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The Boulet Brothers
Other namesSwanthula Boulet (right) and Dracmorda Boulet (left)
Occupations
  • Drag artists
  • television personalities
  • television hosts
  • writers
  • directors
  • executive producers
Television The Boulet Brothers' Dragula
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection
The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV Special
Website bouletbrothersdragula.com

The Boulet Brothers are drag artists, television personalities, writers, producers and modern day horror hosts. [1] They were featured on the cover of Fangoria as "Horror's New Icons" in 2022. [2] Their projects have included horror themed television shows, live nightlife productions, books, movies, and comic books. [3] Since 2016 the Boulet Brothers have produced and starred in the reality competition series The Boulet Brothers' Dragula, which features contestants showcasing dark, horror-themed drag looks.

Outside of their television projects, the Boulet Brothers appear regularly as featured guests, performers and emcees at horror conventions, nightclubs and live events. The Boulets are considered prolific nightclub producers with a career creating legendary nightlife events. [4] [5] [6] The Boulet Brothers are also widely celebrated in the LGBTQ+ community due to the inclusive nature of their creative endeavors. [7] [8]

Television career

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula

Still from the Boulet Brothers' Dragula

The Boulet Brothers are most known for their reality TV competition series The Boulet Brothers' Dragula.[ citation needed] The show is currently streaming on Shudder, [9] and its fifth season is currently in production. [10] The show has received international praise for its creativity, talent and diversity. [11] [12] It is the most watched series on Shudder. [13] The Boulet Brothers serve as the showrunners, executive producers and hosts of the show.

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection

The Boulet Brothers wrote, produced and co-directed a spin-off film titled Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection, which Digital Spy described as "part-horror movie, part-documentary and part-reality competition." [14] The film was released as an original film on AMC Networks' Shudder streaming service on October 20, 2020. [15]

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans

In August 2022, it was announced that the Boulet Brothers would be producing and hosting a spinoff of Dragula and an upcoming television special for AMC. [16] The spinoff Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans premiered on October 25. [17] The series was praised for its production quality and the introduction of "fright feat" mini-challenges. [18]

The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV Special

The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV special is a scripted variety show that premiered on AMC+ and Shudder on April 25, 2023, written and directed by the Boulet Brothers. [19] The show was hosted by the Boulet Brothers in their horror host roles, and featured skits featuring notable celebrities from the horror genre including Kevin Smith, Matthew Lillard, David Dastmalchian, Rachel True, Barbara Crampton and Taran Killam. [20] The special was widely praised by critics, with Bloody Disgusting describing it as "a delightfully ghoulish good time", [21] and "an evening that exists in that special place on the border of comedy and tragedy, of camp and creepy, of horror and humor" by Hollywood Life. [22]

Other television appearances

The Boulet Brothers were guests on Behind the Monsters, a docuseries on the history of horror icons such as Chucky, Michael Myers, and Pinhead. [23] [24] They were also guests on "Heartbreak Trailer Park", a special episode of the series The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs. [25] In the episode they discussed topics such as love and the horror genre with Joe Bob Briggs. [26]

In 2023, it was announced that the Boulet Brothers were working on an upcoming television production with Blumhouse Productions. [27]

Podcasts

Creatures of the Night Podcast

Creatures of the Night promo poster

The Boulet Brothers are the executive producers and hosts of Dread Central's (previously Fangoria's) The Boulet Brothers' Creatures of the Night Podcast. The show is co-hosted by Ian Devoglaer, the supervising producer of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. The podcast is a horror variety show styled after a 1940s style radio program. Each episode offers an introductory dialogue, a newscast and discussion of entertainment news, a horror movie review, and listener questions. [28] The show's "Haunting of History" segment revisits famous historical hauntings. [29] Other segments of the podcast include celebrity interviews and literary discussions called "Swanthula's Book Nook". Guests include Rose McGowan, Poppy, Dita Von Teese, Rachel True, Darren Stein, Yvie Oddly, Katya Zamolodchikova, and Lin Shaye. Books discussed include Stephen King's " Children of the Corn", Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart, and Brian Lumley's Necroscope. [30]

Dragula Live Tour

The Boulet Brothers present the "Dragula Live Tour", a series of live performances featuring contestants from the Dragula series. The Boulet Brothers described the show as "a little bit of filth, and a lot of glamour and a little bit of shock. And maybe get covered in blood a little bit. It's gonna be a little messy." [31] The United Kingdom leg of the Dragula Season 4 World tour began at Clapham Grand in London in March, and performed in cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton, Leeds, Nottingham and Birmingham. The United States leg of the Dragula tour began on April 27, 2022, [32] and ended on June 2, 2022. [33]

The Season 4 World tour sold out, and received positive reviews from critics. Chris Selman of Gay Times praised the show, writing that "four diverse and engaging performers, a pair of enigmatic hosts, a rock band routine and an audience challenge to throw in some variety, and impressive production values." He concluded that "this twisted troupe present quite the macabre drag variety show." [34] Alex Warren of Horror Press had similar praise for the tour, writing that it had "otherworldly performances" and "sleek and sexy production values." [35]

They also present the Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans Tour, which tours in the United States, Canada and Australia. [36] It began its tour on April 8, 2023. [37]

Still from the Boulet Brothers' Dragula

Comic books and print publication

The Boulet Brothers got their start in the comic book industry, [38] and they write and produce comic book content. They hosted a special "Halloween Takeover" issue of Heavy Metal (Issue #311) in 2021. [39] Longtime fans of Heavy Metal, they described hosting the issue as a "full circle moment" that tied together their love of comic books, horror and drag. [40] The issue, which was co-edited by Morgan Rosenblum and Steve Orlando, features subversive horror stories written by Orlando, Axelle Carolyn, and Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, among others. [38] "The Vault of Saumagotha – Part Two", one of the stories included in the issue, was co-written by and about the Boulet Brothers. [41] The Boulet Brothers had first announced their intention to work on a comic book with Orlando on the Creatures of the Night podcast in 2020. [42]

The issue was well received for its writing, themes and art. [38] Jeff Robertson of Screen Rant said that the book "unleash[es] their unique blend of seductive and irreverent terror on the unsuspecting public." [43]

The Boulets remind us of the connection between many of cinema's early monster movies and the suppression of any overt LGBTQ+ representation on screen.
— Steve Holden, BBC [44]

Public image

The Boulet Brothers are noted figures in the queer and horror communities, [45] [46] and have been considered "pivotal pioneers for alternative drag." [47] They were featured on the cover of horror magazine Fangoria Vol. 2, Issue #13. [2] Their distinctive style often incorporates colored contact lenses and matching outfits. [48] Many of their looks are inspired by classic horror films, femme fatales, punk fashion, and villains from film, comic books and television series. [49] Rue Morgue's Carly Maga described them as "the unofficial lords of the underworld of drag performance, instantly recognizable by their matching gothic, otherworldly looks; the high-glam drag lovechildren of Anna Wintour, a Cenobite, and the Grady twins." [50]

Music

The Boulet Brothers' released their debut EP titled Time to Die in October 2021. The EP consists of four original songs including "Wicked Love" which was created for The Boulet Brothers' Dragula season 4 Episode 5 challenge. The Boulet Brothers' also released an instrumental Official Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 4 Soundtrack in December 2021. The soundtrack features the floorshow music and main thematic tracks used in the fourth season of the show. [51]

Awards and honours

In 2022, the Boulet Brothers were included on the Out100, a list of the most impactful LGBT people. [52] They were also ranked among Out100's "Drag Artists of the Year". [53] The Boulet Brothers won the award for "Best Makeup" at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards 2022. [54]

The Boulet Brothers have been included on the FYC ballot for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program in 2022 and 2023. [55] [56] The Boulet Brothers' Dragula has also been on the ballot for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. [57] [58]

Personal lives

The couple do not appear out of drag on television or in interviews and lead private personal lives. They have stated in interviews that they are not brothers but romantic partners. [59]

Filmography

Year Title Genre Role Notes
2016–present The Boulet Brothers' Dragula TV Main judges Also directors, producers, and writers
2020 The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection TV special Main judges Also directors, producers, and writers; 1 episode
2021 Behind the Monsters TV docuseries Themselves Guests; 5 episodes
2022 The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs TV Themselves Guests; 1 episode
2022–present The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans TV Main judges
2023 Halfway to Halloween TV special Hosts Also producers; 1 episode

Discography

Soundtrack albums

List of soundtrack albums
Title Album details
Dragula: Season 4 Soundtrack
Dragula: Season 5 Soundtrack

Extended plays

List of albums and EPs
Title Album details
Time To Die
Dragula: Titans Soundtrack
  • Released: December 20, 2022
  • Label: Producer Entertainment Group
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles
Title Year Album Writer(s) Producer(s) Ref
"Gods of Death" 2023 Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Season 5 Soundtrack Ashley Levy, Dracmorca Boulet, Paul Coultrup, Swanthula Boulet, Tomas Costanza Tomas Costanza [62] [63]
"Ascension" 2022 Non-album single [64]
"Wicked Love" 2021 Time To Die [65]
"Time To Die" [66]

References

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  2. ^ a b "BOULET BROTHERS Signing: Celebrating FANGORIA Issue #13 And DRAGULA Season 4". FANGORIA. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Liner, Lucas (December 3, 2019). "The Boulet Brothers Ink A Book Deal With Literary Agent Connor Goldsmith". CryptTeaze. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Podell, Michael (February 26, 2016). "An Interview With Filthy Royalty, the Boulet Brothers". HuffPost. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  5. ^ Lecaro, Lina (September 9, 2016). "The Boulet Brothers Keep L.A.'s Gay Nightlife Weird". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
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  7. ^ Doonan, Simon (2019). Drag: the complete story. Laurence King Publishing. ISBN  978-1-78627-423-6. OCLC  1153814302.
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  13. ^ Petski, Denise (December 7, 2021). "'Dragula' Renewed For Season 5 By Shudder". Deadline. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
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  62. ^ "Gods of Death - track". Muso.AI. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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  64. ^ "Ascension - track". Muso.AI. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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  66. ^ "Time To Die - track". Muso.AI. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links