Grue’s Pride Month: Hellter interviews Roger Conners (Mother Krampus 2, The Curse of Lilith Ratchet)!!
Hello Grue-Lings,
In honor of Grue’s Pride Month we have a interview today with openly gay actor Roger Conners. Roger Conners has become a well-known name within the cult-horror scene after appearing in b-horror classics. He was cast in a leading role in 529 Films “Hellementary: An Education in Death”. It had it’s national television premiere in 2010. Roger decided to focus mainly on acting within the horror genre. After appearing in an array of independent horror films he was dubbed as being horrors first “Scream Queer”, a spin on the classic term “Scream Queen”. He was a feature in films like: “Chill: The Killing Games”, “The Colours of Desire”, “Fighting the Sky”, “Rebirth”, “Mother Krampus 2: Slay Ride”, Eddie Lengyel’s and “American Poltergeist: The Curse of Lilith Ratchet”. Below is my interview with Roger Conners:
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HELLTER: Hello Roger and welcome to Gruemonkey. Thank you so much for joining us this month and we celebrate Pride Month together. First off, I want to ask you. How did you get the name Scream Queer, how did it happen?
ROGER: Thank you so much for having me! So, the nickname first came about when I was on set filming Voodoo Rising, all the way back in 2007. We were shooting this big, dramatic torture sequence in which I’m hogtied floor and screaming my head off as my friends are killed off one by one. We kept having to film these big screaming moments over and over to the point that it was becoming borderline comedic, and one of the crew members just jokingly tossed out “we have our own, resident scream queer”. I loved it and decided to run with it, using it in interviews and on social media and so forth. Over the years, it just stuck and sort of became my trademark in a way. I totally embrace it and play it up, for sure!
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HELLTER: That’ so funny (laughs). What made you decide to get into acting and what drew you to the world of horror?
ROGER: I developed a really dark interest in horror cinema at a really young age. I somehow managed to convince my grandfather to allow me to watch his VHS copy of Night of the Living Dead, and it honestly scarred me for several years. Like, watching that movie legitimately messed me up for a hot minute. I was seriously pretty traumatized by it, and so I started finding ways to express that through drawings and other artistic means. I even remember forcing other kids on the playground to pretend to be zombies so I could recreate key moments from the film. Looking back, they must have thought I was seriously deranged or something. It was really strange at the time, but over the years it just evolved into a really intense love for the film and, in turn, the horror genre in general.
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HELLTER: Oh Wow. That’s very interesting and awesome! Who are some of your horror inspirations and why?
ROGER: From a filmmaking standpoint, Romero is and always will be my favorite. He is truly iconic, and so many of his films continue to resonate to this day. Aside from being my first exposure to the horror genre, I also love the way he would incorporate relevant social commentary into his films. It made the subject matter all the more relatable, even if the story he was telling wasn’t completely rooted in reality. I’m also a huge fan of the works of Stanley Kubrick, John Carpenter, and Dario Argento. I’m a sucker for bold imagery, eye-catching color-pallets, and unique compositions.
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HELLTER: Romero is a favorite among so many. Good choice. I found that the horror fans are very diverse and very accepting of the Gay community. And horror is actually popular in the gay community and they even make gay horror films. Why do you think horror is so accepting in the gay community and if you ever watched any gay horror films, what are some of your favorites?
ROGER: Yeah man, there is definitely a huge gay fan-base within the horror community, and especially when we’re talking indie horror in particular! I think some of that stems from the overall amount of sheer creativity that is required to make these projects come to fruition. One of my friends and fellow directors has always claimed that I have a gift he calls “the gay eye”, meaning I’m always paying attention to the little details. Costumes, hair, props, and just overall production value in general, that sort of thing just comes naturally to me. I think that many gays possess a high respect for the ability to make something artistic and creative out of little to nothing.
I haven’t seen many LGBTQ+ themed horror films, but I know there are several in production at this time and I’ve been tracking their progress. Killer Unicorn and Death Drop Gorgeous are two I’ve had my eyes on for a while now. I can’t wait to check them out! They both look absolutely fantastic!
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HELLTER: Me too. I am really looking forward for Killer Unicorn!! Every June, Gruemonkey always dedicated the entire month to Gay Horror for Pride Month. What does Pride Month mean to you and Gay Horror?
ROGER: I think Pride Month is so important for our community because it provides us with a necessary reminder of just how far we’ve come in a relatively short period of time. For so long, the majority of the world refused to acknowledge our existence. We’ve been deprived basic human rights and privileges, and condemned by religious and political extremists simply for living our truths. And even today, in 2019, members of our community are still targeted, abused, beaten, and killed at an alarming rate. More and more, we are hearing stories of gay individuals who are being assaulted in public. Trans women of color are turning up dead on a weekly basis. These are our brothers and sisters who are suffering here and their stories need to be acknowledged and brought to light! Until the day comes in which every single individual that identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum can feel safe stepping outside of their homes, secure a job without experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment, and live their lives as they see fit without commentary or judgement from outside sources, Pride Month will serve a mandatory purpose. Pride originally started as a protest. It still remains that to this very day.
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HELLTER: Very well said. I agree with you 100 percent. Can you tell us about Mother Krampus 2. You play a gay character. Can you tell us about your character and the film and how important it is to you to play a gay character?
ROGER: Eddie Lengyel, the film’s director and a longtime friend of mine, reached out to me and explained that he had this character that he’d created for the film that was originally envisioned as just another cis female. He felt that she was just coming across as kind of thin and disposable, and he wanted to do something different and unique that would appeal to a new audience. So, he suggested that we take this character and reinvasion her to be a down on her luck drag queen, and we just sort of ran with it from there. And that’s how Lady Athena came into existence! When it came down to filming her scenes, Eddie really kind of just let me do my thing with the character. A lot of that dialogue was improvised in the moment, and the dance number was totally my idea and he just appeased me and let me go crazy with it. It’s all so absurd, especially considering the context of the film and all, but for some sick, strange reason it just works. I’m really proud of the final outcome; especially after hearing all of the positive feedback we’ve received regarding her character in particular. I never thought she would go over so well with the masses.
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HELLTER: It went over really well. I loved it. In other Gay character roles. You play Porter in Voodoo Rising and Kyle in Chill: The Killing Games. Can you tell us about those films and the characters and what they meant to you?
ROGER: Porter was actually one of the first roles I was ever cast in and the director actually wrote him in after seeing me audition. They wanted a comedic relief and that’s often my strong point, so we decided to go really big with the character. Man-liner, lip gloss, bleached tips, the whole shebang. He was my first gay role on camera so I just decided to have a lot of fun with him and go all out. Sure, he’s a bit of a stereotype, but he was fun as hell to play.
Kyle, on the other hand, is a far more subtle and insecure character. He’s definitely gay, but it’s never directly addressed or announced throughout the course of the film. If you listen closely, a few of the characters say little things hinting at it, but aside from that we just wanted to keep it subtle. I think that’s what I find so endearing about Kyle and his role in Chill: The Killing Games. He’s a gay male lead in film that’s written to be a mainstream-style slasher. It’s not a “gay movie” per say, the lead character just happens to be gay and that’s all there is to it. I find that super refreshing when looking at the variety of LGBTQ+ characters we see presented in modern-horror cinema these days.
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HELLTER: Who are some of your favorite LGBTQ characters in films and tv, it can be horror or non horror?
ROGER: I’m really loving all of the diverse LGBTQ+ representation we’re getting from the series Slasher on Netflix! With each new season, every cast has been more and more unique and diverse. I find that so refreshing. I’m also a huge fan of the FX series Pose which explores the lives of Trans women being brought up in the New York ballroom scene of the 1980’s and 90’s. It’s phenomenal! I cannot recommend it enough!
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HELLTER: I love Slasher. Great series. I would love to see more Gay Horror films being made in the future. What would you like see done in the future for Horror and Gay Horror?
ROGER: I think just seeing more films that incorporate gay characters without having to feel the need to play up their sexuality or gender-identity for the sake of plot or shock factor. Like, we’ve seen the coming out journey before and it always resonates, but I also feel that it is just as important to see strong LGBTQ+ characters that just exist in these worlds were creating without needing any further discussion or explanation or dissection. That’s how you know that something is truly becoming mainstream and widely accepted, you know? When you don’t feel the need to constantly place a micro-focus on that one aspect of their identity, and instead find ways to incorporate the character without any further need to discuss or acknowledge their sexuality.
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HELLTER: Yeah I agree. I really love The Curse of Lilith Ratchet. You did a good job. What was your favorite scene and favorite kill from that movie?
ROGER: Thanks man! I’m really proud of what we accomplished with Ratchet. I was pretty heavily involved behind the scene on that one, especially when it came to the overall design for the lead villainess. I’d probably have to say that my big scene in the garage is one my favorite sequences in the film. I love slow-burn suspense, and that scene really takes its time and builds up to something that I find to be really effective and climactic. The lighting, the heavy usage of shadows, the score, the cinematography, the makeup and gore effects, it all came together very nicely. Aside from that, I really love the scene in which one of the characters is run over by a pickup truck. I was very impressed when I first saw that effect! I was shocked that they managed to pull it off so well!
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HELLTER: Yeah I love that truck scene (laughs). I heard a lot about Teacher Shortage. What can you tell us about that?
ROGER: I can’t give away too many details at this time, but I have to express that I had a phenomenal experience working on that set. The cast and crew were all so warm and welcoming and just stellar to work with, and the footage I’ve seen thus far looks fantastic! I know that Troy is planning on dropping a trailer in the next few weeks, and once that’s released I’m sure I’ll be able to share more information regarding my involvement in the project. Just know that, for all of you old-school slasher fans out there, I really think that you are going to be beyond satisfied with the final results!
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HELLTER: I can’t wait to see it. What have you done this month to celebrate Pride Month?
ROGER: I attended Cleveland’s Pride Event a few weeks ago, and it was honestly just beautiful. Cleveland has been going through this sort of mini-renaissance over the last few years which really warms my heart and gets me so excited for what’s to come. Seeing so many people come out to celebrate not only the LGBTQ+ community, but our amazing city as a whole was just so empowering. There’s so much to celebrate right now!
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HELLTER: Anything else you want to discuss or promote?
ROGER: My directorial debut Rebirth: A Night of the Living Dead Tribute Film is finally wrapping up in post and is set to premiere just before the New Year. This film is literally years in the making, but what with the current state of our political climate and the overall unrest in our nation, I truthfully can’t think of a better time for this project to debut to the public. It’s so relevant right now, man. Without giving too much away, it just hits on so many hot-button issues that are impacting so many citizens at this current time. I can’t wait for you all to see it!
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HELLTER: Thank you for joining me today on Gruemonkey.
ROGER: Thank you for having me and HAPPY PRIDE!!!
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