Do you ever remember watching a movie when you were younger and thinking, “Oh. My worldview is about to be drastically changed by this piece of art”? Well, that’s how I felt upon my first viewing of Jamie Babbit’s satirical romantic comedy “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999). Continue reading Pride Month, Retrospective Review: “But I’m a Cheerleader”
There’s just something about “Carol” (2015). Not just the mature storytelling, or the strong direction from Todd Haynes, or even the film’s beautiful and stylish design. Those are all contributing factors to the film’s resonance, but, what really captures the spirit, is the magnetism between our two leads: Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Based on the novel The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith, and intelligently adapted to the screen by Phyllis Nagy, “Carol” is another intimate LGBTQ story that is required viewing. Continue reading Pride Month, Retrospective Review: Carol
The LGBT+ community has been contributing to the film industry since the industry’s beginnings. Despite this, it is uncommon to find LGBT+ people receiving recognition for their work behind the camera. I’ve compiled a selection of currently available movies with LGBT+ directors, writers, composers/lyricists and where they can be streamed. It’s by no means an end all be all list of the greatest LGBT+ contributions to cinema, so I’m sorry if I’ve left of anyone’s favorites… This is just a place to start. Continue reading LGBT+ Filmmakers & Where to Stream Them
In pop culture, especially in film and television discourse, we meet characters that mean a lot to us. They have an immense power to shape and shift our minds and, often, change our views. We look up to them and cheer them on in their struggles presented in a film or a series.
That character for me is Lana Winters portrayed by outstanding Sarah Paulson. The character is many things – a famous journalist, a lesbian, and a fearless woman introduced in the second season of “American Horror Story: Asylum.” Continue reading Lana Winters of “American Horror Story” and The Issues of the 60s’ Homosexuality, Abortion, and Adoption
Queen Anne, Sarah Churchill, and Abigail Hill. The pitch-perfect threesome in 2018’s “The Favourite.” The film is visually striking and the dialogue sharp. But it is the three women who captivate during the tussle to hold power in 18th century Great Britain. Continue reading Pride Month, Retrospective Review: “The Favourite”
James Joyce’s final chapter of Ulysses — a wonderfully difficult piece of fiction from the early twentieth century — features the wave-like storytelling, the continual up and down, that Joyce thought mirrored the April Mullenfemale orgasm. It is told in the thoughts and feelings of Molly Bloom, finishing this eighteen-chapter saga as a woman’s story. Continue reading “That Flooding Rush:” the Ebb and Flow of Below Her Mouth
Have you ever encountered a film in which its ending spoils everything about the viewing experience for you? Well, this was my experience watching “Tell It to the Bees” a film which I enjoyed a good proportion of the first and second act, only to have my investment and enjoyment of the film be completely ruined by its final act. Matters were made worse when I read up on the book and how drastically the film’s end differs compared to the actual book’s ending. Continue reading Pride Month, Retrospective Review: Tell It to the Bees
Sometimes the notion of a “forbidden romance” in films seems tantalizing, but other times… it’s just heartbreaking. It’s really dependent on the forces keeping these two people apart. With “Brokeback Mountain,” (2005) a beautifully heart-wrenching film, it’s tragic. It’s only “forbidden” because the two don’t think they can or sometimes, should, be together. Which is what makes it so inherently effective. No matter how many times I see this movie, it always finds its mark: right through the heart. Continue reading Pride Month, Retrospective Review: Brokeback Mountain
Imagine Me & You” is not the most astonishing picture but it’s still a lovely, warm rom-com with elements of drama. Its subject is essential in regards to pop culture and society, even now. It helped me and shone a light on diversity and, in turn, made me realize my sexual orientation later in life. It’s interesting how film can shape your future, even if you don’t know it. It’s a soul-lifting film with Lena Headey and Piper Perabo, who have incredible chemistry portraying Luce and Rachel. If you want to watch something warm about love, soulmates and finding each other, this is the film. Continue reading “Imagine Me & You” And Its Importance in Search of My Sexuality
In Their Own League 