QUEER CINEMA

[pookiethecat]

that's awesome.  i'm gonna have to check those fassbinder movies out.  i bought the dvd for bitter tears of petra von kant.  and it strikes me in repeated viewings as a work of incredible austerity.  

though it's been a while since i've posted, ive seen a few queer movies that i think were exceptional.

boys don't cry- wow.  this movie pummelled me.  hilary swank and chloe sevigny had sooo much chemistry.  and i don't know if anyone's noticed this about the movie, but the use of popular music is soooo good...definitely on the same par as pta/wes anderson, perhaps even more effective because of its  subtlety...featured  the cure, the cardigans, little texas...i liked the beauty in ugliness motif too (ie the visuals of this gorgeously lit power plant; the entire concept of brandon finding love in this vile, hick ignorant town).  i'm excited to see what kimberly peirce does next.    

kissing jessica stein- the screenplay was brilliant-it never sold its characters' intelligence short.  romantic (heterosexually and homosexually).  another movie with great integration of music.  

well, i gotta go study for a goddamn test...

[godardian]

that's awesome.  i'm gonna have to check those fassbinder movies out.  

though it's been a while since i've posted, ive seen a few "queer" movies that i think were exceptional.

boys don't cry- wow.  this movie pummelled me.  hilary swank and chloe sevigny had sooo much chemistry.  and i don't know if anyone's noticed this about the movie, but the use of popular music is soooo good...definitely on the same par as pta/wes anderson, maybe even better because it didn't draw attention to itself, instead just integrating itself into the emotion of the given scene...featured  the cure, the cardigans, little texas...i liked the beauty in ugliness motif too (ie the visuals of this gorgeously lit power plant; the entire concept of brandon finding love in this vile, hick ignorant town).  i'm excited to see what kimberly peirce does next.    

kissing jessica stein- the screenplay was brilliant-it never sold its characters' intelligence short.  romantic (heterosexually and homosexually).  another movie with great integration of music.  

well, i gotta go study for a goddamn test...

Get ready for THIS:

I believe the next Kimberly Peirce project is going to be the film of Dave Eggers's Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

[MacGuffin]

Get ready for THIS:

I believe the next Kimberly Peirce project is going to be the film of Dave Eggers's Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Also:

Nov. 07, 2002 - Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) is in final negotiations to helm CHILDHOOD'S END based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel for Universal Pictures/Beacon Pictures. The book, published in 1953, focuses on the arrival of aliens, via giant spaceships, on every major city on Earth. The aliens, who are called Overlords, create a world free of mankind's problems for five years, until it is discovered that this era is signaling a halt to the human race. The pic is being produced by Beacon's Armyan Bernstein (SPY GAME) and Rudy Langlais (The Hurricane) and will be overseen by Universal Pictures production president Scott Stuber and senior vp production Donna Langley. Senior vp production and development Suzann Ellis will shepherd the project for Beacon. As of yet, no screenwriter has been attached.

[pookiethecat]

peirce adaptation of 'staggering genius?'  holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit.

that's going to be fucking brilliant.

this alien thing sounds...unique.

[ShanghaiOrange]

The tailor in "The Public Enemy" (1931) was gay.
I haven't read anything in this thread, so I hope that's what it's about.

[godardian]

The tailor in "The Public Enemy" (1931) was gay.
I haven't read anything in this thread, so I hope that's what it's about.

Is that a bad thing? Why frowns, Shanghai? I've never seen it, but that sounds very interesting. It would be remarkable to see how that particular little fact presented itself in film circa 1931.

P.S. Feel free to read the rest of the thread, too- it may trigger more contributions from you once you get a feel for how open the discussion is meant to be here, and the interesting things all serious posters have contributed.

[Ghostboy]

He frowns at the end of every one of his posts, gay themed or not.

Welcome back, Godardian.

[Sleuth]

Not EVERY thread

[godardian]

He frowns at the end of every one of his posts, gay themed or not.

Welcome back, Godardian.

Now that you mention it, I remember that. "The Frowns of Shanghai Orange." Great title, eh?

[Ghostboy]

Man, I hadn't heard about Kim Pierce doing A Staggering Work...I think the last time I read anything about it, Dave Eggers was possibly going to direct it himself. I'm sure she'll do a good job, if it happens, but she probably wouldn't be my first choice. Same with Childhood's End (but I haven't read that, so I'm just goign off Mac's synopsis). Whatever she does, I'm looking forward to it. I loved Boys Don't Cry.

[©brad]

For just a moment, I'm going to turn this item into "where has godardian been?" I apologize in advance for hijacking it for just this one post.

I have actually missed most of you, but I was finding Xixax to be too draining of my time and emotional/mental energy. I had to ask myself if spending so much time writing and arguing here was affecting my life or the world in any meaningful way, and my answer to that caused me to take a long sabbatical. Some of the kinds of conversations I was finding myself getting into here were a total waste and only fed into a very inaccurate take on reality, sort of like calling in to the Rush Limbaugh show. I needed to take a step back, hit the streets, become more politically active and active in my community (there is a Depression on, as we all know, so there is no lack of volunteer opportunities, etc.), and after meeting quite a few people from all walks of life, I decided that the sort of infrequent but vehement nastiness I've experienced here from time to time is much less likely to occur in a face to face setting, that people feel more comfortable expressing ignorance, hate, and vitriol towards you when you're "virtual" than in actual life. In that context, focusing on actual life has been extremely refreshing."

well im glad to see that u've returned godardian. seems like ur sabbatical was a successful one. i ask u though; can't u find a healthy balance btwn. xixax and actual life? i think u'll find that xixax is kinda like a rollercoaster, /w ups and downs, corkscrews and sharp turns, faulty seat restraints, drunk roller coaster attendants, and so on. we do experience the occasional derailment or 2, as do most roller coasters. (did u see what happened to thunder mountain at disney world?) point being, I would say a good 8 out of 10 rides here r pleasant ones. i encourage u to stick around. its like i always say, in order to get anything out of xixax u got to put sumthing into it. (actually ive never said that)

[pookiethecat]

just wanted to add "lianna" the early john sayles movie, to the forum.  

it's about the wife of a professor who discovers she's a lesbian when her husband cheats on her multiple times and she meets a professor who "shows her the ropes" if you will.

it was incredibly poorly edited.  the movie had individual moments of greatness but they were strewn together terribly.  scenes ended abruptly and with no warning.  and the 2nd act lacked any pacing whatsoever.  rucking fidiculous.

the romance between this homely candian housewife with a bad perm and an old bag professor was pretty unsexy.  or maybe it's just that sayles doesn't know how to direct a sex scene worth a shit.  

at any rate, i'm pretty disappointed by this movie's overall lack of cohesiveness and sex appeal.  but at the same time, the scenes where they go to the lesbian club have a sort of freshness in spirit that i admire.  individual scenes like that make this movie worth checking out as an ultra-low-budget example of how you can do cool things with limited resources- as well as the roots of an intriguing still-vital director.

-pookie

[godardian]

From New York Post via Salon:

"DIRECTOR Ang Lee is following up his tepidly received "Hulk" with a gay western about an affair between two cowboys. "Brokeback Mountain" is based on a story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author E. Annie Proulx, says the Hollywood Reporter. The film follows a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy who find themselves unexpectedly falling in love on the plains of Wyoming and Texas in the 1960s."


Ang Lee previously directed the gay-themed comedy The Wedding Banquet, which I remember liking quite a bit. This should be interesting, if it ever comes to fruition.

[modage]

can someone tell me what the fuck is going on.  lol.

first tell me who that woman in your avatar is.. if it's you perhaps we can have some sex?

POOKIES AVATAR:

i just wanted to point out that now this exchange with the current avatar is the funniest thing i've ever read.

[pookiethecat]

hey, i dug up this old thread cuz i heard about this new showtime series: the l world.  looks kinda interesting...supposedly a lesbian answer to queer as folk...stars jennifer beals, lauren holloman, eric mabius (of welcome to the dollhouse fame) pam grier (as the only straight character) mia kirshner, and a buncha other people.  it may suck but some of the episodes are apparently written by guin turner (american psycho, i shot andy warhol) and directed by rose troche (the safety of objects, six feet under) who have both proved to be excellent filmmakers.  anyway here's the site.

http://www.sho.com/site/lword/home.do