Gregory Blair Taps into his Dark Side with New Project ‘The Straying’

Gregory Blair’s screenwriting is becoming known in the indie world for delivering creepy tales of horror and suspense. DEADLY REVISIONS (currently in post-production with PIX/SEE Productions) tells the tale of an amnesiac horror film writer who battles nightmarish memories. THE SISTERHOOD (currently in pre-production with Enmar Productions as “The Gateway”) pits a murderess against some increasingly suspicious nuns. Blair’s newest creation, THE STRAYING, promises not only to go down a similar dark path, but to take a few unexpected turns.

“It’s a monster movie,” Blair admits. “But it’s a monster movie unlike any other.” In THE STRAYING, two creatures with very different histories and world views are thrust together with unexpected results. “While there are elements of the standard horror film, think more in the spirit of “The Hunger” than “Predators Meets Aliens”; the bulk of the battles are more psychological, more sociological. And, as the two monsters learn from each other, I hope the audience will also learn something about prejudice, perceptions and perhaps our own humanity.”

Blair wrote the film for himself and fellow DEADLY REVISIONS actor Bill Oberst Jr (Best Actor, Shockfest 2012). Oberst, who read Blair’s script over the holidays, says he is intrigued. “One of my idols, Lon Chaney Sr., once said ‘I endeavor in each of my roles to bring humanity to those we call monsters.’ That is what I am striving for now, so the underlying idea of THE STRAYING; that everyone has the potential to be a monster and every monster has elements of humanity within them; resonated strongly with me. I liked what I read.”

Blair agrees and hopes the film touches chords across the board. “While it’s an ostensibly small story about two lost souls, I hope people will glean the echoes that speak to all prejudice, including ageism, lookism, homophobia—you name it. I think most people feel like a victim of the dark side of that at least once in their lives and so this movie is for and about them, in that way.