Arts & Entertainment
Polyamorous gay triad re-enacts American history in ‘Kill the Monsters’
In case you’ve ever wondered what an allegorical story about the history of the United States would look like if it were told in the form of a polyamorous gay romantic comedy, you might be surprised to find that you’re not alone.
Filmmaker Ryan Lonergan has done more than wonder about it – he’s made a film based on exactly that premise. “Kill the Monsters,” which drops in February, follows three New York men living in a polyamorous relationship who set off across the country when their youngest member becomes “unwell,” seeking a holistic cure from a Santa Monica doctor. Along the way, they encounter a series of female characters whose interactions with them mirror US history – while also playing out realistically in an entirely contemporary setting.
Lonergan, who wrote, directed and starred in the movie as well as co-producing it, says he came up with the idea when he was revisiting the George Orwell classic, “Animal Farm,” and was inspired by the novel’s shrewd use of allegory in exploring the rise of Communism through a story about barnyard animals.
“It made me want to explore the evolution of democracy in the United States in a similar way,” the first-time director explains, “only my film would use humans rather than farm animals for protagonists. I wanted to ask: if democracy is the final evolution of government, as so many philosophers claim it to be, then why is it so ineffective at serving the people? If one watches the men in this film and wonders why they stay together, one must also question the same for these united states. Why should we stay together? How did we get here? What, if anything, can be done to improve the situation?”
If all of that sounds like more than you want from a romantic comedy, don’t worry. The director also assures us that his film is “a road movie centering around the preservation of a long term relationship” that never overtly concerns itself with politics or history, saying that those connections are made “through allegory and humor.”
Besides Lonergan, the film stars Garrett McKechnie and Jack Ball as the other points of the triad, whose cross-country journey takes them from hot sex in their luxurious NYC apartment, through a road trip that erupts in a conflict that may divide their union, to a high-pressure all-out poker war with scheming European lesbians. On the 2018 festival circuit, it was an official selection at dozens of fests, including Frameline42, Raindance Film Festival, and the Seattle Queer Film Festival.
It becomes available on DVD and VOD platforms February 18. You can watch the trailer below.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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