Gay Samurais, Dead Rappers, & Bette Davis (Now there's a movie title)

As always, there's a ton of stuff I've seen that I don't make time to flesh out. Some films you see and you give them as much thought like the time your mom told you that smoking cigarettes was bad or when Whitney told us crack was whack. Anyhow, here's some recent flics:

Non-Theatrical Release:

Prayers For Bobby (2009) - Yes, Sigourney's new film. I was surprised at the quality of this made-for-cable venture, Ms. Weaver's first. You don't have to be gay to get misty at this awesomely acted little film (except for Scott Bailey--he's a little stiff, so to speak). If you haven't managed to see this, please do. I don't know how much it will change ignorant peoples' minds, but I am so happy to see my lovely lady in a film with a subject very near and dear to my heart. She better get a damn Emmy. I shouldn't write any more because I only want to say gushy things. Most of all, I was surprised it was not the usual cheesy Lifetime fare and am truly proud to tout this as a class act. Though set in the early 1980's, the sort of happenings in Prayers For Bobby are still happening today.

Theatrical Releases:

My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009) - Now, I haven't seen the original 1981 film, but I'm willing to bet it's a more forgive able foray into shit-tastic films than this one. Jaime King and the gay boy from "Dawson's Creek" turn in some pretty felch inducing performances. But I can't blame them---the material is horrendous. Yes, it's 3-D and I thought it would be fun and 2009 looks to be the year 3-D is resurrected. (My gal Siggy's got Avatar coming in December!). After about ten minutes, I realized that 3-D wears thin. I'd rather watch a drunken sorority girl wipe her ass with a Pom-Pom in 3-D for 60 minutes, but then, I didn't get to choose.

Notorious (2009) -- Not a remake of one of my favorite Hitchcock films (thankfully, for now), but an overall decent biopic about slain rap artist Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G. Jamal Woodard stars as Christopher "Biggie" Wallace (aka the man with more handles than a drag queen in heat) and turns in a laudable performance. I love Angela Bassett and she gets to play Ms. Wallace, his mother. I did detect a note of a Jamaican accent in certain scenes with Ms. Bassett, but she seemed to drift in and out--maybe that's just me. I guess if I was the director, George Tillman Jr., and my only previous film was the tragically overwrought Men of Honor (2000), I wouldn't have tried to tell Angela what to do. I've heard that the real Ms. Wallace was happy with the film. And why shouldn't she be? I'd be honored to have Angela Bassett portray me in a film. But unless it's directed by Todd Solondz as a followup to Palindromes (2004), this will never come to fruition. And Angela's biceps will always look nicer than mine. Dismay. Now, L'il Kim, on the other hand, reportedly is unhappy with aspects of the film. I, in fact, found the film to treat her rather gingerly and Naturi Naughton's performance induced more sympathy for L'il Kim than ever that woman could on her own. And the other notable performance was Derek Luke as P Diddy, and not because his performance was a revelation. Rather, Mr. Luke is about fifteen thousand times better looking than Puffy could ever hope to be. So, there's someone else that should be happy with a film that is otherwise a standard biopic. Sadly, there have already been incidents of violence, including death, in several locations where this film is showing. Does that make cinema look powerful or humans look ridiculous?

Gran Torino (2008) -- I definitely did not want to see this film after seeing the preview, which I thought looked hokey, offensive, and a little racist. I mean, a Hmong family needing and appreciating the protection of a 70 year old crotchety white man after he continually has treated them like shit? I don't think so. And after that awful piece of shit called The Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie in the most undeserved Oscar nominated role since I can't even think I am SO irritated, I really didn't want to touch this with a ten foot pole. Or any pole. But I happened to catch it and I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I liked it a bit. Clint is very enjoyable but the film is filled with a plethora of racial slurs, the reason it didn't make one of my top choices of the year. In the end, the film makes you cheer for Clint's hard-nosed softie. After the film was over I kept returning to what I didn't like and I kept realizing that if Clint's character was someone I met in real life, I wouldn't feel the same way. I'd say, the greatest generation or not, you can't call anyone non-white whatever you'd like. Plus the pastor sub-plot annoyed me to no end, and the little redhead looked more like a chubby bull-dyke than any kind of Irish Catholic priest. Also irritating, Clint insists on singing (at least half of) the 'theme' song that plays at the film's end. I could have done without that. Clint sounds like Tom Waits, only more like he was embalmed.

DVD Reviews:

Taboo (1999) -- What may stand as Nagisa Oshima's (In the Realm of the Senses - 1967) last film, Taboo centers around the story of a gay samurai set in the world of 1865 Kyoto. I found Oshima's latest effort to be strikingly intriguing, almost bordering on black comedy. The film tells the story of an appealing and rather androgynous young samuari who joins a shogunite only to ignite discord amongst the other samurais, all who wish to court (or bed) the young fellow. A recent retrospective was done on Oshima's films at the Walker in Minneapolis. This was one you shouldn't have missed if you did.

Happy Together (1997) -- Another movie night feature, Happy Together makes me appreciate Wong Kar Wai even more than I already do. His film manages to be quite melancholy, but also rather touching and hopeful. Gorgeous, gorgeous cinematography and a touching performance from the excellent heartthrob, Tony Leung. See it if you haven't.

Sorry, Haters (2005) -- I remember vaguely hearing of this film upon it's release and I finally got around to watching it, and I LOVED it. Robin Wright Penn made me so uncomfortable I actually had to take a film break. I also love seeing Elodie Bouchez (Wild Reeds -- 1994; The Dreamlife of Angels -- 1997), though her part is small here. A film that rather prominently tries for a political, 9/11 bent (I'm not sure how much I really loved this angle, but it manages to remain plausible), Penn and Abdel Kechiche are heartbreaking and lovely. I found the film to be very intense and vicious. Kechiche is also the director of Secret of the Grain, currently garnering a lot of attention. Sandra Oh is also a fun little force and is used effectively in her handful of scenes. Josh Hamlilton also pops up randomly (as he usually seems to--does he have a day job?). See this, please.

Dante 01 (2008) -- Another movie night feature, Marc Caro's first feature film solo is quite disappointing. I can understand why it didn't get distributed here. While beautiful to watch, the plot is hammed up by some not well-explained Biblical imagery mixed randomly with historical references and other ancient mythologies. I would recommend this only to die hard fans of Delicatessen (1991) and City of Lost Children (1995), both of which Caro co-directed with Jean Pierre Jeunet. Linh Dan Pham and Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon are featured in Dante 01.

Chocolate Babies (1997) -- I've owned this strange little independent feature for a few years on VHS (it was never transferred to DVD) and I finally managed to watch it. A somewhat fractured narrative, the only film directed by Stephen Winter was nevertheless entertaining and highlights a subject matter that I wish were discussed in film more often, mainly AIDS/HIV and it's effect on the lives of individuals that aren't upwardly mobile gay white men. Chocolate Babies is very much for the gay community and it borders on black comedy, but what do you expect from a film about a bunch of noisy, bitchy queens (they're own handle, not mine!). Most entertaining of all was the actor portraying Larva, Dudley Findlay, Jr. Now there's someone I wish was in more films.

Les Vampires (1915) -- The most interesting aspect of this 7 hour silent French serial is getting to see 1915 Paris. Filmed on the fly and banned for years due to its apparent glorification of crime, Les Vampires is a long series of shenanigans concerning a group of jewel thieves in Paris that refer to themselves as the Vampires. Most notable of the group is Irma Vep (an anagram for vampire) played by silent film star, Musidora who reminds me quite a bit of actress Theda Bara (whose name is an anagram for Arab Death) -- and you think actors are strange now. Some excellent stunts and entertaining energy levels help you through the breakneak speed of the haphazard plot. Directed by Louis Feuillade. And yes, it took two sittings, my friend Erik who is as crazy about film as me, some pizza and a minimal amount of alcohol.

At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964) -- The first film in Jose Mojica Marin's Coffin Joe trilogy (actually, as of 2008, quadrilogy), introduces us to Ze, an undertaker with creepy fingernails and a LOT of machismo to back up his evil nature. Coffin Joe is apparently the equivalent of the Brazilian boogeyman and I must say, I see why these films are cult classics. I mean, the plot really does center around a creepy gravedigger who prowls the night to find a female to bear him a son and continue his "bloodline" jibberish (so a bit old school--maybe he should had learned he could easily pay for someone to do that---like in If These Walls Could Talk 2). I am excited to see the followups, Tonight I Will Eat Your Corpse (1967) and Awakening of the Beast (1970).

The Skin Game (1931) -- An early Hitchcock I had been neglecting to see, I was pleasantly surprised. Concerning the age old predicament between old money and new money, this film tells an effective little tale about vanity, and of course, a woman with a past of prostitution that unravels every one's plans. Oh those hookers, they ruin everything.

Confusion of Genders (2000) --A goofball comedy from France that's basically about one very bisexual man is both very European in it's tastes but also not funny. What's meant, I think, to be a comedy of errors sort of situation is instead a bit awkward and silly. Pascal Gregory stars, and even his charismatic self couldn't elevate this one beyond mediocrity. Yes, Pascal has aged very well, tres, tres bien. However, he can't keep it in his pants and I get tired watching people fling themselves at assholes. I was also irritated because this was the second film I recently watched where a rather gorgeous young woman makes herself look like a boy to please a gay man. That maneuver did not work for this film, directed by Ilan Duran Cohen.

Two Drifters (2005) -- Directed by Joao Pedro Rodrigues, this strange little story was both entertaining and it stayed with me after watching it. This was the other aforementioned film about a beautiful young woman developing an obsession with a young gay man. However, as this film's main character, Ana Cristina de Oliveira stars as Odete -- and she is batshit crazy. And I believed her transformation. Concerning a handsome young man mourning the tragic death of his boyfriend, Odete begins to assume the dead lover's identity after a failed hysterical pregnancy. And I LOVED the very last scene. Lovely and perverted.

The Maids (1974) -- A very British production of Jean Genet's play, Glenda Jackson and Susannah York are both disturbing and also batshit crazy as the rather neurotic sisters hired as maids for a very passive aggressive woman. Reminiscent of the excellent Sister, My Sister (1994), but it's pretty talky.

3 Bette Davis:

Beyond the Forest (1949)
All About Eve (1950)
Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

Now, I'm probably more of a Joan Crawford guy--she wasn't a better actress than Bette Davis but she was so damn over the top I always have a good time watching old Joan movies. I also collect Bette Davis films but haven't seen as many. Luckily, I started my boyfriend on the excellent The Anniversary (1968), and he has developed one of those fascinations I love to foster. So recently we watched Beyond the Forest, the film that infamously ended Bette's relationship with Warner Bros. and which includes the famous line "What a dump!" Altogether, not a bad film. However, Bette Davis strangely tosses herself into a ditch and then seems to rapidly develop what seemed to be emphysema. This is never explained, even though Joseph Cotten, as her husband, is a doctor. Overall, supreme camp from director King Vidor--but good camp, as only Bette would have it.

Now, I've seen All About Eve before but it was years ago. I think I forgot how damn excellent the whole picture is. Excellent cast, excellent Bette. George Sanders always got on my nerves a bit--it's that bored, monotonous voice he drones on with, so it's strange that he's the only one that got an Oscar while Thelma Ritter, Bette, Anne Baxter, and Celeste Holm were all nominated. But then Anne Baxter got herself nominated for Best Actress and split the votes so neither she nor Bette won. And so Judy Holliday won instead. Who cares about Judy? Plus, I love Joseph Mankiewicz, who would go on to direct one of my favorite films of all time, Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). And how can you not want to beat Anne Baxter's face through the whole first half of the film? Oh Moses, Moses! I love doing Ann impressions from The Ten Commandments (1956). It's up there with Nancy Kerrigan.

As for Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, it's not quite as good as Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, but it's still pretty damn good. Agnes Moorhead is amazingly creepy as Davis' maid, Velma--she looks like a sewer rat that some strange kid kept as pet and tortured by making the creature wear a dress and a wig made out of a mop. My favorite behind the scenes story about this film goes back to the Crawford/Davis feud on Baby Jane -- Davis was nominated for an Oscar in that film and Crawford was not. Davis was almost positive she would win, but Crawford, pissed that she wasn't nominated, contacted all four of the Best Actress nominees and asked if she could accept their award for them if they weren't planning on attending. As fate would have it, Anne Bancroft could not attend the ceremony. As you know, Anne Bancroft did win that year for The Miracle Worker. Legend has it that Joan Crawford pushed Bette Davis out of the way backstage stating, "I have an Oscar to accept" when Bancroft's name was announced. Apparently Davis never let this go and when Robert Aldrich began to develop the followup to Baby Jane, Davis finnagled her way into being a producer, granting her creative control. Joan Crawford was originally set to star, but Bette, bent on vengeance, eventually forced Crawford into faking illness to get off the set and Olivia de Havilland replaced her. As fate would have it again, Davis was not nominated for Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, but Agnes Moorhead deservedly was. If you haven't seen it, please do so. Also stars Joseph Cotten and is Bruce Dern's film debut.