Horror Press is always on the prowl for great indie horror films, and there are few films we’ve been following the development of as closely as MEAT. 

An Interview With Roger Conners

When a self-destructive friend circle lets one of their own take the fall after a night of drug-filled partying goes wrong, their biggest mistake comes back to haunt them years later. With their old friend out of jail, a killer named The Stud is on the loose to exact vengeance for the events of that night, picking off members of the group one by one. And as the poster and trailer promise, this time, he’s going in raw.

The film has made quite the buzz in the horror community and is wrapping up the final stretch of its long funding campaign on IndieGogo and Kickstarter. But who is Roger Conners, the director and co-writer behind MEAT? What drove him to make the film, and how did the villainous design of Stud come to be? We find out about that, and a whole lot more, in an exclusive interview, one you can only find here on Horror Press. 

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So, just want to start off by saying I really am glad you could talk to us here at Horror Press about MEAT. It’s one of the projects we’ve been keeping our eyes on, and I know a good chunk of our readers have been too.

Roger Conners: I very much appreciate hearing that! My team and I are so thankful for the overwhelming amount of support we have received for MEAT.

A lot of people ask for an elevator pitch of a film, but I want to put the heat on you here. In ten words or less, tell me what MEAT is about. Condense the spirit of the film down for me.

RC: Mean gays do shitty things and get their deserved comeuppance. 

MEAT is an unabashedly queer film. It’s an LGBTQ+ themed slasher as you’ve put it. Could you tell us what the intersection between the creation of the film and the queer community has been like throughout making it?

RC: I’ve been working in indie film since I was 19 years old, and when I started this journey things were very different, especially when it came to queer representation in cinema, horror or otherwise. Queer characters were rare to come by, and if they did exist, they were often presented as an over-the-top stereotype or as some form of comedic relief. Today, queer characters have the potential to be much more layered and nuanced. This is why I feel MEAT succeeds. Yes, it’s a slasher. Yes, it’s jam-packed with gut-churning gore that horror fans will love. But I assure you that it is also so much more. 

MEAT was shot in Ohio, your home state. Given the inherently political nature of the film, and the conversations going on in Ohio regarding the suppression of queer and trans rights, were there any reservations towards making MEAT there? Did it fuel your artistic process?

RC: While Ohio is an extremely conservative state that is brimming with anti-abortion billboards and anti-queer rhetoric, Cleveland is very much a little blue dot surrounded by a sea of red. We do often see much of that hostility and aggression overflowing into our neighborhoods and infesting our safe spaces. A local community theatre I support has been dealing with picketers who bombard their local drag queen story-time, and seeing that in my backyard has certainly been a harsh smack of reality. These moments fuel my fire and make me feel that MEAT is more important than ever. There are still voices out there attempting to drown us out, so we need to rise above the noise and ensure that we remain outspoken, vigilant, and constantly aware. Crafting cinema that focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community is my way of speaking out.

What was the first queer horror film you ever saw, and do you think there are any echoes of it in MEAT?

RC: I remember seeing Hellbent in the mid-2000s, which really blew my mind. It was so unlike anything else I had seen up to this point. I absolutely channeled my love for that film while crafting a queer-themed slasher of my own. It inspired me to think outside the box and consider the idea that queer characters could not only exist within a horror film, but could also lead one.

One of the bigger challenges of indie filmmaking is that there are inevitably ideas that need to be left on the cutting room floor, primarily because of cost. Were there any ideas you were able to make work that you didn’t initially think would happen?

RC: I always tend to write big and then scale it back until it becomes achievable within our means. The original treatment for MEAT was about 150+ pages long and brimming with over-the-top sequences that would be difficult to pull off on an independent budget. Luckily, my co-writer Zach Shildwachter is far more reasonable than I am and was able to reel me back a bit. But overall, the script has remained true to the original concept, and most of the standout moments of gore that I originally envisioned made it to the final draft. 

You’re in Phase 3 of MEAT’s funding campaign, with (at the time of writing this) just under a month left on IndieGogo. Could you detail the most challenging part of finishing MEAT on the production side of things?

RC: We have had varying levels of success with our three attempts at crowdfunding through Indiegogo, and thankfully Phase 3 has proven to be our most successful by far. While we certainly saw support early on in our process, we didn’t have much to show for it because we were just starting off and getting the ball rolling. There was no footage so no trailers, no stills, and not much to help convince fans of the genre that this was a project worth backing. I ended up funding most of what we filmed over the first year out of my pocket. While it was extremely stressful and financially draining, it was worth it. We decided to film the movie in three chunks, and we then used our early footage to create a teaser trailer to help promote our content. That really helped stimulate a significant amount of attention for our film.

Having one of the more memorable slasher villain designs in recent memory, The Stud, I was wondering if there were any particular inspirations for the killer we might not immediately assume? 

RC: You know, the idea of the aesthetic of the killer’s costume really started with that jacket. I had it custom-made for myself and used it for a photo shoot, and every time someone saw it, the first thing that came out of their mouth was, “You could kill somebody with that thing!” And the fact is, yes, you could. It weighs about 50 lbs., and those spikes are all very much real, it would get such a response from people I knew it was just worth utilizing it. So, I designed a few prototypes built around the jacket, and we decided to lean into the whole fetish/bondage/leather vibe with the harness and the rubber suit. 

Can the actor actually see out of that thing or does The Stud need a handler?

RC: The mask is as difficult to see through as you think it is, so we must strategically choreograph every sequence involving the killer. Every step, every turn, every grab must be perfectly timed to ensure that the actor under the mask is always safe and able to confidently operate within his surroundings. It provides a lot of challenges, but I think it’s absolutely worth the hassle.

And in terms of The Stud ripping and tearing through his victims, how nasty can the fans out there expect MEAT to get?

RC: Oh, let me assure you that the violence and gore are absolutely of the utmost importance here. Sure, this is a piece of queer cinema that’s telling a queer story, but first and foremost this is a queer slasher, and it’s intended to give fans of the genre exactly what they want from it. The kills are our top priority, and we are going all in on the practical effects and intensity of the kills. A great example in my mind would be the climax of Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation. Those whole final 15 minutes or so take your breath away, and it just felt so real and visceral and unflinching. That’s the kind of tone I’m striving for here. Brutal, unsympathetic horror with a high body count.

The concept trailer for MEAT has a very catchy song by synth artist Toska Bear behind it. Working with Toska Bear and finding MEAT’s musical voice, placing it at the forefront for selling your movie, how did that process happen? 

RC: I’ve known Jason, aka Toska Bear for years now, and I’ve been following his journey and the progression of his sound, which is honestly so kickass, and I jam to it regularly, so I knew I wanted to incorporate a few of his tracks in MEAT. One day I kind of just fell into a black hole of listening to Prom Queen Days on loop, and I started envisioning how it could play into the movie, so I just asked him on a whim, and he was super into the idea right off the bat. I started using his music as a soundtrack for the conceptual stages of pre-production while we were creating the look for The Stud and style of the film and the overall vibe we were going for. It was hugely influential on the tone of the movie, so I’m very thankful he’s been so generous with allowing us to use his music throughout it. 

You have been an assistant director on many projects, but also primarily an actor from what I understand. Does that give you a sort of edge as a director when it comes to directing your cast?

RC: I feel that the connection I share with my cast is probably my strongest suit as a director. Having been an actor for the majority of my life, I know what I personally expect from a director and what I need to help build upon my performance in order to truly deliver. I like to think I provide my cast with a safe space where they’re encouraged to dive a little deeper and really explore the depths of their characters’ psyche, and I definitely motivate them to go there. 

You’ve mentioned on your Horror Press Podcast appearance that very few filmmakers are out here making queer horror films, and it’s true. Do you have any contemporaries you would want to give a shout-out to, or personal inspirations that deserve mention?

RC: I know you interviewed them recently, but the Monster Makeup boys out of Rhode Island are kickass. Their most recent title, Saint Drogo exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I mean, it left my jaw on the floor and had me thinking about it for weeks after my initial viewing. Then, of course, we have my beloved podcast co-host Troy Escamilla, whom I was lucky enough to work with on the set for Teacher Shortage, and we’re going to be reuniting for his next feature, Hollow Lake, in the summer of 2024. I’ve recently had the chance to watch works from Chris Moore and Jay Pmlieri, and they are both fantastic artists with defined styles that I really enjoy. 

We all watch the classics, your Halloween’s, Nightmare’s and Friday’s. But what are some obscure slasher movies you think most people don’t know about that they should? What’s a lesser-known must-watch for you?

RC: Some of my favorite slashers would be titles such as Stage Fright, Intruder, and The Prowler, which offer up some of the finest kills from within the genre. 

Daydream with me a bit. No reins, no questions asked, just unlimited funding, whatever you need to make it. What kind of horror movie would you make? Would it be a sequel to Meat, or something more out there?

RC: Oh, you mean MEAT: 2 the Bone? Oh yes, that’s definitely something I envision coming to fruition at some point in the near future. I have a script for a pretty wild body-horror-infused outbreak film like The Crazies, Demons, or even The Sadness. The only thing scarier than one person trying to hunt you down is 50 people trying to hunt you down. A film like that falls right in my wheelhouse, but one step at a time. Before I talk about anything else, I need to ensure I serve up a delicious serving of MEAT to our very patient and supportive fanbase. They deserve something meaty to sink their teeth into.

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And there you have it, my carnivorous film fans; you get to see how the sausage gets made. To support Roger and the rest of the MEAT cast and crew, check out the IndieGogo to contribute to the film here! Make sure to also follow Roger on Twitter here, and Zach on Twitter here for the latest updates on MEAT. 

And for more articles and interviews like this one on the latest and greatest in horror movies, television, and news, stay tuned to Horror Press!