Dangerous to Know

Waking from his dreams, Chris cracks the sleep from his eyes and turns to the bed inches to his right. His blond room mate has pushed his covers down to his knees, his hands caress his smooth, strong chest, sliding down his firm abs and are pushing at the white Tommy Hilfiger boxer briefs that cling tightly to his frame. Chris calls to him but he doesn’t respond, he’s lost in his dream. Chris raises himself from his bed and looks around the room, at the four other boys. Each of them lay in their underwear, writhing on their beds groping their young bodies, sweat glistening on each muscle. From a peep hole in the wall some one is watching…

Welcome to “Voodoo Academy” and the world of cult horror film maker David DeCoteau. “I wanted to make a movie I wanted to see. That was it. When it became a hit, I realized my calling…”

Working in the film industry for nearly 28 years DeCoteau carved himself a niche, pretty much creating his own sub genre in 2000 with the aforementioned “Voodoo Academy,” a low budget horror movie shot over 4 days and with a small cast. A cast mostly made up of attractive Abercrombie and Fitch types who spend no small amount of the films running time in their tight boxer briefs.

Many films in the direct-to-video horror market have doubled up as sexploitation flicks before, but where previous entries in the genre would have the teenage nymphets stripped and running up several flights of stairs, DeCoteau reversed the trend. A daring move that could have proved a career killing mistake.

The film was felt too homo-erotic by producing partner Charles Band and the film was cut from 90 minutes to 70 for its original release (later fully restored in a directors DVD cut) and had production company Full Moon hiding their involvement until the credits had rolled. But the film made money and DeCoteau had found a new audience.

Setting up his own production company Rapid Heart Pictures, he continued with the new formula, “I wanted to try to make homoerotic, non violent, Cinemascope, shot on 35mm movies. I set up shop on my dining room table and started to develop ideas and raise funds.” said David. And he began with ‘Ancient Evil: Scream of the Mummy.’ But nobody, least of all DeCoteau expected the success of his next venture ‘The Brotherhood.’

“THE BROTHERHOOD franchise is a phenomenon. I can’t explain it but it has provided a type of movie that key audiences have not seen. Mainly gay men, teenage girls, straight women and couples. We’ve made four and will make more.”

When a film features a protracted scene with two of it’s stunning male leads in their underwear drinking blood from the arms of a dressed female student it’s no surprise that the film was taken to the hearts of many a gay man. The camera lovingly flows over their tanned, toned bodies, paying particular attention to those tight fitting now signature boxer briefs. “Actors want to be sexy and appealing. They know with me they will look terrific, because I really care about them. I want them to look like movie stars.”

His films are charged with homo-eroticism, whether it be the Vampire frat boys of ‘The Brotherhood’ trying to turn a new straight laced student to their side or an undead boy band lead by Baywatch’s Jeremy Jackson trying to convert a new member in ‘Ring of Fire,’ the metaphors are hardly subtle, but in the world of low budget horror film making, there really is no use or time for subtlety.

And it hasn’t bothered any of the films stars either, with Alumni including the previously mentioned Jackson, Sean Farris in ’Brotherhood II: Young Warlocks’ or Josh Henderson, playing to his obvious strengths as Speedo wearing swim team hero, Jason in ’Leeches.’

Things continue to go well for DeCoteau whose company has now produced 15 films and has many more in the pipeline with his take on Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ out so far this year. And the future? “ To make genre movies that I wanted to see and keep doing it until the market says stop. All indie filmmakers are slaves to the market anyway, and so far people are supporting my movies.”

And I have no doubt that the support will continue unabated.

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Rapid Heart Pictures Blog