TERRORCONNECTION @TERROR_CONNECTION_MAG
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Page 3: Psycho—A Queer Analysis Page 6: Freddy’s Revenge—Film Review Page 8: Daughters of Darkness Page 10: Sleepaway Camp—The Birth of The Transgender Slasher Page 16: VHS Vault Page 20: Directors Cut Page 22: Let The Right One In—Vampires And Young Queerness
Page 26: Death Becomes Her—A Queer Legacy Page 28: Interview With Brooke Nelson From Jim Thorpe Burlesque Page 32: Rocky Horror—A Queer Cinematic Milestone Page 34: New Shudder Documentary—A History of Queer Horror Page 36: Queer Horror Comics Are Kick Ass Page 38: Michael vs. Jason—Evil Emerges Film Review Page 40: Annabelle Comes Home Film Review
All articles written by S.J. Carter and Steven Pepper 2
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, is a perfect example of the classic horror film and the introduction of a shift in sensibilities in society.
Driving through the night in a rain storm, she decides to stop for the night at The Bates Motel, that is managed by Norman Bates and his mother.
While the gender-bending elements of the film can be regarded as ground-breaking, the ways that queerness is presented on screen, is that a person’s queerness isn’t evil, but that a person can do evil things.
That night while in in the shower, Marion is brutally murdered.
Psycho is an adaptation of a book of the same name, and is looked at as a pivotal point, not just in the history of horror films, but in all of cinematic history. It reinvented the genre and brought on a new wave of horror films that went through massive changes in the way that they were written, directed and produced. A fundamental part of horror films in the modern era, is the removal of certainty and security. Films these days will almost always have open endings. This takes away the certainty and security that closed narrative horror films from the golden age provided. In horror films of these days, feelings of uncertainty and insecurity are also generated because the horror being seen takes place in ever day life. It could be said then, that this makes our surroundings a place where safety and security aren’t guaranteed.
The film then centres around Marion’s lover, her sister, and a private investigator called Arbogast who was hired to investigate Marion’s disappearance. We are led to believe that the killer is Normans mother, until It is revealed that the killer is Norman, dressed up in his mothers clothes and a wig. When Norman got the urge to kill, he would dress up as his mother who he murdered 10 years earlier. After the funeral, he dug up her corpse and kept it in her bedroom. He would then have full blown conversations with her corpse. Speaking firstly as himself, and then responding to himself in his mother’s voice. It was only when his mother persona took over completely, that he would dress up as his mother and kill people. This film exists in a world where no universal good or evil exists. Looking at Marion and Norman, it’s obvious that neither of them are fully good, or fully evil.
This can without a doubt, be expanded to issues concerning gender status, or sexual orientation. A form of uncertainty and insecurity in this film, was the queerness in the character of Norman Bates. Psycho was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the story of Marion Crane. A bank clerk who goes on the run after stealing $40,000 from her employer. 3
An example of this, is the scene were Norman goes up the stairs, swinging his hips in (what could be classed as) a feminine manner. Then straight after, he carries his mother down the stairs (to hide her in the fruit cellar), in a masculine manner. Ultimately, it deconstructs the male-female gender binary. His sex is that of his physical body, but his gender on the other hand is a social and cultural construct. When Norman switches between feminine and masculine behaviour, it undermines the terms ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ altogether. The undermining of these gender norms reaches its climax at the film’s end.
Their characters are complex and blur the boundaries, between (what back then, were) socially acceptable standards. Marion is seemingly the film’s protagonist. She is a thief and from the perspective of the moral attitude in America in the 1960s, would have been looked at as a deviant for having secretive and very casual sexual encounters.
It’s Norman’s character where cross-dressing is the most obvious act of gender subversion. Despite the way the character’s sexual orientation has been constructed, men wearing women’s Clothing is by many connected with homosexuality and perverse behaviour. There is a common generalisation that unifies all gender-bending aspects of queerness, which is the idea of the ‘deviant homosexual’. Although incorrect, this belief must be considered, given that it was widespread in the early 1960s and as a matter of fact, still is today.
Norman is introduced as a shy and polite man, who appears to be the complete opposite of Marion. But as the film goes on, we see that behind his anxious, sensible façade, lies a deeply troubled killer. In the parlour room over a sandwich and glass of milk, Norman says the phrase that is now part of horror film folklore. “We all go a little mad sometimes”. If you read into that, it could be looked at (in these modern times) as a commentary for issues with mental health. The horror that comes from Norman is psychological. A horror that could live in all of us. Basically, everyone has it in them to see the red mist and ‘go mad sometimes’. We encounter a coming together of evil behaviour and queerness in Norman and how the queerness in his character is not what makes a him evil. Throughout the film, we see Norman showing a variety of behaviours that could be deemed as queer. 4
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The most famous film in the ‘queer horror’ genre, in my opinion was made in 1985, an was the first sequel to Wes Cravens masterpiece, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Following such a ground-breaking horror film was always going to be tall order but being that the world was at the height of an AIDS epidemic within the homosexual community.
There’s also the homoerotic relationship between Jesse and Grady that reaches its climax in Grady’s bedroom, after fending off his female love interests' advances. Also, we can't forget the gym teacher who has a fondness for young boys and BDSM. There is a sequence in the film with involving the gym teacher that I still cannot believe made its way into a mainstream, Hollywood motion picture. Freddy’s Revenge was subject to severe analysis in relation to its homoerotic sub text. Jesse, a sexually confused boy is being stalked by Krueger, who wants to possess his body and use it to do his bidding. The film has many great quotes, but for me, there are two lines that are the most memorable: “Something is trying to get inside my body” And... “He’s inside me, and he wants to take me again!”
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Wanting to finally express his frustrations with the film and how it has affected his life, Patton has recently released a documentary called “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street”.
I honestly believe that the scene where Jesse makes his metamorphosis into Freddy, is exactly what it represents: How his latent homosexuality is eating him up and wants to break out of him and be set free. The entire movie is like a great big metaphor for sexual confusion. Many years after the making of the film, in the ’Never Sleep Again’ documentary, the screenwriter admitted that the gay subtext was not completely, but somewhat intentional. Mark Patton has suggested in the same documentary that the making the film was a very unpleasant process for him a gay man who at that moment in time, had not come out as being gay, and wouldn’t for years to come. He said he became typecast as a gay actor, which really limited his creative integrity during the 1980s in when homosexuality was still seen as a perversion. Patton said: “I always thought that the real villain in my story was David Chaskin, the writer”. “He insisted for years that he hadn’t written it as a gay film, but I knew that he had because we had mutual friends”. “He would always blame it on me. He’d say: ‘Well I didn’t write it that way, but Mark was just so gay that he made the whole movie gay”. Patton, who plays Jessie has been identified as horror cinema’s first male “scream queen”. 7
Attack of the European Lesbian Vampires “What are you thinking about?” “The same thing you are.” Daughters of Darkness isn’t a little hidden gem. It’s a massively gaudy, blood drenched ruby, realistically sculpted into the most beautiful breasts, humans, immortals, and gods you have ever laid eyes on. Could anyone expect any less from a film that has Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess herself, languishing right square in the middle of it? Stefan and Valerie are a newly married couple on their honeymoon. They check into a grand, luxurious hotel in Ostend to wait for the ferry to take them back to England, Stefan is oddly secretive and resistant to introducing Valerie to his mother. Valerie is annoyingly desperate to meet the woman and receive her approval. The couple are the only guests in the hotel that is until the sun sets. Enter Elizabeth Bathory and her lover *ahem* I mean secretary, Ilona. The pair’s unexpected arrival is suspicious given the series of murders that has taken place recently. On a day trip, Valerie and Stefan stumble upon one of the victims and he is so enthralled by the sight of the violence, he backhands Valerie when she tries to pull him away. Stefan is by far not a model husband. His violent and sadistic tendencies are becoming increasingly difficult for Valerie to ignore. Meanwhile Elizabeth quickly becomes obsessed with the couple although it seems as if her main focus is Valerie. Ilona begins to feel like chopped liver, which is exactly what she turns out to be. Elizabeth sacrifices her in a ploy that mixes good oldfashioned hypnotism with ingenious manipulation to poison Valerie against Stefan and coax her over to the other team. Essentially she pulled the “You’re already diggin’ on my mad vampy skills. Look at what that douchebag husband did now. You know you wanna be my girl.” Daughters was made in the seventies so it could obviously only push the women loving women envelope so far, but the lady love scenes aren’t what
set my big gay heart aflutter every time I watch it. It’s all about Delphine. Every time that beautiful creature walks into frame, no one else sharing the screen exists. She completely takes over every scene she’s in. She’s absolutely captivating. Her dark eyes mesmerize viewers to the point where they forget what’s going on in the film. (I’m sorry, what just happened? What day is it? What year is it? Who am I?) Eyes like that can make you forget your own name. Her voice intoxicates the audience. She dreamily recounts her own crimes, hovering on the intimate details of torture and murder, but like a siren she casts a spell that pulls us into an auditory euphoria. She may as well be talking about puppies and cotton candy. Whoever was responsible for lighting the shit out of her deserves a damn award. It has been said that Kumel loathed working with Ouimet on set and that he adored working with Seyrig. That feeling comes out in the film. Valerie grates on every last one of my nerves. I often find myself asking, “Are you sure you want this one? Like forever? Forever ever?”. In comparison, great care was taken to ensure the audience fell in love with Elizabeth. The way she entered a room. The way she left. The way she lifted her eyes towards the camera. Her words and the speed with which she spoke them. Even the way she lounged about on a chair or bed. She ensnares each and every member of the audience and not a one is the slightest bit torn up about it. We are all content to just brush our hair to the side, expose out necks, and whisper “Bon a petit Countess.”. 8
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I never went to summer camp as a kid. I did however, watch every summer camp slasher movie I could get my hands on. What’s not to love about these warm weather splatter fests? The recipe is so simple. Take a bunch of horny teen stereotypes of varying likability, put them in the woods, add at least one psychopathic killer, and simmer. But in 1983, a film was released in theatres that would become a cult classic that is still talked about to this day. From the moment the title credit flashed on the screen Sleepaway Camp, released as Nightmare Vacation in the UK, instantly cemented itself as an icon of transgressive slasher cinema and Angela Baker became the queen and poster child of the queer horror film. Written, directed, and executive produced by Robert Hiltzik, Sleepaway Camp centres on young teen Angela Baker. She is taken in by her nutty Aunt Martha after surviving a tragic boat accident in which her brother and father were killed.
Artie is the sleazy head chef who makes no effort to hide his attraction to children. His co-workers are alarmingly undisturbed by the fact that a paedophile is working at a summer camp. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to hire this guy? Ahhh, that would be Mel, the cigar chewing camp owner who constantly looks like he’s about to slip into a syphilitic coma. Paul is Ricky’s best friend and all around “nice guy”. Meg is the bitchiest, most unempathetic camp counsellor to ever exist. Susie is Meg’s polar opposite. Ronnie is the gentle giant head counsellor with the junk enhancing short shorts permanently plastered to his ass. He and Susie are sweet and try to help Angela navigate camp and cope with the bullying but their approach is annoyingly passive. Kenny, Mike, and Billy are basically three apes who look more like they belong in a frat house than a camp for kids. Upon being thrust into this world, Angela is immediately and incessantly ridiculed and tortured for her introverted nature.
Several years later, Angela is going to Camp Arawak for the summer with her cousin Ricky.
Judy and Meg are the leaders of this pack of jackals attempting to eat her alive. They are relentless. But all is not hopeless.
It’s her first time going to camp and since Ricky’s an old pro he attempts to show her the ropes. He’s thrown a curveball when Judy blows him off to hang with the older boys. Apparently, the growth spurt she had over the school year turned her into a jaded 35-year-old with no time for little boys. It’s clear by the look on Angela’s face that she’s not thrilled with this girl or the fact that they’ll be bunk mates. In quick succession she is greeted by a host of questionable characters.
It seems that each person who shows any cruelty towards Angela is quickly dispatched in a gruesome fashion. After attempting to assault her in a food pantry, which Ricky thankfully interrupts, an unknown assailant forces Artie to dump an obnoxiously large pot of boiling water all over himself causing disfiguring burns and terrible pain. He is the first of many victims and the only one who doesn’t die. One can’t help but wonder if this was done consciously. 10
Now his physical appearance matches the monster he is on the inside and he has to live with fear and pain he may very well have caused possible victims. (I know that’s a little dark and deep but stay with me folks.) At first Mel tries to convince himself and everyone else that the deaths are just accidents but as the bodies begin to pile up, he begins to suspect that Ricky is murdering people to ruin him and his business. He does make an excellent red herring. After all, every victim is someone who picked on his cousin and he’s quick to make threats of bodily harm. But after attempting to put an end to Ricky, Mel gets a nasty surprise and here is where Sleepaway far surpasses any slasher film that has come before it. Angela is discovered naked at the lake cradling the head of her final victim and those left alive are shocked to discover that she is not who she appears to be. As it turns out, it wasn’t the brother Peter who died in the boating accident but Peter’s sister. When he went to stay with his Aunt Martha, she decided to make him the daughter she never had and always wanted. And so, Angela was born. The shock ending of Sleepaway is one that is still spoken of hotly to this day and on the surface I can understand why. At first glance, Angela Baker appears to be just another example of a transgendered character being portrayed as a sick-minded villain. Until recently, the treatment of queer characters in the media has been problematic at best and downright cruel and insulting at worst. But I don’t view Angela that way. Even though Robert Kiltzik insists he didn’t set out to create a gay horror film, that’s what he did all the same. Angela is a beloved character.
As a person who identifies and a non-binary lesbian, I relate to her struggle of being shoved in a box.
She’s not a murderer because she’s trans. She’s a victim who decides to become a survivor. After the trauma of losing her father and sister, crazy Aunt Martha forces her into a gender role she then has to figure out how to live in. At camp she is surrounded by people who savagely ridicule and bully her for not fitting their ideals of what a “normal” teenage girl should be. All the other characters are exaggerated examples of male and female teen sexuality. They dwell permanently at extreme ends of the binary spectrum. Judy taunts her about her boyish figure and lack of sexual interest. “You’re a real carpenter’s dream. Flat as a board and needs a screw!” Angela refuses to go swimming. The audience is led to believe her past trauma has made her afraid of the water when in reality she’s trying to hide her secret by keeping her body covered. Meg picks her up kicking and screaming and throws her into the water. By forcing her into the water Meg is attempting to force her to be the person everyone wants Angela to be. They are threatened by her and it seems as if they will do anything to make that feeling go away. They are so unnerved by her they even go so far as to ask her why she’s so fucked up... which is laughable when they’re the most fucked up ones of all. 11
Even her silence is viewed as freakish. It’s as if her shyness is a felony. Ricky even asks at one point, “Why can’t you leave her alone? She’s just quiet.”. As someone married to an introvert, I have found myself saying that exact same thing. And often. Introverts can be extremely fascinating people when one sets aside preconceived notions and puts in a little more work to get to know them. They often communicate a lot through facial expressions, but it’s necessary to spend time with them in order to accurately read them. Angela is definitely no exception. She communicates everything and nothing all at once with her eyes alone. Felissa Rose was absolutely brilliant at bringing that part of the character to life. Introverts also respond better to a gentle, natural approach. When people try too hard it makes them uneasy.
Ricky’s character is also incredibly important because he represents the straight ally. The “normal” folks who support and love us crazy queers. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, to get in the thick of things when they get ugly. Ricky fights for Angela. He does everything in his power to keep her safe. He’s willing to fight grown-ass adults. And part of the experience of some straight allies is getting Caught Up in the thick of things. If there’s a bashing or attack of some kind, they might get hurt as well. This is exactly what happens to Ricky. In defending Angela, he gets some of the heat as well. And he is so vehemently protective that Mel suspects him of murdering on her behalf and nearly beats him to death for it. In the two sequels, Angela continues to slash and burn her way through toxic gender norms.
This is why Paul is able to get through to Angela. He takes that extra time. He doesn’t give up or judge her for her silence. And he doesn’t beat her over the head with his conversation. It also explains the intimacy and tenderness surrounding his death. While it’s just as savage if not more so than the others, instead of discarding his body like the others, she holds it close to her, rocks with it. She kills him, yes, because he disappoints and betrays her, but there is still a part of her that wants to hold on to the that moment that she actually had a friend, a boy who liked her as she was. In her mind he may even be better this way. Frozen in a state of harmlessness.
In “Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers”, we see Angela as an adult. She’s more confident and comfortable in her skin thanks to her gender reassignment surgery. She is now a proud member of the staff at Camp Rolling Hills and she’s intent on being the best camp counsellor she can be. She really just wants to show the kids a good time but there are a fair share of bad apples she needs to get rid of before the whole summer goes sour. She really does try but these damn kids and their pesky hormone-fuelled terrible behaviour keeps raining on her parade. 12
To her, the campers are misbehaving not because they want to but because they feel like they have to fit in and it seems to be making them all miserable. Ally is hell bent on screwing away whatever pain she’s carrying and she cares so little for her wellbeing that she waits until after she has unprotected sex to ask if he “has AIDS or anything”. Rob is bending over backwards to win Ally’s affection only to be used and discarded by her. Lea eats her feelings and attempts to maintain some kind of control and power by being a snitch. Molly is terrified that her mousy look and lack of sexual experience will cause Sean to choose Ally over her. The writers really upped their game with the dialogue and death scenes. The shit swim is particularly disgusting. Angela’s off the cuff one liners are absolutely hysterical. On the more serious side, there is a lot of homophobic language thrown around. Presumably on purpose to really emphasize the fact that these kids are fucking assholes. Angela isn’t running around trying to bone everything that moves or flashing her tatas every five seconds so that must mean she’s a lesbian. This line of thinking is ridiculous by the way because, as a member of the lesbian community and also a giant ho, I can say with absolute certainty that most of us are far from chaste. The one scene in Unhappy Campers that has always stuck with me takes place near the end of the film when Angela has Molly and Sean tied up and she explains how she got out of the institution she was sent to after the events of the first film. She talks about being “completely cured” and how her treatment included electro-convulsive therapy and a multitude of drugs. I always think of conversion therapy when I watch this scene because the treatments are identical. She got committed and fixed up to be the lady she was supposed to be. Or so the doctors thought.
In “Teenage Wasteland” (1989 ), Angela levels up by taking on classism, greed, and racism. No longer a camp employee, she murders a girl headed for Camp New Horizons, a program aimed at promoting connection and understanding by having underprivileged and over privileged kids camp together and takes her place. And what better location to get all touchy feely than the shit show formerly known as Camp Arawak? Bonus!! But of course, Angela can’t have one good summer. The owners are just out to make a quick buck and maybe grab a lil fame on the way. And the kids are a whole new level of punk, busting out switchblades, guns, and graffiti. Angela ain’t havin this shit. She sends a particularly blatant message by stringing up a girl who drops the N-word several times from the top of a flagpole. Bottom line, she’s gonna have a good, wholesome time at camp if she has to slaughter every fucking camper to do it. All of this being said, I obviously don’t condone going out and murdering everyone who tries to bully you into conforming. But horror is about fantasy and catharsis. It’s about being able to imagine, if only for a couple hours, what if?. Sleepaway Camp is a satisfyingly absurd good time and Angela Baker is the cheeky, lovable, morbidly creative slasher I wanna be besties with.
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Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) Directed by Jack Sholder
City in Panic (1986) Directed by Robert Bouvier
Since we already have an article about this one, Imma keep it brief. GAY! SO! GAY!
A detective teams up with a talk-show host to take down a homophobic serial killer on the streets of Toronto.
Just watch it.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Directed by Jim Sharman Do I really need to say anything about this one? Transvestites from Transsexual, Transylvania. Tim Curry in a corset.
Susan Sarandon in a corset. Musical numbers. More crossdressing in a single film than I’ve seen in twenty drag shows. Susan Sarandon in a corset. A castle that doubles as a spaceship. Susan Sarandon in a corset. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, what are you even doing with your life.
Gayracula (1983) Directed by Roger Earl Bruh, I swear I am not making this up. This movie actually exists! Count Drac is back - and this time he's necking more than just Stella. Count Gaylord stalks the pubs within L.A. for the hunkiest victims to ever succumb to lust, as well as his enemy, the Marquis de Pint.
Cruising (1980) Directed by William Friedkin A police detective goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men. Seriously Al Pacino trussed up in leather bar gear. What’s not to love? 17
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Stranger By The Lake (2014) French Written and Directed by Alain Guiraudie Available on Shudder
Rift (2017) Icelandic Written and Directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen Available on Shudder
A man wiles his summer days away at a popular cruising spot at a lake. He meets a dangerous man, who he instantly falls in love with, so he ignores the murders going on around him and continues to pursue the potentially deadly relationship. Warning: If you are at all adverse to seeing any type of boy on boy lovin, you might wanna skip this one.
Knife + Heart (2019) French Written and Directed by Yann Gonzalez Available on Shudder Two men holed up in a secluded cabin are haunted by the ghost of their failed relationship.
The Quiet Room (2019) English Writen and Directed by Sam Wineman Available on Shudder
A man’s failed suicide attempt awakens a demon that haunts the hospital’s quiet room. He must find a way to stop it before it kills everyone around him. Added bonus, the cast includes Alaska Thunderfuck of Ru Paul’s Drag Race fame.
The setting is Paris, Summer 1979. Anne is a producer of low grade gay porn. Her life is flipped upside down when one of her actors is brutally murdered. Equal parts perverse humor, cringe inducing violence, and heartbreak, knife is very much in the vein of ultraviolent, stylized directors like Argento. My Big Fat Gay Giallo. 20
Alena (2016) Swedish Directed by Daniel di Grado Written by Kerstin Gezelius, Alexander Onofri, and Daniel di Grado Available on Shudder
Alena arrives at her new boarding school and immediately becomes a target for bullies, but she has an old friend ready and willing push back. Hard. I twisty little tale.
Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl (2017) English Written and Directed by A.D. Calvo Avaliable on Shudder
Adele is sent to look after her aunt Dora and hopes to make a connection with her. Unfortunately, Dora’s reclusive ways leave Adele feeling more than just a little lonely. That is until she meets Beth. She’s seductive and exciting but after she convinces her to shirk her responsibilities, Adele isn’t so sure this new friend is worth the consequences.
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Let The Right One In is a Swedish vampire film, released in 2008, and directed by Tomas Alfredson. Reading the back cover would have you thinking this is just another vampire film. But believe me, this is so much more. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, “Let The Right One In” brings together many of the themes in the book but the strongest is the romanticism of a vampire with an adolescent age and queer edge. What interests me most about vampires is that they are the type of monster that can have so many layers and personalities. The best examples of this are the pain of loneliness due to their immortality, or with this story, the cruelty of living out a life of permanent adolescence and the seductive quality of lust and sexuality.
Nearly all the stories in vampire films are about adult vampires, so it makes it difficult to explore the sexuality of younger characters. There is a very fine line between the examination of the subject matter and exploitation or sexualization of adolescents. That all sets us up nicely to have an in depth look at ‘Let The Right One In’
Vampires have a history as a symbol of queerness. The amazingly written story of “Carmilla”, a novella written by J. Sheridan LeFanu was published in 1871 and was about a lesbian vampire. If you haven't read the novella, there is an awesome web series by “Kinda TV” on YouTube called “Carmilla” that stars Natasha Negovanlis, Elise Bauman, Annie Briggs, Kaitlyn Alexander and Sharon Belle. There is also a very awesome feature length Carmilla movie. And, while the queer content isn’t necessarily explicit, Bram Stoker’s Dracula flows with queer subtext. (This subtext being that the vampires mistresses appear to have sexual desires of a bisexual nature.)
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The main character in the film is Oskar. He is a the pre-pubescent boy, who’s skin is so pale, he may as well be absent of colour altogether. He has a very timid and naive personality which makes him an easy target for bullies at his school. What is even more relevant and of utmost importance is the appearance of a genderless human being.
That’s what he has learned from his peers. The method they use to show their masculinity, is through violence, so he in turn imagines that acts of violence would lead to him having what he thinks is power. In trying to navigate these stormy seas by himself, little did he know, everything was about to change when he meets his new next door neighbour, Eli. (For the sake of sensitivity, I will refer to Eli by either her name or by gender neutral pronouns.) Eli is a vampire, and like Oskar is an alienated youth. Their family never stay in one place for long periods of time. Due to their family constantly travelling around, there is no chance of making friends. The end result is a similar kind of alienation to society, much like Oskar. Two isolated people brought together in an isolated world.
It could be said, that shutting himself off from the world, could be because of a queer identity. The anti-social nature of Oskar’s character does align with real life representations of young, withdrawn queer youths.
The best way to look at the relationship between Oskar and Eli, is to look at these characters as children. They’re both on the cusp of maturity, but not quite there. The more time they spend together, they become very close in that innocent way that children do and become very fond of one another.
Something interesting about Oskar, is that the more I studied his character, he could looked at as someone in search of his identity.
One of Oskar’s main character traits, is that he has such a complete lack of confidence.
Typical of any youth trying to stand up for themselves, especially young queer boys that don’t fit in, Oskar’s understanding of asserting his masculinity is through violence.
This is why it’s so touching, that Eli is the person that he feels he can make himself vulnerable to and feel comfortable enough to expose himself to emotionally.
And why shouldn’t it be?
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He asks Eli “Will you be my girlfriend?” Eli replies, “Oskar, I’m not a girl.”
They both know that they don’t fit into society’s ideas of how things should be and so they decide to run away.
Oskar reacts, saying, “You’re not? Can we still be together?”
They get on a train to nowhere, abandoning a society that refused to accept them.
And that’s it. It doesn’t matter to him.
The thing that upset me the most, was that these innocent children were hoisted out of society, without ever having done anything wrong. Something that gave me a feeling of hope and encouragement was when they get on the train and we see the smile on Oskar’s face, even though he has no idea what the future holds.
In the real world, you would have to be naïve to think that a young boy would show little to no concern about the gender of the person he has feelings for. But in the film, he couldn’t care less about gender, and his acceptance of Eli as a person is very refreshing. The romantic connection they form is nothing short of beautiful. There are moments were there are so many feelings that jump out of the screen and are expressed through the music they listen to together. In these moments, though no words are spoken, the way these feelings shine through are as beautiful as the central romance.
By his side though, is Eli, the person that is all that Oskar has ever been looking for... Alexander McQueen put it best when he said, “There’s blood underneath every layer of skin.”
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I like to think of this film as being a mixture of an episode of “The Only Was Is Essex” (that’s gone horribly wrong), mixed with an episode from Tales from The Crypt with its blood, screaming and brilliant plot twists. Its delightfully dark plotline centre’s around a pair of celebrities, Helen and Madeline who for years have been trapped in a fiery rivalry fuelled by jealousy and deceit. Being such a quirky yet violent script, it caught the attention Robert Zemeckis, who had big time credentials after having directed the classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and the immortal “Back to the Future” trilogy. After making these hugely successful comedy films, he was looking for a new challenge. Something more mature and daring. In an interview with the screenwriter David Koepp about how the film came to be, he Said: “The intention was for the film to be something along the lines of “Night of the Living Dead” if George Cukor had directed. It felt like no risk whatsoever, because I had nothing but a creditcard debt to my name. There was nowhere to go but up”.
All was not lost though for this dark comedy with It gaining massive popularity with horror fans and quickly became a cult classic. The film also found redemption in the queer community who have insured its legacy. 27 years after it was released, the film has become a hallmark of the queer community and is screened during Pride month where theatres full of fans mouth lip-sync every word. Madeline and Helen’s looks have inspired an untold amount of cosplay and drag performances.
Koepp then, had imagined that his script would become nothing more than indie film that would have names of yesteryear like Ann Margaret, Tuesday Weld, and Dean Stockwell. But once Universal got Zemeckis on-board, this once upon a time indie film began to blossom into something bigger, bolder, and more bizarre. It had a big budget and attracted A-List stars in Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn. Despite the big budget and the A-List cast, Death Becomes Her ended up bombing when it was released in 1992.
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The winner of the “Death Becomes Her Runway Challenge” was Violet Chachki, who won for her fabulous and fierce look and her cinched waist.
Though Helen and Madeline aren’t technically cast as the antagonists, Tom Campbell, the executive producer of Ru Pauls Drag Race sees them as sympathetic figures.
Writer Koepp is overjoyed, yet confused with the fandom that’s grown around the film. In an interview, when asked to elaborate on this, he said: “The movie was ahead of its time. There are themes and conversations that are part of a social commentary about how a person feels they have to look being so important and what a person is willing to do and do to their bodies in the name of beauty. All of these things have multiplied exponentially since the film was released”. Campbell also said that he puts “Death Becomes Her” on the short list of movies that inspire us every day.
When he was asked why the film appeals to the queer community he’s at a loss. In an interview on why he thinks the film was embraced by the queer community, he said: “You really can’t underestimate the entertainment value of two women swinging shovels at each other. I could invent some excuse but deep down in my heart I don’t know. It could be that the gay community is attracted to tales of resilience and people who never giving up.” I can understand his point of view as to why fans would embrace Helen and Madeline for these very qualities. This story is about two women who are fading actresses and a writer who are ignored by the world and are trying to find a way to make the world think they were beautiful again. Helen and Madeline’s characters are tied to a lineage of bad women, who are loved for having dared to be both exquisitely stylish and unapologetically ambitious.
A trait that runs throughout the queer community is the fascination with the female villains. They are gay icons. They’re strong female characters that you love because of how evil they are. We see this in characters like Poison Ivy, Cat-Woman and nearly all the Disney villains and witches. One of our favourites is Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent, with her cold cackle and cool cape. Our all time favourite is Ursula from The Little Mermaid. She’s a full on bad ass.
It’s no wonder that they took the serum that would make them forever young, glamorous and beautiful.
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I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Brooke Nelson. She is the mad scientist behind the PA Burlesque Festival and it's Halloween themed sister show, “Boolesque”. I first heard about Boolesque in June of 2013. My wife and I were spending our honeymoon in Jim Thorpe, PA and we saw the flyer posted at “The Mauch Chunk Opera House”, which was across the street from the B&B we were staying in. We were so intrigued, and so we booked our tickets right away. Since then we've gone every year. With Boolesque's 10 year anniversary upon us, they are celebrating with a Rocky Horror themed burlesque show. I thought this the perfect time to get to know more about its founder. We met a the “Muggle's Mug”, a Harry Potter themed coffee shop in Jim Thorpe. Before I even tapped the record button on my phone, she was already explaining that right up until opening night, it's a one woman show and she does all of the prep work on her own. I opted to do the interview as a fun lightning round, and came up with questions that we could both Answer, so that our readers get to know Brooke and myself on a more casual level.
TC: I had the Spice Girls on in the car. It’s my guilty pleasures.
Brooke: I won't tell anybody. They were a huge contribution to the pop landscape. I am a huge Monkeys fan. I read poetry at Davey Jones' memorial service, so I get the whole engineered band thing. When the magic's there it's there.
TC: Last movie or show you watched?
Brooke: The last movie I saw in the theatre was “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. Caddyshack the other night. It's a classic.
TC: Stranger Things was the last thing I watched. TC: Last book you read? Brooke: I just finished “Scottish Witchcraft” by Raymond Buckland. It's one of those books I've had for ages but didn't grab me when I bought it.
TC: I'm working on a piece for the magazine so I'm reading R.L. Stine books. I just finished “The New Girl” which is the first book in the “Fear Street” series.
TC: Go to karaoke song?
That said, lets get to it!
Brooke: The last time I did karaoke, I channelled my
TC: Current playlist or song you're listening to right
inner James Hetfield and ploughed through Whiskey in the Jar by Metallica.
now?
TC: I do Hollaback Girl a lot for some reason. I would Brooke: The Guns n Roses version Black Leather (by The Sex Pistols) from the Spaghetti Incident album.
like to do Iggy Azalea's Fancy or Black Widow, or Bodak Yellow by Cardi B.
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TC: I definitely agree. Absolutely not. Do not bring TC: One person, living or dead, you would love to
that thing within 500 yards of me.
see perform burlesque?
Brooke: It really comes down to the intent of the
Brooke: Elizabeth Taylor, she was so beautiful and so much of her value as a performer lay in her ability to make herself vulnerable. I think that would be beautiful onstage.
TC: I would love to see Bette Davis on stage. She has so much sass. That big shouldered broad that just owns the stage.
person using it. Since they have been marketed as a board game since day one, it's a really good tool for teenagers to scare the crap out of themselves. I am again so thankful for the time I got to spend with Brooke. She was magnanimous, bawdy, and brilliant. For more info about Boolesque or for tickets to either show visit
www.pabulesque.com
TC: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Brooke: I'd love to go back to New Orleans. That place is magic.
TC: Calgary in Canada hands down. One of my favourite shows, Wynonna Earp is shot there. They film pretty much everything there and it's so beautiful. It really is a character all on its own.
TC: Do you have a favourite burlesque performance and performer?
Brooke: I had a performer come in who’s name was Stash. He's a middle aged guy with great big walrus moustache. He gave me a number that had to do with the financial crisis of 2008, but he did it as the Monopoly man. He had a McDonalds bag with chicken nuggets in it with Monopoly game stickers on it. It was the cleverest concept I have ever seen in my life.
TC: My favourite performance would have to be Penny Star's performance last year. It was so beautiful and I was almost in tears in that moment because it was so overwhelming. As far as favourite performer, it would have to be Ruby Von Vanity. I normally get really ruckus during the other performances but when she gets on stage I just get really quiet.
TC: Ouija boards, yay or nay? Brooke: Not the best medium for communicating because it's so dense but it makes a great portal for stuff that you really don't wanna talk to. 29
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Join me as we time warp to 44 years ago. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was released in 1975, and it absolutely bombed both critically and commercially.
And let’s not forget that the film’s release was only 6 years after the Stonewall uprising, which today is looked at as being the start of the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
I can see the confusion pouring out of your ears and can already hear you asking yourself questions like, “But why”? and “How is the possible”? Sometime after its release, it developed a massive a cult following thanks to late-night screenings at cinemas. This began firstly in New York and due to its success there, it began to spread throughout the rest of America, then over to the UK, mainland Europe and then worldwide. The success of the late-night cinema screenings was largely due to LGBTQ audiences. In 1975 when the film was released, being gay was still considered by doctors to be a mental illness and was illegal.
The inclusive message that could be taken from the film, is that life is best for those, who (to paraphrase) give themselves over to absolute pleasure. This is a message that would have resonated among LGBTQ community. Especially those who came of age in the early years after Stonewall. So in the end, a film that was destined to be just another film thrown on to the cinematic scrapheap, actually helped in generating the fan base it later enjoyed.
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Horror streaming service “Shudder” had massive success with its first original documentary called “Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror”.
With the documentary having received acclaim from fans and critics, they are now ready to go again with a brand-new documentary on an overlooked section of the genre. This being Queer Horror. To research and explore the history of Queer Horror films, the team at Shudder are doing things properly and have pulled together a team featuring some of the best in the business.
Writer/Director Sam Wineman from Shudder, in a recent interview spoke about his excitement on starting work on the new project. He Said: “Growing up I loved watching Andy, a kid like me, outsmart a killer doll in Child’s Play/ When I was older, I found strength in fierce and feminist final girls like Sidney Prescott in Scream. I was seeing so many parts of myself in these stories, but it wasn’t until I taught a slasher film course that I realised these and so many of the films I connected to were written by members of my own community. In order to fully understand the depth of how and why, you have to unpack the social context of what it is to be queer at the moment in history that coincides with the films themselves. That story is one that is long overdue, and I am honoured to have the chance to share it”.
The team features Writer/Director Sam Wineman, Phil Nobile Jr., the editor in chief of “Fangoria Magazine”, Kelly Ryan of “Stage 3 Productions” and consulting producer Michael Varrrati from the “Dead For Filth” Podcast. The documentary will explore the works of queer writers and filmmakers such as writer of “The Hell bound Heart” and director of “Hellraiser” Clive Barker. The documentary will look to explore the depiction of LGBTQ characters in horror. Films like Sleepaway Camp and Jennifer’s Body to name but a few will help to document the history of Queer horror and will examine contributions to the genre, beginning with silent films like Nosferatu, through to the present-day films like Black Swan.
In the same statement Phil Nobile Jr. in the same interview said that he felt a sense of urgency to tell story about Queer Horror. He said: “When Ashlee Blackwell and I were pitching horror Noire, we felt a strange sense of urgency. I have that same feeling again with this documentary. This year feels like that moment for queer horror. Something’s in the air right now, and I deeply believe that Sam Wineman is the right voice to tell this story”. We expect that the documentary will be released sometime in 2020. 34
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You may have guessed from the title of this article, that we are here to talk about queer horror comics. The art in the comics I’ve reviewed are absolutely next level and the stories that are being told aren’t just for the LGBTQ community. These are stories that anyone can read and relate to. The storytelling, production of artwork and the presence of horror fiction in general in any community can be looked at as a sign that everything is going in the right direction. We get to see stories about monsters that are created as a product of discrimination and gender violence. We get to see the monsters that are created as a product of identity politics and the frustrations that are felt from that within the LGBTQ community. Queer characters don’t have to be the victims of gender phobias.
Aircel's comic book adaptation of Carmilla is 6 volume mini series that is in the most part, loosely based on the 1872 novella by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. It is without doubt, the birth of the lesbian vampire.
Instead, they can fight back… And fight back hard… They can be ultra-violent, and outright ruthless and gruesome to their enemies. This can be looked as an effort by the creators, to express themselves through fiction and artwork. To express the inner frustrations they’ve felt through their own lives, and an outward expression of the injustices that the LGBTQ community has endured for so long. So… Shall we have a look at a couple of these comics?
Pictured above, is the front cover of the first comic and is the only one that closely follows Le Fanu's original plot. In the comic book series Carmilla’s character is a lot more predatory than she is in other mediums on which the character features. People who know the Carmilla novella, or web series and/or movie will be asking yourselves… “Who in the blue hell is Sarah”? Well, I can put any worries you may have to rest by letting you know that Sarah in the comics, is actually the character Laura from the original novella and onwards. 36
“Vampires Will Never Hurt You” is short in length but “Yowee Wowee” does it make up for it in content! For those of you who want to check this out, something I will say is that the horror aspect and its outright violence is kept under wraps, until the time is right for it to explode right in front of your eyes. It needs to be seen to believed. The storytelling and artwork is fantastic!
The story takes place on Halloween night and revolves around Jamie, a nonbinary teenager, and best friend Vicky. A regular victim of violent bullying, Jamie has gone into a state of hiding and is refusing to go out Trick or Treating with Vicky. Even without Jamie and the threat of violence Looming from the bullies at school, Vicky decides to out Trick or Treating alone… But unexpectedly has a change in fortunes for the better when Jamie does eventually decides to go trick or treating as well in full costume, with face covered up so to hide from any perspective bullies in the vicinity. But in full costume, how is Vicky to know if that is actually Jamie that’s under the costume? Is there something not fully human behind the supermarket value shelf mask? Vampires Will Never Hurt You is a story that is dark, but is also thought provoking and beautiful at the same time. It shows us that monsters aren't all they appear to be, and that the worst kind of monsters are the people around us. Written by June Vigants, and available via “Store Envy”, this is a read that I would highly recommend to anyone in and beyond the LGBTQ community. Where the monster’s alliances fall makes for a great and terrifying story beyond the realm of victimhood.
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In 2003, every horror hound on the planet rejoiced when we finally got to see Jason Voorhees fight Freddy Krueger in a brutal and bloody fight to the death. A horror villain who never got the opportunity to go one on one with another titan of the genre is Michael Myers from the Halloween films. In 2018, we were treated to a delicious slice of slasher pie, when we got the chance to see Michael Myers go toe to toe with Laurie Strode. But now we’re in 2019, and that means that we have now gone 10 years since we last saw Jason in a film and we’re literally dying to see him return. We all know the behind the scenes legal chaos that happened (and is still happening) with Freddy vs. Jason, so seeing these two go to battle in a cinematic format, will sadly (probably) not happen again any time soon. . That said, I have some awesome news for you all. A YouTube channel working out of Australia, called “Radical Talent”, has put together a fan film called “Michael vs. Jason: Evil Emerges”.
The short fan film has gone insanely viral and has a staggering figure of over 11 million views on YouTube!!! It’s safe to say that something we can all agree on, is that there are no greater mask-wearing, nonspeaking horror villains than Michael and Jason. Any fan made horror film I’ve seen on YouTube (I’ll be kind) has been a bit rubbish. But this one is off the fuckin’ chain. Brilliant direction, superb acting, excellent practical effects, lots of blood and gore, very well done special effects and audio production. Honestly… its something every horror fan needs to see. You can watch the full movie on YouTube, but heed our warning… It’s not suitable for anyone under 18. So what are waiting for, get on it (like a car bonnet) and get it watched!!!
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After two “The Conjuring” films, following the legendary Ed and Lorraine Warren, there has been three spin off films. From “The Conjuring 2”, the spin off film was “The Nun”. From the first “The Conjuring” film, came the spin off film called “Annabelle”. We all know what can happen with spin off films. After the success of the initial film, the spin off (usually) absolutely sucks. But this is one that didn't let us down and was a massive critical and commercial success. The terrifying film about a haunted doll, was of course followed up with a sequel, and… oh my days… it was next level. Unbelievably, it was more terrifying than its Predecessor. We waited with baited breath to see if there would be a third instalment to complete what make an awesome trilogy if the film delivered the goods. I’m very happy to say that we did get a third film, and it was awesome… But awesome in a different way from the other two instalments. The first film was full of demonic and paranormal activity. The second film had the demonic element, but was far more graphic and violent. That bones all popping out and her changing shape was absolutely terrifying. Not to mention the poor mans hand being broken and the woman being ripped in two. So how did the third film differ from the other two?
It’s a slow burner. It doesn't blow its load right at the beginning and then leave you with an anticlimax for the rest of the film. It’s a very tense affair throughout. Its reminds of vintage John Carpenter films, where it makes you feel tense and terrified and clinging on the edge of your couch, just waiting for it to go off… Then out of nowhere…
BOOM. You’re sucker punched and it hits you like a god damn freight train, until such time as the evil is overcome and we can all take a breath. This film is definitely of that build, and I have no problem holding it in such regard. That kind of praise does not get passed down easily. That’s just how impressed I was with this film. The first and second films of the trilogy don’t feature Vera Farmiga or Patrick Wilson in the roles of Ed and Lorraine Warren. They do feature in this one, but only in bit parts at the start and end of the film. There is however a member of the Warren family that’s in the film throughout. That is their young daughter Judy. Being the daughter of the legendary pair, she has traits similar to her mother who is a clairvoyant. 40
To quote a line that will make all of you reading cringe… “She sees dead people”. Rather refreshingly though for a film like this, it makes the point that not all spirits are bad. She is a naïve and vulnerable young teenager and has all the same feelings of happiness and sadness that all of us have felt at that age, but on the other side of that coin she is robust, intelligent, and feisty. She is accompanied on screen by her all American, innocent girl next door type babysitter Mary Ellen and her scheming friend Daniele. Something I really enjoyed about Daniele’s character, is that she is the bad influence to the all lights and sparkles of Mary Ellen, and creates the perfect balance. It’s Daniele’s medalling and deceit that sets the evil wheels into motion when she finds the keys to the forbidden room full of (unknown to her) possessed, demonic and very dangerous possessions from the Warrens many investigations. It turns out her father died in a car accident. She thought that perhaps there may be something in the room that could help her contact him in the afterlife. She asks if there are any spirits in this room and if they could help her reach her father and Annabelle was more than happy to answer her call… Because Daniele literally touched every single item in that room, once Annabelle was set free, every single demonic spirit in the room is then set free to terrorise the house. This is what sets the foundations. The attacking begins in small ways to begin with. Basically just letting them know they’re there.
When it does kick off… Fuckin Nora… It’s full on!!! Something that was clever and original, was a scene with an idea that I’ve never seen in a horror film Before. The spirits and demons, although contained within the room, lock the door, trapping Daniele inside. The demons all working together start “Conjuring” (oh dear) their ideas and evil intentions, and plotting their next move… they decide first to play games with her. A TV comes on, and as she kneels down to look in to it, She can see her self, and its a mirror reflection that’s about 10 seconds ahead of her. I’m saying no more and giving away no spoilers. The villains the trio face are terrifying! The main antagonists are “Annabelle”, “The Bride”, “The Black Shuck” and the worst of the bunch… “The Ferry Man”. He is depicted in the film as a dark spirit that takes souls to the afterlife for a price. But even though the toll is paid, he instead he collects their souls and tortures them. Annabelle is a magnet for all the spirits in the house and is pulling all the strings to get what she wants, and of course creates absolute havoc. The ending was rather Americana but it ties everything up nicely. They have now closed the door on any further Annabelle films and have tied up all the loose ties. In this modern age of horror, there is a lot of films that have so much promise and don’t deliver. These films are different and have delivered an immense trilogy. Roll on “The Conjuring 3”. 41
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