If there's one thing which bonds horror fans together then its physical media. We are obsessed with the latest editions of our favourite movies. Ry Levey's superb doc, Boutique: To Preserve and Collect is about independent labels is showing at FrightFest 2024 so we chatted to him about his superb film.
NYX: Can you recall the first movie you bought?
RL: Wow, it was probably a two-dollar Video Treasures copy of Don't Go In The Woods or Crazy Fat Ethel 2. I felt so awesome as a kid owning those tapes because the mainstream tapes were so expensive. My mother was a video sales rep, so I had access to everything on tape via screeners. But to own something without a burn-in on it was awesome as a 10-year-old.
NYX: Which boutique label did you first come across?
RL: That's tough because I was buying anything I could, but Mondo Macabro and Synapse Films were undoubtedly up there. Now, I love Vinegar Syndrome and Severin Films. Their libraries are incredible for their esoterica.
NYX: Did you discover that each label's director had the same infectious love of cinema?
RL: Absolutely! Guys like Joe Rubin (Vinegar Syndrome), David Gregory (Severin Films), and Frank Jaffe (Altered Innocence) live and breathe cinema. Plus, the fabulous Lisa Petrucci (Something Weird Video) continues to keep her late husband Mike Vraney's legacy alive to this day.
NYX: You interviewed most of the big players. Was there anyone you couldn't get a hold of?
RL: I wasn't looking for any famous voices or obvious people. I was incredibly interested in highlighting directors and stars whose work was rescued. I had a couple of individuals who resonated for deeply personal reasons. Bill Allen from RAD was special because it was my brother's and my favorite movie as a child. The other was Lizzie Borden. What a bucket list moment. Her films, like Born In Flames and Working Girls, were seminal in my coming out process. Working Girls, in particular, made it easy for me to see sex work as legitimate work and not demonize those in the space. She is the best.
NYX: Was there much material left out to fit your running time?
RL: You know, I didn't feel like that with this film. It differed from my previous feature about LGBTQ+ pro wrestlers Out In The Ring. Nothing here felt essential to include with Boutique. I have some great outtakes and stories, but they didn't work in the story's fabric.
NYX: Do you think there's now an awakening happening with consumers realizing that streaming and downloads don't offer "everything" and are actually limited in choice?
RY: I see people finally waking up to the reality that streaming does not mean forever. Series and movies disappear and are never heard from again. I mean, one of the genre film's contemporary standouts, Mike Flanagan, had to just acquire his own film from Netflix to ensure it didn't get lost in time. I think the resurgence of these specialty labels is showing that people are realizing the risks involved in losing cinema.
NYX: What do you think makes horror movie fans different from other cinema fans?
RY: I think horror and genre film fans, in general, are riskier and more willing to challenge themselves. They are willing to venture into new spaces. A film like Frank Perry's The Swimmer is one of the great American films. It's not a genre film, but its uniqueness and eccentricities have tickled the interest of those looking for something off the beaten path. And genre/horror film fans fit that to a T.
NYX: What's the greatest format of all time?
RL: They are all unique and special in their own way, but in a truly nerdy and obvious choice: celluloid.
NYX: Which extra is the most important for a release to have?
RL: Each extra is great in its own way, but I'm a sucker for a Samm Deighan or Kier-La Janisse commentary. So damn smart. I love them both so much, and I'm privileged to call them friends. You can't go wrong with a release that has their name listed.
NYX: Do you have an all-time favorite release?
RL: I mentioned The Swimmer, a great release by Grindhouse, and the sublime Kier-La Janisse-curated All The Haunts Be Ours boxset from Severin. Some of my other favorites are obscure standouts from Vinegar Syndrome, Buddies, The Telephone Book, Best Friends, and adult releases like The Naughty Victorians or A Woman's Torment. These are truly eye-opening cinema ripe for reappraisal or discovery.
NYX: Will you be nervous when the doc has its world premiere at FrightFest 2024?
RL: I'm excited, not really nervous. I just want the audience to enjoy the ride the doc takes them on.
NYX: So, what are you working on at the moment?
RL: I'm in post on a new feature called Song Silenced: Coming Out in Christian Music, which looks at LGBTQIA+ Christian musicians who came out of the closet, to the detriment of their careers, exiled from the faith-based music industry, and contemporary queer artists deconstructing faith and changing the Christian music market, while confronting homophobia and hate, with grace and dignity. That should be out in early 2025.
NYX: Ry Levey, thank you very much.
