Connect with us

News

Horror Pride Month: Enemies of Dorothy’s Ryan Fisher and Christopher Bryant

Published

on

Some of you may remember an article a few months ago about a couple of guys who were making horror parodies under the banner of Enemies of Dorothy. Their names were Ryan Leslie Fisher and Christopher Smith Bryant, and they’re making a name for themselves and their own brand of comedic horror.

Fisher and Bryant, a couple who have been together for three years, sat down to chat with me as part of iHorror’s Horror Pride Month series and, of course, the first question is when did you become horror fans?

“I’m about a 50% horror fan,” Christopher laughed. “Ryan is more 95%. I’m a horror fan but I’m not a fan of gore. I also have a huge clown phobia so when Ryan talked me into seeing IT I nearly ran out of the theater crying.”

“I grew up watching horror movies,” Ryan said. “My mom was showing us The Shining and Halloween when I was still way too young for it, probably. It’s always been a part of my life, though and I love them.”

Christopher, a stand-up comedian, and Ryan, an actor/producer/writer, were like many other artists in the wake of the 2016 Presidential election. They were frustrated and looking for the best way to express those raw emotions.

It wasn’t long before their sketch comedy group, Enemies of Dorothy, had been formed, and in just a couple of months, they would have their first viral hit with their “engagement video” for the Babadook and Pennywise.

“We fell in love with the Babadook being a gay icon because of the absurdity of it all,” Ryan explained. “It just made no sense! At the Pride parade last year there were so many Babadook signs and costumes and I told Chris I’d love to be the sketch group one day that was expected to do something like make a Babadook/Pennywise engagement video.”

It was at that point that Chris asked him why they needed to wait.

With that, they were off to the races, but neither was prepared for how much of a hit they would have on their hands.

“There’s this underlying market that we didn’t anticipate,” Christopher said. “The queer community finds something they relate to in horror. I also think it’s an escape from the real life horrors that many face just being LGBTQ today.”

The short, which has been viewed thousands of times on YouTube alone, is hilarious and it was only a matter of time before they took on another horror parody.

This time, it was the popular home invasion horror film The Strangers.

“These ideas come out of nowhere,” Ryan laughed. “You’re at a party and someone says, ‘What if it’s The Strangers but they’re worried about whether they’re being homophobic?’ And we’re like, ‘That’s just dumb enough to work!'”

“That’s where we started writing that sketch, anyways,” Christopher said. “It’s weird why there’s a lack of representation in horror because there’s a huge queer audience for them. I think a lot of it comes down to writers who are afraid to put those characters in horror situations so some of Social Justice Strangers came out of that dialogue.”

What they created was one of the best parodies I’ve ever seen as each person becomes more and more uncomfortable about what was going on in the room until they finally unite against a common foe.

The little nuggets of truth you can find in their videos is what really interests me about their work, and our conversations turned to what they found in horror that appealed to them.

“My therapist and I were talking about this recently. I have a strong sense of justice, and I think that comes from being in a minority group,” Ryan explained. “If you’re queer, you’ve been bullied at some point in your life. You can identify with characters like Carrie White. There’s that desire to see the bullies punished and there’s catharsis in that.”

“I love horror that’s really campy or that has some kind of social relevance,” Chris added. “The Babadook was horrifying because it wasn’t just a monster. It was a whole portrayal of mental illness. For so long, being gay was called a mental illness and I think in claiming the Babadook as an icon in a weird way we were re-claiming some of those years.”

The conversation became deeper still, though, when we turned to the very real horrors that are going on every day all over the world and have been for a very long time with both Fisher and Bryant really driving home the point of their love of horror and the commentary they can make while using the genre.

“Trans women are being murdered so often in this country,” Ryan pointed out. “You think about what happened to Matthew Shepard, or you hear stories about young boys in the Middle East being murdered in the streets because they’re gay. Enemies of Dorothy was born out of this political environment. Film is an art form. Even when it’s bad art, movies have the power to make us feel things so intensely so it’s the perfect medium for us to do our part to help change that political environment.”

“It’s already opened a lot of doors,” Bryant explained. “We’ll keep writing things that are politically effective to us. We’re looking for the things that aren’t being said, and we’re going to keep saying those things.”

You can find more of Chris and Ryan’s videos on the the Enemies of Dorothy Facebook Page and their YouTube channel.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

Published

on

Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

News

‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

Published

on

Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

News

How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

Published

on

Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

Embed Gif with Clickable Title