A Very Queer Post

Another day, another blog-a-thon. Wait! This isn’t your average blog-a-thon. Not at all. On Monday, November 19th, Queering The Apparatus will be hosting its very first Queer Film Blog-A-Thon. Finally! An opportunity for gay bloggers all across the blogosphere to express their love for queer cinema. The following is my contribution to this wonderful blog-a-thon.



I’ve always enjoyed great films. However, like most members of the LGBT community, I’ve often been disappointed with the dearth of gay characters and stories in mainstream Hollywood Films. Fortunately, there are directors, writers, actors, and producers who manage to create amazing cinematic treasurers for us (the gays), often with limited resources and support. Thank goodness for independent films and passionate artists.



In the film The Sum of Us, Russell Crowe plays a regular bloke who just happens to be gay. I debated whether to mention this film. To be honest, it is far from being perfect. However, I liked Russell’s character (Jeff) a lot. The great thing about this film is that is doesn’t conform to tired stereotypes. Jeff is straight acting, and he has a father who offers him unconditional love and support. And that’s a beautiful thing.



I realize that coming out stories are an important part of gay culture, but they’re becoming something of a cliché. And coming out films usually annoy the hell out of me, especially when they’re poorly made. The film Get Real is an exception. There are other great films that deal with the same subject matter, of course, but I connected with the film’s protagonist, Steven Carter; and I think Ben Silverstone did a great job of brining this character to life. The film is conventional in many ways, but Steven’s courage is quite remarkable. He wrote an inspiring essay that was published in the school newspaper. For a while, the author of the essay remained anonymous. But in the end, Steven addressed the entire student body, as well as his family, and acknowledged that he had written the essay. The pen, as they say, is mightier than the sword.



I enjoyed Brokeback Mountain. It certainly deserves to be praised. This film, by the wonderful director Ang Lee, brought a love affair between two men to the silver screen. Of course, other films have done that before, but Brokeback Mountain did what most gay films rarely every do—it managed to break into the mainstream. And it has secured a special place in American popular culture. I also think Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana, and Ang Lee should be commended for making this film a reality. It’s always nice to have some straight people on our side.



Queer cinema doesn’t get better than John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This film is one of my favorite films (top 10 material). John plays a transgender performer who leads an extraordinary life. Everything about the film is wonderful. John does a great job of introducing the protagonist, Hedwig. Within the first 15 minutes, I fell in love with Hedwig. John is a gifted director. There’s no question about that. The music is wonderful and the film is just enchanting from start to finish. Of all films mentioned in this post, I think Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the most beautiful. It is also visually and intellectually provocative.




I love John Waters. This post wouldn’t be complete without a John Water’s film. And Pink Flamingos is my favorite film by this great director. I know some—or maybe most—people find it crass and unacceptable, but this film represents so much to me and other members of the LGBT community. Pink Flamingos is a film that refuses to conform to societal standards of decency. It laughs in the face of social conformity. Divine’s character, Babs Johnson, is confident and defiant. It’s hard for the average gay person to exhibit this degree of self-confidence in the real (straight) world, which is why Babs Johnson is a breath of fresh air. Of course, one shouldn’t celebrate the violence in the film, but the violence is part of what makes it work so well. It’s all about defiance! Interestingly, John Waters often says that he wants the audience to just relax and have a good time. Well, mission accomplished. His films are certainly very entertaining, but there’s so much more to Pink Flamingos than meets the eye.



Pink Flamingos was my favorite gay film for a very long time. That changed after I saw Gods and Monsters, a film about James Whale, a film director who made horror films in the 1930s. The accomplished stage actor Ian McKellen was brilliant as James. Lynn Redgrave also delivered a great performance, and Brendan Fraser was effective as Clayton Boone, the object of Whale’s interest in the film. Gods and Monsters explores the last few moments of James Whale’s life, before he committed suicide in 1957. James lived with depression, memory problems, and other conditions that lead him to take his own life. He was 67.

Gay cinema and culture seem obsessed with youth and beauty. This blog is no exception. I post pictures of hot actors and models from time to time. However, this film focuses on the inner struggles of an aging gay man. That, I think, makes the film stand out in the world of gay cinema. Older gay men are often portrayed as asexual figures in many films. In God and Monsters, James tries to seduce a young straight man. He shows us that sexuality and the need for companionship are strong motivators that exist in all human beings, young and old. But the main reason I adore this film is because of Ian McKellen. His performance is the heart and soul of this film. The people behind Gods and Monsters get extra points from me because they cast a real gay man to play a gay character on the big screen. What a novel concept!