Queer horror is an emerging subgenre in the world of scary movies, and it’s mostly being pushed to the forefront by talented filmmakers in/near Cleveland. Based on reality, unfortunately, gay people have a built-in reason for being a killer’s victim – they exist. It enrages certain individuals because of homophobia, or self-hate, to the point where they need to take to the streets and “do something about it.” Such is the case in LGBT: Lethal Gay Butcher of Terror, as the killer’s religious and personal views on queer people fuels them to commit abduction and murder. The feature-length directorial debut from Tyler N. Thomas, this film is now available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google and most other TVOD platforms.
A serial killer is on the loose and he’s preying on gay men when they’re most vulnerable – after a date (if you know, you know). A gay cop takes up the mantel to stop the maniac while also dodging homophobic comments from his coworkers. It’s a race against time to stop the psycho from adding more victims to his list in Lethal Gay Butcher of Terror, from writer, director, editor and executive producer Tyler N. Thomas. James Burney, Ryan Farley, Douglas Todd, Christopher J. Meigs, Vernard Adams and Roger Conners star in a film featuring cinematography by Johnny K. Wu, Dr. Scott E. Brosius and Scott T. Morrison. This Cleveland-based cast and crew is trying to do big things with this movie, so peep the trailer below for extra information.
The first point I want to address is – can you watch and enjoy this movie if you’re not gay? I’ve seen a lot of queer horror films that alienate certain audiences because they go over the top with their themes and campiness. I can honestly say that Lethal Gay Butcher of Terror can be enjoyed by most audiences. While the theme of homophobia is ever present, it’s not beating you over the head like a sock filled with quarters. Tyler N. Thomas and Brutal Flowers Films were smart in toning back the big gay love and focusing on making this narrative more of an old school cop drama with cinematic horror elements than a Pride event. Those who like serial killers and not scary horror films will get a kick out of this movie. If you watched Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix, you’ll probably dig this one, too.
My second point is… Well, I have a love/hate relationship with this film. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s lacking, it’s void of atmosphere. I wholeheartedly believe this could have been a beast if it had a bigger budget, but this is the life of independent movies. My suggestion to the behind-the-scenes staff is to not be afraid to push for more retakes. Acting and editing will raise or sink your ship, and in this case – it does a little bit of both. Roger Conners as the spiraling widow made for good pauses in story while James Burney & Rob Jaeger bring the “aw cute” factor when paired together. I also liked the opening kill, Hussein Hassan, for completely different reasons. Where there’s promise of something good, the editing is often disjointed and throws you out of the moment. There’s a lack of fluid transitions, which can easily be improved on the next film.
LGBT: Lethal Gay Butcher of Terror was a different movie than I was expecting, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I hated it. I’m all about finding capable gay-centered movies like this one, although I would have appreciated a bigger body count. Overall, better editing choices could have severely improved the quality of the latest title from Tyler N. Thomas. There’s still a lot to like, though. Lighting, locations, special effects, pacing and most of the performances from the cast were awesome. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good promo poster and trailer. If only it all could have been packaged together in a more formidable way that would transport the viewer to the streets of Cleveland. All things considered, Lethal Gay Butcher of Terror was a mostly fun thriller that I think true lovers of independent cinema will sink their teeth into. Will they come back for a second bite? I’m not so sure.
Final Score: 6 out of 10.
