Michael Varrati

Michael Varrati is an American screenwriter, columnist, and actor known primarily for his work within the horror genre and the world of TV movies.[1] Outside of his film work, Varrati has used his platform to discuss pop culture and the horror genre as it relates to the LGBTQ experience,[2][3] frequently writing about and arranging curated speaking events on the topic at such venues as San Diego Comic Con.[4][5][6][7]

Michael Varrati

As a screenwriter, some of Varrati's notable works include Tales of Poe, The Sins of Dracula, Flesh for the Inferno, A Christmas in Vermont, A Christmas Reunion, and episodes of the popular audio series Darkest Night and Deadly Manners.

In 2014, Agents of Geek named Varrati one of the "9 Must-Follow Geeks on Twitter."[8]

Early Career, Column Work, and Peaches Christ

Born in New Mexico, Varrati took an avid interest in writing fairly early on in his life.[9] Citing exposure to the works of Stephen King and the films shown on USA Up All Night as early influences, Varrati has stated he always knew some aspect of his work would be geared toward the horror genre.[10]

While attending Kent State University in Ohio, Varrati studied acting for the camera under character actor Rohn Thomas (who himself had appeared in films from such horror luminaries as George Romero and John Landis). Although primarily identifying as a writer, Varrati would cite this experience later a crucial factor in his approach to taking acting roles in the future.[11]

Shortly after his time at Kent, Varrati began writing for the underground horror film magazine Ultra Violent, wherein he interviewed cult and international filmmakers. Varrati has said his work with Ultra Violent began to lay the foundations for his own work in film, as he began making contacts during this era.[12]

In 2008, while working on a now defunct book project, Varrati connected with San Francisco-based drag performer Peaches Christ (stage name for Joshua Grannell), hoping to interview her for the book. Instead, the two became friends, and when Christ took her directorial debut movie All About Evil on the road, she invited Varrati along to help document the experience.[13] Writing a travelogue from the road for Peaches’ site, Varrati eventually began doing a regular column for the drag icon's audience.[14] Since this period, Varrati and Christ have remained close and still occasionally collaborate. In 2016, the two reunited to co-produce an event for the 25th Anniversary of Vegas in Space for the Frameline Film Festival.[15][16][17][18][19]

Around this same time as his initial work with Peaches, Varrati began to do column work for various other publications, which lead to regular contributions over the years to a number of outlets, including The Huffington Post,[20][21] VideoInk, Tubefilter,[22] Vice[23], and more.

Tales of Poe

Prior to his taking to the road with Peaches Christ, Varrati had begun dipping his foot into the world of acting, appearing in several independent horror features. While acting on one such film, Razor Days,[14][24][25] Varrati reconnected with the film's director of photography, Bart Mastronardi, whom he had previously met at a horror convention several years previous. The duo began discussing Mastronardi's plan to create an anthology of modern adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories.[14] Soon thereafter, Varrati and Mastronardi agreed to collaborate on one of the film's segments.

Shot over the course of several years, Tales of Poe featured three adaptations of Poe stories: The Tell Tale Heart (written & directed by Mastronardi), The Cask of Amontillado (written & directed by Alan Rowe Kelly), and Dreams, which was written by Varrati and directed by Mastronardi.

The Dreams segment, written by Varrati as a silent, surrealistic piece, was notable in its inclusion of horror movie scream queens of yesteryear, casting the likes of Adrienne King (of the original Friday the 13th), Amy Steel (of Friday the 13th Part 2 and April Fool’s Day), and Caroline Williams (of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Contracted).[26][27] The segment was hailed by Decay Magazine as "an excellent exhibition of experimental Horror filmmaking."[28] Varrati has said that the segment allowed him "give life to an existential crisis" on film and cites filmmakers Derek Jarman and Jean Cocteau as being influential on the piece's dreamlike nature.[29]

Tales of Poe premiered on August 20, 2014 [30] at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, CA, and has played numerous theatrical screenings in the years following, garnering a number of awards.[31]

The Sins of Dracula and Flesh for the Inferno

While he was in the midst of making Tales of Poe, Varrati connected with prolific New England-based filmmaker Richard Griffin. Initially collaborating with Griffin on a short about gay aliens titled Crash Site,[32] the duo soon began work on a feature film: The Sins of Dracula.

Written during the same period as Varrati wrote Tales of Poe, The Sins of Dracula was a departure from Poe’s serious tone, instead focusing on elements of horror comedy. Telling the story of a community theater troupe who must stop the newly risen Count Dracula, the film served as a satiric homage to the Christian scare films[33][34][35] of the early 80s. Released on October 26th, 2014, The Sins of Dracula was called a "modern classic" by Horror Society.[36]

Griffin and Varrati would collaborate again a year later on Flesh for the Inferno, an Italian horror homage about demon nuns who attack a church youth group.[37] Praised as a "dark, gory horror film with edge,"[38] Flesh for the Inferno was named "Best Independent Horror Film of 2015" by Horror Society.[39]

Griffin and Varrati have also collaborated on several short films together, including a Halloween short Hearty Treats and a faux-trailer They Stole the Pope’s Blood.[40][41] Additionally, Varrati contributed writing to Griffin's horror comedy Seven Dorms of Death.[42]

Christmas Movies

A departure from the world of horror, in 2015 Varrati branched out into the world of TV movies, co-writing the script for A Christmas Reunion, a holiday film starring Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon that debuted on the Ion Network.[9]

In 2016, Varrati wrote another holiday film, A Christmas in Vermont, starring Chevy Chase, Morgan Fairchild, and Howard Hesseman that also appeared on Ion.[1][43] That same year, Varrati would also create the original story for Broadcasting Christmas, which was adapted by playwright Topher Payne for the Hallmark Channel and starred Melissa Joan Hart and Dean Cain.[44][45]

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Varrati spoke about the fact that he was able to write both horror and holiday fare, saying that he felt both kinds of story were important, as they catered to different needs of the audience.[1]

Other Work

Varrati has twice collaborated with filmmaker JT Seaton on short film projects that have played at various festivals. The first of which was a comedic time travel short titled Then and Again that starred Sleepaway Camp’s Jonathan Tiersten,[46] and the second was a dark fairy tale titled In Darkest Slumber.[47]

Varrati reunited with his Tales of Poe collaborators Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly in 2015 to work with filmmaker Billy Clift on a short film biopic about the life of Hollywood actor Montgomery Clift, titled Monty.[48] With an original script by Varrati, the film was shot by Mastronardi, directed by Clift, and premiered at the Cinema Diverse Film Festival in Palm Springs in 2016.[49]

In late 2016, Nightmarish Conjurings named Mystery Phone, a short written by Varrati and directed by Ama Lea,[50] as one of the best horror shorts of the year.[51]

Also in 2016, Varrati wrote a number of pop culture oriented videos for Frederator Studios’ (creators of Adventure Time) YouTube channel.[9]

As an actor, Varrati has appeared in numerous independent horror films and has worked with such notable filmmakers as Lloyd Kaufman, Mike Mendez, and Stuart Gordon.[9][11][21]

The LGBTQ+ Horror Panel

Since 2013, Varrati has served as the host and curator of the "Queer Fear" panel at San Diego Comic Con. The panel has garnered attention over the years for its in-depth discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and its high-profile guests (which have included Bryan Fuller, Jeffrey Reddick, Guinevere Turner, and more).[3][2][52][53][54] Throughout the year, Varrati will also host variants on the panel and has written numerous pieces pertaining to its topic.[55][56]

Current and Upcoming Work

As of 2017, Varrati joined the writing team of the narrative horror podcast Darkest Night starring Lee Pace, Denis O’Hare, and RuPaul.[57] Shortly thereafter, he also became one of the writers for the murder mystery audio series Deadly Manners, starring Kristen Bell, Anna Chlumsky, and LeVar Burton.[58]

In an interview with New York Film Academy’s Popcorn Talk, filmmaker Bart Mastronardi said that Varrati had written a new adaptation of Poe’s The Conqueror Worm that he was set to direct. This will mark the duo's second foray into the work of Poe together.

Peaches Christ has also revealed in several interviews that she and Varrati are currently co-writing a feature film script together, which will serve as a follow-up to her directorial debut.[18][59]

References
  1. Schwartzel, Erich (27 December 2016). "Ho, Ho, Horror! The People Who Make Christmas Movies Also Produce the Gory Ones" – via www.wsj.com.
  2. "Horror Offers 'Escape' For Queer Film Fans, Says Comic-Con Speaker". 22 July 2016.
  3. http://horrorbuzz.com/michael-varrati-gay-agenda-horror/
  4. "A guide to every LGBT event at Comic-Con". 29 June 2015.
  5. "Your Official LGBT Guide to Comic-Con 2016". 21 July 2016.
  6. "What's Queer At The San Diego Comic Con?".
  7. "Bent-Con: Horror & Queer (Sub)text in Film". bentcon2014.sched.com.
  8. "9 Must-Follow Geeks on Twitter for 2014". 1 January 2014.
  9. "Writer, Actor Michael Varrati Talks Career Ahead of "Flesh for the Inferno" DVD Release". Horror Society. 1 March 2016.
  10. "Michael Varrati". 19 December 2011.
  11. "Gay of the Dead – MICHAEL VARRATI, Part Two".
  12. Lefebvre, Scott (14 October 2013). "You Are Entitled To My Opinion: Interview with Michael Varrati".
  13. Development, PodBean. "Episode 24: Peaches Christ!".
  14. "Gay of the Dead – Michael Varrati, Part One".
  15. "Peaches Christ, Troma Entertainment & Michael Varrati to Host 25th Anniversary Screening of Vegas in Space". Horror Society. 22 May 2016.
  16. "Vegas in Space" 25th Anniversary Screening in San Francisco! » Lloyd Kaufman". www.lloydkaufman.com.
  17. "Frameline40 Presents 25th Anniversary Screening "Vegas In Space"".
  18. Kelly, Alan (10 October 2016). "Peaches Christ: International Drag Superstar and Cult-Movie Maven". Blumhouse.com.
  19. "Vegas In Space 25th Anniversary Event at Frameline Film Festival". horrorbuzz.com.
  20. "Michael Varrati - HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.com.
  21. "GAY OF THE DEAD – Michael Varrati, Part Three".
  22. "Michael Varrati - Tubefilter". Tubefilter.
  23. "Michael Varrati". Vice.
  24. "Razor Days - grossmoviereviews". grossmoviereviews.com.
  25. "Update & Stills for Mike Watt's Razor Days". 24 June 2012.
  26. "Scream Queens Unite for 'Tales of Poe' - Horror Movie News and Reviews". 14 July 2016.
  27. "Wild Eye's 'Tales of Poe' Features Horror Scream Queens - Horror News Network - Complete Coverage of all Things Horror!". 12 September 2016.
  28. Artuz, Ken (15 September 2016). "Tales of Poe, Anthology Accents Poe's Horror -Film Review".
  29. "So Dreamy: Q&A With 'Tales of Poe' Co-Writer Michael Varrati - Signature Reads". 27 August 2014.
  30. "Exclusive: genre-star-studded "TALES OF POE" to premiere in LA".
  31. "AWARDS". TALES OF POE.
  32. "It Came From the VCR: Episode 1 - Crash Site (Review)". Horror Society. 25 November 2013.
  33. "FOG! Chats With RICHARD GRIFFIN, Director of SINS OF DRACULA; Plus Win a DVD of the Movie!". 10 July 2015.
  34. "What are "THE SINS OF DRACULA"? Find out—and help them happen!".
  35. Francos, Robert Barry (6 February 2015). "Indie Horror Films: Review: The Sins of Dracula".
  36. "The Sins of Dracula (Review)". Horror Society. 27 October 2014.
  37. "Daniel XIII's Revoltin' Reviews: DARLING, BLOOD OF THE TRIBADES, INSANE, SEVEN DORMS OF DEATH, and More! - Page 4 of 5 - Famous Monsters of Filmland". 22 February 2016.
  38. "FLESH FOR THE INFERNO Offers Bloody Vengeance Via Pissed Off Undead Nuns – Film Thrills". filmthrills.com.
  39. "2016 Awards". Horror Society. 23 January 2016.
  40. "'The Sins Of Dracula' Review: Plenty of Sinful Satire". bloody-disgusting.com.
  41. Francos, Robert Barry (4 June 2015). "Indie Horror Films: Reviews: Short Horror Films".
  42. moviesforlife09 (15 April 2016). ""Seven Dorms of Death"- (Movie Review)".
  43. "Christmas in Vermont, A (2016) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  44. "'Broadcasting Christmas': Hallmark Channel's Weeknight Holiday Movie Just In Time For Thanksgiving, Starring Melissa Joan Hart, Dean Cain, Jackee Harry". 22 November 2016.
  45. "Hallmark Broadcasting Christmas, Melissa Joan Hart., 'Did I Let the Right One Go'".
  46. "Then and Again". 10 February 2017.
  47. "In Darkest Slumber to Haunt Your Dreams after Film Quest International Premiere". Horror Society. 31 May 2016.
  48. "NYFA Cinematography Instructor Showcases "Tales of Poe" at Comic-Con". 9 August 2016.
  49. "2016 Schedule". cinemadiverse.org.
  50. "Open the Link For Your Mystery Phone Date!". horrorbuzz.com.
  51. "Nightmarish Conjurings Share Their Favorite Horror Shorts of 2016".
  52. "Check out the LGBT-inclusive panels at this year's Comic-Con!". 12 July 2016.
  53. "BYSO Podcast 48: Interview with Screenwriter Michael Varrati". 15 April 2017.
  54. "Ira Madison III's Comic-Con Diary, Days 3 And 4: Synchronized Swimmers And Joe's Crab Shack".
  55. Varrati, Michael (20 April 2012). "Unfairly Maligned Monsters: Why Horror Matters".
  56. Varrati, Michael (17 April 2012). "Lights, Camera, Action !".
  57. "Essential Feature: The Lair 10th Anniversary". 30 May 2017.
  58. "We're Obsessed With This Murder Mystery Podcast Starring RuPaul, Kristen Bell, and Michelle Visage". 6 October 2017.
  59. "SGN - Seattle Gay News - Page 23 - SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Peaches Christ and Latrice Royale present 'Mister Act' at the Egyptian Jan. 12 - Friday, January 6, 2017 - Volume 45 Issue 01". www.sgn.org.
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