From Creature Features to Hans Gruber: My Conversation with John Parenteau | S5 EP246: Book Banter
From Hollywood cinematography to writing horror novels, John Parenteau shares his fascinating journey through filmmaking, storytelling, and a lifetime of unexpected adventures.
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Hello My Happy People,
Every once in a while, I have a guest on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt who is so fascinating that I feel like we could have kept talking for hours. Filmmaker, screenwriter, and author John Parenteau was definitely one of those guests!
John is someone who can speak intelligently about an astonishing variety of subjects. His career in film and television has included work on productions like Star Trek: Voyager, Iron Man 2, and The Hunger Games. But he's also raced cars, taught racing, worked as a firefighter, and pursued all sorts of other adventures. Seriously, I don't know how he finds the time to do everything!
What I especially enjoyed was hearing how his years of working in film have influenced his approach to writing novels. We talked about the differences between screenplays and books, the freedom that comes with writing prose, and the importance of creating characters readers genuinely care about.
John also has a wonderfully diverse imagination. He can go from writing a sweet family story like My Secret Zoo to creating something considerably darker and creepier. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of our conversation, a shared love of creature features.
Anyone who knows me knows I am a massive fan of classic monster movies. I grew up watching the Universal Studios monsters, and I still own the whole collection. The Wolf Man was one of my absolute favorites growing up, and I have watched it more times than I could possibly count. So, when John started talking about his latest novel, Archaic, and described it as a creature feature, he immediately had my attention!
I love a good creature feature. Give me Alien, Jaws, An American Werewolf in London, or just about anything featuring a wonderfully terrifying monster, and I'm happy. There is something especially entertaining about stories that let you suspend disbelief and get completely swept up in the adventure. You can enjoy the scares, the suspense, and even the occasional laugh without taking everything quite so seriously.
And that's something John understands about the genre. During our conversation, he talked about how important it is to balance the frightening moments with quieter moments that allow readers to connect with the characters.
Now, here's a little behind-the-scenes story that still makes me laugh. During our Five Quick Questions, I asked John about his favorite classic Christmas movie. He initially mentioned Elf and Christmas Vacation, but I had done my homework and spotted something interesting on his Instagram, a mention of Die Hard.
As it turns out, John and I are both firmly in the Die Hard is a Christmas movie camp!
And when I say I'm a fan, I mean I'm a SERIOUS fan. I watch it every Christmas. I've made my own Christmas tree ornaments inspired by the movie, including John McClane crawling through the air duct. I have a Nakatomi Plaza Christmas party T-shirt, and I even have an Advent calendar featuring Hans Gruber falling from the Nakatomi building. Yes, I really do.
Now, here's the funny part. I was sitting at my computer editing John's interview, right around the part where we were discussing Die Hard, when my husband walked into the room carrying a present for me.
Every year, we buy each other ugly Christmas sweaters. And what do you think he bought for me this year? An ugly Christmas sweater featuring Hans Gruber falling off the Nakatomi building! I couldn't have planned that timing better if I'd tried. Sometimes life hands you a little moment of comedy that is just too perfect not to share.
One of the things I appreciated most about interviewing John was his genuine enthusiasm for everything he does. We talked about his experiences in Hollywood, his transition into writing novels, his adventures outside the entertainment industry, and even the fun he and his wife, Maggie, have playing video games together.
And, of course, our Five Quick Questions wandered into some wonderfully unexpected territory, including Christmas movies, favorite cocktails, laser tag, and his choice for a favorite book-to-film adaptation. But what really stayed with me was John's understanding that storytelling, regardless of the medium or genre, ultimately comes down to emotion and connection.
Whether he's behind a camera, writing a screenplay, or creating a creepy new world for readers to explore, that understanding is at the heart of his work. John was an absolute joy to interview, and I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to spend time talking with him.
If you enjoy fascinating conversations with creative people, or if you're a fellow creature feature fan like me, I think you're going to have a wonderful time with this episode. Click the purple microphone below to go listen now.
Enjoy,
Dianne
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