As a nod to the upcoming Halloween season, meet another famous resident from Bangor, Maine, other than the city’s infamous writer. One who has fascinating ties to Carrie and Pet Cemetery. Introducing a pioneer of New Queer Cinema, filmmaker and actor, Todd Verow.
You grew up in Bangor, Maine. What do you miss about it there? The beauty and the strangeness—there is a reason why Stephen King lives there. Did you ever interact with King? Yes. My father is a politician, and Stephen is a big Democratic-Party supporter, so I’ve been to his house several times, and I went to high school with his children. My high school is the one that Carrie was based on, and my classmate started the real Pet Sematary. If you had to live somewhere other than New York, where would you live? Probably somewhere in Maine. What’s special about New York that most people aren’t aware of? That it’s a great place to wander. If you had an unlimited budget, what kind of film would you make? A period-piece horror film.
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What performer would you love to work with? Willem Dafoe, because he’s fearless and sexy. What film director do you admire? George and Mike Kuchar, because they make movies all by themselves, and did it for the fun of it—and they didn’t care whether they ever showed anywhere. What’s the sexiest film shoot that you’ve ever worked on? Frisk, because it was a blast. What’s your favorite film? The Shinning. Can a film go too far, such as in, for example, Salo or A Serbian Story? No, because real life always goes farther. Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now? Working in a paper mill. If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered? As someone who made films on his own terms and never cared about money. What do you want to live long enough to see? The end of the patriarchy. Will you ever retire? No.
What’s the weirdest question that a fan’s asked you? “Can you mail me your shit?” What’s your guilty pleasure? Dynasty. What’s your favorite band? New Order. What’s your fondest childhood memory? Summers at our camp. What were you like in high school? A party animal. What’s your favorite quote? “I love doggie chow,” from Showgirls. Have we reached the point where there are too many people in the world? We reached that decades ago. What other celebrity did you act like a “fan” around? Catherine Deneuve. What’s the last thing that you looked at online? Vegan pizza in Paris. What’s the best place that you’ve visited? India. What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older? That nothing really matters, so relax.
What did you learn from your parents? To love unconditionally. Who’s your favorite performer? Prince. What’s your best characteristic? Quiet. How do you enjoy spending your time? Watching movies. What celebrity do you have crush on? Erik Estrada. Who do you admire? Fassbinder. If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be? Warhol. Where would you go in a time machine? To 1977. What would your last meal be? Indian food. If you were a musical instrument, what would you be? A violin. Are you more like a sheep or a wolf? A wolf. Who are you closest with? My hubby. What would your autobiography be called? Just Call Me Scott. What’s on your bucket list? To travel more. Where can we see you? On Instagram, on Facebook, on Vimeo, or just on the streets of New York City!
