Queerness and horror may have been a pairing that didn’t make a ton of sense to outsiders of both genres before now, but in 2022, we have a femme Pinhead. We have queerness in the new Chucky series. We basically have queerness everywhere you turn in horror. So it’s no surprise that when I was looking for a horror angle for this spooky edition of Fear of a Queer Planet, I found the perfect folks to chat with.
Monster Makeup Collective, rooted in Providence, Rhode Island, a vibrant epicenter for all things creative, particularly those that celebrate the queer and the unconventional. Originating from a frustration with the lack of queer narratives in mainstream media and a shared passion for the eerie, this collective boasts a diverse ensemble of talents. From writers and directors to actors, musicians, effects and makeup artists, and content creators, they converge to bring their projects to life, infusing them with a distinct blend of authenticity and artistry reminiscent of the craftsmanship found in cosmetic manufacture.
“We really wanted to make a move about the dating apps, and that’s how Deathdrop Gorgeous came about,” all-around movie maverick Brandon Perras-Sanchez says, regarding their initial big movie project. The result was a film about a serial killer who preys through queer dating apps like Grindr, a story that very much captures the current panic felt around online spaces and their safety, or lack thereof. “We’ve always sort of been doing our own things, and now we’ve formed this collective little company. We want to just push more content out into the world and hopefully encourage people to expand their horizons when it comes to horror.”
Though, as my above statements highlight, queerness in cinema is more common, even in horror, it is still not the norm, and thus, the collective wanted to put more stories into the world that normalize and challenge that.
“I think right now you’re even seeing bigger movies with LGBTQ films (that are) more mainstream, which is great,” Perras-Sanchez adds. “But overall, especially in horror, it’s still very white, very straight, very male-dominated, so it’s nice to do something that’s a bit different than all that.”
When it comes to more queer horror, expect a new movie soon, but not another drag queen slasher. The next film is, as Perras-Sanchez describes, “a COVID baby,” so think queer found footage, low budget at its finest.
For now, the team is low-budget, but they’ve been able to make wonders happen with just the budget they have to work with, truly calling on the collective and pooling individual talents to make their movie dreams a reality. Maybe someday, says Perras-Sanchez, they’ll have a bit more to work with.
“We do have some projects in the future that will require much larger budgets, and we’re hoping we can actually start working with investors to make some bigger pieces, but they’re all still going to have queer themes,” Perras-Sanchez expands. “All of them are going to have some great commentary and push boundaries, and hopefully encourage queer filmmakers and musicians to not be afraid to step up and do their thing.”
To learn more, follow Monster Makeup Collective at monstermakeupllc.com.
