Earlier this year, Shudder released the fantastic Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror to widespread acclaim. The documentary shed new light on how African American characters and creators were used—and misused—across a century of genre cinema.
For its next original documentary, Shudder has teamed up with writer/director Sam Wineman (whose award-winning short, The Quiet Room, is coming to Shudder this summer), Horror Noire executive producers Phil Nobile Jr. (Fangoria’s Editor-in-Chief) and Kelly Ryan of Stage 3 Productions, and consulting producer Michael Varrrati (Dead for Filth) to explore the complex, fascinating story of queer horror on film.
The new doc explores the works of pioneering queer creators like James Whale and Clive Barker and examines the coded, sometimes problematic, depiction of LGBTQ+ characters in films like Sleepaway Camp, High Tension and Jennifer’s Body. It will chart the course of queer subjects and creators in the horror genre from the silent era through the present day.
"Growing up I loved watching Andy, a kid like me, outsmart a killer doll in Child’s Play," said Sam Wineman, who will write and direct the documentary. "When I was older, I found strength in fierce and feminist final girls like Sidney Prescott in Scream. I was seeing so many parts of myself in these stories, but it wasn’t until I taught a slasher film course that I realized these and so many of the films I connected to were written by members of my own community."
Wineman continued, "While watching Horror Noire, I identified deeply with the discussion of loving a genre and having that love be unrequited. Horror has spent a great deal of time telling our stories undercover, both intentionally and unintentionally. In order to fully understand the depth of how and why, you have to unpack the social context of what it is to be queer at the moment in history that coincides with the films themselves. That story is one that is long overdue, and I am honored to have the chance to share it."
The currently untitled project is expected to premiere next year.