5 horrific questions with horror producer Chris Gierowski

Chris Gierowski, horror movie producer and Cleveland native, on the set of 'Sweetest Day'

If you created a Venn diagram with "Cinema" in one circle and "Late Night Movie Hosts" in the other, you would undoubtedly label the overlap "Horror Filmmakers." Ohio native and horror movie producer Chris Gierowski certainly fits that bill.

“I remember watching Big Chuck and Lil' John with my mother when I was young,” says Gierowski. Before long he was devouring cult classics from Troma, both captivated and inspired by the offbeat, gritty world of indie horror.

“I remember reading Lloyd Kaufman's book, All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, and telling myself I wouldn’t let it inspire me to make movies,” Gierowski says. “And then, of course, it did.” 

Kaufman is the pioneering independent filmmaker and co-founder of Troma Entertainment, best known for producing The Toxic Avenger and championing low-budget, cult horror films with a signature mix of humor and social satire.

By junior high, Gierowski was already directing homemade horror films in his parents' basement, and from there, he knew his path. After studying film at the University of Toledo, Gierowski dove into the genre with a unique blend of humor and suspense.

A scene from 'Don't F*** in the Woods'

Making one of the most pirated movies ever

Gierowski has since shifted his focus to producing, taking the reins on low-budget gems that quickly gained traction in the horror community. One of his early successes, HEAD, a puppet horror-comedy by Elmwood Productions, captured audiences with its inventive twist and went on to win awards and secure distribution with Terror Films. But his creature feature Don't F*** in the Woods brought him unexpected notoriety.

“That first film was one of the most pirated movies that year, which shocked us,” he explains, noting that it later found its way to legitimate distribution with Gravitas Ventures. Thanks to its cult following, Gierowski was able to fund a sequel and continue exploring the horror genre with a loyal fan base.

Here, Gierowski takes a moment to share a message about Shawn Burkett, Don't F*** in the Woods' director. The Dayton, Ohio, native is undergoing treatments for restrictive lung disease, obstructive sleep apnea and chronic heart failure. 

Prior to his diagnosis and treatments, Burkett was a full-time filmmaker, and he hopes to return to full-time filmmaking as soon as possible. To help him make ends meet while he goes through treatment, his family has set up a GoFundMe. 

Follow the link if you'd like to learn more and lend Burkett a hand.

At home in the horror genre

Horror is where Gierowski feels most at home, and he knows the genre has endless possibilities for creativity and connection.

“I just relate to horror the most and want to keep contributing to the community,” he says. One of his larger projects, the supernatural horror film Sweetest Day, is in post-production. Midwest Movie Maker visited the set in 2023.

And he’s not stopping there. Gierowski hopes to work on a sequel to an early 2000s cult horror film and continue building his skills as a horror movie producer. For those eager to dive into his work, you can find it streaming on several platforms, with Tubi as his top recommendation.

We recently asked Gierowski to answer our annual 5 Horrific Questions.

'Sweetest Day's mysterious villain 

5 Horrific Questions with Chris Gierowski

Midwest Movie Maker (MMM): What makes a movie scary?

Chris Gierowski (CG): There's plenty you can say here: monsters, the paranormal, suspense, gore, and so forth. But what makes a movie scary is empathy.

You watch a scary movie knowing something will happen to the characters. The characters, however, are just going camping in the woods, going on a road trip in the desert, reading from an ancient book bound in human flesh and inked in blood. Not thinking anything scary is going happen.

The viewer knows - you know - and gets scared FOR them. We are human and we empathize with the characters.

MMM: What movie frightens you the most?

CG: There’s one movie I never plan on watching again, and it isn't a traditional horror movie. But it does show the horrors of drug abuse.

Requiem for a Dream.

We see how drugs ruined the lives of these characters and, again, empathize with them. I was depressed for a couple weeks after watching it and never plan on watching it again. I also never have any plans of doing drugs. So it did what it wanted to accomplish.

MMM: Who is your horror inspiration?

CG: My mother. She always liked to watch scary movies, and when I was a kid, she would let me watch them with her. We would watch a lot of Big Chuck and Lil' John when I grew up in Cleveland. They had a lot of low-budget horror movies on their show. So she was the one who really set me on the path to working on primarily horror movies.

MMM: Why do we like to be scared?

CG: It goes back to empathy. We feel for the characters. Wishing we could help. And at the same time, seeing the demise of those characters gives us an appreciation for life.

MMM: What movie or book would you want to turn into a horror movie? And how would you do it?

CG: A nursery rhyme or song that is in the public domain. That can be made easily into a horror topic. Then you can have a whole catalog shared universe like they are doing with Winnie the Pooh.