Katie Holmes starrer Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark which hits theatres today, is a serious scare-fest that also stars Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison and an army of evil little creatures who invade an old house and terrorise its occupants. Holmes talks about horror movies and why people get a kick from being afraid in movie theatres.
What scares you?
People who like to take the wind out of your sail because there’s a lot more they’re doing. If they’re doing that to your face then they’re doing more. So that scares me more than, like, a monster.
Are you a big horror fan?
I like classic horror films. But I’m not a big slasher, gory type of horror film fan.
What makes a horror film effective?
You have to be able to relate to the people and relate to the world and be invested in them. And then, suddenly as an audience member, you are those people going through it.
Does having your own daughter affect the way you approach a role like this in which a mother protects her daughter?
I think being a mom myself, when I read my character and I saw the journey she takes and how we see her make sacrifices for her child — I think I didn’t understand that until I became a mom.
Do you like to be scared at movies? Why is it that people love to be scared so much?
I do and I like to be affected when I watch a film. And when you watch a scary movie and it’s well done, it does take you on that roller coaster and you do feel exhausted later but in a great way. I think it’s more than entertainment. It’s a relief and it’s a release, and it’s what entertainment and performance is and screenwriting and storytelling is supposed to do. We’re supposed to identify and feel something from it.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2011.
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