Mortality is something all humans ponder—the old existential crisis. Who are we, what are we, where do we fit, and so forth? In 1983, an innovative film explored this theme with a vampire tale—that’s what I got out of it anyway. It was bold in that it didn’t follow the typical formula of a vampire film at the time. There was no damsel in distress waking up with bites on her throat. No stake and crucifix-armed vampire hunter sweeping in to rescue her.
Released in the United States on April 29, 1983, The Hunger dared to explore the inner sanctum of a vampire’s lair. It attempted to illustrate the trials and tribulations of the undead 11 years before the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire. (more…)
From 1991 to 1993, a serial killer stalked New York’s gay community. The dismembered bodies of four men were found, dumped along roadsides in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For 10 years, he preyed on vulnerable men from the shadows, a real-life boogeyman who wouldn’t be caught and convicted until 2001. The press dubbed him the “Last Call” killer because all of his victims were last seen alive at a bar.
The Last Call killer was active for 10 years before being apprehended. Most sources point out that homophobia in the media and law enforcement affected how the victims’ cases were investigated. There is truth to this, as evidenced in past true-crime cases in which the victims are members of any minority community. In high-profile serial killer cases such as John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer, there were instances where homophobia and racism in law enforcement, the judicial system, and the media hindered the investigation, allowing a killer to continue to roam free.(more…)
Mythological beings like vampires serve as vessels for our deepest fears and unspoken desires. They emerge on the page, often unintentionally, as manifestations of the artist’s subconscious. Vampires, in particular, embody the outsider—entities that exist beyond the margins of conventional society.
In the shadows of gothic literature, vampirism symbolizes forbidden desire, with the act of blood-drinking paralleling the exchange of bodily fluids during sex—a metaphor not lost in the prudish Victorian era. The literature of the time portrays vampires as seductive predators, invading the sanctity of a maiden’s chamber to quench their lust with fangs bared. This imagery serves as a poignant metaphor for queerness, encapsulating the experience of living a truth considered aberrant, indulging in secret for fear of societal reprisal.
Stephen Hoda, writing for Sublime Horror, offers the following: “After years of holding Stoker’s masterpiece near-and-dear to my heart, I have come to realise that my adoration for both his work and its resulting iconography (including films) goes well beyond the simple enjoyment of a spooky story; I find myself in the narrative. Indeed, it takes no stretch of the imagination to see how people who identify as queer might relate to the undead. Just like vampires, we undergo a transformation the day that we realise who we truly are. Just like vampires, many of us go through a phase of living in the shadows, hiding who we are from the light of day. And, just like vampires, we know the danger of holy men brandishing crosses with righteous indignation. To exist is to be reviled; Dracula ends with a stake through the vampire’s heart.”
Queer readings of Dracula are, of course, purely speculative. Bram Stoker’s sexuality is unknown. We don’t know the inner workings of the creative minds behind our favorite works. But there is much circumstantial evidence that points to Stoker being gay or bisexual. Stoker had ties to historical figures now considered queer icons, Oscar Wilde, and Walt Whitman. I only present the evidence I’ve learned. As is our custom here, all resources will be listed and linked, where possible, below for further exploration. (more…)
Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire forever changed how we view vampires. Her story dives deep into the depths of a vampire’s heart. Through Louis Pointe du Lac’s vampire eyes, Rice’s bold narrative weaves a tapestry that illustrates a vampire society existing parallel to human society. Vampires are no longer undead beings but complex individuals with a rich emotional life. Each character defied ancient myths where vampires were more akin to zombies. Louis’s feelings of alienation resonated with many an outsider who turned its pages.
Vampires claimed their place within our cultural zeitgeist during the 1990s. At the time, I was young. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 nuanced adaption of Stoker’s novel led me to Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Rice’s prose weaved a deliciously dark spell that held me enthralled. Once inside her magical macabre wonderland, I didn’t want to leave. When I heard it was finally hitting the big screen in ‘94, I was anxious to see a story I loved brought to life on film.(more…)
Horror and drag is a fusion that was meant to be. As a transformative art form, horror imagery suits drag perfectly, and it’s a genre that queer people, such as myself, naturally embrace. The horror genre celebrates transformation in myriad forms—be it the metamorphosis of a werewolf or the rebirth of a vampire. While there are some drag-themed horror films like Slay and Drop Dead Gorgeous, there’s room for more. On Netflix, Drag Race alumni Trixie Mattel and Katya have brought horror discussions into the mainstream with I Like to Watch Horror. But the pinnacle of this fusion is The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. More than just drag with a terrorific twist, the Boulet Brothers have broadened the horizons of drag as an art form. They’ve championed inclusivity and ventured into seldom-explored realms of makeup and costume, setting a new standard for what drag can be.
This week, we continue our deep dive into John Waters’s Dreamland with an Iconography on Divine. Perhaps you have been reading our blog for the past week and want to know more about this cult icon. If that’s the case, pull up a seat and I’ll tell you more about John Waters’s muse, the heavenly Divine.(more…)
When John Waters set out to make Pink Flamingos, he may have been looking to stir the pot but he made a bigger splash than he ever could have imagined. Pink Flamingos is a cult masterpiece: bizarre, shocking, kitschy, and absurd. I would count it among one of the strangest films I’ve ever seen. However, we must remember it’s only a movie. If you aren’t too easily offended perhaps you can withstand the shock, the filth, and the horror of Pink Flamingos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Without further ado, let us commence our exploration of the most bizarre and filthiest cult film ever!(more…)
Hey, Worms n’ Germs! Welcome to our first Eccentrica blog post. Eccentrica is a place where the real and unreal collide, the borders of fantasy and reality. Posts under Eccentrica will explore a variety of topics outside of the mainstream. For our first trip to Eccentrica, I invite you to step back in time to the late 1960s San Francisco, a place that embraced the bizarre and eccentric.
At the dawn of the 1970s, New Year’s Eve 1969, a troupe of unique performers took the stage at the Palace Theater in San Francisco. They performed the can-can dance, followed up with an encore, during which they stripped to The Rolling Stones’s Honky Tonk Woman. They were The Cockettes, a group of glittery drag queens who would leave an indelible mark on LGBTQ+ history. Their anarchic performances blazed a trail for future drag queens. They introduced the term genderfuck which influenced a scene in which future drag icon RuPaul got her start. If you love drag and don’t know who The Cockettes are, I suggest you pull up a seat and learn about these innovative performers.(more…)
To continue our ongoing series of cult film retrospectives and continue with our Pride Month celebration, who better to profile than John Waters? Deemed the Pope of Trash and Sultan of Sleaze, Waters’s muse was the Queen of all Drag Queens, the heavenly Divine. Waters’s transgressive cult gems are thought-provoking social satire, presenting caricatures of many facets of society. He’s made some of the most shocking films of all time. Where did it start? What inspired him? Let’s find out…(more…)
Welcome to our first iconography at Misty Oracle Grove. I decided to kick off this series with one of the most iconic actors best known for his villainous roles in horror classics such as House on Haunted Hill, House of Wax, the Abominable Dr. Phibes, and my personal favorite, Masque of the Red Death. (more…)