Meet Madeline Drew of Cap City Video Lounge:
To start, please introduce yourself:
Hey gang! My name is Madeline Drew, I am a mom, filmmaker and half of the dynamic duo that owns “Tallahassee‘s only mom and pop video store/micro cinema” Cap City Video Lounge!
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
Horror to me is simply something that elicits a feeling we normally otherwise wouldn’t chase. In what other setting than watching a horror movie would you hope to be terrified? Would you hope to maybe even cry? Would are you hope to see extreme gore and bodily harm? Horror gives us a safe space to experience things, we’re not only too afraid to experience…but we’re too afraid to admit we want to experience. The horror genre is the perfect genre. It can have romance, drama, comedy… All of it. All wrapped up in a big red bow.
And for me, that makes a work of art in the horror genre. I want something that sits with me long after I’ve watched it. Something that gets me so excited that I push shit on my customers to rent. Something that sits with me forever. Something that fundamentally change as me. That’s horror.
What made you want to work in horror?
I was awkward kid. Even in my own family, I was the weird one. The only brunette. The only chubby one. It was hard in school. I was a weird, undiagnosed autistic, queer, Jewish kid. It was not super easy. My grandfather and grandmother, where are my biggest self-esteem boosters. Constantly telling me how being different was wonderful. We used to go to the video store every Friday night and rent movies. The scarier the better! I watched men in rubber suits and ghosts and goblins. All of these creepy… Extremely different things… And the dazzled me.
I never saw Frankenstein’s monster… As a monster. I wanted to live amongst the cypress trees with swamp thing. I wished that I could have my own pet Mogwai a horror movie is where the movies that made real life seem tolerable. Real life is always scarier than a man in a rubber suit. And in those monsters, I found friends.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The world around us and the human mind are scary enough and full of inspiration. There are filmmakers who aesthetically I am inspired by though. Like many, the lighting of Dario Argento has heavy influence on the things that I write and shoot. As an FX artist, screaming mad George has always been a huge influence for me. From a production design standpoint, Robert Eggers absolutely Rules my mind. But more than anything I am inspired by what I want to see in the horror genre. I want to make movies like ones I’ve never seen before. Beautiful and gross and awe inspiring. I want to make movies that make you feel something after… I want to make movies that you will either absolutely love or absolutely hate… and then be conflicted about what that says about you.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
As cheesy as it sounds… As a parent… My Legacy will be my children. Always. And not in the way that most parents hope for. My oldest son had his very first IMDb credit at three… In a simulated snuff film… That his dad and I were both working on. Now at 14, he is still acting but writing constantly. I cannot wait to see the person that he grows up to be and the art that he creates.
I have the unique opportunity to raise people who will love and support an art form that means so much to me. I started in film in 2007. My very first feature was a zombie movie that never even got released. And I was hooked! I went to school for communications and then back to school for production makeup. That summer I took my very first assistant Director gig on a movie with Debbie Rochon (Who I absolutely tried not to Fangirl over the whole entire time). I needed to know how to do all the things. I wanted to do all the things I was hungry for filmmaking and I see that in my kids.
As an executive producer, most of my approach is how I approach things as a mom. I want to nurture and inspire and help people achieve their dreams. I want to create a safe space for that. And that safe space is my said that safe space is Cap City Video Lounge. I want my legacy to be that above all else I helped spread the gospel of film. Above all else regardless of what I create before my time on this earth is done… I want it to be said that I loved film, and I helped movies get made. Mine and others.
And when I’m gone. And when I’m not making movies anymore. My kids still will be! And my kids will be running the video store. And my kids will be working the Troma booth at conventions. And not just the kids I gave birth to… but the college students to who come to our filmmaker meetings. The kids who ask for recommendations and I send them home with movies like Frankenhooker and Cannibal Ferox. All of the young people that I have the absolute honor of being in their lives, and helping facilitate their relationship with film. That is my legacy. My legacy will be my love of film, more than anything else And that’s all I can hope for.
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Women in horror month is the one time or year, where female filmmakers really get to shine. Admittedly, as a kid, I didn’t even realize that women could make scary movies. And some of my favorite scary movies were made by women (I watched slumber party massacre on repeat constantly from 9 to 13 ). There is not enough representation in any professional industry in my opinion for women. But especially not in horror! We are so much more than just Soska twins! There are so many strong, talented women making fucked up movies right now!!! And I wanna hear all about everyone of them!!! We can have conversations about female filmmakers we love, more than just because they are hot! I don’t have a daughter. But if I did, I would want her to see herself in film. I would want her to see the opportunities that were available to her, like I didn’t see as a kid. By creating a platform to outwardly support minority filmmakers we are building a stronger horror community. Representation is important. Talking about female filmmakers is important. Talking about queer filmmakers is important. Talking about filmmakers who are people of color is fucking important. I’m grateful for the month. But this should be standard conversation and we have to keep doing it until it becomes that.
Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?
Of course, Amy Holdin Jones… who not only directed slumber party massacre… But also wrote it. Even though she was uncredited. Plus… I got to show love for a fellow Floridian.
I love Rachel Talalay, who directed Freddy’s dead. She credits John Waters, forgetting her into the film industry… One of my favorite stories is an interview I read of hers where she talked about being a production assistant I’m polyester.
It is such an exciting time for women in film right now. The past few years have been really inspiring. Nia Dacosta became the first black woman to direct a number one box office head horror movie (Candyman 2021)… Wild! Why are more not people talking about that?
Ana Lily Amirpour is another one who I feel like should be getting more praise. She made her first movie at a Slumber party when she was 12. And a girl who walks home alone at night is probably one of my favorite vampire movies of all time. I recommend it to so many of our customers!!!
Right now another filmmaker I am talking a lot about is Madeline Deering. We rent out her films spirit, animal and bathtub shark attack really regularly at our shop. She’s probably the female filmmaker. I’m most excited about right now. I really love her storytelling and she’s just one of those people you really root for.
I think women inherently were born to be filmmakers. We document things, we tell stories, we create art and we are the best multitaskers you will ever find…. Tell me someone better suited for making film.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
Right now, like always… I’m working on way too many things. We’re prepping for our annual Cap City VHS Fest. This year we’re partnering with vinegar syndrome and I are going to have a guest list twice as big as last year.
In January, we wrapped a short film that I was executive producer on, called “Hustle”. Which is now hitting the festival circuit.
A feature length film I executive produced and was assistant Director on last summer, “Huggin Molly” is now out on physical media and will soon be available for streaming.
I am currently in pre-production for my directorial feature debut, which I am incredibly excited about… It’s called “Stages” and is a somewhere between an art haus psychological thriller and necrophilia love story. It’s going to be beautiful and disgusting. And I hope you all love / hate it.
Where can readers keep up with you?
You can follow my instagram @mskatonic
And also follow the website and socials for Cap City Video Lounge.
