to express yourself, inspire others, and show the world what you’re capable of on the inside. Metaphorically and literally.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My own life experiences, typically, combined with watching any film that strikes a nerve. I blend real life with ideas and concepts that land in my brain from whatever ethereal realm they come from and build a world out of nothing but words on a page at first. For me, the characters usually materialize initially. I like to say my characters tell me their story, not the other way around. They come to me as figments of humans and slowly form into fully fleshed out characters who then enact their own stories, however they wind up playing out. Some are Mary Sue’s, because there’s nothing wrong with that, whilst others are a bit more out there and get their personalities from somewhere else. I don’t question it anymore. When a tall, gaunt, chain-smoking guy in a green army jacket shows up in my brain and tells me he’s the bass player for an 80s metal band, I don’t ask questions, I just write his story and hope I can do it justice. I usually start out with a single scene in mind, typically the ending or close to it, and start working my way backwards until I’ve got a full story to work with. Then I start writing the script, and hope to all that’s unholy, or whatever us atheists hope to, that I can put the damn thing together before imposter syndrome tells me I’m a hack again.
Also, I really want to work with Sam Witwer someday, so if all else fails, there’s always that to fall back on.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
Being the woman who didn’t ever give up until she made sure she had blazed a path for other women to follow. I’ve had every reason to throw in the towel. Projects falling through and betrayals from those close to me who promised to have my back. I should’ve given up at least a hundred times by now. And yet I’ve persevered because I want other women out there to know that it’s possible to do things on your own. I can’t give up. It’s my job to show the world that women can do these things, too. I’m thankful to have found my tribe now, particularly Deanna Kenway, my cofounder at my entirely female powered production company, Rogue Luna Entertainment, as she’s always got my back and believes in me. Between her and Melissa, our other partner, and of course my beloved mom, I have very strong women behind me, ready to lift me up whenever the weight gets too heavy to carry alone. I want that to be my legacy.
Or being the first woman to get away with dropping an F-bomb on a live broadcast of the Oscars during my acceptance speech. You know, whichever comes first.
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
A fantastic celebration of the accomplishments of women in the horror genre, a particular sect of media creation that seems more apt to accept women’s contributions to the craft than most others. And while that’s great and I see wonderful progress being made as a result, we’re still a far cry from equality. There’s rampant sexism and harassment in all aspects of filmmaking and media creation, which I encounter on the regular, and the work is never done when it comes to making sure women are highlighted for their work, too. Slowly but surely, women are being brought to the forefront of creative ventures, and it’s important things like this feature that help keep that forward momentum by reminding the world that we exist and giving other women and young girls inspiration to keep going, too.
Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?
There’s several, from actors to directors and everything in between, including some wonderful women I’ve gotten the lucky chance to know.
Of all women in horror, Mary Harron is my biggest inspiration. Even in my younger years, knowing she was capable of making movies that shook the entire world was an inspiration that, yes, I most definitely can do this, all I’ve got to do is stay focused. Aside from her, I’ve always been moved by the works of Jennifer Kent, Chloe Okuno and Karyn Kusama. They’re all wonderful with their own takes on horror and storytelling and I’m excited to see more from them.
Within my own social circle, I’m proud to call groundbreaking and badass ladies Cindy Copeland and Heather Mann Foster, my friends, and am always happy to support them and see them making waves in their own expressions and forms. There’s also Amy Crabtree, Isabella Bodnar and of course Emilie Black who deserve all the love and props for their work!
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
Currently, my main focus has been on my audio drama podcast, The Occurrence in River Oaks, which has become more wildly successful than I ever anticipated. I created the project from the ground up, starting with a simple concept of a story told through police radios and then building upon it until it became a full-fledged show with thousands of listeners. I wrote every script, cast the actors, handle all sound design, direct, and even play the lead character, Olivia, in my very first acting role. What I love most about it is the fact that it’s entirely 100% female powered behind the scenes, too. Working with Deanna Kenway on production has been a dream come true, even if podcasts aren’t exactly the most profitable output. Because we’re not doing this for the money, we’re doing it for the beauty of creation, and the ability to say “Hey, look what we made!” I can’t thank my wonderful cast enough for their performances, too, and for sticking by me even when it seemed things weren’t going to pan out. On this project, I finally got to work with some of my longtime friends, like Aaron Marciniak, Melissa Sharon Harris, Ryan P.A. Walsh, Donald Blackschleger and Cindy Copeland, and also met some new wonderful people along the way, including Heather Mann Foster, Joey Thurmond and Aaron Hawkins, and I couldn’t be happier with the amazing project we’ve put together to share with everyone. You can find us on all your favorite podcast apps and sites. Links will be below.
In addition to The Occurrence in River Oaks, I’m also writing several screenplays currently in progress, including a container film that can be shot on a minimal budget, working towards shooting a few short films to finally put my ideas into a visual format, and we’re currently seeking funding at our company for a war film I wrote that’s based on a friend’s grandfather’s true story of being a Jewish P.O.W. in WWII Nazi Germany. I never stop working and striving because I know without a doubt that this is what I’m meant to do with my life, and I’m not going to stop until I’ve gotten me one of those shiny gold bald guy statues to use as a doorstop in my soundproof bomb shelter designed specifically for writing because this world never shuts up.
You can find The Occurrence in River Oaks at any of the links below:
Podbean:
https://www.podbean.com/pa/pbblog-i4vth-10ee0b5
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-occurrence-in-river-oaks/id1723633700
Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL1RoZU9jY3VycmVuY2VJblJpdmVyT2Frcy9mZWVkLnhtbA
RSS Feed:
https://feed.podbean.com/TheOccurrenceInRiverOaks/feed.xml
And find out more about our company at:
RogueLunaEnt.com
Thank you for taking the time to do this, we greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for having me! And don’t forget that Emilie Black is a totally awesome, amazing, badass woman in horror herself! Love you, Emilie! Thanks for having me!