Out on Tuesday - halloween special!
Unhappy Birthday
A down and dirty indie horror that gleefully riffs on The Wicker Man, but with added gay sex, voyeurism and assorted backwoods. Includes Q&A with both directors.
Director: Mark Harriott and Mike Matthews
Cast includes: Jill Riddiford, Jonathan Keane, Christina De Vallee, David Paisley, David McGillivray, Hong Khaou
'Out on Tuesday' screenings In partnership with Peccadillo Pictures. Includes live Q&A with both directors!
89 mins / 2011 /
Curated by Peccadillo Pictures for our Halloween Out on Tuesday, Mike Matthews and Mark Harriott's down and dirty indie horror gleefully riffs on The Wicker Man, but with added gay sex, voyeurism and assorted backwoods.
To what extent is the film a gay film or a horror film? The directors always meant it to be a horror/thriller but there has always been a tradition of queerness in horrors from Bride of Frankenstein to many classic vampire films. Instead of the gay characters being these cliché-ed characters of horror yore they thought they'd update them and make them three-dimensional characters. Come and see if they have achieved this aim!
Set in and around the remote tidal island of Amen, Unhappy Birthday is the fictional story of three outsiders' battles against the twisted morals of an antiquated community. Inspired by British cult classics such as The Wicker Man and Hammer House of Horror, the film explores the fear of isolation and nature versus nature.
A special birthday party becomes a living nightmare for City-dwelling couple Sadie and Rick and their friend Johnny. They visit Corinne, an enigmatic local on the island of Amen, which is accessible only by invite and seemingly impossible to get off. A mysterious family connection with Corinne brings horrific consequences as they find themselves trapped by the tide and at the mercy of the island's wild nature.
Screening followed by a Q&A with both directors, and you might spot a cast member or two in the audience...
About Out on Tuesday screenings
'Out on Tuesday' is a series of regular Tuesday screenings curated by and in partnership with Peccadillo Pictures, which has brought ground-breaking LGBTQ+ stories to screens since 2000.
Join us on regular Tuesday evenings to celebrate the rich tapestry of LGBTQIA+ experiences with bi-monthly films alongside conversations with filmmakers, producers, and industry experts as they share their inspirations.
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