Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Joe Day: This article examines British horror films that have used historical events of the nation to fuel their narratives.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
JD: Since this article focused on films influenced by historical events, I researched not only film scholarship but works on British history as well. The backbone of my works cited, however, was Stuart Hall’s essay “The Question of Cultural Identity,” which I use as evidence throughout the entire article.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
JD: This article was written as the final assignment in a British Cinema class at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). As a fan of horror films, I had originally planned to focus on films produced by Hammer Studios, but became more interested in lesser-known films as I conducted my research.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
JD: While attending UNCW, I was published twice in Atlantis Magazine, an undergraduate publication of the university. Months after I graduated, I was hired by the film department as a guest lecturer in a class titled “Moviemakers and Scholars,” where I presented several of my short films to students.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
JD: Upon reading this article, my professor, Dr. Elizabeth Rawitsch, pushed for me to submit it for publication.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
JD: Having taken the online class for Film Matters while attending UNCW, I became accustomed to the publishing standards of the magazine, which pushed me to raise my standards as a writer.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
JD: This article is geared toward horror movie fans and scholars. Most scholarship written about British horror films focuses on the films produced by Hammer Studios from the 1950s to 1970s. With this article, I hope to shed light on lesser-known works made by smaller production houses of the time.
FM: What are your future plans?
JD: Currently, I’m in the middle of an award-winning festival run with my documentary film, Remains, and am actively seeking distribution for it. I’m also writing a graphic novel horror anthology titled Blood Moon and have teamed up with three incredibly talented Marvel and DC comic artists to bring the stories to life. This week, I’ll be releasing a free nine-page preview of the novel on Facebook and will be launching a Kickstarter campaign sometime in the fall to hopefully fund the rest of it.
Author Biography
Joe Day is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in film studies and a minor in creative writing. He has been published twice in Atlantis Magazine and his award-winning short films have screened in over two dozen film festivals across the country. Before attending college, he served five years in the Army as a combat cameraman, deploying twice to Afghanistan. Currently, he works as an assistant editor for a multimedia marketing firm located in Los Angeles.
