Throwback Thursday’s Gay Horror Film Looks at Sean Abley’s Socket

October 17, 2024
HANK ORSO

Indie horror flick Socket from writer/director and Gay of the Dead bear Sean Abley is just a lot of fun. Point blank. Yer boy Hank here loved it when he first viewed it several years ago, and now wants to share it with you as part of our October Throwback Thursdays as we look at gay horror films through a queer perspective. Some of these movies are subtly gay or may have themes that resonate with a queer audience. And some, like the daring and metaphorical Socket are overtly gay. Gay filmmakers, stars, characters and storylines.

Released in 2007, it premiered at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival followed by a West Coast premier at Outfest 07. It received its DVD release early the following year.

The film stars handsome daddy Derek Long as surgeon Dr. Bill Matthews, who suffers and survives a lightning strike. He wakes up in the hospital, where he works, under the care of the equally handsome intern Dr Craig Murphy played by scruffy hottie Matthew Montgomery. While the two doctors quickly fall into a relationship that is more than just professional, it's what Craig later opens Bill up to that really gets the gay metaphors going!

(Matthews with his real-life hubby)

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A post shared by Matthew Montgomery (@montgomerymatthew)

As part of Bill's recovery, Craig introduces him to a group of lightning strike survivors as a way to cope with any residual feelings or sensations. But it turns out the group is a little more into their harrowing experiences than one might think. They not only survived their strikes, they are turned on by them! And here's where the gay stuff kicks into high gear.

Dr. Bill's specialty is in biomechanics research...or something. He is interested in the combining of human biology with technology, so when he joins the support group who gather together to for a prayer circle of sorts and literally juice up with electricity, he gets the super gay idea that they can do this more efficiently than just by holding dangerously onto jumper cables and sticking their fingers into light sockets. He creates electrical sockets and plugs in his own wrists that he and others can use to plug into wall sockets, and each other! Are you getting the metaphor yet? What Abley creates is a very softcore-ish flick that replaces dicks and buttholes with Edison plugs and sockets, and the juice isn't jizz, its electricity!

Photo courtesy of Fair Use https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33513453

Horror fans will recognize director David Cronenberg's body horror oeuvre from eXistenZ, Dead Ringers, The Fly and especially Videodrome here. Filmmaker Abley is a self-professed horror film nerd who literally wrote a book on the subject, so his references in his script are not accidental. The film also nods to the theme of addiction, something the LGBTQ+ community experiences too much, unfortunately. Bill can't get enough of the electricity charge, keeping his tv on 24/7, jonesing for his next fix. When he uses his expertise to fit the group members with the sockets, it becomes a get-it-when-you-want drug of choice that, of course, leads to a downfall.

The film's quality is, well, very indie, let's just say. But it does so much with so little! Long and Montgomery are hot as hell together, displaying genuine passion in their more sensual, sexy bedtime moments. Their work here is balls-to-the-wall earnestness, taking the material as seriously as Abley and his able techies and editors. They are supported by an equally talented group of little-knowns and future-knowns. Sure the special effects are low-grade, but if a big budget is the only thing holding this back, it does a fantastic job with what little it has. As one reviewer pointed out, there are so many great ideas here, you can't let the lack of studio money dampen your enjoyment.

It needs to be pointed out that Transparent and The Connors costar Alexandra Billings, the multi-talented trans actress and singer, has a supporting role as Dr. Emily Andersen. She is gold in everything she does, and this is no exception. Like when she TOOK OVER THE ROLE OF MADAME MORRIBLE IN WICKED ON BROADWAY! (Unfortunately, her tenure in that role was cut painfully short due to the Covid shutdowns.) But yeah, this flick has a Broadway performer!

Oh, she also wrote a wonderful memoir I loved!

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So go seek out Sockets. It's the gay electricity/vampire/scifi/horror flick you didn't know you needed! And while you're at it, go purchase Sean Abley's wonderfully extensive book about gay horror films, Queer Horror: A Film Guide!