“Swallowed Is the dirty queer horror we so desperately need. It’s a nasty, bug-filled queer horror masterpiece that isn’t interested in either sanitizing its story or exploiting its characters. Smith rides a fine line of graphic violence that makes his Maine Gothic horror all the more terrifying.”
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MaryBeth McAndrews DREAD CENTRAL
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Written, directed and produced by Carter Smith (that’s me!) SWALLOWED is the very first ALL THE DEAD BOYS feature film.
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When longtime friends Benjamin and Dom (Cooper Koch & Jose Colon) agree to deliver a package over the Canadian border for Alice (Jena Malone), they have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. When Alice’s boss Rich (Mark Patton) shows up, it becomes clear that to survive the night, all of their limits will be tested. What starts as a simple drop-off quickly spirals into a nightmare of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy in this backwoods body-horror thriller.
WHERE TO WATCH SWALLOWED
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In the US
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In Canada
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In the UK
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“Swallowed is a twisted, depraved movie with a sick sense of humor… and that’s a compliment…. It’s a shocking, upsetting, darkly-funny descent into can’t-look-away, specifically-queer horror. Carter Smith is fantastic at what he does, and people need to let him do more of it.”
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Eric Langberg EVERYTHING’S INTERESTING
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Cooper Koch as Benjamin
“A memorably intense experience, with sharp points to make about how the lives of outsiders and outlaws can tip in an instant into sloppy chaos.”
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Noel Murray LOS ANGELES TIMES
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“Continually disarming in its undulating unpredictability, Swallowed offers up a fresh take on body horror which considers human fragility from a most uncommon perspective.”
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Shaun Munro. FLICKERING MYTH
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Jose Colon as Dom
“Mark Patton smears all sorts of our secret filth across this horror of a human being. It’s riveting, terrifying, cruelly funny, and pathetic stuff…Patton gives full-bodied life to the pinnacle of curdled queerness that we run from when we run from small-minded small towns. This is a fearless fear-fueling horror movie performance for the ages.”
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Jason Adams PAJIBA
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“Swallowed offers up a striking meditation on the homoerotic gaze, coalescing exploitation and vulnerability … Smith astutely observes that the male human form is often defined by its relationship to and with others. On its own, the body is an art piece, one of singular, profound beauty. But when tangled with another, either literally or figuratively, it becomes a way through which we can perceive the ideas of sex, power, and intimacy.”
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Bree Delores DREAD CENTRAL
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Jena Malone as Alice
DIRECTORS NOTE
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My love for telling intense, queer horror stories is how ALL THE DEAD BOYS was born – and I’ve always known the project would grow to include full-length feature films.
It all started in the late dark hours of a Maine winter.
It was an experiment.
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Could I write a feature film script that used only the things I had at my disposal?
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Everything you read on indie filmmaking preaches to “use what you’ve got.”
It makes perfect sense.
But my scripts always seemed to veer off that path and beg for more “cinematic” elements. Elaborate creatures or SFX. Expensive locations or extensive cast. They were NOT wildly grand stories requiring millions and millions.
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But they DID always face roadblocks when I tried to get them made.
Too queer.
Too indie.
Not queer enough.
Not horror enough.
Too violent.
Not commercial.
Too explicit.
It was always something.
Because I needed other people (investors/studios/movie stars) to get them made, I was always at the mercy of what other people thought.
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But if I’ve learned anything from ALL THE DEAD BOYS it’s that I’m happiest when I’m creating for myself.
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If it was true with stills photography, why wouldn’t it be true for filmmaking?
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Even if it meant stripping away all the bells and whistles, I was ready to try my hand at micro-budget filmmaking.
Because I was so fucking tired of waiting for someone’s PERMISSION to make the movies I wanted to make.
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I needed to stop focusing on what others wanted or expected of me and make work that I cared about deeply.
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But also work that I could somehow find a way to make on my own.
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We made SWALLOWED exactly as it was meant to be made. Using only what we had. From locations and props to actors, gear and crew, it was 100% DIY.
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And I couldn’t be more excited it’s out in the world for you to watch.
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Carter Smith
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Mark Patton as Rich