Author and actress Nadia Robertson in her own words:
To start, please introduce yourself:
Some of my earliest movie memories center around rewatching a handful of my favorite films at home when I was 4 years old, some of which happened to be horror. Aliens, Chucky, Tremors & Jaws were on a revolving ‘go to’ rotation, experiences I eagerly shared around the school lunchroom table with classmates curious to hear the retelling of stories otherwise forbidden in their households. I was lucky enough to have parents that didn’t see scary movies as a real-life threat – though it certainly ended up having a huge impact on my throughout my entire lifetime both personally and professionally!
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
Horror as a concept is a pretty vast idea in scope, as it’s something both existing in a mass consciousness as well as affecting us on a very personal level. What terrifies one person may be child’s play to another. Meanwhile the inevitability of death is a communal and continually perpetuated inherent fear of the unknown by nature. So it’s hard to qualify a definition of what horror is per se, but one could boil it down to how a movie, or any work of art of any kind, makes you feel and if it elicits any sense of emotions associated with what horror means individually to you.
What made you want to work in horror?
Horror has been a part of my life since I was little, so I guess I find it’s the genre I gravitate to the most – also because as a creative, it feels like horror has so much potential for a filmmaker to flourish with stylistic atmosphere and aesthetics on a low budget, which often allows for a lot of potential to produce something memorable with little means. As a filmmaker myself with no money, that creative financial flexibility has appeal; but also, as a storyteller, the horror genre houses many of the psychological & sub-textual themes that are the most fun for me to explore creatively. Maybe my longtime love of horror is just a testament to my twisted mentality and dark sense of humor!
Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration comes in all forms, from fiction within other films and stories I’ve read and heard, as well as found from real life – which can be more horrific than anything one could imagine up.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
As for my own legacy, I’d love to be remembered at all, in any creative way! Whether that’s affecting someone with one of the films I directed, or recognizable in a film someone sees that I acted in, or writing something that makes someone have some kind of response, one that gets them excited about the film I’m analyzing or makes them want to rewatch the movie with some interesting ideas in mind – I just want to have some kind of lasting impression on folks, hopefully a positive one!
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Women in Horror Month stands as a monument to all the ladies working within the genre and industry – whether it’s as writers, actors, producers, artists – any kind of creative centric woman who’s made her mark in some way. And there are many of them that deserve recognition in the limelight for all they contribute! It’s an honor to be a part of the community and share in that creative consciousness.
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?
Most of the women in horror I admire are renowned in their respective fields, and I’ve been spending more time seeking out fellow peers in order to connect with people who share my common interests. I’ve had a lot of fun collaborating with some folks recently and have been eager to seek out more creative minds to meld with. I’m always on the lookout for ladies who love what I do too and there’s a whole well of women who share in the same passionate lifelong love of horror in all artistic forms waiting to connect with!
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
As an actor, it’s tough because I can’t share what I’m working on until the project releases, but I’ve definitely got some exciting things coming down the pipeline! One of the fun films I got to work on last year was being cast in the reshoots for INSIDIOUS 5 and getting to see first-hand Patrick Wilson juggling the task of acting and first time directing. I also got to be on top of a pile of dead bodies as werewolf fodder in the Wolf Pack Paramount + series alongside childhood TV hero, Sarah Michelle Gellar – which blew my Buffy fangirl brain, hah! As a filmmaker, I’ve been working on a Vampire feature film for over a decade that’s a black & white, mainly silent, experimental piece that’s eagerly awaiting to be finished. Other films I’ve directed and worked on can be found on YouTube, Vimeo & on my production company’s website, www.1931Productions.com. Normally the focus on my filmmaking is on niche horror films, but I also got a chance to create a music video for a heavy metal band, Kamikaze Zombie, whose song was inspired by Michael Mann’s thriller movie MANHUNTER. Another fun challenge I got to be a part recently was writing a short story for a “What If” anthology, where I explored the possibility of Elvis never having met The Colonel, a book which is available on Amazon. Another full-fledged hobby is writing thought pieces about films, whether it’s reviews or longer essays – I just absolutely adore a good cinematic deep dive analysis! And I also have a podcast, Cinema Chats, where I record ideas on movies after seeing them in theaters, as well as guest host on other podcasts that’ll have me on board! I’ve been lucky enough to be published in Cinema Macabre Magazine and have an article about The VVitch coming out soon in Delirium Magazine, so it’s been exciting to see my writing on a printed page! You can catch me and the links to all these things on Facebook, and then find me as RollTide1931 on Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd, where I try to keep all my reviews in one accessible spot. Hope to connect with ya somewhere on social media!
