The Swine Times

Author: Heaven

  • Hellbent – Why Celebrate This Middling Slasher Film?

    The Concept Of The Slasher

    Friday the 13th, Nightmare On Elm Street, Child’s Play, etc. All these iconic films share a space in time where a subgenre of horror was having a mainstream boom; the slasher. Heavy-handed in blood and guts, not to mention mystery – people just wanted more and more. And more they got, through the decades hundreds of slasher’s have been made. All of very different quality – It got oversaturated to say the least. Many studios tried their hand at a quick buck through low budget horror movies. By the 2000’s the spark wasn’t gone, just changing.

    No matter what arguments you can make about whether this type of film could ever be seen as “prestige” there’s still many lover’s of the genre. Especially those in the LGBT+ community. It’s like this strange phenomenon people in the community noticed. A love for a genre that isn’t often geared towards them. Rather that’s apart of a bigger conversation about representation in film.

    In the recent years there’s of course a lot more acknowledgement’s of queer people in media. However, it’s interesting and also a challenge to see the decades before on how representation of this community looked like. As well as to see how they maneuvered themselves in to places that didn’t have open arms for them.

    Often times representation had to be seen through the concept of queer-coding. Which is when media alludes to character’s being gay but never putting it in the canon. It was like being fed treats you could only see. However going into the 2000’s, slow changes could be seen. Filmmaker’s started getting bolder and bolder.

    The First “Gay” Slasher?

    June 26th, 2004 – The film Hellbent was released. On the surface, it’s another forgotten slasher film. Still there’s the argument of a cult following, as it’s been brought up through the year’s in context of queer horror. Then and now – it’s been seen as the “first” gay horror film. When it was released that was the marketing gimmick – to note though it’s technically untrue. There were a few released before Hellbent in 2003, such as Make a Wish. However Hellbent was the one to get more attention and thus is credited for future films labeled as queer horror.

    The plot is overall simple. The main character is Eddie – he work’s for the police. He has the murder of a gay couple in the wood’s on his mind. However he becomes more focused finding love during Halloween with his friend’s in a club. That comes to a holt though, as the killer followed them in the club.

    Hellbent – Overview thought’s

    Well – it would be nice to give it upstanding reviews on the quality of the film – however it’s…very of it’s time. Camera shot’s haven’t aged well, and lighting can be off in a few of the scenes. A good story can make up for those thing’s though. In the sense of the writing – it can get pretty flat.

    The opening scene sets an interesting tone. It’s essentially just a gay couple in the wood’s about to have sex – and then killed by a strange man in a devil mask. (Generally through the whole film he’s in the shadows) It show’s off the killer’s main gimmick of how he cut’s off his victim’s head’s. What makes it interesting in retrospect is more on how they let the couple be treated as a all the straight couple’s that get killed in slasher’s. The concept of their sexuality isn’t brought up and made to feel strange – it’s just happening. Then they die.

    Character’s

    The main character Eddie (No last name) has fragment’s of a backstory, but it’s thrown in essentially at the very end. He had a father that used to be a cop, alright that’s known in the start. It’s scattered threw out he himself used to be a cop, no matter how second-hand. Then at the end – from an accident in his own time as a cop, he has a glass eye now. As a main character, he’s not very compelling. It’s not even too believable that he was a cop since he feels very meek. The device of him being a former cop doesn’t really go anywhere. In the start of the film you think he’s going to try to solve the opening scene murder – however outside of some wonder in the start it goes nowhere.

    Overall, a lot of the film doesn’t focus on him. The whole middle of the movie is just preoccupied with killing off the friend’s to get back to the romance of the main character. Speaking of the death’s they feel rather rushed going back to back in a short period of time – this is after about 40 minutes since the first death – which was the opening scene.

    Now the friend’s can each be described in a specific archetype. Joey – the baby gay. Chaz – the sex addict. Tobey – the drag queen.

    Joey – His character can be a good example how this movie isn’t necessarily about “being” gay. It’s people with everyday thought’s – that happen to be that. He see’s a guy and want’s to go out with him. You see the anxiety after he ask’s the guy – he think’s he’s embarrassed himself. It work’s out though, the guy likes Joey back. Which makes it sad when he get’s immediately killed in the bathroom once the date is set up. It’s a relatable moment – minus the killing part.

    Chaz –  Chaz’s only personality is that he likes sex. There’s no emotion in his death and it doesn’t help he’s in between character death’s with a bit more of a specific story (Joey’s storyline happening very suddenly though) Not to mention the lighting hides his death pretty well.

    Tobey – The drag queen storyline had the most (To a certain extent) potential. But there’s this feeling of it having not aged well. It hint’s on the conversation of intersectionality in the gay community – that being the concept of more feminine men/drag queens. But it doesn’t really go there and plays off more like a bit. The character isn’t truly a drag queen, this isn’t him expressing himself. That was a funny costume that became an inconvenience. “I’m never being a drag queen again” He said that relieved when he thought he would get a man tonight. That was also his last line before he’s killed. (I lowkey giggled at his death,)

    The One We’re All Thinking Of

    Now the killer was underdeveloped. There’s the argument that there’s no need for a full backstory, especially not a sad one. Which is fine and true to an extent. The mystery can lead to how dark it is. But the whole killer’s angle is confusing. There’s not a specific reason for his devil mask, why he specifically behead people. Why does he only go after gay men? What’s the criteria for him to kill a gay man? He was at a party full of them and he honestly didn’t get a lot of people, rather just conveniently the character’s we’ve seen the most.

    Nothing he does was ever that scary and it was pretty predictable. Though his sickle in the main character’s glass eye was pretty cool. And I felt a chill down my spin when he licked the eye out of Eddie’s eye socket.

    There’s a Bright Side

    While I’ve seemingly had a lot more negative critiques then positive reassurances. To it’s credit, there’s still charm to it. It’s still able to have fun scene’s, so the film doesn’t feel like a waste of time. Also what makes this a bit more distinguishable to other slasher’s, is it’s relationship to sex. Horror through all it’s gore – can be a bit of a purist. When choosing victim’s it’s often the one’s that could be argued to “have seen it coming”. Relating to people such as one’s who are more upfront about their sexuality. In Hellbent though, all the character’s all have their own experiences with sex without any of them being particularly demonized for it.

    It’s still an important film. Besides the obvious of having multiple openly gay men as the main character’s – which is very big for an early 2000’s movie. Them being gay truly isn’t the discussion at hand – and further normalizes gay people, when queer people were always “othered”. However there’s also the cynical angle of gay people being able to have a “bad” film. Most of films are centered on heterosexuality – making that the norm and having it be more noticeable when a gay person is on the screen. So in a way it’s nice that gay people can be in films that are diverse in say: quality, just like the rest of films without the notion of being the “other”. You just get into the story without consciously thinking of it. Truly, full representation is more than being a minority character – rather, having the same garbage as everyone else.

    Where to watch?

    It is in fact free on YouTube.

    Closing Thought’s

    While it has it’s flaws – it was hard to finish the film mad. It has it’s place in queer horror – and slasher’s in general. It’s best to look at it for what is is an what it does, rather than what it doesn’t.

  • Bittersweet – An Original Horror Story

    I turn myself over in bed with my eyes slowly rising. A blurry view of an old wooden chair, with a fluffy stuffed animal on top of it is the first thing I see. I wish it wasn’t. You’d think a nostalgic sight would prompt the feeling of sugar in bitter lemonade. But my eyes only became hollow. In a way still that bear was the only rest from my tainted dreams that I could find. It wasn’t mine. It wasn’t stolen but sometimes it felt like it.

    His parents dropped it off. In their broken English, they basically said “You can have this stupid bear.” How thoughtful. Despite their usual tipsy style, their reasons were see-through. We had a birthday a few days apart, it only made sense to celebrate on the same day. We both got these teddy bears, adorable for the time. There was no real reason for these bears to become some symbol for our friendship like the way they did. It was just that day we really became best friends. Not just neighbors who hung out so that our parents could share stories from their countries. We cherished this thought until it became our only sweet thought going into adulthood. This bear was in my possession now. A sadder way to see the bear though.

    I don’t even remember how long ago his funeral was. I didn’t once look at the body in the coffin, I couldn’t bring myself to. In a strange way I didn’t want him to see me. That day would lead to many more where I just kinda short circuited. I wasn’t in some hysterical daze for days. I wouldn’t even let myself see me cry. I’ve only ever cried truly once in my life. The families of emotions from that night to the funeral collided to make a fire inside of me. My heart melted into acid rain just to make sure I was nothing but ash. He always had to remind me to take care of myself. He came from the same background so he knew the consequences of that type of culture. I almost challenged it with him.

    I realized I was swimming through too many pools of memories. I had to get dressed, I still had school. I couldn’t dress like I was depressed though, It’s a part of my character to have a poker face. And only one person could take me out of character. Something was just hard about pulling through on just simple tasks. It felt like I was running in circles around my room, and I was standing still at the same time. My head just had these long thoughts that consumed me.

    With no other relief I focused on the bear in the corner of the room. I crouched down in front of it. In strange times childhood toys were my craving for meaning. For a second, I thought it started to whisper..

    With a loud bang I heard a “Get Down! School is soon!” From my tired mamá

     My papá was out working at some retail store. My mamá, a housewife though, quickly chirped to me going out the door as she was cooking,  “Adios, hijo.”

    I walked to school, with a numb head. Sore eyes carrying my soul. No matter what, my own little world ran on predictability. Everything I saw, everything I touched was grey, not because of him though this was always my programming. He actually brought colors to the sun. He always wanted to make sure I let myself be seen not just by eyes but minds. Such a kind soul. It’s unfortunate I couldn’t keep hold of his teachings. It’s too scary to though.

    For the first day in my life, I wanted to skip school. My dreams were broken and rebuilt to get the American dream my parents were promised. Every day I craved the token role. I started as a bitter child but at some point it just became machines and dissociation until I agreed. But the difference now though is I don’t have him. I was the teacher’s favorite, but I always adored him for his will to unplug the machine. He kept me more or less well-rounded. That’s why I regret how things went down that night.

    I started to walk faster, I couldn’t be late. If I’m late that will just be the start of my life deteriorating. I managed to hold my pieces together until something catches my eye. A ring. A ring being given to someone. it shined even through the sunny day. It shined even through the crystal tears. The joyful crystal tears. Smiles and tears. I had a manufactured repulsed feeling watching them. Watching them was like being stabbed in the back by my least favorite father.

    Bitter thoughts didn’t stop when I reached the school parking lot. Right on time, the students are going inside now. I turned myself off at that point. I didn’t think the day wasn’t worth remembering, and it wasn’t worth the time. I could have snapped any minute if I used all of my little energy too soon. I hid around for the past few months, but I didn’t want them to see through my heart so I started to make more appearances. I was still always zoned out, I came off autopilot when I got the typical condolences from the people that knew I was best friends with him. 

    None of them were real friends though. So the silence was really loud when people came up to me.after a long list of people who were kinda acquaintances, the closest person I could say was my friend was my ex-girlfriend.We don’t talk much cause we weren’t ready to remember why we left the other, but we never lost respect. She was the type of person to be that old friend that’s always down to drink a beer on the colder nights. To bask in being complicated, because being bad brought less stress. So we did just that.

    She noticed I was sitting alone at lunch. We hadn’t talked for a few weeks but she took a risk and grabbed my hand and pulled me over outside. She wouldn’t budge me on skipping until she said something. Something that he said whenever I needed a push to take a risk. “You’re living the worst life right now, and you only live once.” So I made the hard decision to simply follow her.

    I covered up for myself and told my mother I was gonna be out studying after school. I wasn’t fully lying. I was studying a new way of life. For once my ears didn’t ring through the silence forever. She and I took a moment to be the opposite of ourselves. She saw I lost that spark to be in the moment so she handed me the devils key, and we played like fire was an enchanting toy.

    After a while we just sat down on an old dirty sidewalk and looked up. There became this period of silence where she breaks it and goes “Have you accepted it yet?”

    I gave a breathy, defeated, “Probably.. never will..” She said so few words in that moment but that simple question was ready to put me in the hysterical daze I fought so hard to push back on.

    I walked back home, I took many intoxicated breaths. I was alone, but not a lonely alone. The alone where it’s necessary cause you’re on the verge of something. In my grey home it was pitch black. But I was bright. I felt like I was opened. I felt like Pandora’s box. The evils just being the emotions I demonized for so long. I was in a grey world but I was a raging flower now.

    I didn’t get home too late but my parents were already asleep. My only eyecatcher in my room was still the bear in the corner. I cried for the second time in my life at that moment. The power of desperation overtook me and I broke character. I sobbed into the bear’s shirt holding onto it.

    But it held on to me as well.. I looked up and the stitching on the mouth seemed looser. I was entranced by its seamless transformation from a medium sized plush to my size. I didn’t care about any lasting reality. I wasn’t scared. It whispered sweet nothings to me. It whispered like him. It felt like him. So it had to be him. I just wanted him back. Despite the difficulties, I just wanted him back now. I could still only shed bittersweet tears because of how it ended. I threw away my own key and still searched for it.

    The bear kept growing, and adapting. Now it was a hybrid of the bear and him. It stood over me. Held me by the face and simply said

    “So what’s the answer to my question?” It or he said in another breath, “You never answered…”

    It went by in lightning flashes, what I call the ‘hybrid’. It was him. I swear. He was upset with me. I didn’t blame him. He left my home and just walked straight. I was at my breaking point so held me tighter so that i didn’t fall apart.I murmured again, and again, “I’m sorry for this,I’m sorry.” Despite my eyes blurred with tears I recognized enough that we were in a cemetery. The cemetery with his grave, and as my tears started to dry up, I saw it.

    I was laid on the grave, with just one hand pushed into it. I couldn’t move. He screamed through loose threads. “Why did it end like that? that night? The night you killed me.”

    The night time playground setting blasted into my head. The repeated motion of the car hitting him lives on. He had just turned around swiftly to my abrupt “Wait.”. He was walking away from me, he couldn’t face anything again, so he just looked straight down. He asked me a question. It wasn’t my answer that hurt. The eyes are the one thing you can’t control. He saw my answer, and he saw the cliche why. His realization was the first time I cried.

    My voice was starting to wither, the rasp very prominent, I still spoke up. All the things I should’ve said

    “You’re spirit I stole. But I just took your heart like that. .I saw you run but I hesitated. Just like I hesitated to answer your question. “Will you go with me” I presented as grown but you saw in my eyes.Terror. The eyes of what we were. Children. I was a child that wanted to go with you though. And you knew that and that’s why it hurt. You stole your own freedom back and were about to share that with me. So that I could be like you. With you. And we conquer wherever we went. But I couldn’t conquer myself. I couldn;t bring myself to cry over another man let alone stand next to forever with one. I looked at the ones that made it with disgust. The ones with their rings, they got out of walls and bridges put up. But I was halfway there, but I got caught in the vines on the wall and let go. I know you’re tired of holding out your hand.”

    I realized I wasn’t being crushed to my doomsday anymore. I was just a defeated body over my wanted defeated body. The hybrid rests in my hands. The hybrid is just my own childhood bear that I neglected these past few weeks, now. I grasp it onto my lap and hold it into my chest.

    I looked up to the tombstone right in front of me engraved “R.I.P Azúcar Quijada” I whispered into my bear’s.ear“Today I am now Amargo Quijada.” I paused and with my bittersweet smile I placed my hand on Azúcar’s name. I had to say one last thing to move on.. ‘Today I finally accepted it. This feeling. So yes I will marry you.”