Entertainment
Extremely Transgressive Comedy Thriller Changes Everything You Know About Vampires, Stream Free
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Every now and then, I watch a double feature of movies completely by accident. Not that long ago, for example, I stumbled on two films featuring drag queens fighting undead monsters. The first was Queens of the Dead, which featured some bigger names (like muscle mommy Katy O’Brian) and was directed by George Romero’s daughter, Tina. The second was Slay (2024), a low-budget, direct-to-streaming video featuring a handful of RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants I had never heard of.
Considering that it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, featured a couple of my favorite actors, and had the Romero name attached, I thought I would enjoy Queens of the Dead more, but I found the movie to be poorly paced, too preachy, and short on both humor and frights. Meanwhile, Slay proved to be a lo-fi delight full of hilarious moments, shocking scares, and surprisingly solid characterization. If you’re looking for a transgressive horror movie that’s perfect to watch with a few friends and a few beers, you can now stream this Tubi original, completely for free.
Slay, Queen
The premise of Slay is that a group of drag queens is touring the country and is excited to perform at their next venue, which is supposed to be a legendary gay bar. Due to a mix-up, however, they show up at a redneck bar in the middle of nowhere, one filled with bikers and hillbillies who don’t cotton to drag shows. Before the two groups can tear each other apart, though, they must band together to fight an entirely new threat: a group of vampires intending to feed on the entire bar, one victim at a time.
Unless you’re a big fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you may not recognize most of the stars of Slay. The film features several competitors from that show, including Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, and Crystal Method; the film also stars Cara Melle, a veteran of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Aside from these performers, the biggest name in the movie is Neil Sandilands, who is best known for Sweet Tooth, but superhero fans may best remember him as The Thinker from CW’s The Flash.
A Movie Worth Sinking Your Teeth Into
Rather than getting a theatrical release, Slay was created by Tubi and released directly to their free streaming platform. Most who have watched the movie agree that it’s a great addition to the streamer’s growing library of free content, and one that effectively adds value for consumers. Tubi is already the perfect platform for watching a mind-boggling number of classic movies and shows without paying a subscription fee; now, on top of that, you get a steady flow of original programming that you can’t find anywhere else.
Slay is far enough under the radar that few professional reviewers have commented on it, but on Rotten Tomatoes, all of the critics who have watched it recommend it. In general, the critics praised how the film packs major laughs and genuine scares, proving that you don’t need a big budget to create a killer horror film. Critics also praised this drag queen vampire thriller for easily integrating its important themes into the plot without ever getting overly preachy or overly sentimental.
A Campy Movie Worth Watching With Friends
That’s about where I landed on Slay: it’s far from a perfect film, but the simplicity of its premise gives it a lo-fi energy that perfectly accentuates the setting. We’re ultimately watching colorful characters (seriously, you don’t have to like drag performances to laugh at these over-the-top personalities) huddling together and trying to keep undead monsters from breaking into this hole-in-the-wall bar. Basically, if you enjoyed Night of the Living Dead, The Evil Dead, or Cabin in the Woods, you are likely to enjoy this simple, streamlined story.
One common criticism of Slay is that the primary performers are very obviously not trained actors, which is true, but that also contributes to the charm of the movie. More often than not, the characters’ fun chemistry and delightfully silly dialogue are enough to carry any given scene. But the occasional weird line read or bizarre acting choice only accentuates the campy charisma of this modern-day B-movie, which should really resonate with anyone who grew up watching cheesy VHS movies from the local home video store.
A Window Into Another World
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Slay touches on important themes about acceptance, found family, and identity exploration without ever getting overly preachy. This, too, is part of the film’s charm: it never gets lost in the need to send a heavy-handed message (something that happened constantly in Queens of the Dead) and focuses instead on telling a great story. As the person watching, this gives you options: you can enjoy this film as a bold triumph of intersectional introspection, or you can enjoy it simply as a funny, raunchy romp about killing vampires, one staking at a time.
Will you agree that Slay is a hilariously transgressive horror hit, or will this film make you want to “drag” the remote over to change the channel? The only way to find out is to stream it today on Tubi. Should this film awaken your own need to adopt a drag name for yourself, let me be the first to warn you: “Buffy the Vampire Layer” is probably already taken!
Entertainment
Stay prepared for anything with the Growatt Helios power station — now $400 off at Amazon
SAVE $400: As of March 12, get the Growatt Helios portable power station for just $1,199. That’s $400 off the power station’s $1,599 list price.
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Portable power stations are essential devices whether you spend most of your time indoors or outside. Not only can it serve as a back-up power source in the case of an emergency power outage, but it can also accompany you on all your adventures. If you’re headed out on a camping or RV trip this summer, a power station might just be the companion you need for keeping your devices charged.
If you’re looking for a great power station, let us steer you in the direction of the Growatt Helios portable power station. As of March 12, it’s on sale at Amazon, saving you $400 on its $1,599 list price. That brings it down to $1,199 for 25% off. It’s not quite the power station’s lowest-ever price of $1,099, but it’s close.
Mashable Deals
The Growatt Helios portable power station with 3,600W output and 3.6kWh. Let us translate that. It can power heavy duty devices including air conditioners and refrigerators. When fully charged, the Growatt Helios generator can power your fridge for 24 to 72 hours. It supports USB, DC, and AC power so you can charge multiple devices at once. Plus, you can power it up fast with solar.
Mashable Deals
Get the Growatt Helios Portable Power Station at Amazon for $1,199.
Entertainment
Stephen King's Forgotten R-Rated 80s Hit Led By Star Trek's Most Evil Seductress
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
There’s been a lot of Stephen King adaptations over the years. In the early 90s, King decided to write a story as a screenplay first, and the result was the insane Sleepwalkers, about a mother and son pair of vampiric werecats terrorizing a small town in Indiana.
It’s one of those films that has to be seen to be believed, especially for a pre-Borg Queen performance by Star Trek: First Contact’s Alice Krige as one of the sleepwalkers. The 1992 horror film recently arrived on Netflix, making it even easier to play “spot the famous horror director” from among the many cameos jammed into the brisk, 89-minute runtime.
Don’t Think Too Hard About Sleepwalkers
Stephen King has been very upfront about the copious amounts of drugs he consumed during the 70s and 80s, particularly cocaine, which helps explain Sleepwalkers’ plot. Alice Krige is Mary, the mother of Charles (Charmed’s Brian Krause), and the two happen to be energy-draining werecats who feed off the energy of female virgins. Tanya (Twin Peak’s Madchen Amick) is targeted by the two after Charles fakes his way into the local high school, but the elaborate plan, which consists of make out in a cemetery, is thwarted when Tanya fights back using a corkscrew.
The two sleepwalkers may be powerful night creatures, but they have one weakness, and it just so happens that Tanya’s bonded with one of the beings who can easily kill them in a fight: Clovis the housecat. Sleepwalkers is very simple in its storytelling, and absolutely insane with its bizarre face-morphing CGI (at the time, it was cutting edge), cats flying in off the side of the screen, cars blowing up with a single bullet, and an “interesting” mother-son relationship.
Sleepwalkers Was A Surprise Box Office Hit
Alice Krige manages to again be off-putting, terrifying, and charming at the same time, similar to her later performance as the Borg Queen, the original “hear me out” meme of the 90s. Her performance helped propel the off-kilter feature to top the box office the weekend it debuted on the way to earning $30 million, unadjusted for inflation, that still tops the 2025 box office for horror films Him and The Woman In The Yard.
One of the fun parts of Sleepwalkers comes from director Mick Garris’ mission to include as many horror directors as possible, leading to cameos from Stephen King himself, John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Scream), and Joe Dante (Gremlins). Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman also pop in for brief appearances.
Sleepwalkers was savaged by critics and still only has a 29 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally low audience rating of 32 percent. Those people clearly don’t know how to have fun. King’s story may have, allegedly, been drug-induced, but it’s so weird and off the wall that the film is a blast. While it’s special effects aged like milk, Krause and Krig managed to create some great scares, and in an era of bloated runtimes, 89 minutes makes it feel like it’s ending as soon as it gets going.
Sleepwalkers is now available to stream on Netflix, and we suggest you sit down with your cat to watch it.
Entertainment
Ben & Jerrys Free Cone Day is back for 2026 — everything you need to know
TL;DR: On April 14, visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a free cup or cone of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor.
It’s that special time of year when free ice cream becomes the norm. Hot on the heels of Dairy Queen announcing the date of its Free Cone Day, Ben & Jerry’s has done the same.
Ben & Jerry’s celebrates Free Cone Day around the globe every year, sharing the love with free cups and cones of your favorite flavors. There’s no catch. Simply visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a scoop for free. Ben & Jerry’s is giving away free ice cream at a host of locations between 12-8 p.m. on April 14. You can check participating locations here.
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Lego is giving away an exclusive Steering Wheel for free. Here’s how to get yours on March 9.
Ben & Jerry’s is aiming to spread more joy than ever before. They served up 1 million scoops in 2023, but they’re targeting more in 2026. And you can help out with that ambitious target, because unlike a lot of these free giveaways, there’s no limit on the number of times you can score a free cone. Can’t decide what flavor to order? Don’t worry — try them all.
Mark your calendars: Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s takes place on April 14.
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Stay prepared for anything with the Growatt Helios power station — now $400 off at Amazon
