For almost as long as there have been horror movies, there have been horror-comedies. The peanut butter and chocolate of cinematic genres. From Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein to Shaun of the Dead, filmmakers have long been playing with tension and release to deliver screams of laughter alongside screams of terror, but there’s always room for innovation. Enter Queens of the Dead, a horror-comedy steeped in the vibrant, camp aesthetic of drag performance.
Camera Operator had the opportunity to speak with Queens of the Dead’s A camera and Steadicam operator Tori Wills, SOC to learn more about what went into combining these different visual languages as well as the challenges and necessary ingenuity of shooting a movie like this with a limited budget on a short timeline.
While Dre, Kelsey, Nico, and Ginsey are finalizing preparations for a huge party and drag show, tensions are running high. Their headlining act has flaked at the last minute, their backup choice, Samoncé, is too nervous to perform, there’s a plumbing disaster at the venue, and on top of all of it, the city is in the early stages of a zombie outbreak. As they navigate this ensuing apocalypse, they must all band together to survive the night and maybe—just maybe—put on a show to die for. Queens of the Dead is directed by Tina Romero from a screenplay by Romero and Erin Judge. It stars Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome, Jack Haven, and Cheyenne Jackson.
Read the interview here on SOC.org
David Daut 