{"id":46846,"date":"2025-03-29T08:01:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T12:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=46846"},"modified":"2025-03-27T20:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T00:25:39","slug":"writer-michelle-kisner-interview-women-in-horror-month-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/29\/writer-michelle-kisner-interview-women-in-horror-month-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Writer Michelle Kisner interview [Women in Horror Month 2025]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-46845 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek-1x1.jpg 1w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michellek.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meet writer Michelle Kisner:<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">To start, please introduce yourself:<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">My name is Michelle Kisner, and I have been writing about film for about thirteen years. I am a film critic, freelance writer, member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild, and Rotten Tomatoes verified critic. I also write film and video essays and have contributed to Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Error_4444, Severin, Umbrella, Second Sight, BFI, Kino Lorber, 88 Films, Imprint, and Terror Vision.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Horror is a way for society\u00a0to explore the taboo,\u00a0whether in subject matter or emotions. Death is something that is hidden away in society,\u00a0and horror media is a way for artists to examine\u00a0transgressive topics and\u00a0make political statements about the world they live in. The best kind of horror is honest about its goals and taps into the darker aspects of the human experience.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What made you want to work in horror?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">I have always been drawn to horror films. As a child, I watched\u00a0tons of them with my dad, who was a huge film buff. When I got older, thanks to a TV\/VCR combo in my bedroom and a mom-and-pop\u00a0video rental store within biking distance, I could\u00a0explore tons of films on my own, and horror flicks were cheap and plentiful. As an adult, I discovered that my love of film and\u00a0my love of writing could be combined,\u00a0and I pursued film criticism\u00a0as a hobby.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-46842\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle1-1x1.jpg 1w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle1.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>Where do you get your inspiration?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">I consume many types of horror media: music, books, comics, and video games, and I feel that grabbing inspiration from various\u00a0sources makes an artist well-rounded.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">My goal in deconstructing\u00a0films is to highlight lesser-known\u00a0works and hopefully show readers a different angle they might not have considered in some of their favorite flicks.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Even now,\u00a0in 2025, femmes are still underrepresented\u00a0in many internet spaces and the horror scene, so highlighting their work every year spotlights their\u00a0incredible output.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-46843\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2-1x1.jpg 1w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle2.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>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?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Some writers I highly respect are: Kat Ellinger, Kier-La\u00a0Janisse, Samm Deighan, Heather Buckley, Heidi Honeycutt, Heather Drain, Jane Gutter, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">My most recent horror-related work, the 4K BFI release for Cronos, includes my writing, and I am currently in the research phase for two essays in upcoming Japanese exploitation film releases.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>Where can readers keep up with you?\u00a0<\/b><b><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><a id=\"LPlnk\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/web-cdn.bsky.app\/profile\/michellekisner.bsky.social. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-cdn.bsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fmichellekisner.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cee805486547548a3198308dd63fae69c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638776651462786682%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=U3W01uyZDosgBKxY1oVvkWZX2ttz1%2F9MxYeRX4YAGwI%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"0\">https:\/\/web-cdn.bsky.app\/profile\/michellekisner.bsky.social<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><a id=\"LPlnk222562\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/substack.com\/@michellekisner. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40michellekisner&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cee805486547548a3198308dd63fae69c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638776651462801352%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=HFsXYgZZPYkYjB9Py7O4jgcGE14mbeFdJNwHnuMZHGs%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\">https:\/\/substack.com\/@michellekisner<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><a id=\"LPlnk\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/letterboxd.com\/robotcookie\/. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fletterboxd.com%2Frobotcookie%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cee805486547548a3198308dd63fae69c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638776651462809948%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nd%2Bf4qhKReXKMJ13%2F39un28tHgw1859run8dyJoCZow%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"2\">https:\/\/letterboxd.com\/robotcookie\/<\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-46844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3-1x1.jpg 1w, https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/michelle3.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meet writer Michelle Kisner:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2673],"tags":[477,1550],"class_list":["post-46846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wihm","tag-horror","tag-women-in-horror"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46847,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46846\/revisions\/46847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}