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Horror Pride Month: Writer/Director Erlingur Thoroddsen

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Erlingur Thoroddsen was obsessed with horror films long before he was allowed to watch them.

The Icelandic filmmaker, who grew up just outside Reykjavik, wasn’t like most kids his age. Rather than playing soccer, he was inside watching American TV shows where he learned to speak English, and building the foundations for the talented filmmaker he would become.

But still, there were those horror films on the periphery.

“I’m not sure exactly where my love of horror began, but I was always intrigued by the stuff that I wasn’t supposed to watch,” Thoroddsen explained. “I remember going to the video store when I was a kid and being drawn to the horror section. I would look at the covers and the pictures on the back and imagine what the film might be like.”

A few years later, Scream was released and not only did he get to see the film, but it also made an immediate and lasting impact on the youngster. He obsessively tracked down all the film’s referenced in the movie and watched them and before long, he was making movies, himself, with his dad’s video camera.

“My friends and I were running around in the back yard with knives and ketchup making short films,” he laughed.

Something else was also happening to the burgeoning filmmaker at the same time, however. He was just beginning to realize that he was gay. It was a pivotal moment in the young man’s life and he says, to this day, that he feels a link between his queerness and his love of horror films.

Iceland isn’t a bad place at all to grow up gay. In the last 20-25 years, they have been remarkably progressive in their lawmaking and their protections to the gay community. In fact they were one of the first countries in the world to legalize gay marriage, and their annual Pride festival boasts attendance in excess of 100,000 people.

“Our government has been very forward-thinking when it comes to gay rights, and that focus is now shifting to trans rights,” the director explained. “It’s such a small country and it has that feeling that everyone knows everyone else and we were quick to realize that we were all in this together.”

By the age of 15, he and his best friend, who also came out of the closet a couple of years later, had rented a camera and put all their effort into creating their very first serious film.

They presented it to their school, charging $2 for admission, and by the end of the night, they had made $400 and Thoroddsen knew for certain that filmmaking was his destiny. After high school, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature in Iceland and then moved to New York to attend film school at Columbia University where he received his Master’s Degree.

After leaving university life behind, Thoroddsen wasted no time. He’d soon written and directed several short films including Little DeathBumps in the Night, and Child Eater which he would later turn into a feature film.

And then came Rift.

Bjorn Stefansson as Gunnar in Rift

Beautiful, romantic, and terrifying, Rift is a queer horror film with few peers.

Late one night, Gunnar (Bjorn Stefansson) receives a disturbing phone call from his ex-boyfriend Einar (Sigurður Þór Óskarsson). Fearing that Einar intends to hurt himself in some way, Gunnar makes the journey to where Einar’s staying, hoping he’s not too late.

Upon his arrival, Gunnar finds Einar is okay, at least on the surface, but he cannot shake the feeling that something more is going on, and as the two men are haunted by their past relationship over the course of the next several days, they also discover that other dangers are lurking just outside their front door.

Rift is the kind of film Hitchcock would have made if he were alive and making films today. The line between danger and passion is razor-thin and the tension is beautifully calculated throughout.

It’s a remarkable feat considering the speed with which it was created.

“I started writing in October of 2015 and we were shooting by March of 2016,” Thoroddsen said. “Bjorn had been playing a lot of tough guys roles on stage and Sigorour had been repeatedly cast in childlike roles and they were both looking to do something different so I found them at the perfect time in their careers. We premiered the film less than one year after I started writing.”

The film blurs genre lines, and the writer/director was intensely proud of how the final product and how it was received.

Turning his eye to the future, Thoroddsen says he feels a certain responsibility to continue infusing his films with LGBTQ characters and story lines, but he also says that those characters and situations must grow organically from the material.

“In Iceland, we have very few films every year and almost none of them have queer characters so I feel the need to get up and do something about that,” he said. “There’s something that compels me to do it. I’ll always try to squeeze in some gayness where I can, but for some stories it just doesn’t fit and I can’t force it.”

For now, the filmmaker, who is currently living in Los Angeles, has numerous projects in development including a feature that will take him back to his home country this winter.

Rift is currently available on both Shudder and Amazon Streaming and some of Thoroddsen’s short films are available on YouTube. You can check out one of these shorts, titled The Banishing, and the trailer for Rift below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xiuuWmraVM

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

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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

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Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Barbarella’ Revival Forges Ahead

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Sydney Sweeney Barbarella

Sydney Sweeney has confirmed the ongoing progress of the much-anticipated reboot of Barbarella. The project, which sees Sweeney not only starring but also executive producing, aims to breathe new life into the iconic character that first captured audiences’ imaginations in the 1960s. However, amid speculation, Sweeney remains tight-lipped about the possible involvement of celebrated director Edgar Wright in the project.

During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sweeney shared her enthusiasm for the project and the character of Barbarella, stating, “It is. I mean, Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world. I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi. So we’ll see what happens.“

Sydney Sweeney confirms her Barbarella reboot is still in the works

Barbarella, originally a creation of Jean-Claude Forest for V Magazine in 1962, was transformed into a cinematic icon by Jane Fonda under the direction of Roger Vardim in 1968. Despite a sequel, Barbarella Goes Down, never seeing the light of day, the character has remained a symbol of sci-fi allure and adventurous spirit.

Over the decades, several high-profile names including Rose McGowan, Halle Berry, and Kate Beckinsale were floated as potential leads for a reboot, with directors Robert Rodriguez and Robert Luketic, and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade previously attached to revive the franchise. Unfortunately, none of these iterations made it past the conceptual stage.

Barbarella

The film’s progress took a promising turn approximately eighteen months ago when Sony Pictures announced its decision to cast Sydney Sweeney in the titular role, a move that Sweeney herself has suggested was facilitated by her involvement in Madame Web, also under Sony’s banner. This strategic decision was aimed at fostering a beneficial relationship with the studio, specifically with the Barbarella reboot in mind.

When probed about Edgar Wright’s potential directorial role, Sweeney adeptly sidestepped, merely noting that Wright has become an acquaintance. This has left fans and industry watchers speculating about the extent of his involvement, if any, in the project.

Barbarella is known for its adventurous tales of a young woman traversing the galaxy, engaging in escapades that often incorporate elements of sexuality—a theme Sweeney seems eager to explore. Her commitment to reimagining Barbarella for a new generation, while staying true to the character’s original essence, sounds like the making of a great reboot.

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‘The First Omen’ Almost Received an NC-17 Rating

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the first omen trailer

Set for an April 5 theater release, ‘The First Omen’ carries an R-rating, a classification that was almost not achieved. Arkasha Stevenson, in her inaugural feature film directorial role, faced a formidable challenge in securing this rating for the prequel to the esteemed franchise. It seems the filmmakers had to contend with the ratings board to prevent the film from being saddled with an NC-17 rating. In a revealing conversation with Fangoria, Stevenson described the ordeal as ‘a long battle’, one not waged over traditional concerns such as gore. Instead, the crux of the controversy centered around the depiction of the female anatomy.

Stevenson’s vision for “The First Omen” delves deep into the theme of dehumanization, particularly through the lens of forced birthing. “The horror in that situation is how dehumanized that woman is”, Stevenson explains, emphasizing the significance of presenting the female body in a non-sexualized light to address themes of forced reproduction authentically. This commitment to realism nearly landed the film an NC-17 rating, sparking a prolonged negotiation with the MPA. “This has been my life for a year and a half, fighting for the shot. It’s the theme of our film. It’s the female body being violated from the inside outwards”, she states, highlighting the importance of the scene to the film’s core message.

The First Omen Movie Poster – by Creepy Duck Design

Producers David Goyer and Keith Levine supported Stevenson’s battle, encountering what they perceived as a double standard in the ratings process. Levine reveals, “We had to go back and forth with the ratings board five times. Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense”, pointing out how the struggle with the ratings board inadvertently intensified the final product. Goyer adds, “There is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror”, suggesting a gender bias in how body horror is evaluated.

The film’s bold approach to challenging viewers’ perceptions extends beyond the ratings controversy. Co-writer Tim Smith notes the intention to subvert expectations traditionally associated with The Omen franchise, aiming to surprise audiences with a fresh narrative focus. “One of the big things we were excited to do was to kind of pull the rug out from under people’s expectations”, Smith says, underscoring the creative team’s desire to explore new thematic ground.

Nell Tiger Free, known for her role in “Servant”, leads the cast of “The First Omen”, set for release by 20th Century Studios on April 5. The movie follows a young American woman dispatched to Rome for church service, where she stumbles upon a sinister force that shakes her faith to its core and reveals a chilling plot aimed at summoning evil incarnate.

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