Director Alex Russell made 'Lurker' about obsessive fandom. He'd rather not talk about himself

We are sitting between the “Miscellaneous Horror” and “Juvenile Delinquents” sections at CineFile Video , a compact, densely stocked curated video store on the westside of Los Angeles.

Surrounded by physical media, I wonder how “Lurker,” the first feature by writer-director Alex Russell, will eventually be classified here. The shelf across from him holds the DVDs and Blu-rays labeled “Gay.” The realization prompts him to chuckle. “That’s me,” he says.

Arms crossed, Russell, 34, at first seems guarded and resistant to conversation. He admits doing press about his work is still a novel experience for him. Later, as he digs into the making and meaning of his movie, he’ll relax and the words will spontaneously flow.

Out this Friday, “Lurker” examines the insidious entanglement between ris