Dahmer [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: Dahmer Year: 2002 Cast: Jeremy Renner, Artel Kayàru

Plot: Dahmer tells the story of real life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeffrey (Renner) works in a chocolate factory by day. At night he brings guys home where he attempts to make them sex slave zombies, and cannibalizes his victims.

Why So Queer: Dahmer isn’t a straight up horror. It a psychological film which examines the mind of Dahmer. The film explores Dahmer not as a cold blooded killer, but instead as a young man so damaged by his fear and self loathing that he can only express intimacy in moments of horror and control. Jeremy Renner manages to make Jeffrey a character you simultaneously pity, abhor and desire. The film doesn’t demonize Dahmer’s queerness but rather allows it to highlight his isolation and humanize him despite his terrible actions.

Hostel: Part II [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: Hostel: Part II Year: 2007 Cast: Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips, Richard Burgi

Plot: Picking up where the first installment left off, 3 art students studying in Italy for the semester take the train East to Slovakia on the advice of beautiful nude art model and possible gay lady Axelle. When the trio find themselves victims of the murderous Elite Hunting Group, shit gets real.

Why So Queer: What is truly queer about this movie is how no one talks about how queer it is. Lauren German’s Beth shows zero interest in any of the men on screen, and obviously has lady wood for nude model turned procure-er of murder victims. But the film doesn’t make a big production about it. And at the same time because it leaves the flirtation at that, rather than giving the viewer gratuitous lesbian sex it doesn’t seem exploitative. Each of the three girls are approached by their ideal match to lure them in, the nerdy one likes ren-fair dudes, the blond bimbo likes em big and burly and Beth has a thing for leggy brunettes from the Former USSR. Beth isn’t a victim in any case. Bonus points for one of the most balls to the wall scenes in a horror flick in the past decade; when Heather Matarazzo’s shy nerd is strung upside down and slit open with a scythe so a lady can dial Elizabeth Bathory on her bloody pink telephone.

Jack & Diane [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: Jack & Diane Year: 2012 Cast: Riley Keough, Juno Temple, Kylie Minogue

Plot: Adorable baby dyke Jack meets mysterious rag-a-muffin Diane and off kilter lesbian hipster romance blooms. But faced with inevitable separation when Diane leaves for school, things get hairy.

Why So Queer: The film takes the puberty-sexual awakening-werewolf metaphor and give it a 21st century make over. Diane the femme is the one struggling with visions of a horrifying werewolf, violent dreams and nose bleeds. Equal parts mumble-core romance and werewolf body horror. And for those who scoff at the love between a hipster baby dyke and a British werewolf rag-a-muffin, I say to you “Kylie Minogue as a tattooed slightly predatory lesbian.” That is right, Kylie can sing, dance AND molest Elvis’s grand daughter!

Sleepaway Camp [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: Sleepaway Camp Year: 1983 Cast: Mike Kellin, Katherine Kamhi, Paul DeAngelo, Jonathan Tiersten and Felissa Rose.

Plot: Orphaned as a child Angela attends camp only to be subject of bullying by peer and counselor alike and is almost molested. And when campers start dying all while Paul tries to hit on shy Angela. But not all is as it seems at Camp Arawak.

Why So Queer: SPOILER WARNING The film opens with the death of Angela’s brother Peter and her father while her dad’s lover looks on. Angela has flashbacks to seeing her father and his gay lover in bed together when Paul tries to kiss her. The transphobic cherry on top is that Angela is actually brother Peter. Raised as Angela by a crazy aunt after Angela died along with their father. Peter assumed the identity of Angela was driven mad by gender dysphoria and seeing daddy doing butt stuff. The film ends with a male bodied actor in Angela drag full dangly bits on display. Definitely not for those easily offended, it is an ultimate queer horror cult classic.

Horror Movies for Pride [LISTS]

June is LGBTQ Pride Month! And while I often cover horror with a queer bent , I thought I would round up some suggestions for the horror hounds looking for something a little queer. These movies don’t all have explicitly queer content, and this is by no means a comprehensive list of horror movies with LGBT content, or even a list of the best. Just a few great flicks to enjoy with fellow friends of Dorothy.

The Craft Need I say more? Catholic school misfit witches use and abuse the mystic arts to get back at mean girls and get boys. Pure 90s realness. A cult classic among any of us who went through that awkward goth phase in highschool.

The Hunger David Bowie’s Tilda Swinton Vibe, Susan Sarandon’s super dykey hair cut and high waisted thong, Kathrine Deneuve as a ice queen vampire queen. The ways in which this is perfect for Pride are beyond measure. Come for the nipples, stay for the blood.

Cruising Al Pacino does poppers in a gay club while wearing a low cut tank top. Laughably out of date and offensive stereotypes abound as Pacino searches for a killer of gay men. Spoiler Alert: You’ll be offended and possibly a little turned on.

The Bride of Frankenstein The saddest movie on this list. The monstrous creature seeks a mate only to be faced with rejection and scorn. And why the hell is Dr. Frankenstein so keen on ditching his fiancee to go make science with the fruity Dr. Pretorius?

Dahmer A young Jeremy Renner comes off shy and adorable as infamous gay killer cannibal in this biopic. It’s a testament to the performance that you feel any sympathy for a guy who takes dudes home to make them into sex zombies via power drill and draino.

Bride of Chucky Yeah, yeah, Seed is queerer. But while trans Glen(da) is played for jokes, the gay best friend in Bride is one of the best queer portrayals in a big horror film to date. Bonus points for Tiffany’s transformation from basic to bad bitch to the tune of Blondie’s Call Me.

Hostel: Part II Who expected the sequel to Eli Roth’s torture porn ode to obnoxious American backpackers would turn out to be so nonchalantly queer? The fact that the gorgeous female lead is the gay lady, not actual lesbian Heather Matarazzo. That she’d end up one of the most bad ass final girls of the decade. It also managed to dissect the kind of mind that would pay to torture a person.

Hellraiser Damn Julia is the definition of thirsty. She does anything and everything to recreate the perfect fuck. Haven’t we all been Julia at one point? And the Cenobite’s ensembles by Hellbound Leather are the things sadomasochistic fever dreams are made of.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge I’ve spoken about this one before. It all boils down to the coach’s love of leather. Grady the 80s wet dream come to life. And the fact that Jesse is for all intents and purposes a big ole homo.

Fright Night Vampires pretending to be gay. Amanda Bearse. Roddy McDowell. Evil Ed ended up making gay porn in real life. 

Planet Terror The Robert Rodriquez half of his double feature team up with Tarantino Grindhouse. The lead character starts the film off with plans to leave her husband for her beautiful lesbian lover. But as it goes, a viral out break causes death and societal breakdown. 

May May is a social out cast without any friends, so she makes one. A pre-fame Anna Faris plays a sexually aggressive vet tech. Angela Betis at her weird girl finest sewing together body parts and getting moist watching student films about cannibals.

Somo Lo Que Hay [We Are What We Are] A family which engages in ritual cannibalism deals with the fall out of the patriarch’s death. When oldest son Alfredo brings a guy home from a gay bar for dinner, but his homophobic brother doesn’t want to eat a gay.

So there you have it, a few suggestions for horror flicks this Pride Month. Make sure to check back for more queer horror content.

RuPaul’s Scream Queens Tonight [TELEVISION]

Tonight on Rupau’s Drag Race the queens compete in a horror film inspired challenge and most importantly Ru will be joined by special guest judges Linda Blair aka Regan from The Exorcist and Final Girl Bestie and Game of Thrones/Dredd/The Purge star Lena Heady. Drag Race airs tonight at 9 on Logo in the US and OutTV in Canada.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge Year: 1985 Cast: Mark Patton, Kim Myers and Robert Englund

Plot: Child murderer Freddy Kruger returns and attempts to possess the body of a teenage boy who moves into 1428 Elm Street so that he can exist within the waking world and kill again.

Why So Queer? Never was there a slasher that was so overtly gay without the intention of being gay. The main protagonist Jesse is gayer then the day is long. In this installment Freddy essentially represents Jesse’s repressed gay desire. Jesse inexplicably tracks down his sadistic coach at a leather bar and goes with him to the school gym in the middle of the night. Freddy then takes over and murders the coach. A similar scenario plays out with Jesse’s buddy Grady. And to top it all off Jesse is able to defeat Freddy through his sheer will power and feigned heterosexuality.

The director claims he had no such intention and Mark Patton has said he was coming to terms with being gay during the period in which he starred in the film. In 1985 most people didn’t even know what gay was, so this some how managed to be wildly successful. The franchise spanning documentary Never Sleep Again offers an in length examination of the sheer queerness of the film. It is worth checking out for anyone who is a fan of Freddy, whether he represents the dark secret of a group of parents come back to haunt them or the emotional conflict of getting a boner in gym.

The Hunger [QUEERS FOR FEARS]

Movie: The Hunger Year: 1983 Director: Tony Scott Cast: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon

Plot: An ancient vampire meets a beautiful scientist in her search for a cure to save her dying lover.

Why so queer? The Hunger is best known as the movie in which Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve make sweet lesbian vampire love amid spilled sherry and flowing white curtains to the soundtrack of classic lesbian opera. It also features one of the most lesbionic haircuts ever to grace the head of Janet Wiess herself. Chock full of new wave fashions, aging monkeys and an attic full of exes The Hunger is the perfect horror film for those who want their bloody throats with a side of high waisted thongs and sweet lady kisses.