Joe Lynch gave audiences a sneak peek at his new feature ‘Suitable Flesh’ for the first time ever at Panic Fest. Now it is coming to Fantastic Fest after the Lovecraftian film premiered at Tribeca.
Before you watch the bonkers trailer check out the synopsis as follows: Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient suffering extreme personality disorder. But it leads her into dark occult danger as she tries to escape a horrific fate.
Joe Lynch had a fond love for H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘RE-ANIMATOR.’ Directed by the great Stuart Gordon, written by Dennis Paoli, produced by Brian Yuzna.
“With ‘the wonderful Barbara Crampton, this movie opened my nascent geeky eyes to the unique blend of horror, provocation and pitch black humor…and still has a very special place in my dark heart.
Because of RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND—the team’s next foray into Lovecraftian mythology in 1986 — I began to read pretty much every Lovecraft story long and short. I absorbed his themes of gothic, science-based body horror, dark terrors from other dimensions and of course, Cthuluian mythology. I actually looked up Miskatonic University in hopes to potentially enroll!” Lynch continue about his love working with Barbara Crampton…
Credit: RLJE Films / Shudder
“So you can imagine the thrill I got when Barbara — who has become a prolific producer as well as actress and who I have become friends with over the years through the family-type connection the horror community fosters—reached out during the early days of the pandemic, asking if I would be interested in looking at one of Stuart’s final projects, an adaptation of Lovecraft’s THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP.”
Credit: RLJE Films / Shudder
Lynch goes on to say;
“When I read the script for DOORSTEP — that Stuart had been working with Dennis on before he passed — it felt like it had almost all of the elements that made me fall in love (and in lust) with his and Dennis’ adaptation RE-ANIMATOR. The fatalistic cautionary tale; the grounded science of psychology; the wry way erotica was worked in; the twisted sense of humor…And yet, to adapt the script as it was felt somewhat dated in this day and culture. Seeing two older men toil in a triangle of sorts with Asa Waite, the young female victim/ antagonist in the middle, was something I felt we had seen numerous times in the past. Maybe not THIS story per se, but there was something a little “old fashioned” about the approach. Swapping the genders of the lead protagonists gave an opportunity for a female character to have the same kinds of crises of the heart and body that male characters have had more of for years. Why is it an older man can be accepted as a sexual being in a cautionary tale like this (see FATAL ATTRACTION, BASIC INSTINCT or pretty much any Michael Douglas movie in the 80’s 90’s!) but a woman can’t?
That approach to Lovecraft’s work immediately made the material more exciting, provocative and yet still true to his themes of fate— and dancing with the unknown. Lo and behold, Dennis wrote back- “Give me a minute to think about this”. Next thing we knew, a new draft wasformulated and Dennis went far beyond (no pun) just changing the names of Edward Derby and Daniel Upton to “Elizabeth” and “Dani” in Final Draft, he really dug into the thematics of the role reversals. It made the story resonate on a whole new level, ultimately creating a unique spin on familiar Lovecraftian-and even Body Swap-tropes. It’s one that I don’t think audiences will expect, but like all great genre works, one that will expand their perception of the iconic writer and push a few buttons along the way. We wanted to be dangerous.”
Get your taste of FLESH at Fantastic Fest this weekend and catch it in theaters October 27, 2023.
Credit: RLJE Films / Shudder
