By CASS CLARKE
The late ‘30s was an uproarious chapter in American history defined by its obsession with and censorship of queer culture. As Prohibition wound down amidst the height of the “pansy craze” – a period that, not unlike RuPaul’s Drag Race, brought straight and queer crowds together for drag performances, dances, and revelry to escape the restrictive time and embrace self-expression, and, well, glamour! – film studios decided to usher in the dreaded Hays Code. Hollywood feared queer people and wanted to erase us from being seen on-screen, thereby making it easier to ostracize us. This era of film banned any depiction of sexually perverse acts (read: the flawed mainstream view of queer love or sex acts). So, queer filmmakers had to revel in subtext, allusions, and implied reasonings to sneak queer characters into their films (see: the moment in Alfred Hitchcock’s ROPE when Mrs. Anita Atwater remarks how “funny” it is that two grown men share an apartment and bedroom). Why the history lesson, Cass? Well, despite the fact that the Hays Code ended in 1968, Hollywood still hasn’t accepted unapologetically queer romance and sexuality on-screen. (No, I still haven’t forgotten the much-hyped “so gay” THOR LOVE & THUNDER that decided two rocks holding hands equaled queer representation.) In 2022, Disney even censored same-sex affection in its animated films.
Still, we take all the tongueless kisses, the overly-involved gay bestie who exists solely to listen to a boring straight protagonist wrestle with their identity, the clingy lesbian stereotype and say: Well, it’s a step! Despite our critiques of how to refine which queer identity or identities we see, there’s a tiny relief in letting something be seen, to not be erased or hidden. But the mental gymnastics of it all is tiring and incredibly insulting to all.
Why can’t the queer subtext be the text? What would that look like?
What attracts me the most to filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay’s work is that it is undeniably queer art, focusing on varying perspectives within the community and centering its narrative on trans characters. In her films, discussions on what it feels like to be queer and/or trans take center stage – refreshingly chatting about many of our daily stressors and joys like remembering to take your hormone pills or reminding everyone how the mother of horror, Mary Shelley, is a bisexual queen that changed the culture at the age of eighteen years old.
Similarly, Mackay is redefining what queer films can be. At 18 years old, she has crafted four feature films – primarily casting trans, gay, and non-binary actors in lead roles. Further, she’s already working on an untitled fifth Christmas-themed horror film featuring ghosties, a true-crime podcaster, and a gory good time. (You can support her fifth film through this IndieGoGo Campaign!) Her latest feature T BLOCKERS debuted at 2023’s Salem Horror Fest. The film focuses on a young trans filmmaker who discovers that an ancient parasite is seeping into the brains of others – making them increasingly hostile toward queer people. However, she can somehow sense them mentally and decides to fight back against the violent mob with her best friends at her side. At the festival, Mackay was kind enough to sit down with me and explore this latest film in her filmography.
T BLOCKERS was your third feature. As a filmmaker, what is something that you see coming up again in your work – like an idea that you’re expressing that’s getting more refined as you do more?
Definitely, the theme of transness as I grow as a person and further into my transition. Like SO VAM, obviously, I wrote it when I was 15 years old. So I was quite a young person – finding my queer family and watching that through BAD GIRL BOOGEY and T BLOCKERS and my latest one, which isn’t out yet, I feel like I’m just more confident in my direction to tell these characters and stories like the most authentic I can.
A lot of older queer films are all about the subtext. I think we’re now in this space where things are getting more and more explicit, and, hopefully, the text is the text. In T BLOCKERS, characters discuss openly where someone is in their transition, and it’s really refreshing – especially having seen a lot of films that could not despite wanting to go there. As someone who’s doing that work, how does that feel for you? I imagine it’s like a lot of pressure but also really exciting, too!
Yeah, I don’t really feel the pressure. At the end of the day, I started creating because I wanted to see the stories that I didn’t necessarily see – especially like in the new ones and having two trans leads. I just wanted to make a film where I could see myself in a way. The fact that people resonate with that and connect with those characters in my films… It’s very humbling. It means a lot.
So, T BLOCKERS! One of my favorite things about it is the gore. Let’s talk about this lovely black gooey, sludge-like design. What was it like coming up with that choice on how to depict the parasite?
Just working with my amazing makeup artist, Adele. I did BAD GIRL BOOGEY with her as well, which is more like slasher traditional, like those kinds of killings. I think it was just written as is and then we had a lot of meetings and she was like, “Here’s what we can do.” And I’m always like the most goo, the most vomit, let’s just take it as far as we can with the budget we have. Yeah, we just went from there.
Did you always have in mind that the parasitic ancestral creature would be worm-like? What was the intention behind that?
Yeah, because I often explain different sub-genres within my work. I think the chase scene in the film and the men’s nature… It just felt very worm-like it’s a perfect device.
There’s a horror host format of sorts to shape this film. How did that come about?
I’ve always loved the Elvira-type character. Being friends with Etcetera and wanting to work with her in a bigger capacity just sounded super fun. She loves horror films and Elvira and the whole camp stuff as well.
This film metaphorically covers the indoctrination of transphobia and hatred of trans people through its INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS-like premise and how to fight that as an individual and in a community. What do you hope viewers take away from this?
I hope that viewers will be reminded that community exists and the importance of supporting one another. Most importantly, I want viewers to feel hope – hope for an improved world for the queer community. Together we can make a difference.
I love how this film shows Sophie’s (Lauren Last) meet cute — depicting a real external threat that is out there for trans women dating today as well as a charming romance. Without spoiling it, this film’s fight outweighs Sophie’s luck in love this time. Was that choice made to focus more on Sophie’s internal journey and filmmaking career? (I was curious why she couldn’t have it all! Though, I do love how it ups the stakes for Sophie’s revenge later.)
I wanted to show the realities of Sophie’s world as a trans woman. I didn’t want the story to focus on a love interest per se, but rather on her learning to love herself.
There’s this one line in the film – not verbatim here – where Sophie says we could be thinking about everything that will happen to us, but all we have to focus on now and fighting the now. That’s such an uplifting and needed message to hear. So one, thank you. But also, what do you look for inspiration-wise to keep creating?
I just like love making films and the people I work with and fests like this – coming out across the world to Salem. I get to see people who watch my work and don’t hate it, which is nice. [laughs]
When casting for your films, what are some things you look for in an actor?
I think understanding the text and the type of material that I make. It is very campy, but at the same time, it’s also quite heartfelt and character-based so just actors that inspire me and understand what it’s like.
What are some materials that inspire you? That you’d be like, “Oh, wow, I’d love to be on the shelf next to ___.”
I think just like anything by Gregg Araki that I probably grew up watching way too young. But that shaped me the most creatively. I do love John Waters but I’m obviously into that crazy camp side yet. Yeah, I don’t know, being on a shelf alongside Araki would be cool.
Is there anything you can tell us about your fourth film, SATRANIC PANIC?
I think it’s funnier than my last film. Certainly, it’s still dramatic. I wrote it with my usual co-writer Benjamin Pahl Robinson and another trans woman Cassie Hamilton who stars in it and wrote a song for it. So there are some drag trans musical numbers in the film that moves the plot forward, so it’s kind of a musical in some aspects. There are more special effects than in my last film and even campier. I think it’s probably my favorite one yet, and I’m excited to share it.
