It’s true that most independent horror films are a labor of love on the part of their creators. So what do we make, then, of Andres Torres‘s Bag Boy Lover Boy, a project that seems born of pure, unfiltered hatred? Torres’s film is a scathing indictment of the New York City art scene made in the vein of classic 1970s exploitation cinema—that makes it a tough pill to swallow for uncommitted horror fans, but as this week’s guest points out, the reward can be worth the work.

In this week’s episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast, Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato are joined by Dede Crimmins, freelance horror journalist and writer for sites like Rue Morgue magazine and Polygon. Dede shares her own unconventional horror origins—including a childhood where genre films and literature were the norm, not the exception—and opens up about what makes this movie one of her all-time film festival favorites.

04:51 – Dede on how her upbringing makes her a little different than most horror fans.
14:01 – Dede shares how a college film course inspired her to write about cinema.
18:31 – Donato explains why his college film studies course nearly derailed his career as a writer.
22:59 – Dede describes her pivot from book criticism to film criticism.
31:39 – Intermission and bumpers
38:15 – Plot synopsis and introduction.
42:59 – Dede on what to expect when you sit down to watch Bag Boy Lover Boy.
53:23 – Dede on the push-pull of high and low art contained in the film.
58:13 – Dede on why the film is “about sex, but not sexy.”
63:59 – Donato on how the movie relates to his own experiences in New York City.
68:24 – Dede on how Bag Boy Lover Boy will eventually find a more discriminating audience.

Want to see more of Dede’s work? Follow her on Twitter at @dedecrim or visit her RottenTomatoes page for a full list of her reviews. You can also visit the Rue Morgue site directly for her most recent festival reviews and interviews, including her coverage of the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival. Finally, if you’re craving more Bag Boy Lover Boy scholarship, visit the Brattle Film Foundation website for Dede’s programming notes on the film’s 2015 Boston Underground Film Festival screening.

Bag Boy Lover Boy follows the lowly life of Albert, an oddball hotdog vendor who is shocked to find himself suddenly becoming the bizarre muse of enigmatic NYC photographer Ivan. But shocks come his way even more so when, amidst his role in Ivan’s disturbing photographs for which he poses, Albert finds out just how difficult it is to succeed in the art world, leading him to take some disturbing photographs of his own that suit his very unique – and very limited – skill set.

IMDb.com

Bag Boy Lover Boy is now available to stream on Tubi.