Rue Morgue Examines the Dead Hooker Situation in Saskatoon

RUE MORGUE
A publication exclusively devoted to horror in culture and entertainment. Also features cinema, store, archives, events and general information. Rue Morgue is a Canadian magazine dedicated to covering "horror in culture and entertainment," taking its name from Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."

As a pair of Canadian horror nerds, it's hard to describe the feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes from having the opportunity to speak to the folks of this legendary, great publication. This feeling was made even grander when April Snellings approached us with interest on writing about the censorship and banning issue that arose when Tom Hutchinson of The Roxy Theater in Saskatoon decided to remove the previously approved Dark Bridges Film Festival because the title of our film - 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' - was too offensive. Despite the fact that he never bothered to even watch the film.

It’s been said that twice is a coincidence, but three times is a trend. If that’s the case, Rue Morgue readers have probably noticed a disturbing pattern in recent months, with horror films being pulled from theaters (Hatchet II), confiscated and banned (A Serbian Film, L.A. Zombie), and even used as a basis for obscenity charges (the short films of Montreal-based FX artist Remy Couture).

The latest kerfuffle is relatively small-scale, but no less troubling. Earlier this month, a scheduled double feature of indie horror flicks Dead Hooker in a Trunk and The Taint was booted from its Saskatoon venue when an anonymous caller phoned the theatre to complain about the posters that advertised the event (see the offending poster at right). Accusations of misogyny were thrown about, even though one of the films was made by women and features an ass-kicking female protagonist. The caller insisted that it was inappropriate to screen such films in Saskatoon – probably a reference to a string of prostitute murders in and around the city.

I've heard the theater make statements saying that they would have preferred this being kept a private matter and that just adds to the absurdity we are coming face to face with. There is a ratings board that agrees upon material then rates a film accordingly. If a viewer is not interested in seeing a particular movie, then they can choose not to see it. But to have someone else make that decision for film goers by their own sense of taste is outrageous. But it didn't stop there, Tom Hutchinson also pulled Canadian-made HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN a few days after the backlash of pulling DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK.

“I’m amazed how far this has gone without any of the concerned parties actually watching or looking into the film,” said Sylvia. “To title a film Dead Hooker in a Trunk and to make that film be a blatant disrespect to the title character would be absurd for any artist – especially for a pair of female filmmakers who started to create their own work because of frustrations with the poor representation of women often seen in film. There is a lot of over-the-top, almost anime-style violence throughout the film, but I didn’t want there to be a single laugh when [the title character] dies. It’s a very humanizing and sad sequence because the fact that this woman’s life was so heartlessly stolen from her was the driving force behind the events that unfold in the film.”

There are so many stories in the news about filmmakers - cast and crew - getting unfair treatment because of their creative work. If we stand by and allow this kind of behavior to go unchecked, then this trend of self-appointed censors making ill-informed decisions on what we can and can not see. Films that are a satire are being judged as if they are not. Artists that create gore and bodies for film are being charged with being 'morally corrupted'. Festival programmers are being charged for showing films about harsh subject matter. These are all reflections of things that actually take place in our world, but it seems it is the artist who wants to get into these matters through their work that is being condemned for the material and the real life issues go swept under the carpet.


This is an extremely important issue today. Whether you are a horror fan or not - that's not the issue - the issue is that self-appointed censors are making uneducated attacks on art and they are getting away with it. This is a masterfully written piece that interviews all parties involved - we: twisted twins, John Allison: the programmer of the Dark Bridges Film Fest, Drew Buldoc: the filmmaker behind THE TAINT, and even Tom Hutchinson: the man from the Roxy Theater with the ban-happy brain waves. Please take the time to read the article and share it with your friends. I would imagine that many people would be shocked to learn about these events taking place in their own backyards.


Today, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK will be playing at the Dark Bridges Film Festival that was given a venue by the wonderful team working at the Broadway Theater in Saskatoon. To add to their free thinking mentality and maybe because they are proud ti be Canadian, they will also be showing HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN at their theater. Seems a little strange that all this actually happened over a title, a poster, and no one watched the films before condemning them, but it did happen. It will continue to happen as long as we as a society allow it to happen.


I want to thank April for taking the time to really get into the nitty gritty of this issue with her extraordinary article. I am saddened by the turn of events by the Roxy Theater, but I am so grateful and honored to have had so many wonderful people from all walks of life stand up against this injustice and do their part in making a stand.

There may be a few people who are very far from 'getting it' or even accepting that something bigger is going on here, but there is an army of educated, free-thinking, eloquent individuals who see an injustice and do something about it. Thank you for turning what could have been very sad into something that has given me a lot of faith in the future.

Now, if you're in the area, head on over to the Broadway Theater and be ready to have some fun. The Dark Bridges Film Fest happens today and I hope everyone in attendance has a wonderful time! This became more than a festival to check out independents and I thank everyone who has supported the films and the festival through these unfortunate circumstances.

~Sylv

Emily Perkins

"The horror genre always has a lot to say about what threatens mainstream culture, and is an excellent venue for psychological and feminist discourse." -Emily Perkins

Maybe because Jen and I could relate to two morbid sisters that would make a photo series gruesomely detailing one another's deaths? Maybe because they were Canadian girls going through the glory of teenage angst at the same time as us? Maybe because when you see Emily Perkins on the screen, you just get sucked into that character? On further thought, it's probably a combination of all three and then some. Emily Perkins is a ridiculously talented and charismatic Canadian actress who continues to impress audiences whenever you are lucky enough to catch her on the big or small screen.


Emily Perkins was born in beautiful British Columbia, Canada in lovely Vancouver. It was May 4th, 1977, that Emily Jean Perkins came into the world and, shortly thereafter, she was starting her career as a child actress. She would be in three films in her young career: SMALL SACRIFICES (opposite Farrah Fawcett), ANYTHING TO SURVIVE (opposite Matt Le Blanc), and Stephen King's IT (with Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis). In 1998 she would play Carmen in the television series, DA VANCI'S INQUEST. They would bring her back in 2001 for the reoccurring role with a 34 episode arc of a prostitute named Sue Lewis. The performance would win her a Leo Award. In the small screen, she would appear on THE TWILIGHT ZONE, THE X-FILES, DEAD LIKE ME, and SUPERNATURAL.

"I had a crush on Jonathan Brandis. I think it was partly a test tube thing, but I thought he was pretty cute. He became, like, a teen heart throb after that, I think". -Emily Perkins

She would get the most notoriety of her career when she played Brigitte Fitzgerald in the dark comedy about becoming a woman told cheekily through werewolf transformation in the Canadian horror hit, GINGER SNAPS. She continued in the role for the entire trilogy of the film series: GINGER SNAPS, GINGER SNAPS 2: UNLEASHED, and GINGERSNAPS BACK: THE BEGINNING to critical acclaim: Best Actress award at the Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema, Fangoria's Chainsaw Award, and the 2nd Annual Spacey Awards' "Viewer's Fan Choice Horror Villian". Fuckin eh!

"I was able to connect with Brigitte because when I was a teenager I saw the process of becoming a sexually mature adult as monstrous. I now understand that it is constructed as monstrous by society (e.g. all the products we have for controlling our natural bodies), and that is the "beast" that attacks every girl when she becomes sexualized by our culture. The hardest thing about playing Brigitte was trying to keep the smile out of my eyes. I was having so much fun!" -Emily Perkins

"Ginger Snaps is FROM the female perspective and in many ways FOR the female perspective, but it is actually ABOUT the influence of the male perspective, so it already does encompass that." -Emily Perkins

"I'd love to do comedy. And I think I have pretty good sense of comic timing, so I`d really like to try that." -Emily Perkins

Emily would go on to act in SHE'S THE MAN, JUNO, ANOTHER CINDERELLA MOVIE, and BLOOD: A BUTCHER'S TALE. In 2004, Emily (at the age of twenty six) would adopt her two younger cousins because their parents were unable to take care of them. In 2005, she would go on to teach Acting at University of Wales, Aberystwyth. It was in 2006 that Emily and her husband welcomed son Dante into the world. She would return to Vancouver and her acting career later in that same year.



Smart, loving, and talented, Emily graduated from the University of British Columbia. You can see Emily on the new series HICCUPS, as Crystal Braywood. Her career started when she was only ten years old, her uncanny abilities seen from such an early age. She won a YTV National Youth Achievement award in acting after her first role and has been going strong ever since. Emily has a beautiful heart and, mother of three, is pretty much one of the coolest moms around. She is also sharp and eloquent when she speaks and she has the balls to stand up for things that mean something to her, like same sex rights issues.

"Yes, it should be legalized. It is legal in my province, and I have always said that I would never myself be married unless gays and lesbians have the right as well. As things stand globally and historically, marriage is an institution of male domination and ownership of the female body. If gays and lesbians can also marry, the meaning of marriage will change for the better. I believe that all people should enjoy the same rights regardless of their sexual orientation. Homophobia is as great a concern to me as racism, sexism or classism, and indeed these are all inextricably linked."
-Emily Perkins (on same sex marriage)

I have it from a very reliable source and good friend of Miss Perkins that she is pretty much a saint on earth in realms of being a cool chick. Yeah, I totally knew it.

~Sylv

Katharine Isabelle

You probably know Canadian actress, Katharine Isabelle, better by Ginger. She played the fiery redhead with werewolf problems in the Canadian horror classic - GINGER SNAPS. Have you seen the film? You simply must.

Not only does it star this brilliant actress - more on that to come - but it is a story that follows two subculture sisters as their life becomes even more subculture when Ginger is bitten and starts to go through some changes. They use werewolfism as a metaphor for puberty and it's real and it's great to watch. It was cleverly written by Karen Walton and John Fawcett - who also directed the film. Just a proud little piece of Canadian horror history filled with feminism.


Katharine is a real talent. She is always picking interesting roles and is perfect in them. Have you seen INSOMNIA? You should see her act with Pacino, so much confidence and skill. I'm not sure why she isn't more well known, I think sometimes we're so quiet and polite up here that some people forget that we're up here.

"You do these Canadian independent movies, you build up a name, and then you've gotta do shitty TV episodes just to pay your bills. It's hard to build your career when you keep on having to backtrack to do crappy things to pay for what you're doing. So it's kind of a weird situation. -Katharine Isabelle"

Katherine Isobel Murray (Isabelle is her screen name) Vancouver, Canada on November 2nd, 1981. She is the daughter of two-time Emmy Award-winning production designer Graeme Murray (THE X-FILES) and writer/producer Gail Murray. Her brother is is actor, writer and director Joshua Murray. The two have worked together on three films - :COLD FRONT, THE LAST WINTER, and KNIGHT MOVES. Graeme Murray also directed KNIGHT MOVES.

"Everyone wants you naked. I think I've done one or two movies in the past six years where they haven't tried something slimy to get me naked. -Katharine Isabelle"

I can't begin to tell you how many times when I or Jen were pursuing acting and suddenly someone had this 'idea' and that idea was that we were going to be naked. Now, don't get me wrong. I think in certain stories where elevated sexuality and nudity actually add the story telling, but not every role should require exposed breasts or kittens (under lady parts). How often do you see some dude's sac in a film - increasingly more, yes, but there is a lot of leveling out the playing field that needs to be done.


The world needs more ballsy women who know what they want to be a part of and aren't afraid to stand up for themselves. I want to see Katharine Isabelle in a fuck of a lot of movies. She's wonderful.


One more hidden gem, FALLING ANGELS directed by the visionary, Canadian director, Scott Smith - written by Esta Spalding and Barbara Gowdy (novel). It's such a great film and Katharine is remarkable in the film which has been affectionately nicknamed 'Little Women On Acid'. You'll dig. Trust me.

On a personal note, Katie is one of the nicest, most down to earth, and coolest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. To have her portraying the title character in up coming AMERICAN MARY is an honor and she is the perfect actress to bring Mary Mason to life.

~Sylv

Canadian Katie is American Mary

I'd say ****SPOILER ALERT****, dear friends, but I feel you've already tread to deeply...

Yes, it is official. KATHARINE ISABELLE will be taking the title role in our upcoming film, AMERICAN MARY. The incredible Canadian actress is a perfect blend of beauty, brilliance, honesty, sexuality, and strength. We couldn't be happier to be working with her and truly couldn't ask for a more pitch perfect Mary. Though we have been admittedly tight lipped about our plans, cast, and crew for AMERICAN MARY, rest assured that this is only the first of some incredible reveals.
Today, go forth and tell your friends, and be merry. Katharine Isabelle is American Mary.

Bloody Best!
J&S