Anniversary/Interrupting Fan/Futurist Celluloid- Fight Club (1999)

Hi, I’m Jack but not really sure if that’s me.  I worked in a cube farm and the Ikea catalog was my true love.  I’ve been an unhappy insomniac for years until my doctor told me about a support group.  It was Men Standing Together and all the guys had survived testicular cancer.  I didn’t know it then but Bob or Robert Paulson would change me.  He held me and finally got to let go through tears.  I can hear some of you saying, “Pansy, Sissy or some other horrible things.”  Finally, sleep was a regular part of me again.  Until, Marla Sanger showed up to this group and all the others.  What A Bitch!  Wait, who’s this guy?  Tyler Durden?  He’s got a different view of the world but not sure what.  Would he change my life?  Would Marla ever stop being such a blowhard?  Who would cry with Robert?

Fight Club was directed by David Fincher & adapted by Jim Uhls (from Chuck Pahluniuk’s novel).  Brad Pitt was paired with Fincher again (Se7en was their first collaboration together).  He had the perfect swagger & right silver tongued dialogue as Tyler Durden.  Edward Norton played the narrator or Jack with a sly, timid perfection.  Helena Bonham Carter owned Marla’s rancid, parasitic demeanor.  The cast included rocker Meat Loaf as Bob and future rocker Jared Leto as Angel Face.

This is the 20th anniversary of this landmark film.  The film was a failure at the box office but gained following among critics and open minded individuals.  It unknowingly predicted the materialistic and parasitic rise of corporations & technology into our lives.  Also, it spoke to a new generation longing for a change.  The film’s ending would become more haunting and somewhat discussed after Sept.  11, 2001.   On another note, people quote different lines and mantras many years after it’s premiere.

Remember We Don’t Talk About It!

 

Star Crossed Celluloid- The Shape of Water (2017)

Elisa was a mute and lived a quiet life in early 1960’s Baltimore.  Giles was her gay neighbor.  They enjoyed classic films, pie and talking through sign language.  He was a starving artist and looking to breakthrough in advertising.  She worked in a government facility as a janitor.  Zelda, a black co-worker, was her other friend.  She interrupted for her during shifts.  They enjoyed the overnight shift in relative peace except for one beast.  Richard Strickland was their boss and a scumbag.  Yet, he would bring a thing that would change Elisa’s life.  It was an Amphibian Man and he was odd just like her.

What would Strickland do with the creature from the Amazon?  Was it able to communicate?  What was the askew attraction between Elisa and the Amphibian?

The Shape of Water was directed and co-written by Guillermo Del Toro.  Sally Hawkins was brilliant and sexy as Elisa.  She managed to carve out a performance through body language and the grace of a ballerina.  Richard Jenkins was comforting and understanding as Giles.  He’s a man that we’ve all confided in at some point.  He made life and culture an outlet for the two of them.  Octavia Spencer was fiery and fierce as Zelda.  She had the qualities of a strong woman that we see daily.  She doesn’t take anyone’s mess and would speak up against the odds.  Michael Shannon’s portrayal of Richard Strickland was wicked and tortured.  Strickland made Christian Grey and Don Draper look like domesticated tabby cats.  Doug Jones (Del Toro’s regular creature actor) was great as the Amphibian and somehow managed to capture our hearts.

Del Toro has used the Cold War perfectly to address bigotry, sexual harassment, racism and homophobia.  Elisa and Zelda along with their female co-workers were subjected to the crass, sexist behavior of Mr. Strickland.  Yet, this was several decades before Me Too and a few years prior to the Women’s Liberation movement.  Giles, Elisa’s gay friend, wasn’t immune either.  He had a career but something unspoken (if viewers read into the brilliant subtext) did or didn’t occur with a former co-worker.  Also, he had to hide his love or affections for other men.  The restaurant scene captured his plight and that of other minorities as well.

The Shape of Water is The Best Film of 2017.  It’s a haunting fairy tale with heroes and villains.  The technicolor landscape was mesmerizing.  The story was timeless and timely.  He has managed to illustrate our humanity and true need for connection.  Love and acceptance are universal.  Remember that.

 

 

Coming of Age Celluloid- Moonlight (2016)

Little was a young, intelligent, and black boy.  He was the constant target of bullying because he’s gay.  However, Paula, his mother, doesn’t appreciate his life choice.  Yet, she worked and spent her spare time smoking crack.

He’s never known his real father.  However, his world was about to change unexpectedly.  Juan was his name and drugs are his game.  He came to Little’s rescue after being chased by intolerant classmates.  Little would tell him that his name was Chiron.

Chiron was surprised that this man and Teresa, his woman, opened their home and hearts to him.  He’d never felt this type of love towards anyone.  However, he did love another and his name was Kevin.  Kevin was his best friend but was unaware of being loved.

Would Chiron’s mother ever accept his sexuality?  Will Juan & Teresa continue to love and support him?  Would he ever tell Kevin his true feelings?

Moonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins.  Jenkins co-wrote this original, coming of age story with Tarell Alvin McCraney.  They have captured a rare side of urban life. Viewers have always seen white and other races as growing up gay.  However, Jenkins & McCraney have created a film that shows the struggles of being black & gay.

We see Chiron’s transition from boyhood to manhood in a new light.  It’s not just cut and paste like lower class to upper class society for most races.  It can be a real beast and hate changes people over time.  The hate can turn a young, innocent boy against himself and most others.  The person may be deemed bad by society. Yet, hope can be found within one person or several people.  They’ll take someone in when no one else wanted them.

Chiron was beautifully portrayed by Alex J. Hibbert (aka Little) & Ashton Sanders (Chiron).  Mahershala Ali did an outstanding job as Juan.  He went seamlessly from pusher to pushover.  Naomi Harris was brutally devastating as Paula.  She could send Satan running back to the Lord in a heartbeat.   Janelle Monae was warm and pleasant as Theresa.  She embraced Chiron in ways that his mother never would.

Jenkins has created a beautiful, urban masterpiece.  It is an unlikely companion to The Infiltrator.  However, Moonlight focused more on the pusher’s psyche.  The Infiltrator showed viewers what took down the drug trade to an extent.

The film will leave viewers talking long after the credits role.  I won’t reveal the ending but it’s a second audible for a film this year.  The previous one was for the surprise ending of Arrival.

This is one of 2016’s Ten Best Films and will probably be a contender at the 2017 Oscars.  Viewers have a new visionary director in African-American cinema; his name is Barry Jenkins.

MCM Anniversary/Role Reversal Celluloid- John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

My name is Hedwig Robinson.  I was born in East Berlin, Germany as Hansel Schmidt.  You are asking yourselves, “How did I become a woman?”  Darling, it’s complicated as all things are in life.

I was the son of an East German woman and a U.S. G.I.  However, my father was thrown out by Hedwig (my mother) because of being a pervert.  Maybe, it is the reason that I took her name.  No,  it was because of a another U.S. G.I.; his name was Sgt. Luther Robinson.  However, he couldn’t take me back across Checkpoint Charlie as Hansel.  It would have been frowned upon.  Instead, a simple surgery and I’d be a woman.  Nein, the surgeon was a monster but Dr. Frankenstein would’ve been more considerate.  He took all of Hansel except for one inch.

Oh, Well!  Goodbye, East Berlin!  Hello, Junction City, Kansas?  I thought America would be bright lights and big cities.  Instead, I get a dim, single wide trailer. Damn, where is Luther going?  He’s left me alone and afraid with just a “Wig in a Box”.

Now, I’m a woman of my own and have to fend for myself.  Fortunately, an officer required a babysitter for his two sons: a baby and a teenager.  The teen’s name was Tommy Speck and I was smitten.  He was a rebel against Christianity but I knew music.  Wow, he was hooked on the rhythm and wouldn’t be the same.

Flash forward, Tommy Speck is now Tommy Gnosis.  Hey that sounds familiar because I wrote “The Origin of Love”.

Will I get my music back?  Will I find the rest of what I’ve lost?

Hedwig and the Angry Inch was written, directed, and starred John Cameron Mitchell.  The film was based on his book and the music/lyrics of Stephen Trask.  It was an off-Broadway phenomenon in 1998.

Mitchell was and still is one of a kind as Hedwig.  He brought the kind of androgyny that would’ve made David Bowie coy.   His performance transcended that of Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  He made Hedwig not another Dr. Frank N Furter.

Instead, she (Hedwig) was a real Wo-man who had urges and needs.  Yet, she saw the big picture and found herself.

The moral of the film is pursue dreams and life despite adversity.  The adversity will make us all stronger despite the pain.  We will all continue to face challenges no matter what.

John Cameron Mitchell,  Thank you for writing such a love letter to the human spirit and condition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cameron_Mitchell

Coming of Age/WTF Were Thinking Celluloid- The Neon Demon (2016)

Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon is a modeling film that rewrites the genre. The best way to describe Demon is a David mash up.

Huh? Let me explain that. Take equal parts David Lynch, David Cronenberg, & David Fincher blend briskly with libation & drugs of your choosing.

Elle Fanning mesmerizes as Jessie. She’s got the look those other stick figures hate. The natural beauty can drive the competition to extremes.

Jena Malone puzzles us as Ruby. She’s a makeup artist in more ways than one.

However, the film’s best supporting role is by Keanu Reeves. He is out of his comfort zone as a sadistic, night manager.

The Neon Demon makes The Lobster look like Finding Dory. Viewers might also find similarities between it and Black Swan.    However, Swan succeeded by melding Fight Club with Swan Lake.  Yet, Demon feels more like an homage to 1980’s horror films with too much Karo Corn Syrup.  It is destined to become a cult classic of 2016 and for years to come.

Road Trip Celluloid- The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Bernadette (Terrance Stamp) was mourning the passing of her lover, Trumpet.  She was unsure how to go on with her life.  Tony, aka Mitzi Del Bra(Hugo Weaving), her close friend, has been given the opportunity to perform a Les Girls gig in Alice Springs, Australia.

He wants Bernie to join the show.  Yes, Bernadette wasn’t always a sheila.  However, she decided to roll the dice and leave Sydney for a breather.  Not so fast, who heard ever heard of Diana Ross with only one Supreme? Surprise, Adam ,aka Felicia Goodfellow (Guy Pearce), was a colorful upstart with keys to a Swedish tour bus.

Now, they are off.  Well, they have to christen the bus and Adam deems her “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.  Will they make it in time for the gig?  How would they be received during the journey?  How many “A’s” are in Fabulous again?

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was written and directed by Stephan Elliott.  He had a great Bernie in Terrance Stamp.  Yes, viewers will never kneel before Zod the same way again.  Hugo Weaving dawned a dress, heels, and wigs years before entering The Matrix as Agent Smith.  He wore it well.  However, Guy Pearce had a FAAAABULOUS turn as Adam before forgetting almost everything in Memento.

Elliott’s script was highlighted by the 1995 Oscar-winning costume design of Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel.  The duo would also earn a 2011 Tony Award for Costume Design.

The film featured hit songs including “I Love The Nightlife”, “Mamma Mia”, “Finally”, and “I’ve Never Been to Me”.

Leave it to two Aussies and one Brit to bring life to LGBT characters.  We’re still baffled at the lack of American actors who won’t portray these roles.  1994 seems like light years back in regards of gay rights even in Australia.  Viewers should take note of the bigotry given to those characters on screen.  We have taken huge steps since then but it’s still not enough.

However, Priscilla is a time capsule of how we’ve evolved in LGBT tolerance.  While dawning that tiara, keep those in mind that walked a mile in those heels before.  It takes balls and heart to walk through hatred.

 

 

True LGBT Celluloid- The Danish Girl (2015)

The Danish Girl followed the lives of artists Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) and Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne).  However, their lives were changed one day.  Gerda didn’t have a female model and decided to have Einar substitute.  She was inspired beyond words and he was in a new world.  The paintings were a huge success and everyone became curious about the model’s identity.

Einar became Lili Elbe, Einar’s cousin, for appearances with Gerda.  However, the appearances began to take on a different life.  Lili was becoming a regular fixture and Einar slowly faded into the canvas.  As with all art, it has an immeasurable price one’s existence.  He began to struggle with his own gender.  However, Gerda felt strained between the husband she loved and the model that she painted.

How would Einar become Lili?  Would she live up to his expectations?  What would Gerda do once she lost her husband?  Does the female form truly represent the model?

The Danish Girl is based on David Eberschoff’s novel.  It is loosely based on the live of Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe.  Lili Elbe was one of the first recorded cases of sexual reassignment surgery.  Tom Hooper directed this challenging film.  He is blessed with two great leads in Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander.

Redmayne shows us that his Oscar for portraying Stephen Hawking wasn’t a fluke. He provides a deep, multi-faceted performance as Einar/Lili and earned a 2016 Best Actor nomination.  However,  Alicia Vikander delivers a beautiful portrayal of wife torn between the man she loves and the woman trapped within him.  She earned a well deserved 2016 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

The film delves into territory that Ishmael Merchant & James Ivory never dared.  They did deal with gay issues in some of their films.  However, they would’ve had a game changer with this one.

The Danish Girl is difficult to watch at times.  Yet, viewers must considered it a drop in the ocean in comparison to the struggles of transgender individuals.  It is astonishing how views of this community have changed since the early 20th Century until now.  Although, the world still has a long way to go.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lili_Elbe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerda_Wegener

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/danish-girl/

https://community.pflag.org/transgender

http://www.tghelp.org/

http://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources

 

Ensemble Trilogy Celluloid- Chasing Amy (1997)

Chasing Amy revolved around two comic book artists, Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee).  They were the co-creators of Bluntman and Chronic.  The film opened on them at New York Comic Con.  The day was going great until someone called Banky a tracer instead of an inker.  Holden had that fan removed and all was well.  However, the real fun was just beginning.

They attended a diversity comic panel featuring artists Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) and Hooper X (Dwight Ewell).   Jones was there to promote Idiosyncratic Routine and Hooper’s was called White Hating Coon.  His presentation was over-the-top and crowd clearing in regards to Star Wars (see the link below).  However, his comic wouldn’t sell without the antics.  Hooper’s a gay, black man.  Afterwards, he introduced Banky and Holden to Alyssa.  They were invited by him for drinks in NYC.

The drinks would lead to Holden being attracted to Alyssa.  He’s straight but she’s more than meets the eye.  How would this attraction play out?  Would Banky & Holden still remain comic best sellers?  There’s too much to fill just one panel.

Chasing Amy is the final installment of Kevin Smith’s New Jersey Trilogy.  He didn’t disappoint with some of his freshest and most topical dialogue (this side of Dogma).  Prior to this film, film goers weren’t familiar with terms such as the pronoun game, lesbian chic, and sharing a moment.  Also, he offered an inside look into comic conventions and panels.  It was an honest approach because certain topics/artists may or may not attract an audience.

Ben Affleck shined by not playing a complete jerk (for once).  Jason Lee was funny and atypically homophobic as Banky.  Dwight Ewell brought an unseen aspect to indy cinema, a black gay man.  His role was the funniest and most unexpected among the ensemble.

However, Joey Lauren Adams stole the film as Alyssa.  Her bold and fresh approach challenged LGBT stereotypes.  Alyssa was multifaceted and not just a lipstick lesbian.  One of the best scenes between her and Holden is on The Criterion Collection DVD.  The scene is an extended take of “Love is Fleeting” where a story is told involving a man, a woman, and a train.  In this blogger’s opinion, it was one of his most moving scenes to date.

Fans can expect to see a brief appearance by Brian O’Halloran (Dante from Clerks) and Matt Damon (yes, Ben’s bff and co-writer of Good Will Hunting) as MTV execs.  We were once again treated to an extended appearance by Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith).  Silent Bob had a great scene when he told Jay off (beneath Hooper’s Star Wars Rant).

We saw the final connections from Clerks and Mallrats as follows:

Dunn & Reddy Contractors For Hire (Clerks “Death Star Discussion”) are in same building as Bank-Hold-Up (Banky & Holden’s office).

LaFours (Security Guard from Mallrats) is on Issue #1 Cover of Bluntman & Chronic.

Heather, Alyssa Jones’ sister, wrote Boregasm (Mallrats).

Alyssa knew Caitlin Bree and Julie Dwyer (Clerks).

Alyssa slept with Shannon Hamilton and he videotaped her.  She slept with Gwen Turner as well.  (Both were in Mallrats)

She also was intimate with Rick Derris (Clerks).

Banky was intimate with Brandi Svenning (Mallrats).

Viewers will enjoy this fitting sendoff to the New Jersey Trilogy.  Find some great friends and share several moments over this film.

P.S.  Jay and Silent Bob will return in Dogma (promise).

True Celluloid- Freeheld (2015)

Freeheld is the story of Detective Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) of Ocean County, New Jersey.  She is a veteran policewoman with a secret.  No, she’s not a crook or an embezzler.  Laurel is a lesbian.  However, a lesbian detective could lose her job if she’s outed.  She works at keeping this a secret by playing on lesbian sport leagues in PA and NY.  Her world changes when she meets Stacie Andree (Ellen Page) at a volleyball game.  Laurel gives Stacie her cell phone number.  Their lives are about to change in ways neither one expected.  However, they will change and influence countless individuals in the United States and the world.

Freeheld is based on the 2006 documentary directed by Cynthia Wade.  Julianne Moore brings great heart to her portrayal of Det. Laurel Hester.  Ellen Page is terrific as Stacie.  They are joined by an ensemble including Steve Carell (Steven Goldstein), Michael Shannon (Det. Dane Wells), and Luke Grimes (Todd Belkin).  The film works due to Ron Nyswaner’s (Philadelphia) adaptation and Peter Sollett’s subtle direction.  Moore could potentially be in contention for back-to-back Best Actress Oscar wins.  Page is nomination and Oscar worthy for Best Supporting Actress as Stacie.

Freeheld belongs in the same breath as Gus Van Sant’s Milk.  It highlights a woman who fought the good fight on and off the beat.  Hester blazed an unexpected trail for LGBT rights throughout the United States.  Thanks to her bravery, gay and lesbian couples are entitled to the same rights of traditional couples.

MCM Role Reversal Celluloid- Antonio Banderas in The Skin I Live In (2011)

Remember hearing about doctors that do revolutionary surgery.  He is one and even more.

Le Piel Que Habito or The Skin That I Live In revolves around Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a gifted, plastic surgeon.  His work is renowned along with the humanitarian work that he performs.  However, he’s revolutionized a process called transgenesis transferring pig cells to human cells.  It is nicknamed Gal after his late wife who was tragically burned.  He lives in a beautiful mansion with a maid named Marilia (Marisa Paredes) and an alluring woman named Vera Cruz (Elena Anaya).  The alluring woman is being held captive as an amoral test subject for transgenesis.

Everything seems okay until one day a man named Zeca shows up.  He is the son of Marilia and is in need of refuge because of a jewelry heist.  Also, Zeca is seeking to have his face reconstructed to avoid prosecution and escape.  He decides to hold the maid hostage but is obsessed by the beautiful Vera on the television monitors.  Then, he begins to proceed through the house in search of her.  When she’s found, he begins to sexually assault her.  The maid is unable to stop him until Dr. Ledgard returns home.  Ledgard goes into the room and kills Zeca much to the dismay of Marilia, who wanted them both killed.

Dr. Ledgard’s life wasn’t always this complicated.  It was once simpler than it is now.  He once had a loving wife named Gal and a daughter named Norma (Blanca Suarez).  However, nothing is as it seems here. Who is Vera really?  What happened to Norma?

The Skin I Live In is a thrilling departure for Pedro Almodovar.  The film is a based on the novel Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet.  Pedro’s films are usually lighter fare but Agustin Almodovar collaborated on this darker script.  His lighter films include Bad Education, Volver, and Talk to Her.  He has earned two Oscars, one for All About My Mother (1999 Oscar for Best Foreign Film) and the other for Talk to Her (2002 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay).  He knows how to take a decade or more long tela novela and make it into an enjoyable film.  Oh, he’s openly gay and his characters have neurotic tendencies similar to Woody Allen’s scripts.

Skin crawls creepily in thanks to Antonio Banderas.  Banderas steps out of his usual romantic persona and shines in this atypical thriller.  His breakthrough Spanish role was in Almodovar’s Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down as a mentally challenged man holding a woman hostage.  However, American audiences met him in this film and his first English language film, The Mambo Kings.  He didn’t breakout in American cinema until his role in Desperado as El Mariachi.  Then, he drew bigger acclaim as Che in Evita and Zorro in The Mask of Zorro.  His largest claim to fame is as Puss in Boots in the Shrek films.  However, he has found time to appear on Broadway in Nine (2003) as Guido Contini and Zorba (2012) as the title character.

Fans should yearn to see more villainous roles from Banderas in the future.