When Chris met Emily (sort of)...

When I interview Emily Booth, she’s resplendent in shiny thigh-high plastic boots, basque and leather hot pants. Perhaps. Considering the whole thing is done via email, she could well be wearing a pair of 1950s-style men’s pyjamas, Homer Simpson slippers, an enormous towelling dressing gown and a diving helmet, but for the purposes of this short interlude, let’s just allow a bit of fantasy, eh?

Obviously, I don’t want to come over all “Nuts Magazine” here, after all, I’ve spent the last decade writing for this site carefully cultivating the kind of ironic perspective on the female form that you have to have these days if you want to get your end away. But it has to be said that Ms Booth does carry on that fine tradition of British actresses who aren’t shy about whopping them out if requested to do so. In that respect she could well be seen as a 21st century version of British horror icons like Ingrid Pitt, Maddie Smith, Julie Ege or Jenny Agutter (that last one being more of a personal favourite on my part than a genuine “scream queen”), but she’s more than a pretty face, a substantial pair of lungs and a substantial pair of “lungs” (if you catch my drift).

She has been in a variety of Brit horrors over the past few years, including the title role in Pervirella (don’t ask), and a succession of saucepot characters in Evil Aliens, Doghouse and Cradle Of Fear. As well as starring in the things, Emily is also an ambassador for the whole British horror genre… she’s a genuine fan of the classics and the more recent offerings, and in fact, her knowledge of modern Brit horror far outstrips mine. She’s also well known to horror fans in general as the sometime presenter of the UK’s Horror Channel (or whatever’s it’s called this week) and has been spotted on numerous other channels presenting a variety of (ahem) special interest shows over the past decade or so. I’m sure that you, as a fellow fan, are probably thinking the same thing I am here. She looks and sounds like the perfect woman. And the following interview won’t do anything to dispel that view…

We start with a simple question that, given the young lady’s credentials, is pretty much superfluous. Are you, Emily Booth, a fan of British horror films?

“Of course! Yes, British horror is booming and has its own distinctive style and content I think. It often really draws upon social trends and problems - like 28 Days Later and ‘Rage’, Mum and Dad and the dysfunctional family, and Eden Lake and thug culture – to name but a few.”

But for Emily, it’s not all 21st century film. “I’m quite old skool sometimes, so one of my absolute faves is Neil Jordan’s Company of Wolves. It is so seductive and magical and unusual – there are not many films like that now. I also loved Gothic, The Haunting and Dream Demon – and of course The Wicker Man – my absolute fave! All those are faves because I watched them when very young, and films always have a bigger impact on you when you’re young – but I saw Heartless by Philip Ridley last year at Frighfest and loved it so much, such an unusual poetic film that even made me cry.”

There’s a definite love of the 80s there – with her singling out a few films that are disliked – if not completely forgotten – by fans. But Emily is unrepentant. “I guess it comes down to what I said about them affecting me lots, as I watched them quite young in life. At that time you are feeling more passionate and confused, and the themes of sexual awakening are all the more relevant! But also they just paint wonderful pictures for me that make me feel nostalgic. They were very bizarre and quirky and surreal in the 80s!”

Stepping away from British horror, the first horror film she saw which made an impression on her is one which quite a lot of people of her generation and older probably had… Spielberg’s shark n’ swimming spectacular Jaws.

“It frightened the crap out of me! I was about two or three when I it, maybe on VHS with my brother or my parents. Afterwards I had nightmares that Jaws came through my window and was chomping at my feet as I slept. And it just so happened that same year I was taken on holiday to America –and my parents took me to Universal Studios. During the tour bus ride Jaws jumps out of the water and attacks the tour bus! So it really stuck with me.”

"Hammer was wonderful because it belonged to a certain era – unfortunately we can’t just fake and recreate that era now. Originals are pretty much always the best."

For the majority of Brit horror fans, late night television showings of the old Hammer films were what kicked off their obsession, and Emily is no different. “I do remember creeping back downstairs after being put to bed and watching whole Hammer horror films from behind the sofa, and really enjoying feeling naughty that I was up late, but also really scared too!”

Unlike the majority of us, those early late night scares helped direct Emily in her chosen career. She now gets to watch the recent releases and get paid for it! “I report every year at Frightfest, so I’ve seen a lot of the good British horror releases from the last few years. Like Heartless, Mum and Dad, - gosh, there’s loads - I just can’t remember them all offhand!”

Alongside a genuine enthusiasm for the new stuff, she still loves those old Hammers, although (like the rest of us) has mixed feelings about their reported resurgence. “I recently watched Scars of Dracula and met actress Jenny Hanley, and I really enjoyed that! I would love to see a season of all the old Hammer films as they’re so atmospheric and classy and moody. But in terms of the recent Hammers… Beyond the Rave?! Its not quite the same is it? Hammer was wonderful because it belonged to a certain era – unfortunately we can’t just fake and recreate that era now. Originals are pretty much always the best.”

And (and here’s the clincher as far as I’m concerned), when I approached Emily she actually already knew of this very website. “British Horror Films is a fantastic site that I regularly use for research as it lists all the relevant British Horror in an easy to navigate way, and the style of the site is also very quirky, camp and fun – a bit like me!”

Yup, I’m in love.

Emily has also been nominated for a Dead Letter Award for her role as the Snipper in new BHF Doghouse – and people can vote for her as their favourite zombie here…

Last updated: July 8, 2010