It’s not a million degrees outside anymore in New Jersey, so that means it’s the official start of Halloween season. The average cinema viewer will define horror films as slashers or movies like The Exorcist, but there’s dozens of subgenres in case you’re in the mood for something specific. Which leads me to the homoerotic titles by cult director David DeCoteau and his production company Rapid Heart Pictures.
Before I moved in with my husband years ago, I had a huge horror film collection with over 600 titles. Obviously, I needed to do a little downsizing at some point. When I was first starting my collection, though, I bought a bunch of Rapid Heart Pictures movies. This was before the internet became what it is today, and I wasn’t brave enough to browse the internet in search of answers to my feelings.
The Rapid Heart Pictures movies I acquired were one of the driving forces that helped me come to terms with the fact that I was gay. David DeCoteau’s method of storytelling is… unique, to say the least. He takes campy horror film ideas and makes them into something that we’d call gaybaiting in modern times. All of his “scary movies” feature very attractive, somewhat muscular, often semi-undressed men just existing in slow motion. The camera always lingers on every sultry curve for a few seconds too long, especially when the men are in their underwear.
One of the first DeCoteau movies I watched was a creature feature titled Leeches! The film follows a college swim team abusing steroids. After taking a dip in a lake, the leeches drink their blood, absorb the steroids, escape into the sewers where they take up all sorts of chemicals, grow to massive lengths, then re-emerge to attack the swimmers they once fed from.
I was shocked to see Josh Henderson in the film, as I knew him from the second season of Pop Stars. Prior to American Idol, there was a show on the WB called Pop Stars, which formed pop groups instead of a singular solo talent. The first season produced Eden’s Crush, originally fronted by thee Nicole Scherzinger, and the second season created boy-girl group Scene 23. Both groups quickly disbanded after their label ended and Pop Stars did not return for season three.
Apparently, fresh off of Pop Stars and Scene 23, Henderson started a modeling and acting career – with the latter option becoming the most lucrative. He would later go on to star in teen movies including The Girl Next Door, Yours Mine & Ours and Step Up. But to kickstart his career in the world of acting, he booked one of the lead roles in Leeches!
Henderson played the role of Jason, one of the main men on the swim team and dating one of the popular girls on campus. I think he was supposed to be a bad boy archetype, but never really got there. I thought he was going to survive the movie, but – spoiler alert – he dies near the end while wearing nothing but boxer-briefs, blindfolded and handcuffed to a bed.
Josh Henderson, now age 42, did a few more horror films – including Fingerprints and the April Fool’s Day remake – before landing numerous gigs on television. He can be found in leading roles or large character arcs in One on One, Desperate Housewives, the 90210 and Dallas reboots, and The Arrangements.
The Texas native would eventually return to music in 2022 with a single titled ‘Lotta Love,’ available wherever songs are found. His last character arc on television was in All Rise, also in 2022, before the former heartthrob decided to take a break from the entertainment industry altogether. Could be due to his budding relationship and wanting a stable, normal life.
Still, I’ll always remember Josh for his meaty thighs and six-pack abs in Leeches!
(PS: There’s a TON of other mainstream actors who appeared in David DeCoteau’s homoerotic horror films before making it big. If you’d like to see this series continue through September and October, make sure you comment and share!)
Yes I loved and bought Leeches! It is satisfying to see Abercrombie and Fitch guys get their comeuppance. I especially liked the bloody naked muscle guy in the tub.