Latest news with #Grannell
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Peaches Christ to direct new movie about making of a cult S.F. drag film
The making of a cult San Francisco drag movie is about to be the focus of a film of its own. San Francisco filmmaker Joshua Grannell plans to direct the adaptation of Craig Seligman's 2023 biography of drag performer Doris Fish, 'Who Does That Bitch Think She Is? ,' focusing specifically on the making of the 1991 film 'Vegas in Space.' 'Vegas in Space' stars Doris Fish — along with fellow San Francisco drag performers Miss X, Ginger Quest and Timmy Spence — in a story about male astronauts who must change their gender via pills to enter the all-female planet of Clitoris. The script for the forthcoming project will be written by Grannell, also known as drag performer Peaches Christ, and Michael Varrati, a screenwriter and Grannell's cohost on the 'Midnight Mass' podcast. 'I want to do for Doris Fish what Tim Burton did for Ed Wood,' Grannell told the Chronicle, referring to Burton's 1994 biopic on the low-budget horror master that reintroduced Wood to a new generation of fans. 'It's a great San Francisco story of drag, filmmaking, drugs and chosen family.' Grannell said he's wanted to make a film about Doris Fish since screening 'Vegas in Space' at a 'Midnight Mass' event at the Clay Theater in 2006 that also featured Grannell interviewing costars Ginger Quest, Ramona Fischer and director Phillip R. Ford. The stories they shared about the film's origin as a drag theme party, the years-long delays in the San Francisco production and how Doris Fish funded the movie through prostitution immediately inspired him. 'I turned to Phillip at one point and said there should be a movie about the making of 'Vegas in Space,' and he kind of raised an eyebrow and said, 'Yeah, there should be. Maybe you should be the one to do it,'' Peaches Christ recalled. 'Vegas in Space' was filmed at Doris Fish's apartment at 422 Oak St. over the course of 18 months. But it took eight years for Ford and Doris Fish, who also co-wrote the film and helped design the production, to raise the money to complete the project. The movie went on to have a cult following on video and late night television. Doris Fish was born Philip Mills in Sydney, Australia, in 1952, and found his way to drag through the glitter and androgyny of late 1960s and '70s music and fashion. (While he was known by most as Doris Fish, he identified as a cisgender male and used male pronouns.) As a teenager, he formed the Sydney drag group Sylvia and the Synthetics. He eventually moved to San Francisco where he found a drag community with performers such as Tippi and Miss X, with whom he formed the Sluts A-Go-Go. Doris Fish and the Sluts A-Go-Go are seen as among the most significant drag artists of the 1980s San Francisco, akin to the Cockettes of the 1970s or the Trannyshack scene of the 1990s. 'Vegas in Space' remains Doris Fish and the Sluts' greatest legacy. 'Throughout the history of San Francisco there are people who really changed the game, and Doris was that person for San Francisco drag in the '80s,' said Grannell, director of the 2010 horror film 'All About Evil' starring Natasha Lyonne. 'One of the things that she wanted to do was make movies. Movies were forever, stage shows could be fleeting. If they wanted to preserve what they were doing with drag you had to do it in a movie.' Doris Fish battled AIDS as 'Vegas in Space' was in post-production and died in June 1991 at age 38. The film premiered that October at the Castro Theatre, just a few months after co-star Tippi also died from AIDS. The film was released by Troma Entertainment, and former Troma executive Marty Sokol is on board as a producer on Grannell's forthcoming film. Given Sokol's role in acquiring 'Vegas in Space' for the company in 1991, Grannell said his involvement feels especially meaningful. 'From the moment I first saw 'Vegas in Space' when it aired on 'USA Up All Night' in the early-90s, I was enchanted,' said Varrati, referring to the weekly late night movie program that aired on the USA cable network. 'Before I even understood the significance of the film's upfront and unapologetic queerness, I was enamored by its indie spirit.' Seligman's book led to a revival of attention on Doris Fish, which has since included the launch of the website as the official store and archive for Doris Fish and the Sluts-A-Go-Go. A documentary directed by Scott Braucht is also currently in production. 'The resurgence has been quite exciting,' said Miss X, who also co-wrote the screenplay for 'Vegas in Space.' 'To see the legs this thing has had — our silly little movie has a lot going for it.' Grannell said the renewed interest in Fish added urgency to finalizing his own project. He hopes to film in San Francisco and acknowledged that casting a member of the queer community as Doris Fish is important. The film will also employ a number of drag artists to play supporting roles, he said. 'Peaches and I often discussed our desire to bring the true-life story of these dynamic individuals to a larger audience, and now we have the opportunity. It's a dream come true,' said Varrati, who is slated to host a special screening of 'Vegas in Space' at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on July 11. 'To us, this is about more than the making of a cult classic, but a deeply impactful story about the power of queer persistence.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Transatlantic protests planned over police handling of drag queen's death
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Friends and family of San Francisco drag queen Heklina will be gathering in London Monday to protest what they consider to be a lack of transparency from police concerning her death. It's been nearly two years since she was found dead in a London apartment by her friend Peaches Christ. Peaches Christ, the drag alter ego of filmmaker Joshua Grannell, is in the UK organizing the protest. Officers with the Metropolitan Police in London traveled to San Francsico last week to meet with Grannell. Police believe drugs were involved the night Heklina was found dead. Her friends, however, want more definite answers. Niantic lays off dozens at SF Ferry building office Next week will mark two years since Heklina's death. She and her friend Grannell were in London at the time getting ready to open their drag parody show, 'Mommy Queerest.' Grannell is back in London this week to organize a protest in memory of his friend. Supporters will gather beneath Big Ben Monday at 10 a.m. local time. 'We are protesting the London Metropolitan Police because of their ineptitude surrounding our dear friend Heklina's death and the case surrounding it,' Grannell said, 'and it's been two years since that occurred and we still don't have satisfactory answers at all.' Grannell said police didn't start to take Heklina's death seriously until they learned of her large fan base. Eventually, the Metropolitan Police released videos showing three men leaving Heklina's London apartment the night she was found dead. 'There's a camera trained at your apartment building, we were able to see when you left and when you came back,' Grannell said. 'Which means they've been sitting on that footage of those three guys for two years.' Grannell met with officers from London last week who traveled to California to update him that there was a lethal amount of drugs in Heklina's system. They wouldn't specify what type of drugs and when KRON 4 reached out to police, they responded saying the investigation is ongoing and it would be, 'inappropriate to more widely share further details.' It's details that Heklina's friends and family want, having already waited 24 months for answers. 'Very quickly revealed to me by my friends in the UK that there is a really negative relationship between the police and the queer community due to mistreatment of queer people,' said Grannell. Events for Heklina aren't just happening in London. There will also be a march Monday in San Francisco starting at 7:30 p.m. at 1123 Folsom Street to protest the Metropolitan Police in London. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questions remain almost 2 years after popular San Francisco drag queen Heklina's death
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It's been nearly two years since San Francisco drag queen Heklina was found dead in a London apartment. Police said there was no foul play, but her friends are now speaking out about their frustrations with a lack of answers. DUI DJ was going 90mph on Highway 101: SF DA When KRON4 News first spoke to Joshua Grannell in May of 2023, he was planning a giant celebration of life for his friend Heklina. Grannell, whose stage name is Peaches Christ, was in London with Heklina getting ready to premiere their show 'Mommie Queerest' at the Soho Theatre when he discovered his friend and co-star dead in their London apartment. It's been nearly two years and Grannell said the lack of transparency from police has reached its breaking point. 'Landed back in San Francisco and would reach out to them for updates,' said Grannell. 'We would be ignored quite frankly. The emails would just go unanswered and if we did get a response, it would be just almost nothing.' Weeks after the death, Grannell said he was told by the Metropolitan Police in London that there was no foul play suspected but has yet to receive an official cause of death. He said it wasn't until an investigative reporter from The Guardian reached out to police that video evidence was released of three men leaving Heklina's apartment April 3, 2023. 'For us to receive news almost two years later that they've known that three men were in that apartment hours before I found her dead is chilling and terrifying and beyond upsetting,' said Grannell. Grannell believes homophobia is the likely reason why Scotland Yard hasn't taken Heklina's case seriously and said he has heard of similar experiences from LGBTQ+ friends in the U.K. He said answers only seem to come from police when they learn about the fan following of Heklina and Peaches. 'I did not know that there was this rich horrible history of institutional homophobia within this police force,' said Grannell. He said he's spent two years in the dark and just wants answers and transparency from police because that's what Heklina's family, friends and fans have been waiting for. 'When people continuously come to me and say, 'just tell me how did she really die?' and I say, 'I don't know,' they don't believe me, and it's been awful,' said Grannell. Grannell is hoping that local and state politicians will put pressure on the U.S. Embassy in London to ask for answers from police about what happened to Heklina. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Met apology for friend who found drag artist dead
The Metropolitan Police force has apologised over its investigation into the death of an American drag artist in April 2023. Steven Grygelko, who performed under the name Heklina, was found dead at a flat in Soho, central London by his friend Joshua Grannell. Mr Grannell said he was "furious" it had taken almost two years for police to make a public appeal to find three men, who detectives say were at the flat hours before Mr Grygelko was discovered. In March 2023, a review by Baroness Casey into the force found institutional homophobia, racism and misogyny. Mr Grygelko, 55, and Mr Grannell had been staying in London preparing to put on a performance of their drag parody show Mommie Queerest at Soho Theatre. Detectives released CCTV footage last month of three men who may have "vital information" about what happened. Mr Grannell criticised the police for failing to keep him and Mr Grygelko's next of kin informed over the investigation. "When I left London they had assigned me with a family liaison officer. "They convinced me that we would be updated weekly, that we would be included in the process, that we would be informed of anything. "I got on that plane, and every email went unanswered for months and months. "They just completely ignored us." Mr Grannell said they had still had not been officially told the cause of Mr Grygelko's death, which is being treated as unexpected, and accused the Met of dismissing him and his friend as "trash". "I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it's not homophobia. But they have left me no choice." Mr Grannell found his friend's body when he returned to their flat one morning and told officers he was "certain" that someone else had been there before he arrived. "The door was not only not locked, but it wasn't shut all the way. "I went to put my key in, and the door just opened." A Met spokesperson said "a number of enquiries" had been pursued before issuing the CCTV appeal. Det Ch Supt Christina Jessah said the force appreciated Mr Grygelko's next of kin "had been frustrated by the pace of the investigation" and lack of updates. She added: "We apologise and will be taking steps to correct this." She said officers were also continuing to speak to London's LGBT+ community to address wider safety concerns. The Met has been trying to improve confidence in policing following a number of scandals, including failures in the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port. A number of reforms have since been made, including introducing new community liaison officers, but according to research published by the mayor's office for policing and crime, only 55% of LGBT+ respondents said that they trusted the Met, compared to 73% of those who did not identify as LGBT+. Mr Grannell, who performs as Peaches Christ, described his friend as a "trailblazer" who had opened the doors for many other drag artists. "Heklina was maybe one of the funniest people I've ever met. She was dark and hilarious and what she didn't want the world to know was that she was secretly kind. "Quietly behind the scenes, she was constantly helping people out. But the deal was you couldn't tell people." He said he had been constantly questioning what had happened to his friend. "The most nightmarish life-changing experience of my life has only been made infinitely worse by the Met Police." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to The uneasy relationship between the police and Pride
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Friend who found drag artist dead gets apology from Met Police
The Metropolitan Police force has apologised over its investigation into the death of an American drag artist in April Grygelko, who performed under the name Heklina, was found dead at a flat in Soho, central London by his friend Joshua Grannell said he was "furious" it had taken almost two years for police to make a public appeal to find three men, who detectives say were at the flat hours before Mr Grygelko was March 2023, a review by Baroness Casey into the force found institutional homophobia, racism and misogyny. Mr Grygelko, 55, and Mr Grannell had been staying in London preparing to put on a performance of their drag parody show Mommie Queerest at Soho released CCTV footage last month of three men who may have "vital information" about what Grannell criticised the police for failing to keep him and Mr Grygelko's next of kin informed over the investigation."When I left London they had assigned me with a family liaison officer."They convinced me that we would be updated weekly, that we would be included in the process, that we would be informed of anything."I got on that plane, and every email went unanswered for months and months. "They just completely ignored us."Mr Grannell said they had still had not been officially told the cause of Mr Grygelko's death, which is being treated as unexpected, and accused the Met of dismissing him and his friend as "trash"."I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it's not homophobia. But they have left me no choice." Mr Grannell found his friend's body when he returned to their flat one morning and told officers he was "certain" that someone else had been there before he arrived."The door was not only not locked, but it wasn't shut all the way. "I went to put my key in, and the door just opened."A Met spokesperson said "a number of enquiries" had been pursued before issuing the CCTV Ch Supt Christina Jessah said the force appreciated Mr Grygelko's next of kin "had been frustrated by the pace of the investigation" and lack of added: "We apologise and will be taking steps to correct this."She said officers were also continuing to speak to London's LGBT+ community to address wider safety concerns. The Met has been trying to improve confidence in policing following a number of scandals, including failures in the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port.A number of reforms have since been made, including introducing new community liaison officers, but according to research published by the mayor's office for policing and crime, only 55% of LGBT+ respondents said that they trusted the Met, compared to 73% of those who did not identify as LGBT+.Mr Grannell, who performs as Peaches Christ, described his friend as a "trailblazer" who had opened the doors for many other drag artists."Heklina was maybe one of the funniest people I've ever met. She was dark and hilarious and what she didn't want the world to know was that she was secretly kind. "Quietly behind the scenes, she was constantly helping people out. But the deal was you couldn't tell people."He said he had been constantly questioning what had happened to his friend."The most nightmarish life-changing experience of my life has only been made infinitely worse by the Met Police."
