News

Horror Pride Month: Writer/Director Nick Verso

Published

6 years ago

June 24, 2018

In many ways, writer/director Nick Verso and his films are the very essence of the Q in LGBTQ.

Well, one of the meanings, anyway.

The history of the “Q” in the LGBTQ acronym is a long and fascinating one, but to summarize, it has stood for “questioning” for those who are still searching for who they are and where they fit in the fluidity of the sexuality and gender spectrum and for “queer” for those who know exactly who they are on that spectrum but who find the strict categorization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans lacking in their definition of self.

Over time, and with a great deal of reclamation on our part, some have even begun using the term “queer” as a blanket term for the entire acronym.

But I digress…

In Verso’s case, he’s quite candid about his queer status but reticent to label himself further to avoid having his films painted with one narrow brush. He’d much rather let his work speak for itself which it does.

His films themselves are queer in nature, blending together genres, defying strict labels, and Verso sat with me to talk about two of those films in particular for iHorror’s Horror Pride Month.

The conversation began with his first film, a horror short called The Last Time I Saw Richard.

“It was the first film made, but the second written actually,” Verso explained. “I had already written Boys in the Trees at that time.”

As it turned out, The Last Time I Saw Richard was made as a proof-of-concept short film to show what Verso could do and secure the financing to make his first feature.

The short film tells the story of two teenage boys, Jonah (Toby Wallace) and Richard (Cody Fern), who meet in a mental health clinic when they are forced to share a room. Something is haunting Richard…dark beings who appear from the shadows at night to torture him.

As the boys grow closer, and their relationship changes, they discover that those darklings no longer have the same power to torment Richard when they band together.

Richard (Cody Fern) and Jonah (Toby Wallace) in The Last Time I Saw Richard

It’s an amazing film that took me by surprise the first time I saw it. I’d never seen anything quite like it before with two male leads in the place where we would almost always find a male and female.

This kind of representation is exactly what Verso had been looking for since he, himself, was a boy.

“I couldn’t find a representation of masculinity that I could identify with when I was young,” he said. “That’s why I make the films that I do. I want them to appeal to everyone, including the people who live in the grey areas like I do.”

The short film was a great success and after a few starts and stops, Verso was on his way to making his first feature with Boys in the Trees.

In the film, we once again meet Jonah, though his circumstances have changed drastically, and it was actually Verso’s intention to have the same actor play the character once more.

There was just one problem…Toby Wallace had grown up a lot since the first film was finished and he simply didn’t fit the part anymore and though he’d been preparing to play the role for years, Verso suddenly had to ask him to switch at the last minute.

“Somewhere along the way, he’d grown up into a leading man,” Verso laughed. “It was very tricky for him. Jonah is the role that pulls focus but Corey [the role that Wallace took on] is much more layered and harder to play.”

Jonah (Gulliver McGrath) and Corey (Toby Wallace) in Boys in the Trees

Jonah is constantly bullied by a homophobic gang of teenagers in a small town in Australia, of which Corey is a member. We soon find out, however, that Jonah and Corey used to be best friends one fateful Halloween night, after a particularly brutal encounter, Jonah convinces Corey to walk him home and along the way they play a game of make-believe that they once played all the time.

Perhaps by the creepy power of Halloween or some other unseen force, the monsters of their youth come back to haunt them and the darklings dog their heels.

“The film is really a lot like A Christmas Carol only on Halloween,” Verso said. “You’re taken through the past and present a lot as they confront those monsters.”

And in one pivotal scene, Corey and Jonah wander into a celebration for Dia de Los Muertos, and it’s one of the most haunting of its kind I’ve ever seen. A lone woman sings a mournful song as a crowd watches surrounded by colorful decorations and photos of family members who have crossed to the other side.

Both Corey and Jonah have lost their mothers in different ways and Verso uses the scene to reconnect them to those women who are no longer in their lives.

“Mothers are off screen in this film,” he said. “It’s just a beautiful way of honoring the dead and it felt like the perfect way to tell this part of the story.”

Verso has a serious eye for scene and he manages to create visuals that are stunning and terrifying simultaneously, and that makes this talented filmmaker an important asset to the horror genre and especially to all those queer audiences who find themselves in the grey portions of the sexual and gender spectrum of identity.

You can see The Last Time I Saw Richard on Shudder and Boys in the Trees is available on Netflix!

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

14 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

18 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

^{Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll}

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News

1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

Published

20 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Cinemark recently announced that they will be bringing The Crow back from the dead once again. This announcement comes just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. Cinemark will be playing The Crow in select theaters on May 29th and 30th.

For those unaware, The Crow is a fantastic film based on the gritty graphic novel by James O’Barr. Widely considered one of the best films of the 90s, The Crow’s lifespan was cut short when Brandon Lee died of an accidental on set shooting.

The official synapsis of the film is as follows. “The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, The Crow tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (Dark City) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.”

The timing of this release couldn’t be better. As a new generation of fans eagerly awaits the release of The Crow remake, they can now see the classic film in all of its glory. As much as we love Bill Skarsgard (IT), there is something timeless in Brandon Lee’s performance in the film.

This theatrical release is part of the Scream Greats series. This is a collaboration between Paramount Scares and Fangoria to bring audiences some of the best classic horror films. So far, they are doing a fantastic job.

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