[Pride 2022] Let Queer People Tell Queer Stories: An Interview with Director Sam Wineman

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For Gayly Helpful 2022, I really wanted to get a horror director’s views on LGTBQ+ representation in the genre. Sam Wineman is not only part of the LGBTQ+ community, but his 2018 short, The Quiet Room, was an official selection in festivals such as Wicked Queer and OutFest Fusion. Other shorts Sam has directed include 2016’s Santaland and most recently the “milk and cookies” segment of 2019’s Deathcember. I was honored Sam took time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about the relationship between our community and horror and to give some insight to how his career in horror began.

Do you remember the first scary movie you ever watched? What imprint did it leave on you?

“Return to Oz because in the 80s, you never knew if the movie you rented your kids was actually a horror film. The video store was the Wild West. I was so terrified when Mombi took her head off that my grandfather had to take the tape out of the VCR. Now, the poster for that film hangs in my living room!”

When was the first time you saw yourself represented in horror and how did it feel?

“Growing up, I didn’t have access to much queer representation, so final girls like Sidney Prescott were my surrogates. By the mid-2000s, more had trickled in, but it was High Tension that left a mark on me. I had sobbed watching it, strongly identifying with Marie, whose experiences as a queer person really resonated with me. That made the rug-pull ending feel like an enormous betrayal. It was a bittersweet reminder that horror still had a long way to go.”

How did you get involved in writing and directing horror projects?

“Like so many artists, my journey began with a super messy breakup. In 2013, I directed and edited a docuseries called Date Trip as a tool to help me work through some heartbreak. At the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing, but by the end, I had completely fallen in love with the process of visual storytelling. I had been writing horror short stories for years, and had even written and produced New Year’s Kiss, a feature-length zombie musical for the stage. So I just thought…what if I combine the two things I love and just really go for it?”

When you first started, did you find the horror community to be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community?

“I know everyone’s experiences differ, but I didn’t initially feel welcome in the horror community, just as a fan. The movies I loved most were resented by film snobs and horror bros alike, and many horror spaces felt - frankly - aggressively anti-queer. So in 2004, I took matters to my own living room and started Movie Night, a weekly double feature of the stuff I didn’t see playing anywhere else. Now, eighteen years later, Movie Night is still the highlight of my week.”

Have you ever faced any hardships or discrimination based on your sexuality whether in your professional or personal life?

“I got into filmmaking with the goal of creating the thing I didn’t grow up with: good, explicitly queer horror content. But that’s easier said than done. Sometimes there’s an offer that exists on the condition that you change your queer lead to straight. Other times, you may discover that an environment isn’t as queer-friendly as you’d hoped. Part of my professional journey has been learning that it’s okay to walk away from situations that ask you to compromise your integrity. When you’re trying to break into this industry, that can feel really scary…like, if I say no to this, if I stand up for what I believe, will I ever work again? But in my experience, the answer is yes. Yes, you will.”

What are your thoughts on LGBTQ+ representation in current horror films/series?

“It’s okay to like something that isn’t perfect and it’s okay to ask for better. I think moving away from binary thinking will help open the door to even more quality content. Studios need to see queer people showing up for queer stories while also getting feedback on how to do better next time. I think the key to being heard is combining enthusiasm with critical thinking, not either-or.”

What steps can be taken to make horror more inclusive to our community moving forward?

“Let queer people tell queer stories. A big part of making horror more inclusive starts with diversifying the team behind the camera.”

How do you think stereotypes about our community as portrayed in media affect viewers both those depicted and those whose only exposure to the LGBTQ+ community might come from the media they consume?

“A good example of this is the “queer villain” trope. Whether it’s Hedy in Single White Female or Angela in Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers, it can feel really good to see a queer person kick some ass. But in the horror genre, queer representation skews heavily towards villain or dead body. That’s where this becomes a problem. If the bulk of horror treats queer folks as a threat or a throwaway, how can we expect any different from the people consuming it?”

What specifically about the horror genre do you think attracts the LGTBQ+ community?

“Horror is a genre that attracts outsiders because it tells the stories of outsiders.”

Do you have a favorite monster or creature design from a horror movie or television show?

“I love the design of Chucky and his transformation from cute to terrifying over the course of a Child’s Play film. But also, I love how Chucky’s design has evolved throughout the series as a whole, reinventing him like you see in Bride of Chucky’s sewn-together look. Even now on the TV show, Don Mancini continues to find new, terrifying, and practical ways to scare us with that creature.”

What advice would you give to aspiring horror writers and directors who are looking for the first steps to take into the business?

“Make a bunch of really bad short films. The bad shorts teach you how to make good shorts. And the good shorts give you the confidence and experience to make something even bigger.”

Who are some queer role models in this industry that inspire you?

“Creators like Don Mancini and Dana Terrace who are reshaping horror television right now. Directors I can’t wait to see more from like Chelsea Stardust, BenDeLaCreme, Monika Estrella Negra, Paul Etheredge, Natalia Leite, Vivienne Vaughn, Ama Lea, and Axelle Carolyn. Writers like Isa Mazzei, Preston Max Allen, Phil Graziadei, and Jake Robinson, whose work is the absolute future of this genre. Actors like Jamal Douglas, Lachlan Watson, Zoey Luna, Mark Patton, Misha Osherovich, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Biqtch Puddin, Landon Cider, and Peppermint who are just as inspiring when the camera is off as when they’re in front of it. Filmmaker/historian Jenni Olson, whose work has exposed me to more recorded queer history than I even thought existed. And finally, folks behind the camera like Jordan Crucchiola, Alyssa Onofreo, and Brent Bailey who model every day that part of making the change is being the change.”

If you had free reign to write and direct a gay reboot of any horror IP, what would it be and why?

“My Super Psycho Sweet 16. I adore this franchise and I think it’s ripe for a reboot!”

I saw on your Twitter that you are participating in this year’s AIDS/LifeCycle. Can you talk a little bit about what this means to you and how readers can get involved and support the cause?

“Once a year, thousands of cyclists and roadies ride from San Francisco down to LA to raise money for AIDS/LifeCycle. Those donations fund life-saving services offered by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the San Francisco AIDS foundation. If you’d like to support my pledge to 2022’s AIDS/LifeCycle (I leave in just a few weeks!), you can make a donation of any amount here.

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