It’s almost the end of June, which means that tomorrow is the final day of both Pride month and the Kickstarter campaign for Parker Brennon’s queer horror film Hauntology, which is being produced by our very own Rob Jarosinski! Donating even at $1 will entitle you to some exciting updates about the film’s cast, but at higher levels there are plenty of cool perks that you can check out here:
Click here to donate to Hauntology!
Kickstarter has been a part of the artistic community for over a decade, and I thought it would be cool to take a journey through some of the art the world would be deprived of (at the very least, in the form we currently know and love) if the Kickstarter community never existed!
#5 Heartstopper (2021)
OK, maybe this one is a little circuitous, but so is Heartstopper’s path to the screen. Netflix’s mega popular queer teen romance series is based on a graphic novel, which is based on a webcomic by Alice Osman, the creative voice behind all three projects. But in order to get the graphic novel published in the first place, Osman had to count on her readers, 1,576 of whom donated a total of £58,925 (roughly $70,000), allowing it to be published widely enough that Netflix said yes to funding the project (and, in a rare move, renewing it for two additional seasons at once).
#4 What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
The 2014 vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows is a veritable multimedia franchise at this point, with the FX series What We Do in the Shadows and the New Zealand program Wellington Paranormal both spinning off from the project after its cult success. But before that, it was a scrappy little Kiwi project that had to steal the lumber for its central location from the set of The Hobbit. In order to get a wider U.S. release and seal their hold over this territory, they raised a devilishly appropriate $446,666 from 7,204 backers.
#3 Obvious Child (2014)
Although it’s probably not the right time to watch this rom-com about an abortion, it’s a sweet and tender film that lets Jenny Slate take center stage and prove her mettle as a bona fide movie star in the way that only indie movies can do for many talented female comedians. In order to fund its 2014 Sundance Premiere, which ultimately led to its distribution, the film (which was shot over 18 days in New York City) raised $37,214 from 631 backers.
#2 Mad God (2021)
Shudder’s boldest recent acquisition is this stop motion horror film depicting visual effects genius Phil Tippett’s vision of hell. The film, which is 30 years in the making, had two major production periods 20 years apart, with the second and final bout of production being made possible by 900 backers who provided $61, 567.
#1 The Babadook (2014)
Jennifer Kent’s harrowing take on motherhood might have to answer for the fact that it’s one of the movies that led to the “elevated horror” conversation, but it’s still a masterpiece of tension that wouldn’t exist in the form it does without the 259 backers and $30,071 that allowed it to complete post-production.
So, if you’ve been on the fence about donating and maybe this article has changed your mind a bit, why not: