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“Tonight It’s You” Twists and Turns to the Haunting End

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Dominic Haxton really didn’t want to make another short film.  He’d already done four and he had his sights set on a feature length horror film that he was passionate about.  Luckily for us, his friend convinced him to make one more.  “Tonight It’s You” is one for the books.

“Tonight It’s You” opens on C.J. sitting on the side of a pool in serious need of a cleaning.  As he stares over the water, we get a sense that life isn’t what he wants it to be.  We follow him back to his claustrophobic trailer home and his night takes a turn when his gets a notification from a hookup app.  The obligatory torso shot is good and he agrees to meet.

Then he arrives and is instructed to meet in the shed out back.  Above all, be quiet.

“I wanted to play on the audience expectation of where the horror was coming from,” Haxton explains.  “When he initially gets to the shed, you see occult images and you wonder what’s going on.  Then you meet the guy and he’s kind of weird but they go ahead and hook up and you wonder what’s going on.  Then the guy’s dad comes out of the house and you think maybe they’ve lured C.J. out there and they’re going to do something to him.”

As the young man, Hunter, goes out to meet his father, we immediately realize that this is not a good relationship.  The father demands to know what his son has been up to and when he gives no answer, he’s told to go inside.  As they both retreat indoors, C.J. decides to now is his chance to leave.  The chance is short-lived however as another car pulls into the drive and a small town preacher and his wife step out of the car.

In a split second decision, C.J. enters the house through a window, only to find Hunter, the sweet young man he’d only had sex with a few moments before, tied and gagged on a bed.  He begins to untie him but is forced to hide in a closet as the father, the pastor, and his wife enter the home.  And that, readers, is when the real terror begins.

As the pastor prays over Hunter, I was convinced they were trying to exorcise the gay out of him.  I’m from a small town in rural East Texas and that idea isn’t so far fetched to me.  It doesn’t take long, however, for both the audience and C.J. to realize there is so much more going on here.

You see this guy just so happens to be actually possessed.

“The story I had was playing off the fears of being gay in a small town, living with your parents, and they have no idea about your sexuality,” the director told me.  “So we played with this allegory of someone’s repressed sexuality being like a demon inside them.  There are people who actually believe that gay people are possessed.  You can go on YouTube and see videos of ‘gay exorcism’.”

Haxton turns the gay exorcism upside down, however.  What happens when you want to exorcise the gay out of someone and it turns out they really are possessed?  Haxton wants to be clear, however, that he’s not promoting the idea that one causes the other.

“A lot of people have made comments that I’m equating being gay with demons,” he says.  “There’s this idea that if you make a gay themed horror film then this person or that person can’t be the bad guy because then you’re equating being gay with being bad.  They protested Silence of the Lambs because they said it painted a negative picture of trans people.  They did the same thing with the lesbian character in Basic Instinct.  Anytime we see representations of queer characters in horror or in a suspense/thriller in a negative light or showing them as the antagonist, people think the filmmaker is making a negative commentary on it.  But sometimes, the character just happens to be gay and he also just happens to be possessed by a demon.”

The rest of the film jumps with terrifying precision from scene to scene as C.J. desperately tries to escape a situation he never imagined, and Haxton beautifully pulls each scene together   He has a keen eye that focuses the terror to pin the viewer to their chair.

Jake Robbins gives a strong performance as C.J.  Not only is he a talented actor with classic leading man good looks but he also manages to give a performance that is sympathetic and honest as the fantastic and terrifying happens around him.  The love scene he is shares with Ian Lerch (Hunter) is electrifying in its eroticism and beautiful its emotional vulnerability.  You can feel Hunter’s need to touch and be touched by another human being and C.J.’s almost protective and domineering desire.

This film is a must see for straight and queer audiences alike.  The gay characters are far from stereotypes, even if they meet under the most stereotypical of circumstances.  Yet, they are human with all the human failings that come with our condition.

“Tonight It’s You” will be playing as part of a special horror block at the FilmOut San Diego film festival on June 10, 2017 beginning at 10 pm!

Tonight It’s You (Gay Short Film) from Dominic Haxton on Vimeo.

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A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

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It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

A24

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

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Louis Leterrier

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

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atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

Airport ’75

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

The Clovehitch Killer

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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