Queer.Horror.Movies

The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett

[Cinepocalypse] 4 Films to Flag in the Cinepocalypse 2019 Film Festival Line-Up

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Satanic Panic

“Cinepocalypse, Chicago’s premiere festival for electrifying and provocative genre cinema, returns to the Music Box Theatre June 13th for eight days of features, shorts, events and surprises, including eight fantastic break-out world premieres!”

Cinepocalypse is one of the hottest genre festivals in North America, so it’s always a delight when the screening schedule comes out. This year’s fest is already off to a great start with the announcement of a wide diversity of films, including a very welcome number of high profile projects from female directors including Gigi Saul Guerrer, Chelsea Stardust, Caryn Waecther, Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala and Pollyanna McIntosh. The buzz surrounding both Stardust’s Satanic Panic (a product of Fangoria Magazine’s film production wing) and The Lodge (a high profile Sundance acquisition from the directors behind cult classic Goodnight, Mommy) has been steadily building for several months.

Villains

The opening night feature is Verotika, the directorial debut from Misfits founder and punk/metal legend Glenn Danzig. Featuring a plot shrouded in secrecy, a soundtrack of new Danzig music, and based on the output of his comic book publishing company Verotik—a compound of “violence” and “erotic”—the feature film anthology is a realization of his lifelong love of comics and the dark arts that promises to “melt your face off” <gulp>.

Finally, in addition to new films from Lucky McKee and Joe Begos, one final film to keep an eye out for is Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s buzzy SXSW film Villains (which my partner-in-crime Trace Thurman raved about in his festival review). The film, which stars Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe, finds the tables turned on two wannabe criminals when thievery runs a foul and the prowlers soon become the prey.

Festival badges are available now, and individual tickets go on sale Friday at noon CT at cinepocalypsegenrefest.com

Here’s the full festival program:

Achoura, dir. Talal Selhami

  • Morocco, North American Premiere
  • Four childhood friends are reunited when one of them re-surfaces after 20 years, forcing them to confront a creature straight out of a spine-chilling Moroccan legend.

Attack of the Demons, dir. Eric Power

  • USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • Three friends must use every skill their minds can fathom to stave off a legion of mutating demons overtaking their community. Move over SOUTH PARK, this gore-soaked film is done entirely in hand cut-paper animation.

Belzebuth, dir. Emilio Portes

  • Mexico, North American Premiere
  • After losing his family in a most horrific way, a special border agent must investigate a series of deaths involving young children, possession, and an ancient demon named Belzebuth.

Bliss, dir. Joe Begos

  • USA, Midwest Premiere
  • A brilliant macabre painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to every vice she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and a whole lotta murder.

Culture Shock

Hulu’s Into The Dark: Culture Shock, dir. Gigi Saul Guerrero

  • USA, Special Presentation – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • This thriller follows a young woman in pursuit of the American Dream, who crosses illegally into the United States, only to find herself in an American nightmare.

Darlin’, dir. Pollyanna McIntosh

  • USA, Midwest Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • A direct sequel to 2011’s cult classic THE WOMAN, star Pollyanna McIntosh takes over the director’s chair in this coming-of-age shocker with a horror-tinged twist.

Deadcon, dir. Caryn Waechter

  • USA, World Premiere
  • The horrors and isolation of being a social media influencer run rampant in DEADCON, when a collection of Youtube and Instagram stars soon discover there are things scarier than thousands of teenagers armed with phones asking for selfies.

Falling Down, dir. Joel Schumacher

  • USA, Retrospective – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • An unemployed defense worker, frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them. Presented in 35mm.

Flatliners, dir. Joel Schumacher

  • USA, Retrospective – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • Five medical students experiment with “near-death” experiences until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives. Presented in 70mm

Ghost Killers Vs. Bloody Mary, dir. Fabrício Bittar

  • Brazil, North American Premiere
  • In this horror-comedy bloodbath, four Youtubers with expertise in supernatural events seek recognition from their viewers while solving the urban legend of Bloody Mary. Prepare yourselves for gut-busting hilarity and gore-soaked chaos.

GWAR Showcase

  • USA, Special screening – Guests in attendance!
  • A retrospective of GWAR’s blood-splattered iconic heavy metal career, including the Grammy nominated PHALLUS IN WONDERLAND, followed by a Q&A!

Hot Dog… The Movie, dir. Peter Markle

  • USA, 35th Anniversary 4K Producer’s Cut Restoration World Premiere

Kindred Spirits, dir. Lucky McKee

  • USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • In the latest twisted work from the director of MAY and THE WOMAN, stars Thora Birch, Macon Blair, and Caitlin Stasey shine in this unapologetically dark thriller about a deeply disturbed young woman with a sinister agenda.

The Lodge

The Lodge, dirs. Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala

  • UK/U.S.A, Midwest Premiere
  • In this psychologically unsettling slowburn, a young woman and her soon-to-be new stepchildren find themselves snowed in at a remote winter cabin. Of course, strange and frightening events take place concluding in a final act that will leave you shaken.

The Lurker, dir. Eric Liberacki

  • USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • A group of high school theatre students (led by Scout Taylor-Compton), celebrate their final performance of Romeo & Juliet by dying at the hands of a savage killer, in this Chicago-set slasher that gives new meaning to the expression “the show must go on!”

Mope, dir. Lucas Heyne

  • USA, Midwest Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • The tragic and very icky true story of two best friends and low-end Mopes (slang for wannabe porn stars) who sought fame but gained infamy in a 2010 murder at a San Fernando valley porn company’s warehouse.

The Mute, dir. Bartosz Konopka

  • Poland, North American Premiere
  • Two knights set off to christen a small pagan village hidden deep within the mountains, using vile methods to take control of the foreigners minds and souls. THE MUTE is a spectacle made of visuals and atmosphere combined to create a thrilling, savage, and mystical epic.

Punta Muerto (Dead End), dir. Daniel de la Vega

  • Argentina, North American Premiere
  • A mystery writer is suspected of murder when a colleague turns up dead in the exact way that is laid out in his latest, highly praised book. To prove his innocence, he must find the real killer, in this stunning B&W throwback to ’40s mysteries and film noir.

Rock N’ Roll Nightmare, dir. John Fasano

  • Canada, Special live movie riff event with members of GWAR
  • At a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, a hopeful hair-metal band seeking inspiration to record their new LP will soon find themselves in a furious confrontation with the Prince of Darkness himself, as well as GWAR!

Satanic Panic, dir. Chelsea Stardust

  • USA, Midwest Premiere
  • A pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope has to fight for her life – and her tips – when her last order of the night turns out to be to a group of high-society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice.

The Swerve, dir. Dean Kapsalis

  • USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • Holly seems to have it all, but there are troubling signs that all is not right as her life begins to spiral out of control. Both a stellar portrait of depression and a horrific drama, this haunting update on a classic tragedy comes from a new writer/director raised on the films of Bergman, Polanski, and Hitchcock.

Tammy & the T-Rex, dir. Stewart Raffill

  • USA, Original R-rated ‘Gore-Cut’ 35mm World Premiere
  • From the director of MAC AND ME, comes a love story like no other. Starring DEnise Richards and the late great Paul Walker. Oh, and of course a T-Rex.

Total Recall, dir. Paul Verhoeven

  • USA, Retrospective – Film Guest in attendance!
  • Presented in 70mm.
  • “See you at the party Richter”. Villain extraordinaire Michael Ironside in attendance for one of the greatest sci-fi action films of all time! From filmmaker Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenneger. You know this one!

Verotika

Verotika, dir. Glenn Danzig

  • USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance!
  • Featuring a plot shrouded in secrecy, a soundtrack composed entirely of new Danzig music, and based on the output of his long-running, mature comic book publishing company Verotik—a compound of “violence” and “erotic”—this feature film anthology is Glenn Danzig’s directorial debut!

Villains, dirs. Dan Berk & Robert Olsen

  • USA, Midwest Premiere
  • When a pair of painfully amateurish criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret in the basement that two sadistic homeowners will do anything to keep from getting out in this black-comic thriller.

Why Don’t You Just Die, dir. Kirill Sokolov

  • Russia, Midwest Premiere – Presented by L’Étrange Festival
  • A detective brings together a terrible group of people in his apartment, each one of whom has a reason to want revenge. With plenty of dark Russian humor, this rip-roaring rampage of violence and gore plays more as an evil Looney tunes than your basic gross-out experience. Presented by L’Etrange Festival in Paris.

What do you think of the line-up? What films are you most excited for?

Exclusive Pics of Queer Horror Short ‘The Office is Mine’ Reveals Workplace Politics Can Be Killer

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Office politics are about to take a deadly turn.

Making its debut at film festivals this summer is The Office is Mine, a biting and darkly comedic tale of workplace horror that reveals something about the competitive nature within us all.

The result of a creative collaboration between filmmaker & queer horror advocate Michael Varrati (Tales of Poe, He Drinks) and celebrated actor & filmmaker Ben Baur (Hunting Season, #Adulting), The Office is Mine is a searing, satirical, and blood-soaked portrait of what happens when we allow our perceptions of our social standing dictate our self-worth.

Written and directed by Varrati and based on a story concept by Baur, The Office is Mine stars Ben Baur, Chris Salvatore (the Eating Out franchise, The Quiet Room), and Navaris Darson (The Other Two, American Horror Story), with supporting cast that features Sarah Nicklin (Nun of That, The Haunting of Alice D), Phylicia Wissa (It Hits You When You Know It, Santa Clarita Diet), and Chris Baker (Baker Daily).

Synopsis: Despite the corporate monotony of his job, Zac (Baur) feels like he’s got it all figured out. As the “only gay in the office,” his penchant for hot gossip and “in the know” recommendations have assured his place as the most fabulous employee in another wise dull landscape. Or so he thinks. With the arrival of a new hire, the ultra-chic Tristan (Salvatore), Zac suddenly feels like the very thing that makes him stand out is in jeopardy. What’s more, Zac finds himself increasingly convinced that Tristan is intentionally trying to replace him. Despite the assurance of his boyfriend, Owen (Darson), that all is fine…Zac can’t help but slipping further into a world of paranoia and self-doubt. As Zac’s world begins to unravel, it sets him on a collision course with Tristan…who may or may not be all that he seems. As the two men propel toward a violent and unpredictable confrontation, only one thing is certain: The office isn’t big enough for the both of them.

The Office is Mine is set to debut on the film festival circuit this summer, with a premiere date to be announced. Check out the promotional stills below, including several exclusive pictures unavailable else!

4 Reasons To Check Out ‘Piercing’, A Psychological Battle Of Wills

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I’m behind the 8 Ball with other responsibilities, but I still wanted to give a shout out to Piercing, which is currently out on VOD and available on DVD/Blu March 12.

Logline: A man, Reed (Christopher Abbott) kisses his wife and baby goodbye and seemingly heads away on business, with a plan to check into a hotel, call an escort service, and kill an unsuspecting sex worker, Jackie (Mia Wasikowska).

Here are four quick reasons why the film should be on your radar:

1) Star Mia Wasikowska

Pretty much any film starring Wasikowska is worth checking out, but her genre fare is particularly worthy (Stoker is a personal favourite and Rogue is a great little creature feature/aquatic horror film). Here she’s playing Jackie, a call girl who is far more dangerous and damaged than she looks. Plus: while it’s notoriously difficult to rock a bob cut, Wasikowska is surprisingly adept at pulling it off!

Co-star Abbott is fine, though his character Reed is deliberately understated and more reserved, especially in comparison to Jackie, who is allowed to embody a full range of emotions. Still, the pair make for a believable match and neither are hard on the eyes.

2) The Writer & Director 

Piercing is based on a novel by Ryû Murakami, the novelist who wrote Audition – which should get you hyped for Piercing in a BIG way. The film is adapted by Nicolas Pesce, the man behind the gruesome festival fave The Eyes of My Mother which shocked audiences with its provocative B/W exploration of taboo subjects.

3) The Visual Aesthetic

Pesce, along with production designer Alan Lampert, creates a gorgeous tactile world of rich, evocative colours and anonymous spaces (generic hotel rooms, abandoned hallways, uniform city skylines and a large, mostly empty apartment).  Whitney Anne Adams’ costumes tie into the mise-en-scene, particularly Jackie’s fluffy fur coat which makes an immediate impression when she arrives at Reed’s cramped hotel room, as does the strategic use of split screens during key sequences to tie the film’s anti-heroes together in different locales.

4) The Violence

Several reviewers have described Piercing as an American film informed by Giallo aesthetics, with makes sense given its propensity to favour art over plot and its tendency to focus on Wasikowska and Abbott’s eyes. When violence does occasionally erupt, however, it is brutal and efficient; Pesce knows how to shoot violence in a visceral fashion which helps make those rare moments even more impactful.

Piercing is ultimately more of a psychological battle of wills between two disturbed partners who may just be perfect foes/accomplices for each other. Patient viewers will find the film an intriguing slow burn, though audiences seeking insight into character pathology or gore hounds looking for ultraviolence will undoubtedly find Piercing too slow paced and scattershot for their liking. Still, strong performances and a keen visual aesthetic make Piercing a solid recommend.

3/5

XOXO Horror Podcast

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XOXO Horror is a podcast dedicated to exploring and expanding the range of voices contributing to the contemporary horror genre.

Series 1 (February 2019)

February is not only Valentine’s Day, but also Women in Horror Month (WiHM):

Women in Horror Month is an international, grassroots initiative, which encourages supporters to learn about and showcase the underrepresented work of women in the horror industries. Whether they are on the screen, behind the scenes, or contributing in their other various artistic ways, it is clear that women love, appreciate, and contribute to the horror genre.

To complement the 10th anniversary of this great initiative, throughout February 2019 XOXO Horror shone a light on female horror film writers. The immensely talented women who agreed to participate in this project reflect a range of backgrounds and specialties, but individually and collectively they are producing some of the most exciting, innovative, reflective, and critical and boundary-pushing writing about horror films in the field.

XOXO Horror is available on the following podcatchers: iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify

  • Andrea Subissati on Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist
  • Stacie Ponder and Suspiria
  • Stephanie Crawford and Marcia Gay Harden in The Mist
  • Zena Dixon and Summer Of Fear
  • Gena Radcliffe and An American Werewolf In London
  • Meagan Navarro and Revenge
  • Beatrice Loayza and 28 Days Later
  • Valeska Griffiths and The Craft
  • Ashlee Blackwell and The Invitation
  • Alex West and Shelley Duvall in The Shining
  • Ale Gonzalez and The VVitch

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

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My podcasting partner, Brenna Clarke Gray, and I record a weekly podcast called Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr, which dissects young adult literature, their filmic adaptations and everything in between. The podcast also has a mandate to highlight Canadian literature and Canadian writers. Podcasts are broken into three categories:

1. Chapters: These full-length episodes focus on a young adult book and its corresponding film or television show adaptation.

Book Two

  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (June 2, 2020)
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (May 19, 2020)
  • Sierra Burgess Is A Loser & The Half Of It (May 12, 2020)
  • Trinkets (May 5, 2020)
  • Percy Jackson & The Olympians (April 21, 2020)
  • The DUFF (April 7, 2020)
  • I am Not Okay With This feat. Terry Mesnard (March 24, 2020)
  • Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (March 10, 2020)
  • To All The Boys I’ve Loved 2: PS I Still Love You feat. Jen Crocker (Feb 25, 2020)
  • Z For Zachariah (Feb 11, 2020)
  • Looking for Alibrandi (Jan 28, 2020)
  • Anne of Green Gables / Anne with an E (Jan 14, 2020)
  • Let It Snow (Dec 25, 2019)
  • Little Women (Dec 17, 2019)
  • It’s Kind of a Funny Story (Dec 10, 2019)
  • Tschick (Why We Took The Car / Goodbye Berlin) (Dec 3, 2019)
  • The Golden Compass / His Dark Materials feat. Heather Cyr (Nov 26, 2019)
  • Watership Down (Nov 19, 2019)
  • Speak feat. Lucia Lorenzo (Nov 12, 2019)
  • Howl’s Moving Castle (Nov 5, 2019)
  • Looking for Alaska (Oct 29, 2019)
  • Something Wicked This Way Comes (Oct 22, 2019)
  • Nancy Drew (Oct 15, 2019)
  • Archie / Riverdale (Oct 8, 2019)
  • Emma / Clueless feat. Brennan Klein (Oct 1, 2019)
  • The Hunger Games feat. Alex Heeney (Sept 24, 2019)
  • Ghost World feat. CC Stapleton (Sept 17, 2019)
  • The Maze Runner (Sept 10, 2019)
  • Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone feat. Hannah McGregor (Sept 3, 2019)
  • After (Aug 26, 2019)
  • Every Day (Aug 20, 2019)
  • The Giver (Aug 13, 2019)
  • Josie And The Pussycats (Aug 6, 2019)

Book One

  • Mysterious Skin (June 25, 2019)
  • I Love You, Beth Cooper (June 18, 2019)
  • Everything, Everything (June 11, 2019)
  • Gossip Girl (May 27, 2019)
  • The Virgin Suicides (May 20, 2019)
  • Paper Towns (May 13, 2019)
  • The Stand-In / The Perfect Date (May 7, 2019)
  • Orange Marmalade feat. Paul Le (April 30, 2019)
  • The Changeover (April 23, 2019)
  • The Lesser Blessed (April 16, 2019)
  • Ella Enchanted (April 9, 2019)
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina feat. Emily von Seele (April 2, 2019)
  • Divergent (March 26, 2019)
  • Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon (March 19, 2019)
  • Mortal Engines (March 12, 2019)
  • Persepolis (March 5, 2019)
  • The Mortal Instruments (Feb 26, 2019)
  • The Umbrella Academy (Feb 19, 2019)
  • The Kissing Booth (Feb 12, 2019)
  • The Fault In Our Stars (Feb 5, 2019)
  • The Hate U Give (Jan 29, 2019)
  • A Discovery of Witches (Jan 22, 2019)
  • Scott Pilgrim (Jan 15, 2019)
  • The Scarlet Letter / Easy A (Jan 8, 2019)
  • Dumplin’ (Dec 18, 2018)
  • Before I Fall (Dec 11, 2018)
  • To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Dec 4, 2018)
  • Warm Bodies (Nov 27, 2018)
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Nov 27, 2018)

2. Appendixes: These mini bonus episodes range in content. Typically they offer a forecast of notable seasonal or upcoming titles, or a select one-off topic for discussion that falls outside of the guidelines of a Chapter, such as:

  • Never Have I Ever (June 9, 2020)
  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (May 26, 2020)
  • May & June 2020 Forecast (April 28, 2020)
  • Never Rarely Sometimes Always (And More Sex!) (April 14, 2020)
  • Sex in YA (March 31, 2020)
  • Netflix Algorithms & The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia (March 17, 2020)
  • More Sex Education & March/April 2020 Forecast (March 3, 2020)
  • Sex Education S2 (Feb 18, 2020)
  • Feb 2020 Forecast (Feb 4, 2020)
  • Definition of YA (Jan 21, 2020)
  • Jan 2020 Forecast (Jan 7, 2020)
  • Bingeworthy (Dec 31, 2019)
  • 2019 Wrap Up (Dec 31, 2019)
  • Homework Report (June 4, 2019)
  • 2019 YA Forecast Part 2 (June 4, 2019)
  • Sex Education (Jan 15, 2019)
  • YA Forecast 2019 (Jan 1, 2019)
  • YA Holiday (Dec 25, 2018)

3. Excerpts: These mini bonus episodes are interviews conducted with Canadian YA authors discussing one of their most popular or celebrated texts. Typically one episode is released each month:

  • Kai Cheng-Thom, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir (Oct 2019)
  • Tim Wynne-Jones, The Starlight Claim (Sept 2019)
  • Tanaz Bhathena, The Beauty of the Moment (April 2019)
  • Steven Bereznai, I Want Superpowers! (Feb 2019)
  • Carrianne Leung, The Wondrous Woo (Jan 2019)
  • Kevin T. Johns, M School (Dec 2018)

[Review] Rush IFC Midnight’s ‘Pledge’…If You Dare

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Zachery Bryd in Pledge

There’s plenty of horror to be wrung out of the idea that something is “too good to be true.” In director Daniel Robbins’ latest film, Pledge, the phrase is put to the test when a trio of College freshmen discover a social club whose seemingly perfect facade proves to be a front for something far more malicious and sadistic. [Read more…]

[He Said/She Said] ‘Bird Box’ Works Best for Non-Horror Fans

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Sandra Bullock

In He Said/She Said, critics Joe and Valeska dissect a film in a back and forth email exchange. Previously, we adopted a crazy ersatz child in Jaume Collet-Serra’s 2009 Orphan. This time, we’re just trying to survive a less hilarious modern take on The Happening with Susanne Bier’s Bird Box (2018) [Read more…]

Horror Queers

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My writing partner, Trace Thurman, and I write monthly editorials for Bloody Disgusting entitled Horror Queers. The series focuses on films with LGBTQ themes, a high camp quotient or both.

Podcast (New for 2019!)

Horror Queers has launched as a podcast as part of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network. Tune in weekly on your podcatcher of choice (iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Soundcloud, TuneIn) for new episodes:

  • The Craft feat. Valeska Griffiths (June 24, 2020)
  • Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker feat. FriGay the 13th (June 17, 2020)
  • Lord of Illusions (June 10, 2020)
  • Hellbent / Killer Unicorn feat. Sam Wineman (June 3, 2020)
  • The Handmaiden feat. Jenny Nulf (May 27, 2020)
  • Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II feat. Leigh Monson (May 20, 2020)
  • Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island feat. Haleigh Foutch (May 13, 2020)
  • Grace feat. Anya Stanley (May 6, 2020)
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 29, 2020)
  • Poltergeist 2: The Other Side feat. Tyler Jensen & Roman Chimienti (April 22, 2020)
  • Reefer Madness (April 15, 2020)
  • American Psycho feat. Eric Charmelo (April 8, 2020)
  • April Fools Day (April 1, 2020)
  • Vamp feat. Cecil Baldwin (March 25, 2020)
  • The Ranger feat. Annie Rose Malamet (March 18, 2020)
  • Jason X (March 11, 2020)
  • The Blob feat. Meagan Navarro (March 4, 2020)
  • Zombeavers (Feb 26, 2020)
  • Martyrs (Feb 19, 2020)
  • Single White Female feat. Double A Horror Highway (Feb 12, 2020)
  • Hellraiser: Bloodline (Feb 5, 2020)
  • The Boy Next Door feat. Matt Donato (Jan 29, 2020)
  • All Cheerleaders Die (Jan 22, 2020)
  • Hostel: Part II (Jan 15, 2020)
  • Scream 2 (Jan 8, 2020)
  • Speed Dating 2 (Jan 1, 2020)
  • American Horror Story: Asylum feat Emily VanDerWerff (Dec 18, 2019)
  • Black Christmas feat. Alex Wiggins (Dec 11, 2019)
  • Blade: Trinity (Dec 4, 2019)
  • The X-Files: I Want To Believe feat. Ari Drew (Nov 27, 2019)
  • Jawbreaker (Nov 20, 2019)
  • Alien: Covenant feat. Drew Dietsch (Nov 13, 2019)
  • Interview With The Vampire (Nov 6, 2019)
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge Live From Fantastic Fest (Nov 1, 2019)
  • Phantom of the Paradise feat. BJ Colangelo (Oct 30, 2019)
  • House on Haunted Hill (Oct 23, 2019)
  • The People Under The Stairs feat. Carter Smith (Oct 16, 2019)
  • The Perfection (Oct 9, 2019)
  • I Know Who Killed Me feat. Anthony Hudson (Oct 2, 2019)
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation feat. Stephanie Crawford (Sept 25, 2019)
  • Cursed feat. Tim O’Leary (Sept 18, 2019)
  • Jason Goes To Hell feat. Alice Collins (Sept 11, 2019)
  • IT: Chapter One feat. Michael Roffman (Sept 4, 2019)
  • The Loved Ones feat. Dirty Little Horror (Aug 28, 2019)
  • Good Manners (Aug 21, 2019)
  • Tragedy Girls feat. Dani Ryan (Aug 14, 2019)
  • Audition (Aug 7, 2019)
  • ParaNorman feat. Brenna Clarke Gray (July 31, 2019)
  • Orphan feat. Sade Sellers (July 24, 2019)
  • In The Flesh feat. David Opie (July 17, 2019)
  • Scream: Resurrection (July 10, 2019)
  • Lake Placid feat. Brian Particelli (July 10, 2019)
  • Tales From the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight feat. Sarah-Tai Black (July 3, 2019)
  • Ginger Snaps feat. Ariel Fisher (June 26, 2019)
  • Seed of Chucky feat. Chris Eggertsen (June 19, 2019)
  • Final Destination feat. Terry Mesnard (June 12, 2019)
  • Knife + Heart (June 5, 2019)
  • Otto; Or Up With Dead People feat. Kyle Turner (May 29, 2019)
  • The Brood (May 22, 2019)
  • Calvaire / The Ordeal (May 15, 2019)
  • Fatal Frame feat. Jenny Nulf (May 8, 2019)
  • The Wicker Man feat. Cap Blackard (May 1, 2019)
  • Cemetery Man (April 24, 2019)
  • Psycho 2 feat. Michael Varrati (April 17, 2019)
  • Oculus (April 10, 2019)
  • Stage Fright (April 3, 2019)
  • Daughters of Darkness feat. Ale Gonzalez (March 27, 2019)
  • Ravenous (March 20, 2019)
  • Cherry Falls feat. Brennan Klein (March 13, 2019)
  • The Rage: Carrie 2 (March 6, 2019)
  • Always Shine (Feb 27, 2019)
  • Lyle feat. Stacie Ponder (Feb 20, 2019)
  • Happy Death Day (Feb 13, 2019)
  • Dead Ringers (Feb 6, 2019)
  • Swimfan (Jan 30, 2019)
  • Jennifer’s Body (Jan 23, 2019)
  • Hostel (Jan 16, 2019)
  • Scream (Jan 16, 2019)
  • Speed Dating (Jan 16, 2019)

Patreon Podcast

If you want even more Horror Queers, you can subscribe to our Patreon account for more exclusive content:

  • June 2020: Creature Feature Theme
    • Audio Commentary: Sneaks on a Plane (2006)
    • Full episodes: Deep Rising (1998) and Arachnophobia (1990)
    • Minisodes: “Thirstiest Horror Crushes” and “Scream 5 Predictions”
  • May 2020: Possession Theme
    • Audio Commentary: Evil Dead – Unrated Cut (2013)
    • Full episodes: The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) and Insidious (2010)
    • Minisodes: “Memorable Mothers” and “Celebrating F13th at 40”
  • April 2020: Home Invasion Theme
    • Audio Commentary: You’re Next (2011)
    • Full episodes: Hush (2016) and The Strangers (2008)
    • Minisodes: “Trapped in Your House Horror” and “Best Opening Scenes”
  • March 2020:
    • Audio Commentary: Hollow Man (2000)
    • Full episodes: The Invisible Man (2020) and The Hunt (2020)
      Minisodes: “Spoilers in Trailers” and “Flawless 5 Star Horror”
  • Feb 2020:
    • Audio Commentary: Valentine (2001)
    • Full episodes: Gretel & Hansel (2020) and Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (2020)
    • Minisodes: “The 2020 Hereditaries” and “Worst First Date Horror”
  • Jan 2020:
    • Audio Commentary: Scream (1996)
    • Full episodes: The Grudge (2020) and Underwater (2020)
    • Minisodes: “Q1 Most Anticipated Horror” and “Is January Horror Bad?”
  • Dec 2019:
    • Full episodes: Black Christmas (2019) and Into The Dark: Midnight Kiss (2019)
    • Minisodes: “Best Horror of the 2010s” and “Best Horror of 2019”
  • Nov 2019:
    • Full episodes: Doctor Sleep (2019) and Primal (2019)
    • Minisodes: “Horror Gatekeepers: What are They and Why Do They Suck?” and “Must-Includes in a Holiday Horror Movie Night”
  • Oct 2019:
    • Full episodes: In The Tall Grass (2019) and Zombieland 2: Double Tap (2019)
    • Minisodes: “TIFF/Fantastic Fest Wrap Up” and “Most Annoying Final Girl”
  • Sept 2019:
    • Full episodes: 3 From Hell (2019) and IT: Chapter Two (2019)
    • Minisodes: “Stephen King” and “PG-13 vs R”
  • August 2019:
    • Full episodes: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) and Ready Or Not (2019)
    • Minisodes: “Controversial Horror Hot Takes” and “Do Horror Fans Lack Empathy?”
  • July 2019:
    • Full episodes: Midsommar (2019) and Crawl (2019)
    • Minisodes: “4th of July Horror” and “Aquatic Horror”
  • June 2019:
    • Full episodes: Ma (2019) and NOS4A2 (AMC, 2019)
    • Minisodes: “Comfort Food Horror” and “Most Anticipated Third Quarter Horror Releases 2019”
  • May 2019:
    • Full episodes: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and The Perfection (2019)
    • Minisodes: “Traumatizing or Triggering experiences” and “Remakes”
  • April 2019:
    • Full episodes: Pet Semetary (2019) and The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
    • Minisodes: “SXSW Recap” and “Best Pranks in Horror”
  • March 2019: The Last House On The Left (2009) and Us (2019)
  • Feb 2019: Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
  • Jan 2019: Escape Room (2019) and Glass (2019)

Written Editorials

Monthly posts are available on Bloody Disgusting. The series has covered the following films:

[Review] ‘A Moment In The Reeds’ Is A Lush, Evocative Romance

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Janne Puustinen, Boodi Kabbani

It appears that at least once a year, LGBTQ-hungry audiences are being gifted with a quiet, introspective gay love story that delivers both the romance, the passion and the geography porn. It truly is a marvelous time to be alive.

Following in the footsteps of Brokeback Mountain, Call Me By Your Name and – most closely – God’s Own Country, writer / director Mikko Makela’s debut feature film is the latest entry in a recent trend of gay art cinema films that chronicles a forbidden romantic relationship between two men from different backgrounds.

In this case, it’s Finnish graduate student Leevi (Janne Puustinen) – back home for a long weekend from his studies in Paris, France to help his father, Jouko (Mika Melender), fix up the family’s lakeside cottage for sale – and Syrian refugee, Tareq (Boodi Kabbani) who is brought on as a handy man. Almost immediately the men are forced together because Tareq does not speak Finnish and Jouko’s command of English doesn’t extend beyond polite chit-chat, meaning that Leevi must act as translator. He’s also required to be the mediator, explaining Tareq’s frustration to his father because the refugee is unable to procure better work despite his expertise as an Architect; Leevi is also negotiating his father’s volatile xenophobia, which adds an additional layer of complication to their already strained familial relationship.

The tension eases up when Jouko is called away overnight on business and the pair of younger men are left getting to know each other. Makela wisely takes his time developing their relationship: for the better part of their dockside chat, their discussion in the sauna, their romp in the lake and finally their nighttime drinking on the porch, the topics are shallow and general. In fact there’s barely any sense of a romantic connection; these are guarded men circling the wagons. Still, a few lingering glances from one when the other isn’t looking serves to build anticipation and by the time the pair finally lock eyes in a knowing fashion at night’s end, both the characters and the audience are ready to put an end to the slow burn and get down to action.

Makela expertly employs a handheld style, as well as tight framing and slightly disjointed editing to convey the impassioned intimacy of their first sexual encounter. Leevi and Tareq’s coupling has a hungry, desperate vibe; the scene teeters somewhere between graphic and carnal and Makela’s script allows it to play out longer than usual before cutting to the next morning. From this point on the connection between the men shifts and their interactions, both verbal and physical, are more charged, sexualized and meaningful. Conversation about the weather is replaced by startlingly frank revelations about Tareq’s double life in Syria and his flight to Finland, as well as Leevi’s memories of his deceased painter mother and his uncertainty about love following a prior relationship back in Paris.

Janne Puustinen, Boodi Kabbani

A Moment In The Reeds spells out its central conflict in its title: this is a film that traffics in a fleeting fantasy. The reintroduction of Jouko and the realities of the external world quickly threaten to upend the romantic connection between the new lovers. In this way, comparisons to God’s Own Country are certainly apt and unavoidable, particularly the gorgeous, empty countryside playing host to forbidden desire and brooding spectacle.

The natural beauty is amplified by Makela’s exquisite direction and the naturalistic performances by the two leads. Puustinen and Kabbani wisely underplay their attraction until the men act on their desires, at which point their sexual chemistry and affection comes on strong. Although I’m not in favour of a requirement to hire LGBTQ actors to play queer characters, the ease with which the two men interact, particularly in the sex scenes, belies a comfort by the real life gay actors that is absent in other projects.

The film is not without criticism. Despite all of the groundwork laid in advance, the ending of the film feels sudden and abrupt, which won’t satisfy fans of the film’s otherwise languid pace. Narrative-focused audiences, meanwhile, may find that their attention drifts: this is a simple, straightforward story about a brief, fleeting encounter between two men. At one point Tarek mentions “a fantasy experience” and that’s what the film is for the majority of its runtime, for better or for worse.

Still, the political and social framework of the two men’s backstories is relatable and/or extremely topical. Leevi’s story is familial: he’s working through a communication rift between him and his estranged father and other unresolved issues in the wake of his mother’s passing. Tarek’s story is more global: he’s an immigrant recovering from the experience of being closeted in a country that’s hostile to the LGBTQ community at the same time as he struggles to establish a new life in a place where he doesn’t speak the language and can’t practice his own profession.

Both Leevi and Tareq are hungry – nay starving – for intimacy and someone who will listen to them (sexually, romantically, and emotionally). Considering how memorable and impassioned Mikko Makela’s film is, audiences may find themselves devouring A Moment In The Reeds with similar enthusiasm. It’s a strong contender for queer film of the year.

4/5

[Rant] Where Are All Of The Queer Female-Identifying Horror Directors?

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Kimberly Peirce and Stewart Thorndike

At a recent panel on queer horror last month, I was struck by a comment from co-panelists Katie Connell and Joshua Dare about the current state of queer female-identifying horror directors. The discussion began with a definition and brief historical overview of queer horror, then shifted into a survey of the current state of representation. Concerns about the tendency to spotlight films featuring gay men at the expense of their lesbian counterparts gave way to a cautiously optimistic listing of recent films featuring out and proud women. As we rattled off a number of films, however, we discovered a strange pattern: nearly all of these films were directed by straight white men.

Let’s backtrack a little to consider the current state of queer horror, which has notably made a number of gains and increased prominence in the last twenty years. A recent guide created by Vulture entitled “55 Essential Queer Horror Films” identified key shifts in the 21st century that reduced the stigma around queer characters, thereby enabling them to move from marginal to central, sometimes even lead, roles. In the 2000s, films such as Hellbent, High Tension and Seed of Chucky offered visible, albeit problematic, depictions of gay men, lesbians and trans characters.

With the advent of gay marriage in the 2010s, queer figures in horror have become even more normalized, nuanced and fleshed out. The result has been some of the most intriguing texts to date, the vast majority of which are about queer females. Films such as Jennifer’s Body (Kusama, 2009), All Cheerleaders Die (McKee, 2013), The Neon Demon (Winding Refn, 2016), Thelma (Trier, 2017), What Keeps You Alive (Minihan, 2018) and Blue My Mind (Bruehlmann, 2018) all feature complicated and fascinating lesbian characters.

Bruehlmann’s Blue My Mind

A cursory glance, however, reveals that all but two of those films were directed by straight white men – a number that is worth pausing over. While there is obviously nothing that restricts one group from telling the stories of another, the lack of female directors is note-worthy, particularly given the problematic historical depiction of lesbians as a source of titillation for the male gaze.

This disjunction is not severe when compared to publicly “out” gay male directors, who have become increasingly prominent in recent years. Renowned master of horror Don Mancini has kept Chucky and the Child’s Play franchise alive and sexually subversive for 30 years. Up and coming directors Chris Peckover (Better Watch Out) and David Freyne (The Cured) have both delivered horror films that play with notions of masculinity and lends themselves to queer takes. And recent Oscar winner Luca Guadagino’s Suspiria, featuring a nearly all-female cast, is filled with sexual connotations and feminist readings.

Stewart Thorndike’s Lyle

The simple fact is that representation and visibility matters. Even in horror fandom, there remains a frustrating need to explain why female characters and creators matters, although the recent uptick in feminist horror criticism that began with AxWound and Women in Horror Month and continues now with publications and sites such as Grim Magazine, Anatomy of a Scream, Suspiria Magazine, Graveyard Shift Sisters and Diabolique Magazine bodes well for the future.

Let’s return to the question at the heart of this debate: where are all of the queer female-identifying directors? Despite the disheartening statistics about the ratio of female to male directors (and in spite of Jason Blum’s hastily corrected statement about the lack of women interested in directing horror), the horror genre is flush with talented women. “Out” female queers, however? Not so much.

A deep dive online (and help from HorrorTwitter) revealed only two feature filmmakers: Kimberly Peirce, who directed the 2013 remake of Carrie, and Stewart Thorndike, who directed indie micro-budget “lesbian Rosemary’s Baby” film Lyle (2014). Singer St Vincent (nee Anne Erin Clark) directed one of the segments of the all-female horror anthology, XX (2017), though she seems unlikely to return to the director’s chair in the near future. There are undoubtedly a number of other up and coming talents working in horror shorts, including Monika Estrella Negra, who is currently crowdsourcing the funding for her first feature, Two Sisters.

Despite advances in queer visibility both on and offscreen, there remains a gap in the horror genre. It is possible that filmmakers prefer to leave their mark on the screen rather than publicly disclose details about their personal lives, but the fact that there are so many heterosexual white men telling stories about lesbian characters in horror films is a potentially problematic trend. On the cusp of what Vice is calling “the rebirth of lesbian horror movies”, let’s hope that a number of proud, “out” queer female-identifying directors emerge from the shadows to ensure their onscreen proxies bear an authentic touch.