I had the pleasure of meeting adult film star Leana Lovings a few weeks back at an animal charity event called “Vice is Nice, an event catered to and co-organized by members of the adult industry. There was music, poker tables and a giant raffle area. I didn’t win anything, but Leana is now the proud owner of a large backpack full of emergency supplies. You never know what awaits you out there but thankfully Leana is now prepared.
We were introduced by her publicist, Michael Whiteacre, who informed me that Leana was also a big horror movie fan. This intrigued me immediately.
In the car ride to the event, I asked Leana what some of her favorite horror movies were. It turns out Leana has seen as many horror movies as I have, if not more. I was filled with a mixture of delight in meeting another true horror fan and a bit of embarrassment, as she has seen horror movies I still haven’t gotten around to watching, (sorry Terrifier 1 & 2). I may have to hand back my doctorate in Gore.
Leana graciously agreed to share with my readers her thoughts and impressions on this topic, so below is my conversation with Leana Lovings on the birth of, and her continued love of horror:
———————————————————1- What was the first horror movie you ever saw,
and how old were you then?
I have two defining movies that come to mind.
One represents that age where, as a child you might not consciously understand why your parents don’t want you to be awake while they watch a horror movie and your curiosity leads you to take a peek at what they’re viewing. I stood in my hallway, peeking over the corner to see Maximum Overdrive (1986) ; there is nothing more intensely gripping than watching a killer ghost clown possess a semi-truck for their gory murder spree.
My second defining movie was when I was old enough to appreciate my mom’s VHS version of Tales Beyond the Crypt
2-How long until you were watching horror movies regularly?
When I was 13, that was perhaps the moment when the doors to horror movie classics were opened. Hidden in the media center was a huge family collection of classics- From The Changeling, to the Thing, Signs, and The Others.
3- Did someone turn you on to various horror movies, or did you discover them on your own?
My mom has always been a horror movie fan and we used it as our bonding time; I fell in love with horror movies and she had a collection waiting for me once I was ready.
4-You mentioned to me that your favorite horror movie is “The Conjuring.” Why does this movie
resonate with you?
The Conjuring came out in 2013, and I have to admit that a lot of the horror movies in the years preceding it had felt so modern that they lost the “feel” of what I wanted- A good old classic possession story. The Conjuring reveled in the 1970’s aesthetic, and the presence of Ed and Lorraine Warren blurred what felt “real” or fake. You wanted to think some of it actually happened.
5-You also talked about liking “The Changeling” an early 80’s horror film — a ghost story — about a manifestation infesting a large house. You specifically pointed out a very specific detail, the child’s red ball that tumbles down the stairs, as creeping you out. What was it about this film you liked the most?
I loved the creeping psychological horror that takes place in the mind of a former husband, a father that has lost his place in the tragic loss of his family. It’s just him, alone in such a vast house that would have been perfect for his wife and child had they still been alive- and it feels intensely lonely.
All the pressure that builds up over time is great, but the presence of the red ball and how it returns to him even after he drove away and tossed it into a lake- Only for it to tumble down the stairs, as if waiting for just when he got home. It pressed in this terror of how helpless he was, and how it was also a game for the spirit that was only just a boy.
6 - Both ‘The Conjuring” and “The Changeling” are haunted house movies. Is there something about this particular sub-genre of horror that scares or captivates you?
Yes! Haunted homes are so personal- because it invades the space you’re supposed to feel safe in. I love the complex feeling that kind of horror stirs- because there is truly nowhere to run.
7-Do you tend to gravitate towards any other particular types of horror: Monsters vs slashers?
Possession films? Or will any meat in the horror stew satisfy your appetite?
I love possession films, psychological horror…. Monster films, for the record, will always win over slashers but Why keep them separate? 30 Days of Night pairs those two wonderfully.
What matters to me is if there is a driving story that wants to be told.
8- Is there any type of horror movie you don’t like?
Nope!
9- Do you enjoy gory horror movies? If so, what are some of your favorites?
I love gory movies! 30 Days of Night, Terrifier 2, Jeepers Creepers… Keep them coming, always.
10-A wise movie producer once summarized the appeal of horror movies in two words, “Premature Death.” Do you agree that this is their prime and primal appeal? If not, what do you think is the enduring appeal of horror, for yourself or audiences generally?
I think that there is another appeal to horror movies. My favorite appeal is the perseverance at the end through inhuman, almost impossible odds. The enduring appeal is being able to go in movie after movie and see the ending fates. For me premature death is an aspect but the people that survive will linger. My mind always stick on what their life will be like after living through a horror movie. How long until they no longer sleep with the lights on?
11- What scares you the most?
The dark! It always will.
12- Do you find horror movies provide an outlet to
help confront our fears, or are they just
entertainment?
Yes.
13- Have you watched more extreme / existential horror films like “Martyrs”, “A Serbian Film” or
“Cannibal Holocaust”? Do those movies excite or disgust you? Or both?
I’ve seen A Serbian film but not the others yet! I will watch them for the sake of the experience. Videodrome terrified me and plagued my mind for months after watching. ( Cronenbergian films have always felt extreme for me and Videodrome hit intense disorienting bodily horror. )
14- It has been said that horror films don’t require big name stars, as the genre itself is the star. It really comes down to the director being able to keep the suspense alive. What would be an example of a well-directed, edge-of-your-seat horror movie for you?
I could say, Sinister kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending had me yelling at the TV. It was so difficult to watch it all the way through!
15-Since I have the impression you have spent a fair amount of time in the dark watching horror
films, what recommendations can you give for obscure horror films some readers may not know
about?
Videodrome, Let Me In, The Host (2006), Nothing Left to Fear (2013) ,and lastly, A Dark Song (2016)
16- What are your top 5 horror films?
I love too many horror Films to list only 5!
17- I have watched enough horror films to know to
keep an open mind on the paranormal. It’s
always the ones who don’t believe who get
slaughtered. Do you believe in any of the
supernatural? Ghosts, exorcisms?
Absolutely! I think that our knowledge of the universe and its properties is constantly expanding. We can’t ignore the potential for it. And I think we just don’t have the technology to capture everything that’s out there.
18-If you were trapped in a horror movie and a
monster was after you, what would you do to
survive and be the Final Girl?
Step 1- Don’t explore the creepy unusual sounds.
Step 2- Always have an escape route
Step 3- Always have a survival buddy - Being alone is the easiest way to get picked off.
19- Horror movie fans tend to have a reputation
as tougher than most, as we can stomach more
blood, guts and gore as opposed to other film
lovers. Is that true for you? Do you scream with
cinematic joy, or primal terror when someone is
killed on screen?
I’ve been teased for being ruthless when I watch horror movies! I always root for the awful characters to die, and relish in their just deserts. There will always be horror movies for me where they pull my heartstrings - Like sacrifice for a loved one, or love reunited in death, and those get me close to crying.
About Leana Lovings
The rise of this versatile cam model turned porn star, who debuted in adult films in September 2021, can only be described as meteoric. Leana Lovings was already an immensely popular webcam performer with over 200,000 followers on Chaturbate before taking the plunge into the World of X.
She has brought her loving fan base with her and, in that short interval, the all natural, 5-foot brunette beauty has reached the top 0.3% on OnlyFans, ascended to the top 20 adult stars on Pornhub with over 240 million views and 190k subscribers.
