Festival Chat

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Hey, I'm Dahlia. And I'm welcome to the Gory Details Podcast, where we discuss horror from every angle. It's all fair game. We break it down with humor, sarcasm, and curiosity, looking at what scares and excites us most, what gets ignored, and the people shaping the genre right now. And speaking of people shaping the genre, I'd like to welcome Sheree, our guest today. Hi, Sheree.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Hi, thank you for having me. I'm excited to cut up.

SPEAKER_02 0:52

Sheree is a playwright, aspiring screenwriter, podcaster, and so much more. She's one half of the podcast's Blurdy Massacre and hosts another podcast, A Nightmare on Fear Street. She has bylines on Fangoria, Horror Buzz, Neon Splatter, Night Tide Magazine, Horror Movie Blog, and other cool places. Sheree is also a proud member of Cherry Picks, the online association of film critics and female film critics, and Rotten Tomatoes.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

That's a lot of a lot of stuff. What keeps you awake? Sugar and coffee like me?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Insomnia and anxiety.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Oh my gosh. I know. Sometimes I am like sending messages on our Discord or emails or sometimes like a text will squeak through and I'm like, what is she doing up as well? What is she doing up? I thought I was the only one up.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Like it's kind of fun because all my friends in all the time zones are just like, I can send her this now. I'm like, yes, you can. Sadly, yes, you can. Pretty much. Yeah, pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah. So uh, well, thank you so much for coming onto the podcast. And I thought, you know, speaking of many things that you we do that we all do, uh, we uh wanted to discuss uh festivals, fun, fun, fun festivals. And uh we've actually all three of us have gone to a couple of festivals together. Um we did South by Southwest this year recently. Yes. And uh, but uh no, yeah, we just wanted to get down to it. So let's just go ahead and just start talking about. Let's just get into it. Um yeah, so right now we are going into an out of festival season. I guess it's always ever going, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Right.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

It's always ever going.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Basically. Um it used to be like, oh, it's the season, and it's just like there's a couple stragglers everywhere. So like you just pick your fighters.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

I know, yeah. I was just trying to think of it right now because I was thinking, like, okay, wait a minute. No, because we just had a few and then we're going into a few more. So there really isn't a real season anymore because they're just constantly going.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Basically, there's a brief pause in November, at least for like the ones I'm aware of. I'm sure there's stuff I don't know about. And then it picks back up usually around February, March. Um, and so you're just like, ooh, did you enjoy your nap? We're back.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Ah, yeah, I guess for the holidays, I didn't even think, yeah, I didn't think about that. We're just a little break uh for uh for the winters. But uh no, yeah. So speaking of uh South by Southwest, since we were discussing that and the three of us uh going to that, um, let's just get into it. Let's talk South by Southwest. Let's start with that one.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

I feel like the movies I liked, I really liked. Like, for instance, I Love Boosters is still probably the prettiest movie I'm gonna see all year. Um, I didn't see Obsession there, was it there? I don't know. I saw it at TIFF last year, so I've been missing it at other festivals, but that's my favorite horror movie of the year. And then there was a lot of misses this year. Um, there were a lot of missed fires. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

How do you feel about the actual festival going to a place like that? Because we're talking about three, and I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, three brown girls going to a festival that did not have to pay to get into see these movies. And we had we were lucky because we got these uh passes to go and you know watch these movies. Um and well it's it's it's a barrier for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Yes. Um, I I want to say this was the third or fourth year y'all took me with you, and before that, I was not getting in. Um I only get in because again, we pull our resources and we can like share rooms and stuff, but like a lot of people can't go. And also, like it's slightly more organized than it has been in the previous years, but also it's still not great, and there's still like that weird cutoff. So, like, certain people get into certain things and certain people don't get into certain things. Um, like I got to go to some of the like pre-movie parties and after parties and stuff, and that was amazing, but also like it's in part because I know the PR people, so they're like, hey, we'll put you on the list, you want to do this. Um, as opposed to, hey, this is a thing that we're offering to certain critics or reviewers or whatever. Um, so it's very much like if you're in the right place at the right time, you know the right people, you get access. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Yeah. So do you okay, so speaking on that, do you think that South by Southwest can be done for I think that it can be done on the cheap. Because we saw some people doing it on the cheap.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Yes. There are cheaper hotels nearby. There's always a window, so there's always a way. Um, and there's some other things. Um and again, it's Austin, Texas. So like even the most expensive food is still not as bad as it is in other places.

SPEAKER_04 6:15

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

And so like it can be done, especially if you know you're gonna do it. But I I always tell people if you're gonna go to Austin, Texas for a festival, make it Fantastic Fest. Just make it Fantastic Fest. Do it then. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Uh-huh. Okay. We are going to talk about Fantastic Fest for sure.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

It's fantastic. Like they live up to the name.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

I love that. But okay, so I want to get into again. Uh, want to talk a little bit more about South by Southwest because I got I got some shit to talk about here in in a little bit. Uh, but okay. I want to discuss more about the movies, though. Um, I know Alma had a movie that she wanted to discuss as far as uh movie finds. We were discussing before we started recording uh some of the best movies that we've been watching at uh festivals and all that. And I I was quizzing her and I was like, Alma, tell me the best uh festival movie you've watched ever. And she's like, This movie! I just watched it at South by Southwest. And I'm like, damn, you you just thought of that real quick. You didn't even have to think about it. Alma, what movie was that? Never After Dark.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Yes, I thought it overlooked. Yes, yes, yes, it's so good.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Yes, that's a good one. It was a surprise, and that's the reason I I thought of it because it was a movie that I was like, this looks interesting and it looks kind of scary from the photos. So I want to watch this, and I watched it and it lived up to my expectations, which were I was hoping it was gonna be scary, and I was hoping that it'd be something that would stand out in the crowd, and it really did. So yeah, I got a win there. And where did you watch it? Overlooked. Oh, you watch it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Okay. Because I at Overlook, I definitely try to catch all the international movies. Um, just because like that's a lot of the ones I know are coming to shutter, those Korean movies, which are my my favorite things, um, the J horrors, all of those. And so I'm just like, ooh. And so I made it a priority because I missed it at South by.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

We're talking about memorable highlights from uh South by Southwest. And um mine was uh getting to hug and meet Barbara Crampton.

SPEAKER_04 8:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

I was so excited for uh the movie Grind. Um we got to watch that. I think it was our first night. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

We ran um to the theater for that because it was after a movie that does not make it any of our lists. Um and then we stayed because I really liked it. And so I was like, I think you're gonna like it because I like grind. Um and so like I stayed up and I was definitely like cranky and sleepy, but we got to like see Bria Grant and like Anthony Cousins. Yeah. And like so many of our other friends who worked on the movie, um, like Terry Gamble. And yeah, it was just it was.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

We have a lot of great people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

It was like a weird like friend reunion. Uh and it's like, oh, also you have a movie here. Congrats. Um, which is one of the reasons I do love certain festivals. Um you know so many people now after doing this for so many years, you're just like, oh my god, congrats on this.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

That well, that was one thing that I did notice about this festival that we got to meet and see a lot of people there. Um, because it is such a big festival, because it is such a well-known one. There are a lot of movies and there are uh a lot of people coming to it from all over the world. Um, whether it was uh creators, uh movie creators, or um people like us that were reviewing the movies, we got to see a little bit of everybody coming there.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Yeah. Like we even got to hang out with um Joe Bandelli, who's a producer on Hellhouse LLC. And we've known for years. I've only met him once before this at a con in LA. Um and so it was nice to see him in person when he's not like on stage talking about movies. It was like, oh my god, hi.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Yeah, we interviewed him last week for the podcast. So yeah. Um so thank you for that introduction.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Yes, I I could have sworn you you were friends, best friends forever. He was so personable and and just I really did not know that that was only like the second time that you all were meeting. That was very uh exciting introduction.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Like he's one of those real people, and I love real people, especially in this industry. Um, and so like we bond because I'm also a very realistic person, and so there's no ego. It's just like I didn't like the movie, so I'm not gonna talk about it. Or I did like the movie, and I'm talking about it in the appropriate channels of podcast or article, but I'm not raided at you in the streets being like, that last one sucked. And so, like, you know, we uh we get along and we vibe. Um, like yeah, he he's actually been reading some of horror movie blog stuff for a while because again, we're friends, and so he was like, Oh, this is a different byline from her. And he's sort of like nosing around and seeing what else was going on, and he like really likes it over here as he was telling us in the streets of uh by Southwest.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

No, yeah, and that's that was a cool thing about uh about South South. I can't even talk anymore. South by Southwest. South by, I'll just start saying that. Um, we got to meet so many awesome people. Um, but let's go over to Overlook because I wanna that's some good, good shit right there.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Yes, that's where the good shit lives. Um Overlook is one of my favorite festivals in America. It's one of two festivals I still pay to go to out of my own pocket. Everything else, no. Even if I love the people, no. Yeah. Um, but Overlook, I figure out every year because again, it's this was my third time going, and it's just like the most randomly reaffirming. It's in New Orleans, first off. And it's just like the most reaffirming place because you'll be in line waiting to get into something, and somebody from like social media be like, oh my god, you're so and so. I just want to say I love this, that, and this one thing you did, and how you stick up for black women and make a stop. I'm gonna, I'm I'm hide, I'm dehydrated, so I can't cry, but I don't know what to do in my face. It's weird. Um, and so like it's been fun to like see more and more of our squad show up every year because again, once one person has a good time, they tell everybody else, and then those people go and they tell everybody else. And so now it's like a friend free-for-all. Like, um, we gotta take like Mike and Cereal out there with us this year. Um, we gotta we gotta meet up with Lawrence more often. Um, Andrew and Mo flew in from across the pond and was so.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

I saw that. That's awesome. Yeah, so yeah, I mean, that's that's the one I know that I'm going to be going to next year in place of the fest that shall be known as South By because my tongue keeps getting twisted. Uh, but no, yeah, absolutely. In New Orleans, how can you beat that?

SPEAKER_00 13:06

And it's right in the French quarter. Um, and so like you have to see some of the tourist stuff. You have to eat some of the good food. Oh, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Absolutely. Um, and speaking of, because I did bring up uh money being I have to ask, you know, money being a barrier. And since we did discuss, you know, you know, paying, you know, versus getting the free passes, you know, for a south buy, you don't have to give costs, you know, exact numbers here, but more affordable.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

So I never pay for badges, as we all know. I apply as press and I get in or I don't. And if I don't, they don't see me. Um but as far as yeah, but for the typical, yeah. Um as far as like lodging and flights and stuff, I the depending on when you buy it, it's probably about the same. However, like again, in New Orleans, you kind of know where the cheap hotels are by now because you've been going for so long. Um, you know which friend you're gonna like room with, so you can like split that 50-50. And like if you're willing to play around with the flights and do like a gross flight time, you can always do something slightly cheaper. Um and so I would say it's on it it's it's on par, if not like a little bit cheaper, I would say.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

As far as like the actual room and board and all I mean that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah. But again, I've never paid for any of the South by stuff. I've only like been like, mm-hmm, I'm eating here. Um and so like, but I would I would actually no, I'm gonna say it's cheaper because I am thinking about where we stay in Austin. Um that hotel can't be that hotel cannot be affordable. So I'm gonna say, yeah. But again, like when we stayed in some of the cheaper places in Austin, um, people went through our fridge. And so what do you do?

SPEAKER_02 14:43

Yeah, that happened and went through our belongings. Yeah. And we're missing some things. Oh, that sounds horrible.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Right. And so I was happy that um we got the upgrade to the bougie place, even though I I refuse to know what it costs.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

We deserve that. We deserved it.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

You deserve being rummaged through, or you deserve the better place? Oh, the better place. Oh, okay. I thought you were saying you deserve to be rummaged through. Okay. Well, I should have looked up uh I was wondering about the badge prices too, because I know South by their badge prices are are quite pricey. Um and uh I would imagine that maybe overlook is not as pricey because it's very it's more genre specific.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

I've never looked into it. The person to ask would be Chris Love because she she doesn't do horror so she doesn't apply for things. She just go ahead and like buys it and goes. She's also an adult, she can do that. Um but like I know she's paid to get into Fantastic and Overlook. So she would be the best person. Yeah. Um the time I saw her at South by the time we saw her at South by actually she was there on a panel, so did not pay. Um and she shouldn't have to pay because again, she's delightful.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

So there is ways of people, you guys, of getting into these festivals if you can, figuring it out. We when we went to the Blum House um event at South By, what uh it was a what was that? The trivia day, right? It was a trivia event. And there was a lot of people there that had seen the event like through some kind of app or something telling them that there was local things to do. Local things to do, exactly. And so you can like find free things to do when there's these festivals going on. You can go ahead and like find that kind of stuff. So I thought that was really cool. Just like figuring out when your local festivals are happening and like figure out how to do all that cool stuff. I'm like, I never would have thought of that. That's that's genius. I was like, I don't think I don't think outside the box like that. And the other people are like, yeah, that's how we live, duh.

unknown 17:00

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

I was like, okay, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

I know Anastasia was only doing the free stuff at South by because she didn't have a natural badge, and so she was like, Oh, they're doing this over in there, and so I'm gonna go over there. Um, I because we're always in line for movies, I don't get to explore and see a lot of things.

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Um, but we did look into a couple of free things that were not as advertised, and that's you know what it is. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Yeah. That's that's that sucks. Um, so as far as other festivals this year, what are we looking forward to?

SPEAKER_00 17:34

Fantastic is my girl. Um, it's it's one of the few times I actually am happy to go to Austin. Um, it's all genre movies, it's it's a lot of genre people. You don't have a lot of the same issues as you have at South by. Um, it's also all in one theater. So there's none of that. Where's the bus at? Do we have to get a lift? Are we gonna make it? It's it's literally all right there. Um if you don't make it, it's because you lost track of time. And I also just love that again, it's it's a lot of the same crew that I get to see at um Overlook for the most part. There's a few people who are just like, I'm not going to Texas ever. And I'm like, I can't demand you for that. But like for the most part, it's all the same people. So if I didn't get to spend time with them there, that's usually the time where I'm like, let's have a coffee, let's have a soda, um, let's have an adult beverage if you're an adult beverage haver. Um, and it's just kind of fun, chaos. It's like, it's how you imagine summer camp, but like I never went, and also I would never go out. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

So okay, Fantastic Fest. Yes. That's uh I'm actually well I have I don't think I've officially done Fant Fantastic Fest before. Um I've volunteered before and I've done uh interviews there before, but I haven't um and I've gone to a party at Fantastic Fest before. Oh, and I forgot I got a tattoo, a free tattoo for Fantastic Fest. So I guess I yeah, so I've gotten I've done quite a bit of with them, but I have never actually covered you know Fantastic Fest before officially. So I'm gonna do it this year if they accept my application. So um we'll see. Um but yeah, so speaking of Fantastic Fest, let's get back into that. Um it's it's September time frame.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Yes, um I never know the exact dates, but it's usually the first half of September. It's about 10 days, I want to say, maybe eight. Again, I'm bad with numbers, but it is genre, genre, genre. So you're gonna get all the things. Um, you're gonna get to like see some of the people. It's it's it's like a smaller scale South by focused on one genre. Um, that's the best way to put it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

But it's so much better then. So much better. I mean, come on. The only reason we're I'm we're we're even mentioning South by is just because it was so recent, I think, probably. Um, and because it is so big, probably as well. But um Fantastic Fest is it's its own beast, definitely. Yeah. Um and I don't know, the more you talk about Overlook is the one that I I feel like Overlook and Fantastic Fest are definitely um the only two in America that I think everybody should go to if you want to cover the films and meet the people and see them in their element.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

But uh there are some overseas as well that yeah, I saw you light up. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

Thinking about London.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

I love London. Not going um for London Film Fest last year hurt me. I still got to go to London to see Mo and Andrew get married, and that was special. Um, I wish I could have done both. I wish I could have done both so bad because I just feel so honored to be at London Film Fest. Again, they don't, they don't love to be like, we have a lot of genre titles, but they always do. Um and you get in the queue and things make sense. Like it's just so much more organized, and like the theaters they use are like really cool and different because they're not in America. Um, and it's just it's such a great time, and I missed it. Um, so I in a perfect world that would work out this year. I don't see how, but a perfect world, it would just be like, here's all the money to go do that. Bye. And I'd be like, Yay! Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

We just need to win the lottery.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

I think so. I think it's time.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

But I need to play the lottery to win the lottery, is what I always tell myself. I need to play it so I can win it. And then we can just forget to play.

unknown 21:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

But I want to win anyways. There has to be a way.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Um, okay, so I do want to discuss what the festivals actually do for horror. Okay. So depending on which festivals we're talking about, let's just take it as a whole. What they do for horror. Um are they promoting it? Are they not promoting them? How do we see horror come through at the festivals?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Depending on the festival, because like the ones that Are horror-focused. Um, they are promoting them, they're giving them their chances to see their audience. Um, a lot of the times these movies don't have distributors, so like the people who see them in those theaters see them, and nobody else sees them for who knows how long.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Like, one of my favorite movies I stumbled across in the pandemic is You Might Be the Killer, which I was excited to see in 2019 and never got a chance to because then COVID happened. But people at Fantastic Fest saw it. Um, and for years they were like, hey, if you get a chance, see it. If you get a chance, see it. And the same with quite a few movies, like Salem's Live. I don't know if it's Fantastic Fest or a different festival, but this last remake, it played at a festival and then sat around on a shelf for years because Warner Brothers was having a moment HWO. And so those people who saw it and those people who reviewed it are the ones being like, it's worth it if it's worth it. Um and so like it keeps it keeps the name on people's lips, it keeps it around.

unknown 22:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

There's also just like this weirdly cool communal experience of being like me and 60 other people decided to go see this random ass Korean movie at midnight. Um so we know what it's about. So when it hits the streets, um, other people will find out from us sleep. Um, because people are like, I'm in gonna see Mike Flanagan bowl. I'm like, you do that. I'm watching Sleep, and I did, and it was fucking good. Um I love that.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

I feel like the genre gets lost in those bigger festivals though, like South Pie and like London Film Fest and like Tiff, because again, they're like thinking more bigger names, and the bigger names are usually doing Oscar Beatty shit, um, and things that they think are gonna be box office things. Yeah. Whereas the genre is what's gonna pull the names and the people. Um, so yeah. Oh no. Yeah, depends on the festival.

unknown 23:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

I 100% agree with that. You're just you're speaking my language right now, talking about all that. Horror is making its way into the general audiences like it hasn't made its way before, I think. We're seeing it with movies like backrooms and um is it backrooms or back room?

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Backroom?

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Why did I do why did I plural? I think you're wrong. Oh, plural?

SPEAKER_00 24:02

I thought I was wrong, yeah. I think.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

Um, but uh the reason I bring it up is because in the festivals now, I wonder if we're gonna start seeing more horror and genre movies being promoted. Um we saw the Can Film Festival with um Psycho uh Victorian Psycho. Victorian Psycho. Um movies like this that are being um, I don't know, promoted a little bit more than we normally see, or maybe it's just a fluke year.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

I think again, it depends on the festival because Can looked at that cast list for Victorian Psycho and looked at the outfits and was like, that's our brand. Um, but will they do that same for something that's actually fun and good? Um, so I I never get my hopes up because horror is always that girl, but people like to pretend it's not. Like, oh, we're so back. Oh, it's trending. It's always been trending, which is why it's oversaturated. It's why as a slasher girl have to dig through 900 movies to find a good one. Um getting made. Yeah. Okay. So yeah, I think that backrooms um is having a specific moment just because like the youth are excited about it. Um, I'm not a liminal space girl. I know backrooms is one of the better ones, and that's why I gave it a very um good review for Rotten Tomatoes. But like I'm not a Skinner Rink backrooms enthusiast, but the youth are. They're looking for something different and those are different. And so they're kind of driving the force that way. Um there's Obsession, which is also a different person who was uh YouTuber, and that's a whole conversation, and now studios are scrubbing YouTube and Reddit looking for basically white guys um to make their next movie. Yeah. Um, because we don't learn any lessons. Um yeah, no, and I'm thinking about how like Sinners last year was the moment, and yet are we getting anything green like like that again anytime this decade, millennium?

SPEAKER_01 25:58

I don't know. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

No.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

Yeah. No, speaking of, that was actually gonna be something that I brought up. Um we're talking about these spaces and how inclusive they are or not. Um whether it be for uh moviegoers or for the creators themselves, like, you know. Um I guess let's talk about the for the creators. How are we seeing them um represented? Are we seeing them represented?

SPEAKER_00 26:32

Um, there is a huge discrepancy, um, which again is why it's like, oh, this is a unicorn moment. People had to acknowledge a black filmmaker exists. Um like it's it's always sad because again, uh we are in these spaces and a lot of times all of the black and brown people are our friends we brought with us. Um and I have an issue with that. I have an issue with the fact that if you look at the bathroom lines, um the line for the men's room is always long, but we're saying we're doing feminist horror movies. Um, but who's reviewing them if all of the journalists are in the men's room line? Um and so we're doing filmmakers a disservice, we're doing criticism a disservice, and we're doing fans a disservice because again, we're platforming the wrong things. For instance, one battle after another was a fantastic fest last year. And again, it's one of those movies where it's like the people who are the loudest about it are the people um who shouldn't be. Um but again, they were just like, well, we have something to ride all sinners. You don't. You do not. It's they're not in conversation because for so many reasons, that's a different episode of this podcast. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

No, absolutely. Um, and it was something I know that we were talking about when we were at South by just feeling included or part of the conversation while we were there, just us being there. Um, I know that when we were walking around, you just kind of felt um like we wanted our voices to be heard in general. And this is just us coming from, you know, people who are just watching the movies. You know, I'm just someone that wants to watch a movie and enjoy it, but you know, I still want to feel represented in the movie.

SPEAKER_04 28:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Um so how do we do that? By seeing that sorry, go ahead. No, it's fine.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

I was about to say that's part of the reason I was so excited to see They Bull Kill You. And that's part of the reason I was so mad that Twitter fools and Instagram fools and all of the wrong element were like, it's ready or not. It's it's not, it's so much different. Um, ready or not, too, we loved it, clearly, but it's a different kind of fun where this was more of an evil dead midnighter energy, and also Zazzy beats beats asses. And how can you be mad at that? You have a woman with natural a black woman with natural hair looking for her sister and cutting through the undead. Like we don't get that every fucking Friday. So please stop being salty. Go be a hater in silence. Um, I hate it here online. Um, but yeah, no, we we need more of that, we want more of that, and yet we never get it because we're on the wrong planet at the wrong time.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

I do want to discuss something. I I said we were gonna come back to it, South by. Um and I wanted to do it on the podcast here, and I'm just gonna get into it. Uh that South by Southwest South by Southwest sucks. Yeah. And I decided that I was gonna go ahead and discuss a little bit more about why that is. Um yeah. So we had an incident and I wrote about it on our horror movie blog. Uh and um where somebody next to me actually I'll just go ahead and say it, he yeah, he he touched, he jacked off. He pretty fucking jacked off next to me. And um he uh and I at the time I couldn't do anything about it. And uh afterwards it wasn't well handled by South by Southwest. And um, you know, we're laughing and we're talking about South by because you know that's how us women have to kind of compartmentalize a lot of things. Um, you know, we're kind of forced to like do things a certain way, and um, we have to, you know, put certain parts of ourselves out there and then hide certain parts of ourselves at other times, you know, as we go about lives. And yeah, I can laugh and I can, you know, joke around, but at the same time, I have this thing that's really bugging the shit out of me, and it's the fact that South by Southwest never fucking did shit about the fact that I told them that this guy fucking jacked off next to me and they couldn't do anything about it. What could they have done? I don't know, but they could have at least offered to pick up some kind of I don't know, accountability or something about it afterwards. So needless to say or needful to say South by Southwest is a festival that I would would tell my daughters not to go to personally. I'm not gonna tell anybody else what to do, but you know, that's just something that I feel strongly about. It's not somewhere I would go again, you know, personally. And uh I wouldn't tell you guys what to do, but that's just how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Yeah. So I just thought I'd share that.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

On their end, there could have been a lot of things that they could have done, you know, acknowledgement, a warning to other people. Um d there's there's a lot of little things and then there's big things, but something for security purposes and whatnot. Um I think an acknowledgement to you and discussion with you would have been at least minimum. You know, minimum to make you feel more comfortable. I mean, how are you gonna feel comfortable after that?

SPEAKER_03 32:51

But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

But you know a conversation and just like a policy change because like you didn't even know who to talk to about the situation, and so you told the manager of the Alamo, and then she pretended to do her job, and she never did apparently. Um, and so when it got to South by still nobody talked to you, and so like when this happens again, if it's a serial masturbator, who do people talk to? Because clearly it's not the manager of the Alamo, but you find that out after the fact. Um Right, exactly. Where where in the policies when there's like come get weird with us in South by? Is it and if something goes down, contact so-and-so, email so-and-so, call so-and-so. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Cause they they pretend that they have these these policies and you know, for your safety. I know, and I know way worse things happen to people. And I've unfortunately we've all had some things happen to us, and but they were this was just something that happened to me on that day that uh unfortunately I had to deal with, and it happened at a place where it shouldn't have happened, and I just feel like what you all said is uh correct that there should have been some kind of accountability or something where I could have gone up to somebody and said, Hey, this is what happened, and like I said, they have these policies in place where you're supposed to be able to go up to them and tell them, This is, you know, this has happened to me and uh what are we gonna do about it and not oh I'll get back to you and never fucking return your call or your email. I mean, literally just leaving you to you know, sit there like an idiot wondering, okay, alright you say that you're gonna do something, but you're not really doing anything about it, so um no accountability there. But you're right, it's like um I just kinda wish that they had acknowledged it in some way, shape, or form. But uh it still bugs the shit out of me. It's only what is this? June? It's only June Yeah, it still bothers me.

SPEAKER_00 35:32

Like the fact that they the fact that there is no plan um for anything that happens like that, or uh again, this is America and that is Austin, people carry guns everywhere. Um, where are where's the security? What is the protocol? And so it's just like if we can't handle this, how do w what are any safety precautions? Where are they? I've I've not seen them. Granted, I've never really looked that hard, but they shouldn't be hard to find if you're a festival and you've been around this long and you care about the people who are like spending money to be there and come there and risk all of this shit because who knows what else is happening? Um, especially in the concert sections. Um, what's happening over there?

SPEAKER_01 36:16

If it can happen something as non-confrontational as what happened with me, what is happening, you know, in more tighter spaces at, you know, festivals or the south by southwest in these, you know, with the with the concert spaces and all that. That's what that's really what I wanted to get down to it about when I was talking with them. And it just again, that no accountability was what really pissed me off about it. And I just never heard anything back, and that's just really it was really shitty. Okay, now that I've totally killed the mood of this party, and speaking of parties, actually, um best I know this sounds really weird. Speaking of carpent compartmentalizing, I could do this. Um, parties.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Again, if you happen to be on the right PR list um or the person happens to know you, you get into some really cool stuff. Um I was invited to the Monkey Man party the year that that was at Southby. Um that was cool. Oh my god, and the movie was cool and so winning, winning. Um, I did not get in the Ready or Not Twos party, and I'm never gonna forget or forgive. Um I did get into Forbidden Fruits, and they had drinks maybe after each of the fruits because the the girls are fruits, all of their names like pumpkin and cherry. So there was one for each of them. And I drank way too many pumpkins for just about to ask which one.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Yeah, I got a little charm bracelet and everything with a pumpkin on it. Um, that was my favorite party this year, the Forbidden Fruits one. I got to go to the they will kill you one and it was outside, and you know I hate outside, and so I didn't go back afterwards. Um, yeah. It was fun, it was free food, and they bust us to and from, but I was just like, ugh, with the bugs and the nature.

SPEAKER_01 38:15

Oh, I feel the same way. I'm like, if I have to be outside, I'm just like, uh well, outside in Austin, but you know what? I may deal with it, even though it's much hotter and more humid in New Orleans. I might deal with it in New Orleans because it's a vibe.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Listen, the parties in New Orleans are normally indoors, but there are camp spaces because it's near the French quarter, so you have to like do what you can. And so, like, you're just giving people lap dances. I rolled across five strangers to talk to Phil Noble Jr. Um at this last year. He was sipping his soda in the corner, and I was like, it's Phil, excuse me, strangers. Oh, oh, hi, hello. I love that.

unknown 38:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

But yeah, no, parties, absolutely. That's that's that's the way to go. Um, yeah, these press parties too was kind of like it was kind of a downer as far as uh uh speaking of downers, um this past uh year were not, they weren't great. They promised a lot. And then when we went there, it was just like, what's this? I thought there was gonna be food here, and all they were serving was drinks, and like, I don't even drink. So for a girl who doesn't even drink, it's just like, what the hell?

SPEAKER_00 39:30

I felt so bad for you because I was having a drunken time and I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna eat, but at least I'm titty.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Um I know for someone who doesn't drink, I just get to sit there and be like, and there's no coke either.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Oh yeah, they didn't have any Go ahead. No, that's all I was gonna say was that there wasn't even any Coke.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

The Crunchy Rub party had the signature drink, but also 20 minutes in, they ran out of the ingredients. I'm like, why'd you advertise an orange drink knowing we were all gonna want it if you only had enough to make five? Exactly. I was so mad about that. Um, also the microaggressions to get into those parties was wild. They were especially microaggressive this year at South Bay.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

See, so many reasons. So many reasons. What other festivals are we gonna get into the rest of this year here that you think are gonna uh are worth your time or worth anybody's time?

SPEAKER_00 40:25

We always do Fantasia virtually, and this year's lineup is really cool. They have an Addams Family movie, and you know I need that. They have a bunch of like Korean movies coming, and I didn't even know they were happening. Um and so I'm excited. It's like I think I I can't remember which is what country, so I'm not gonna name that because that always gets awkward, and it's like I'm the Karen. Um, but there's like no shorter than five movies from the continent of Asia I'm excited to see. Um and yeah, there's just like also The Wrath of Becky. I've not seen any of the movies, but Jin Wexler's directing the newest one or directed the newest one, and it's at Fantasia. I don't know if they make it virtually available, but I love a Jen Wexler movie, so I'm rooting for it. And I might have to see the previous movies so that I can be caught up. I might. I don't know. Um but definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:13

I'm yeah, I'm definitely covering Fantasia this year as well. Um, Fantastic Fest. Um, I don't know what else, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

We also always do Imagine Film Fest because Rabia, one of the horror movie blog writers, um, can get us press passes, and so she usually gives us a few, and we see so much cool shit in there. Um that's where I saw your monster last year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

Uh so underrated horror festival.

SPEAKER_00 41:43

Ooh, this is a good one. Um so here's my thing. I'm not normally the audience for Brooklyn Horror Fest movies, but I love all the people who make it happen, and I love getting to see and hug all my friends. Um, and so it's also in New York. You can't go wrong with a New York film festival in autumn. And so I think that is my most undersung one that I've been to. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

Um, I've only ever been to like Fantastic Fests South by Southwest. I've been to Salem Horror Fests. That's the year that I went to was a good one. Um, I think I had a lot of fun the year that I went because of the people that I went with. I think that's probably what made it. I think I think the theme here is, I think that we're getting to probably is that a lot of times it's the people that you go with and the people that you end up meeting up with, the people that you see. It's about the people.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 42:40

I think it is.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

It it's the fest friends, which is why I prefer genre festivals to the bigger festivals, because again, you're gonna see those same people over and over again. And that happens in the bigger ones because you end up in the same movies, but the lines are longer and everybody's crankier, and so you don't get enough time to be like, hey, let's be people. Um, like at oh my god, at TIFF. Um, those lines I I call it gin pop at TIFF because what happens is each theater has multiple screens, and they just give you a line outside the door wrapping around, and so you don't know who's here for what movie, and so you can't figure out if all these people are here for the movie you're at and your chances are none, um, or if they're here for different stuff and you're getting in, and so you waste so much time in line, and the volunteers don't know because again, how do you know who's here for what if it's all the same line? And so I've wasted hours trying to see obsession before I finally got in my fourth and final um attempt. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

Oh, that doesn't sound like fun.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

It is not. Um, I definitely applied again anyways, and I apply for the Rotten Tomatoes grant because if I get it, I'll go. If I don't get it, I won't go. Um, and if I don't get it, I would like to try and figure out how to make Toronto After Dark happen because it seems more of a cooler, lower key festival. Um, and it's it's a little bit later. It's around the time Brooklyn Horror Fest happens. And so I would prefer to like pull resources for that if I'm going to come out of Paga or something and make sure I see some movies. Um, but again, I don't think it'll come to that. I think that there will be a way. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

Well, I think that's it. We've taken up too much of your time already, Sheree. Thank you so much for coming onto the podcast. We love getting to hang with you. I love that.

unknown 44:23

This is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

Where can we? Where can we? I already know where I can find you online. I know where I can find you online. I know where I can find you in person. I know where I can find you anytime I want. But where can people find you online? On the interwebs.

SPEAKER_00 44:39

You can find me at Miss Sheree, that's three S's in there on Instagram. And you can find me at Sheree.bsky.social on Blue Sky. And from there, you can have a choose your own adventure and figure out which of my podcasts and places I write at you like to follow as well. Um, I'm a fan of all of them, but again, teach their own. Um, thank you for having me. It's so good to see you both podcasting again. This is what the people want to do.

SPEAKER_01 45:03

I'm so excited. Well, Alma, speaking of podcasting and getting back into it, where can people find us on the interwebs?

SPEAKER_02 45:11

You can visit our web, our website, thegory details podcast.com. You can see us over on Instagram, thegory podcast, blue sky, thegory details, and buy meacoffee.com slash thegory details.

SPEAKER_01 45:27

All right, thank you for listening, everybody. Bye. Bye bye.