Connect with us

News

Horror Pride Month: Writer/Director Tyler Christensen

Published

on

Tyler Christensen Horror Pride Month

Writer and director Tyler Christensen seems to have come into the world loving horror even before he actually discovered horror films.

Christensen, who hails by his own admission from a “normal” middle class, white family in Wisconsin, says he’s not entirely sure where that came from, but it was always there. As a child, he would create haunted houses in the basement and take his mother on guided tours.

He also admits that he took no little delight in scaring the daylights out of his little sister whenever he could. Her name is Rachel, and unfortunately for her, at one point she saw the Zelda clip from Pet Sematary when she was quite young.

For a young Tyler, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I would hide out under her bed,” he related to me in an interview. “Sometimes I’d be waiting two hours but I would commit to it. When she’d finally get in bed I’d start scratching at the wood on the bed frame while saying, ‘Raaaaacheeeeel.'”

They were the earliest memories he had of the thrill of being scared and scaring others. When he finally realized that horror films were a thing, it was life-changing.

“When I realized I could have that feeling sitting in front of the TV. I was totally down for that,” he said.

Horror changed Christensen’s life in a lot of ways, and he points to the movies and the themes within them that he began to identify with as his own sexual orientation began to make itself known.

He couldn’t quite place his finger on why he liked Psycho so much. For a long time, he thought it was simply the reveal of Mother at the end. After years of watching, however, he realized that it was Norman’s isolation and loneliness that had drawn him to the film.

And of course, there was A Nightmare on Elm Street 2.

“I was still too young to put it into words,” he said, “but I was able to see it and think, there’s something there that felt familiar to me.”

It was also during this time that another horror film was released that would play a major role in his life. The film was The Blair Witch Project, and this time the film would set him on his path to creating horror movies of his own.

At all of 16 years old, Christensen got one of his buddy’s older brother to purchase tickets for them to see the film on the one weekend it was playing at a local theater. He had been drawn in by the film’s marketing campaign and was on the periphery, wavering on whether it might be real or not.

“I remember when that ended, that cut to black at the end, I couldn’t move,” he said with traces of that nostalgic excitement in his voice. “It had kept me completely glued to my seat, and people in the parking lot after were checking their backseats and scanning the parking lot on the way to their cars.”

He got home as fast as he could, hit the old dial-up AOL, and began tracking down everything he could about the film, only to learn that it had all been a clever marketing ploy. Rather than dissuading him, however, it lit a fire in him.

“People made this and made it look like other people made it and terrified an entire audience,” he said. “I wanted in on that!”

A few years later, he was in on that.

Working his way up as production staff on shows like America’s Got Talent and Deal or No Deal, Christensen was also writing constantly and in 2016, he had finally written, produced and directed his first feature film, House of Purgatory.

In the film, four teenagers in search of a legendary haunted house, find themselves, upon entering, confronted with their greatest fears. Naturally, some of his own came to the surface while preparing the script long before it was ever made.

In a pivotal scene, not only is one of the characters outed in a horrific way, but the reaction of his family and friends is to shun and/or attack him.

“I was still in the closet when I wrote the script and I was asking myself what the scariest thing was that could happen to me, and there it was,” he said. “To not be accepted, to be outed, to have someone take that from you is like ripping the power from your hands. I think there are a lot of kids who grapple with that, and I knew it would resonate.”

So, how would Christensen like to see the future of queer representation in horror?

“I don’t need necessarily a ‘gay’ horror movie. I don’t need the hero to be gay,” he explained. “I’m 100% okay with a gay villain in a horror film so long as their villainy isn’t tied into them being gay. Everyone wants to see themselves on the screen. Little girls loved Wonder Woman because they got to see a woman being the superhero. The African-American community went in droves to see Black Panther so that they could see themselves represented as heroes.”

“I wrote a script where the villain is gay, but that’s not why he’s the villain,” he continued. “I did it because I think if someone is going to write that movie, then it needs to be someone in our community. I don’t need another coming out story or someone grappling with their sexual orientation because we’ve seen that over and over. I want someone who’s out and proud and going about their daily lives who just happens to find themselves in a horror story.”

Despite the lack of this type of representation, thus far, Christensen remains hopeful for the future. He points to the audiences he sees when he heads to his local theater to see a new horror film. At least a quarter of them, he estimates are part of the LGBTQ community, and he hopes those percentages somehow open the eyes of studio executives and producers.

“Everyone says they’re looking for new voices, and it’s only a matter of time before our voices are heard and we see ourselves more often on the big screen,” he said.

I totally agree with him, and I’m hoping we see it sooner rather than later.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

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

News

‘Strange Darling’ Featuring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald Lands Nationwide Release [Watch Clip]

Published

on

Strange Darling Kyle Gallner

‘Strange Darling,’ a standout film featuring Kyle Gallner, who is nominated for an iHorror award for his performance in ‘The Passenger,’ and Willa Fitzgerald, has been acquired for a wide theatrical release in the United States by Magenta Light Studios, a new enterprise from veteran producer Bob Yari. This announcement, brought to us by Variety, follows the film’s successful premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023, where it was universally praised for its creative storytelling and compelling performances, achieving a perfect score of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews.

Strange Darling – Movie Clip

Directed by JT Mollner, ‘Strange Darling‘ is a thrilling narrative of a spontaneous hookup that takes an unexpected and terrifying turn. The film is notable for its innovative narrative structure and the exceptional acting of its leads. Mollner, known for his 2016 Sundance entry “Outlaws and Angels,” has once again employed 35mm for this project, cementing his reputation as a filmmaker with a distinct visual and narrative style. He is currently involved in adapting Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk” in collaboration with director Francis Lawrence.

Bob Yari expressed his enthusiasm for the film’s upcoming release, scheduled for August 23rd, highlighting the unique qualities that make ‘Strange Darling’ a significant addition to the horror genre. “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” Yari told Variety.

Variety’s review of the film from Fantastic Fest lauds Mollner’s approach, saying, “Mollner shows himself to be more forward-thinking than most of his genre peers. He’s clearly a student of the game, one who studied his forebears’ lessons with adroitness to better prepare himself to put his own mark on them.” This praise underlines Mollner’s deliberate and thoughtful engagement with the genre, promising audiences a film that is both reflective and innovative.

Strange Darling

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

Embed Gif with Clickable Title