KyFx Content Creature Feature
“I love Horror and wanted to express myself with my movie reviews”.
Selina Dewberry
Meet Selina Dewberry !
Horror Blogger and Critic
by Kyasia Fields on September 16
Selina Dewberry is a Horror film reviewer and enthusiast from Hampton, Virginia. Welcome To The Darkside is her movie review platform that highlights Women in Horror, underrated Horror films, and Horror television series. We got the chance to discuss the importance of celebrating women in Horror, a few of her favorite Horror gems, and her parents contrasting taste in Horror subgenres. Check out the full interview below.
When did you start Welcome To The Darkside, and what was your inspiration behind it?
I started Welcome to the Darkside Instagram page back in 2019. I started it because I love Horror, and I’ve loved it since I was a child. I noticed other Horror community pages, and I was like, “that’s dope and cool.” I would see people with their DVD collections or just photos of what movie choices they preferred. So I just decided to start the Instagram page to see where it would go. I focused on movies that I enjoyed, and I would give Horror film recommendations for films most fans haven’t seen before. I also recommended tv shows because many TV shows and films feature African Americans from the ’60s to the present day. That was the reason I launched the Instagram page. I noticed that I was growing a little bit, and I was shocked, and I knew I wanted to express myself even more, so I started a website through WIX. I started doing movie reviews, tv, and even a column for Women in Horror. Overall, I feel like women in the industry are not appreciated enough. There are a lot of women who deserve to be recognized, so I featured actresses, directors, etc. in that specific column. That’s how everything got started!
What is your favorite Horror film that was either written, directed, or produced by a woman, and why?
There are a lot. There was this one movie, and I can’t pronounce the director’s name (Karyn Kusama), but she was the director of The Invitation, streaming on Netflix. I thought The Invitation was a great movie. I think people assume that it isn’t Horror, but one thing about me is that I love Horror, but I also love psychological thrillers. The Invitation was more of a Psychological Thriller. It was perfect from beginning to end. I discovered it on Netflix, and after reading more on the director, I found out that she worked on a few of my other favorite films, which I was shocked to come across. So yeah, I have a few movies and directors that I like, but she is my favorite.
Who or what sparked your love for Horror?
I would have to say, my parents. They both introduced me to Horror when I was young, but they had a different taste. My mother was more of a slasher, gore lover, and she introduced me to Evil Dead and Halloween. On the other hand, my dad is more of a fan of the psychological thriller sub-genre with films like Hellraiser. They both loved the genre, but they had different tastes within that, that they exposed me to. I discovered my interest in 80’s Horror with films like A Nightmare on Elm Street with Freddy Kruger, my all-time favorite. He is my favorite slasher, and I love the entire series (except for the 2010 remake). I love Horror and wanted to express myself with my movie reviews. At first, I was nervous about what people would think, then I said “forget it” and brushed it off. If they don’t like it, then they don’t like it, and if they do, then they do. My parents are the main influences regarding my love for Horror. My dad had the Child’s Play Chucky Doll and many other collectibles (which scared me at a young age), and my mom collected movie posters. I just took what my parents showed me and ran with it.
What was the last film you watched that left you speechless?
This year there were two movies—The Invisible Man and Relic. I watched the trailer for The Invisible Man, and I usually don’t watch trailers because they always tend to spoil the movie, which gets on my nerves. “Like, why would you do that”! Also, I don’t particularly appreciate that I go into the film already knowing what’s going on after watching the trailer. But for some reason, I watched it and felt disappointed because I’m like, “aw man, they showed the whole movie again.” It wasn’t until I got on twitter and someone said the movie is not what you think. After watching the film, I realized I was wrong. Despite being a remake, it was a great film (I am always skeptical when it comes to Horror remakes). It was excellent from beginning to end. The film is all about her fighting back, and it shows how empowered she was after overcoming the relationship with her ex-husband. It shows her moving on and fighting to keep going. I was happy that it would be on VOD because I’ll spend money to see that again.
The second movie I watched was Relic. I came across it last month. The film is about dealing with the horrors of dementia. It’s pretty much about a grandmother who decides to leave her home and goes missing. After her daughter and granddaughter find her, they realize that something isn’t right. It is a slow burn, but it’s very interesting how everything comes together towards the end; it’s also very sad. It gets a little emotional, but overall, it is a great film. Those are the two movies that were shocking to me so far this year.
You have a column on your site titled Movie Gems, highlighting underrated Horror films. What are your top 3 underrated Horror films?
The Perfect Host is one. It is more of an indie film, and it is crazy! There was someone doing a robbery at a bank because he was trying to help his girlfriend, who was sick. He was trying to find a hideout after the theft and so happened to stop at the wrong house. The ending is the craziest part because you don’t know who the psycho killer was; it’s either the guy who willingly opened the door to let this stranger in or the robber.
The Intruders was pretty good as well. That film is streaming on Tubi. Tubi is such a great app. Now the third film is Rosered, and it’s a tv miniseries by Stephen King. Rosered and Storm of the Century are fantastic. The Stand is a good one as well. It’s crazy how people are making The Stand popular again because of the remake that’s in the works. No one ever really talked about it at first. I believe it was one of Stephen King’s most underrated tv series. So yeah! Rosered, Storm of the Century, and The Stand are my favorite, and I love them.
What is Black representation in Horror to you?
I feel that the concept of “Black representation in Horror “has become the forefront in the past few years. It is crucial not to forget the other Black films throughout history. We have movies like The People from Under the Stairs and Vampire in Brooklyn. We had Tales from the Hood, which was also in the ’90s. I believe Black representation is about coming together as one and showing what you have. I see a lot of people now are making their own films and taking charge of their own stories. It’s about coming together and helping each other out. I see so many talented artists who deserve more appreciation than anything; it can be challenging to start a podcast or a blog or create your movie, so that representation for me is everything because it’s about empowerment. It’s an opportunity to come together and have that conversation. Horror Noire was everything. That documentary was so good. I hope that they make part two because there are so many more movies we need to discuss, films that need more love and more appreciation.
Who would you like to work within the genre?
Of course, James Wan! I love The Conjuring franchise. All of his work honestly. It’s cool for the new generation. It reminds me of the Halloween franchise, The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It’s just cool having a new Horror universe for our generation. I would love to work with him. His skills are just incredible. Have you seen Dead Silence? That movie was great. I would even consider it another underrated Horror film because it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. I would also love to work with Nia DaCosta. I can not wait until the new Candyman comes out. Her talent is amazing.
Check out Selina Dewberry on Social Media
Welcome to the Darkside Site: (https://welcometothedarksid.wixsite.com/welcometothedarkside/movie-gems )
Instagram (@welcometothedarkside_)
Twitter (@tothedarkside_)
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