Grue’s Gay Pride Month: Interview With Jay Palmieri Jr and Elcio Monteze from LGBT horror short Taste!!
Today in honor of Gay Pride Month, we have a interview with gay director and actor Jay Palmieri Jr and actor Elcio Monteze from the LGBT horror film Taste.
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Jay Palmieri Jr is a very good writer, director and actor. He’s acted in many tv series including Law and Order, Twisted, The Carrie Diaries, and the popular Orange is the New Black. Jay then went on to acting in short films such as Naked, See No Evil, Prophecy, Spark, and numerous others. He wrote, directed and produced shorts such as: The Kukla, Imprisoned Souls, Canvas, Black Star, Lea, and Taste.
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Elcio Monteze is a actor who before Taste was in Spanish tv series such as: Caminhos do Coracao (Ways of the Heart), Promessas de Amor (The Mutants: Simply Love), and Amor e Revolucao. He went on to star in an American horror short Taste as Rico.
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Taste is a LGBT Horror/Thriller short by Jay Palmieri Jr. Its about a bulimic Fashion Model living in NYC struggles to keep her delicious activities hidden. I am happy to see more and more LGBT directors and acting spreading their wings and putting Gay films in the main stream. This is the day and age to strike and put more LGBT films or LGBT themed films out there in the main stream. Look at how big Call Me By Your Name became. I’m hoping Jay’s films gets viewed a lot. He’s a great guy and a great writer and director. Watch Taste. Here is my Interview with Jay and Elcio:
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HELLTER: What made you want to get into film and what are some films you have done before Taste?
JAY: Since childhood I’ve known I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I realized filmmaking was my calling after a 6th grade homework assignment. The teacher put us into groups of 5 and each group was assigned a spanish legend & we had to create a short film skit. I decided to write the skit and while doing so my love affair w/ writing & filmmaking began. And, John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN is the film that inspired me to pursue horror filmmaking. I remember being captivated by the simplicity and how terrifying the film was. Jamie Lee Curtis’ performance as “Laurie Strode” was very relatable & raw. I try to model all my final girls after her. I’ve currently made 6 short films: Delusion (2011), Prophecy (2011), Imprisoned Souls (2014), The Kukla (2014), TASTE (2016) & Léa (2017) which starred scream queen Lesleh Donaldson (Funeral Home, Curtains, Happy Birthday To Me, Tales Of Poe). &, aiming to hopefully shoot my 7th film, PLAY later this year.
ELCIO: I started my career as a model and then I became an actor. So I can say I was familiar with the character. I was interested in doing the film because I really like the concept. It’s different from everything I’ve seen. Before Taste I’ve done mainly soap operas and theatre.
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HELLTER: How did you come up with Taste?
JAY: TASTE popped into my brain in late 2014. I’ve always had a fascination w/ beauty & the macabre. With each film I like to challenge myself. My previous 4 films were campy horror films. So I knew my next film needed to be something different, more mature and dark. Around this period, I started watching a lot of European horror and thrillers, particularly from France. I love the way European filmmakers aren’t afraid to depict situations realistically and unapologetically. Something most American films lack. I remember the day TASTE popped into my brain. I was looking at a fashion magazine and then I thought, “Hmmm, why don’t I create a horror film centered around models and the horrors of that industry.” So I started writing the script and characters. And, in early 2015 I brought my friend Danielle Kronenberg on board to play the villain and co produce with me.
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HELLTER: Who is your character and what is your character about in Taste?
ELCIO: My character is a model who is in love with the main character. They have a sweet and easy romance at the beginning of the film.
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HELLTER: Why is Taste different from other LGBT and LGBT horror films?
JAY: I personally have never really seen a LGBT horror film that wasn’t campy. So that was my goal when creating TASTE. I’ve always wanted to see more mature and totally unsettling LGBT horror films. The only mature LGBT film I can think of right now is Contracted. I think LGBT audiences deserve a variety in this genre. And, the main reason I’m proud of this film is because we brought awareness to rape within the LGBT community which is rarely discussed. We shot the film in late 2015 and released it in 2016. The film feels even more relevant and important now with the wake of the #metoo movement. So if my film can help bring awareness and start discussions about rape within our community then that’s all that matters.
ELCIO: Because it approaches a theme never done before and also because of the unexpected twist at the end.
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HELLTER: Tell us what the movie is about?
JAY: TASTE is about a young bulimic Model who moves to NYC, who tries desperately to hide an even darker secret she’s harboring inside. And while doing so, a deranged female Photographer becomes obsessed with her.
ELCIO: It is about a bulimic fashion model living in NYC that struggles with some kind of unusual addiction.
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HELLTER: Imprisoned Souls looks like another good horror film you made. Tell us what that film was about and is it a LGBT themed horror film as well?
JAY: Imprisoned Souls was my third film. At that time I had been itching to make a truly campy slasher film. It’s basically my love letter to the slashers that have influenced me throughout the years. It was also my first film to feature a LGBT character. That character was the leader of the group of doomed college kids.
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HELLTER: What was the casting process like for both Imprisoned Souls and Taste?
JAY: Majority of the cast for IMPRISONED SOULS were friends of mine. I only held auditions for 1 character. With TASTE, 4 of the cast members were friends of mine and the other roles I held auditions for. I created characters in TASTE I haven’t seen my friends play before, something that will challenge them. Especially for my friends Danielle Kronenberg and Linda Wartenweiler, who both played antagonists in the film. But finding the right actress to portray the protagonist “Roe” was something I was nervous about. This characters arc is very dark and exposing. And, I stood firm on not changing my vision for anyone. I auditioned 10 actresses for that role, and the minute Christina Toth started her audition I knew right away she was my “Roe”. She moved and spoke the way I envisioned “Roe” while writing the script.
ELCIO: For the film I’m in, Taste. I did an audition with Christina Toth and also a monologue. The scene with Christina went well so I got a call back. I was really excited about it.
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HELLTER: In Taste, the guys were hot and muscular. Were they comfortable showing skin in your film?
JAY: Only 1 of the 2 male model characters required nudity. And, luckily Elcio Monteze who played “Roe’s” love interest “Rico” understood the story and why the nudity for the scene made sense. I never aim to be gratuitous. When I include nudity in my films I want it to make sense and be something beautiful. Like the way artists respect nudity in their paintings or statues. Unfortunately, here in America, we’re taught exposing skin is wrong. Which is ridiculous because that’s when humans are in their most natural state. I guess people forget we all arrive into the world naked.
ELCIO: Yes, I’ve done shirtless scenes before Taste. What I’ve never done before was a sex scene. But they were very professional and we felt very relaxed doing the scene.
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HELLTER: I am glad more people are making Gay Horror Films. Horror is really big in the LGBT community and there really isn’t alot of gay horror films being made or made in the past. How do you all feel about the future of gay horror films and do you think more film makers will start doing it?
JAY: I personally hope that more filmmakers bring LGBT stories into the horror genre. Like you said, this genres fanbase is strongly LGBT. So I’m surprised there hasn’t been more. And, I personally hope that future horror films that include us aren’t just silly gay slashers. I want to see some twisted and dark stories where the leads happen to be LGBT. That’s the way I approached it with my LGBT horror films, TASTE, IMPRISONED SOULS, & Léa.
ELCIO: I think it’s a great mix. I’ve always been a fan of horror movies and also LGBT movies. But I think they both are still the “underdogs”. Mixing both genres is risky and that’s what makes Taste different from the other films.
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HELLTER: Any funny stories to tell about being on set for the film?
JAY: I don’t think anything funny happened on set of TASTE to be honest. (Laughs) Everyone was very professional. I don’t even have bloopers. Oh wait, yes, actually this was kinda funny. During the big finale scene in the shower, everytime I yelled cut I had the crew clear out of the bathroom so I could quickly scrub the blood off the wall of the shower, while the 2 actresses stood there naked in the shower. They were giggling and so was I. (Laughs) The apartment was found on airbnb so we wanted to keep the bathroom spotless and I wasn’t risking the chance the blood might stain.
ELCIO: I had a tan line that had to be covered for the sex scene so the makeup artist had to apply make up all over my ass. (Laughs).
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HELLTER: What is your favorite scene and favorite scare in the film?
JAY: I’d have to say the last 10 minutes of TASTE are my favorite. It’s so brutal and raw. Definitely consider it the scariest scene of any film I’ve done mostly because of how realistic it was. This is the type of “horror” that could happen to anyone. When we screened the film in the Anthology Film Archives theatre in NYC 2 years ago, the ending of the movie actually caused a woman in the audience to faint. They had to call the ambulance and everything. It was my first time witnessing one of my movies actually affecting a viewer. At another screening last year, the ending caused 2 viewers to exit the theatre. So that means my leading ladies Christina & Danielle & I did our job right.
ELCIO: I love the scene when Christina is staring at the fridge at the beginning. The movie feels very European.
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HELLTER: Favorite Kill?
JAY: Hmm, well there’s only 1 death scene in TASTE so I would say that one. (Laughs).
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HELLTER: Did anyone pull pranks on set?
JAY: Nope. (Laughs) There wasn’t anytime to pull pranks.
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HELLTER: What is your favorite Gay or gay themed horror film?
JAY: My favorite LGBT films would be Blue Is The Warmest Color and Call Me By Your Name. I loved their rawness and characters. My favorite LGBT horror film, hmm….maybe Contracted.
ELCIO: Interview with a Vampire, with Tom Cruise.
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HELLTER: Elcio, you have such an amazing toned body. You are in great shape with an amazing bod. What do you do to stay in shape, what is your workout routine like?
ELCIO: Thank you. I really enjoy working out and I also weight most of what I eat. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen.(Laughs).
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HELLTER: Jay, anything else you want to discuss or promote?
JAY: ’m gearing up to hopefully shoot my debut feature film, PLAY. It’s a erotic thriller similar in tone to Stephen King’s MISERY & Takashi Miike’s AUDITION. LGBT actor Michael Taveira and filmmaker Danielle Earle are co producing with me. Michael and actress/designer Jes Davis are the leads in the film. Jes previously starred in my films, TASTE & Léa. Majority of the cast is LGBT, which is something Michael and I are really excited about. All the LGBT characters in the film are being played by LGBT actors and also some are playing straight. Which is a rarity in the industry. We hope more films give equal opportunity to actors no matter who they are. My Instagram is jpalmieri13. You can check the official Facebook for updates by CLICKING HERE!!
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JAY’S FACEBOOK
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