This week, I got to sit down via email with Evan, the host of the I Love Movies U Should 2 podcast. You can listen to Evan and guests as they discuss movies of all genres, industry news and trends, and some movies that deserve more credit than they’ve gotten.
Be sure to check out the new episode featuring yours truly where we talk about the 2014 horror/thriller 13 Sins.
You can find I Love Movies U Should 2 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and there’s a link to the Patreon page and social media pages for the show at the bottom of this page.
What inspired you to start a solo podcast?
Evan: Years ago I wanted to start a podcast. I had so much film info to talk about that I wanted to share it. I tried my hand at it years ago. It was terrible. I couldn’t edit anything, so I had to write most of what I was going to say down. It only went about 10-15 minutes. I think I posted it on SoundCloud. It might even be still there.
After that I was asked by someone on Facebook to be a guest on their show. I made one appearance on their superhero episode. Then a year ago my co-worker who is a film fan asked because we used to talk movies all the time if I might want to do a podcast. I was excited to get into it now. We even had a producer. It’s called The Voice Over Picture Show. It was fun. But we would only do an episode a month or two.
It was hard to get people in person to record. When the pandemic hit, we couldn’t record in person. We tried to do it over zoom. But it didn’t work out. I waited about a month and half because I still wanted to do a podcast. I decided that I needed to do my own show where I could talk about the movies I wanted to talk about. I decided to start mine just for me and hopefully people who love the movies I love. And I’m happy to say I’m really enjoying it. It’s keeping me creative during this trying time.
How do you pick movies to talk about?
I don’t really have a system. I have a list of films that I made before I started the podcast. I pick and choose those sometimes. And sometimes I just get inspiration from sites like Twitter and Instagram. I try to choose films podcast I listen to haven’t covered yet. It is sometimes like a week to week thing unless I have a guest which I try to play in advance.
I do have planned themed months coming up with spooky month in October being all horror films. I don’t have the list of films yet but I am working through choices. For November I’m doing Noir November. I’m a big fan of classic and neo-noir films. For my main show I want to cover some older films and some newer titles. For the Patreon exclusives I want to cover films that are recent releases only. It’s basically come for the films you haven’t heard much about, subscribe for those new films making the rounds.
What have been some of your experiences and observations as an openly queer horror fan?
There are a lot of us out there. Especially on Twitter. I have come in contact with some very wonderful people. I know there is a toxic side of the horror community that is very awful to queer people. But all the queer people of the horror community I’ve talked to have been open and inviting. It’s nice to be a part of it. Even though I’m not that popular, I feel more on the inside than on the outside looking.
I definitely think there needs to be more representation. There are queer writers and podcasters. But there needs to be more queer people and queer people of color making decision, hiring others and trying to make sure the horror community stays inclusive. I know that it’s getting better on-screen. But it will be nice when I can see a gender fluid person, a pansexual person be the main character or have a significant role in horror films.
What do you feel that the horror genre, between media and the fan base, need to do to be more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community moving forward?
We need to have those tough conversations about representation and people who are toxic in the community. And from those conversations actions need to be take to make sure the queer people get a fair shot. Queer people need to be hired from the top down from the talents to the crew. I think we have so many wonderful people talking about horror and writing about horror. Which is needed, we need queer perspective of these films.
When queer people and queer people of color are in significant roles in the community changes will come faster and easier. We need to make sure that we are promoting each other. Yes, many of us are doing the same things whether it be writing, media coverage or podcast but that doesn’t mean we can lift each other up.
I want us as queer people to get out chance to create stories that are meaningful for us. I’m dying to see a “normal” slasher film or monster movie with a final boy who’s queer. I want the roles and positions that straight people get to be filled by queer people and queer people of color.
What movie trope can you never get enough of? What’s one that can go away forever?
Tropes that I very much enjoy are the constant evil. Giving a film this atmosphere of the unknown and there is just evil everywhere puts me on edge and I love it. It Follows did this well, The Conjuring and Insidious films do this well. Killer kids is another trope I don’t mind. It makes for something that is also unexpected. No one expects the child who is supposed to be good to turn out to be full of evil. When done well it’s really fun.
There are so many tropes that can go away. The first I can think of sex equals death. This is a form of sex shaming which has to go away. It’s not evil to want or have sex. And it shouldn’t be someone’s downfall because they had it. We need to be more of a sex positive world. Another troupe that needs to go away is that the boyfriend/girlfriend/partner is the killer. It’s been done to death in the best slasher films. Now is the time to come up with something more creative, something inventive.
The no cell phone signal is another one that has to go. It’s 2020, we can get technology to work almost anywhere. Writers need to incorporate that into their stories. I’m sure there is a way to be tender and suspenseful with characters being able to use their phones. For found footage films, why is it that all the male characters are such horrible people? Can’t we get some found footage characters who are likeable and interesting? I don’t think they all need to be horrible humans. It takes me out of the story when I really don’t like the characters.
While we’re on movie tropes, it’s fairly lopsided when it comes to male vs female nudity in horror movies. Are you championing for more male nudity in horror?
I’m a huge champion of male nudity in horror. Being that I’m a nudist, I’m very much okay with nudity. And male nudity outside of butts has been so taboo in films. Being around males and identifying for the most part as a male, I know that males are way more prone to being naked and getting naked in general.
I think there needs to be more male nudity in horror and also full front male nudity should not be taboo but the normal. It’s not equal not fair that women have been full naked so much in films and males have not. Nudity is a part of life. It happens and there should be proper representation in that area. I’ve also noticed that found footage films lack nudity, especially male nudity. If your film is R rated and utilize that rating. The only way to equality is to change the norms.
Top 3 movie butts
Ewan McGregor is number one. He is my big film crush and he has a great butt. Matt Bomer would be my second because he’s a handsome queer man with a fantastic butt. He’s also a really talented actor. Carla Gugino is one of my favorite actresses and she has an excellent butt. I love her willingness to go all out for a role.
I will say, being a kid and watching Carla Gugino in Spy Kids then growing up and discovering my own sexuality, she is goddamned gorgeous and always has been.
Top 3 movies that deserve more recognition
Night of the Demons, it’s a great haunted house/demon horror film with fun moments, great gore and a very cool ending. I’ve covered it on my podcast and wrote about it. I think this film needs more love.
The Prowler is one of my favorite slasher films. It had excellent gore effects by Tom Savini. The story has a decent history/mythology that you can get behind. And the kills are different and creative. I think the score does hurt the film. But it should be one of the staples of ‘80s slasher horror.
Underwater is a really fun, tense monster movie with one of the best monster reveals in a long time. Kristen Stewart is my favorite actor and she is fantastic. The film also doesn’t ogle or fetishize women like a lot of films do in this sub genre. It’s thrilling, it’s at times gross and shocking. And it was all done as a PG-13.
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Another One For The Fire 