After years of gender confusion (my name and films often lead folks to assume I’m a guy), I now find I’m experiencing a genre crisis as well. I’ve just learned we’re about to screen at the L.A. Comedy Festival and I’m already chuckling. Exactly what are we anyway?
A few months back I was taking a meeting with this industry player dude and I saw his eyes glaze over when I mentioned the term “horror.” He did dutifully asked for a copy of Death in Charge and gave me some names of folks that might be able to help me, but he was clearly disinterested. However, a few days later I got an urgent voicemail from him. I was to call him immediately and not contact those other folks whose numbers he had given me.
When I finally reached him, he apologized of all things. He didn’t mean to brush me off. He hadn’t realized I was a “real filmmaker.” Say what? It turns out he was blown away by Death in Charge, but couldn’t understand why I was selling myself short by calling what I do “horror.” “Your stuff is actually good,” he told me. It saddens me my beloved genre has such a bad rep. He then warned me not to contact the folks he’d recommended to me, that he had far better contacts for my clearly much worthier projects and he wants to help me get my new movie made. Okay. I’m in. Call it whatever genre you like.
I’ve found this has happened a lot of late. Particularly with the genre fests. A few programmers have told me, “We really like your film, but it’s not really horror. It’s comedy. Dramedy even. We program scary stuff. Got any more zombies?”
Of course, some of the comedy folks have subsequently responded, “This is super funny, but it’s not really comedy. I mean all the gore and people dying. That’s horror.” Jeesh, Folks – make up your mind will you? Better yet, don’t be such a genre Nazi.
I wonder if James Whale faced this problem. I mean, honestly, Bride of Frankenstein is a dark comedy if ever I saw one. Yet, it’s also classic horror. Does it really even matter? I think it’s cool that our films have won awards for best horror, best comedy and best horror-comedy. Raven Gets a Life was once nominated for best drama at a fest. Death and Raven have also screened in classrooms, to inner city children as part of an anti-violence campaign and at a Psychology convention. And next month we’re simultaneously screening at several horror fests, a comedy fest and in the micro-budget film category of another fest. Isn’t diversity grand? Label us what you like, but ultimately shouldn’t it just come down to whether or not a movie’s entertaining? This is the entertainment industry, after all. It seems like a lot of people forget that rather important fact.
Thanks for your interest, Lori!
If you can recommend any fests or arthouse theaters in your area, we’d be delighted to screen there. Death in Charge will be available as part of a feature-length compilation within months if all goes well, but unfortunately we can’t make trippin’ available just yet as it’s still making rounds on the fest circuit. To see some of our earlier work, you can find Teenage Bikini Vampire and Raven Gets a Life at the Sci-fi London website (Raven’s here: http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/xtbs0_SFLTV_scifi-short/1 (scroll down)and Teenage Bikini’s here: http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/xtkkm_SFLTV_sci-fi-london-4/1 (also scroll down to find) – I hope you enjoy and thanks for your support!
With each post I see on FaceBook, and every review I read, I grow more and more curious about your movies. I’m dying to see trippin’ and now I want to see everything else as well. The problem is that none have played near Gainesville, Fl. Sure you’ve been to south Florida, but the closest showing was 3 hours away. Do you plan to come to north Florida (not the pan-handle) anytime soon? Are any of your movies available on video? HOW can I see these movies. the intrigue is killing me!