The Boulet Brothers Holliday of Horrors special comes out today, and before you dig into these delicious morsels, it might be a good idea to get to know our marvelous hosts. I spoke with Dracmorda and Swan Boulet, alongside David Dastmalchian, about winter as horror’s natural home, camp versus terror, creative community, and why monsters sometimes feel safer than reality.
Luna Gray:
The last holiday special did really well, and this one is projected to do extremely well also. Suppose these keep hitting out of the park. Can we expect one of these each year? And if so, are we looking at different holidays? Are we going to get a Valentine’s Day one eventually? Or an Arbor Day—Abhora Day?
Dracmorda Boulet:
I think our wish right now is to do a holiday themed one every year. Particularly a Christmas winter holiday one. I think it would be a fun addition to what we already do and it would give us an opportunity to give some opportunities to up-and-coming filmmakers too, which is something Swan and I are both interested in doing.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Yeah, and an anthology format is perfect for up-and-coming talent to get them some exposure.”
Luna Gray:
During the summer, slashers reign king. In the winter we have ghost stories and Krampus. Summer or winter—which one is more horror-coded?
Dracmorda Boulet:
“I’m gonna say for me at least winter, because it’s when the day is darkest. You spend more time in the dark than in the light, and it’s cold. I think there’s a creepiness to it. There’s something about the winter and the dark that feels very bleak to me, which is the perfect setting for horror.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Yeah, I have to agree. And plus the backdrop of like seasonal depression, which I suffer from yearly, I think just adds to that bleakness and it makes a great backdrop for fear.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
You went full-on camp here. Do you think that’s the direction moving forward? Or could we see something that’s full-on terror—or even more glam?
Dracmorda Boulet:
“Well, I think the first one, the Halfway to Halloween, was total 60s camp. Obviously this one, the Holiday of Horrors one, is not like that. And our short in particular I think flexes a different side of us as filmmakers that people haven’t seen before because it’s not campy. And I think—it’s not intended to be.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Yeah.”
Dracmorda Boulet:
“I think those are two lanes we go in. And I’d love people to see more actual terror and horror from us because it’s not something people have been able to see before. But I also love the other idea of very camp, dark humor–based horror. That’s where Swan and I meet.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Short answer is I want both. Like, I think we can speak in both tongues. I want to do something legitimately scary that people are like, ‘Oh holy shit, I did not expect that.’ But then of course dark and campy and fun is one of my favorite things. So I want both.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
If you ever just made your own Tales from the Crypt, I would adore that.
Dracmorda Boulet:
“I love that idea.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Me too.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
You were about fifteen minutes away from making this a full anthology feature. Was there any discussion about going bigger?
Dracmorda Boulet:
“Yeah, I think that’s where we would like it to go. This was our first time doing it and it was a conscious decision we made with David, who was our partner on this—David Dastmalchian. He was pushing like, ‘Let’s keep it small, let’s keep it an appetizer,’ to stir up interest for the full meal later.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Our schedules have never been busier. Time and shooting all these different setups became something we had to really consider realistically.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
This feels like the first time there’s been a real third presence alongside you onscreen. Was that an adjustment?
Dracmorda Boulet:
“In actual life, he is one of our best friends. We spend a lot of time with him and his family. So it felt very natural.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Yeah, totally agree. He’s such a good guy and fun and funny. It was easy to get on camera and just riff.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
You’re surrounded by iconic horror creators. Does that influence your vision?
Dracmorda Boulet:
“I would say it’s more reassuring. They’re very supportive creatively. They don’t push ideas on us, but we learn a lot from them.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“For the first time in our entire careers, I can say I have a friend group with their own successes that are super supportive and creative. That’s invaluable.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
It feels like every season you’re trying to outdo yourselves.
Dracmorda Boulet:
“The budget increases we get go directly on screen. We’re not interested in enriching ourselves personally. We’re interested in expanding what we do and being creatively satisfied.”
Swanthula Boulet:
“Our power is in the toil. We gain our power from the struggle.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
Between cryptozoology and true crime—what do you prefer?
David Dastmalchian:
“Oh, I love cryptozoology. I love monsters. And I think monsters are real. Sometimes they just look like humans. I believe there are good monsters and bad monsters. That’s what I wanted to do with Yeti. Keep them guessing if this is a good yeti or a bad yeti.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
You’ve worked in every scale of filmmaking. Why commit so fully to horror?
David Dastmalchian:
“I think the genre for me right now is an opportunity where my 9-, 10-, 11-, 12-year-old self that is still working through some of the exact same fears… now has a playground.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
Is the limited runtime of an anthology a constraint—or a gift?
David Dastmalchian:
“The secret to a successful short film is approaching it like a good joke. A setup, and hopefully a slam dunk punchline.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
Camp is having a resurgence. How do you feel about that shift?
David Dastmalchian:
“I love that. I think there’s space in horror for the full spectrum.”
Still from The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors – Photo Credit: Shudder
Luna Gray:
You’ve been appearing on Shudder a lot lately. Is there more coming?
David Dastmalchian:
“I believe in the power of manifestation… the haunted house cemetery that is Shudder, I’ve been enjoying spending a lot of time building mausoleums and haunted graves. Yes, I have been manifesting a scary story or stories that hopefully I can collaborate with my dear friends at Shudder on.”
Listen to the ‘Eye On Horror Podcast’
