Exclusive Interview: Executive Producer Zach Shildwachter Talks the New Queer Slasher Film MEAT

October 10, 2023
AJ SLOAN

Prepare to dip your dick into the world of queer horror cinema as we sit down with the accomplished Executive Producer, Zach Shildwachter, to discuss his upcoming groundbreaking film MEAT. Let's explore the dirty details and desires behind this chilling slice-and-dice fest. So, grab your seats and one of your top-shelf fuck buddies! Let's explore the depths of this thrilling cinematic experience that is MEAT...

How did you first get involved with Meat the Movie?

I actually met Roger at a Cleveland film mixer, where we discovered a shared love for horror films. He had the idea for Meat and a script but needed like-minded folks to help realize it into reality.

What was it about the script that drew you into the project?

Slashers are one of my favorite sub-genres of horror, that, and killer bug movies. Roger had a unique story with a cast of largely underrepresented characters, and a unique perspective to add to the horror genre. I knew I could help and further develop his idea to make it more profound and impactful.

How do you feel sex and sexuality have punctuated the genre since its inception?

Sex and sexuality have been a part of film itself since it was invented. There have been numerous attempts to censor it, ban it, and hinder sexual expression on celluloid every step of the way. Yet the same can be said for the horror genre. Horror and sex are symbiotically linked. The trope of a Final Girl was based on one tenement that they refrain from sex in order to survive an unspeakable end. Yet it’s nudity and gore that put meat in the seats, set the home video market into motion, and push the genre further. Most interesting is its evolution to include more characters and representation from the LGBT+ spectrum.

How is this film reinventing the genre’s relationship to sexuality?

I wouldn’t say the film is reinventing the genre so much as it is viewing it from a different angle with a Queer lens. Roger, like myself, is very influenced by horror films from the late ‘70s, the video store era of the ‘80s & ‘90s, and even into the 2000s. For us, it’s about showcasing Queer characters in a light that often pushed them into the shadows for their straight counterparts. By giving these characters a much-deserved spotlight we scripted a story that explores our favorite horror tropes that show these characters as people — with their triumphs and flaws, the bad decisions that lead to bloody peril in any horror film. For us, it’s the male gaze for the male gays, while also being as inclusive and representative as the community it celebrates.

What are the makings of the ideal Final Girl/Boy/Homie?

Traditionally it’s always been a person of virtue that says no to drugs, premarital sex, etc., but we’ve started to see an evolution where they fight back, trying to outsmart and outmaneuver their aggressors. Often there’s not much of a moral included with these stories, more often than not simply tales of thwarted revenge and the like. For me, it’s not just about survival but walking away with a reason to keep living the life that the character fought so hard to keep.

If you were a movie poster for Meat, how would you sell the film to us?

Coming up with taglines for our posters with Roger has been a lot of fun. We’ve aimed to be reverent to our fandom in the most tongue-in-cheek ways. Not camp (though I do love that), but more so a classic slasher you’d maybe find on VHS with Queer characters living authentically, and some dying in the ways you show up to a slasher expecting. Poster-wise I’m envisioning a machete slicing through a precociously placed sausage possibly. Though our promo materials and current poster art have far more class and tact than I do.