No Slasher Here

The story that would eventually become NO SLASHER HERE started as a way of fighting creative inertia. I was entering my fourth month of unemployment, with dwindling savings and no end in sight. It was perhaps natural that I returned to my favorite comfort food genres of media: Mystery novels and slasher films. It was while revisiting the best of Agatha Christie and Kevin Williamson that I texted my friend Llenelle asking if she wanted to make a spooky movie with me.

I began writing this story with a challenge to myself: The classic urban legend setup of the creepy phone call, but once removed - instead of a creepy man on the phone, it's a panicking woman who seems to be experiencing a horror movie opening of her own.

How do I work backwards and make this abstract setup for a movie something that feels dangerous and intriguing? And will I be able to turn that mystery into a 10-minute puzzlebox that'll be compelling enough for me and potential viewers?

As I wrote, the storm that is present day America continued to rage around me. Universal economic hardship and targeted bigotry have been constant features of 2023, just as they have been for years. While this isn't a politically driven film in the same way as my previous work, it's impossible to deny that this is a picture written & directed by a queer artist; someone who finds hope in their ability to connect with their community through a phone. A phone can be a tool for targeted harassment, but it can also be a lifeline.

NO SLASHER HERE would be nothing without the talents of Denis Kirkman-Moriarty, Flori Maunders, Ryan Williams, Cameron Murphy, Llenelle Gibson and my beautiful partner Iris. Not to mention the cast: Llenelle, Noelle and especially Ethan, who I first met at a Shakespeare Summer Camp in 7th Grade. We all love horror & genre film, and we love getting to create together.

I hope you enjoy our little puzzlebox.