You can’t blame Lou (Kristen Stewart) for gawking at Jackie (Katy O’Brian) the first time she lays eyes on her. No one in Lou’s tiny Southwestern town — the only one she’s ever known — looks at all like Jackie, a budding bodybuilder who seems to have blown into town on a stiff breeze. Lou has plenty of time to look at Jackie, too, considering she spends most of her life working a demeaning job at a local gym and doesn’t seem to care about much of anything. But Jackie? Oh, Lou cares, and quickly.
Lou’s gym seems to draw in the obsessive type — even the middle-aged moms are pushing themselves too hard on the exercise bikes — and a series of signs placed around the joint hammer home that mood. Lou, though, doesn’t seem obsessed with anything. That is, until Jackie sweeps into town.
It’s...
Lou’s gym seems to draw in the obsessive type — even the middle-aged moms are pushing themselves too hard on the exercise bikes — and a series of signs placed around the joint hammer home that mood. Lou, though, doesn’t seem obsessed with anything. That is, until Jackie sweeps into town.
It’s...
- 1/21/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
January is one of the biggest months of the year for independent film, with hundreds of film critics descending upon the Sundance Film Festival to discover the works of up-and-coming directors. But for those of us who can’t make the trek to Park City, Utah, there are plenty of independent movies to enjoy from the comfort of our homes.
This month, there’s a particularly big selection of independent classics to choose from on streaming, particularly if you’re subscribed to the Criterion Channel. In celebration of the approaching festival, Criterion is hosting a massive selection of past Sundance favorites, including the 1968 experimental documentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One.” Other favorites in the selection include “Blood Simple,” “Stranger Than Paradise,” “The Times of Harvey Milk,” “Desert Hearts,” “Working Girls,” “Paris Is Burning,” “Mississippi Masala,” “Slacker,” “Hoop Dreams,” and “The Doom Generation.” Other major indie favorites on the streamer this January include...
This month, there’s a particularly big selection of independent classics to choose from on streaming, particularly if you’re subscribed to the Criterion Channel. In celebration of the approaching festival, Criterion is hosting a massive selection of past Sundance favorites, including the 1968 experimental documentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One.” Other favorites in the selection include “Blood Simple,” “Stranger Than Paradise,” “The Times of Harvey Milk,” “Desert Hearts,” “Working Girls,” “Paris Is Burning,” “Mississippi Masala,” “Slacker,” “Hoop Dreams,” and “The Doom Generation.” Other major indie favorites on the streamer this January include...
- 1/6/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
"The Amityville Horror" is one of the definitive haunted house films, a classic tale about paranormal activity terrorizing a suburban family with swarming flies, mysterious voices, and sudden illness. Even the windows resemble ominous eyes peering down on the unsuspecting victims. The movie taps into the religious undertones popularized by other 1970s releases such as "The Exorcist" and "The Omen," suggesting there is a Satanic force at work that must be destroyed.
Eventually, the new owners George and Kathy Lutz discover the horrifying history of their new home: Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family with a rifle one year prior, a Satanic worshipper named John Ketchum once lived on the land, and the house itself was built on a Shinnecock burial ground.
Despite receiving mixed reviews for elements like the cheesy portrayal of a possessed George, "The Amityville Horror" ended up having a significant impact on the horror genre.
Eventually, the new owners George and Kathy Lutz discover the horrifying history of their new home: Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family with a rifle one year prior, a Satanic worshipper named John Ketchum once lived on the land, and the house itself was built on a Shinnecock burial ground.
Despite receiving mixed reviews for elements like the cheesy portrayal of a possessed George, "The Amityville Horror" ended up having a significant impact on the horror genre.
- 11/19/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
Mitski will play a handful of North American shows this month to mark the release of her new album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, out Sept. 15.
The singer-songwriter has announced four “Amateur Mistake” shows, starting Sept. 11 at the Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City. She’ll then play the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on Sept. 20, Town Hall in New York City on Sept. 26, and Trinity Church in Toronto on Sept. 29. (A run of previously-announced shows in the U.K. and Europe will follow in October.
The singer-songwriter has announced four “Amateur Mistake” shows, starting Sept. 11 at the Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City. She’ll then play the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on Sept. 20, Town Hall in New York City on Sept. 26, and Trinity Church in Toronto on Sept. 29. (A run of previously-announced shows in the U.K. and Europe will follow in October.
- 9/5/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Mitski stans will get to listen to her new album early and watch some classic films at listening parties the singer is hosting across the U.S. and Australia prior to the release of her new album. On Tuesday, Mitski announced that she’ll throw “music and film double features” in support of her new album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, out Sept. 15.
Depending on the location, The Land will be played alongside films 1954’s La Strada, 1978’s Days of Heaven, Donna Deitch’s Desert Hearts, and 1989’s Drugstore Cowboy.
Depending on the location, The Land will be played alongside films 1954’s La Strada, 1978’s Days of Heaven, Donna Deitch’s Desert Hearts, and 1989’s Drugstore Cowboy.
- 8/29/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Many of the most important queer films in cinema history share a birthplace: the Sundance Film Festival. Organized by the Sundance Institute, the legendary annual fest in Park City, Utah, has boasted international and U.S. premiere titles as varied as the groundbreaking New York ballroom documentary Paris Is Burning in 1991, Donna Deitch’s 1985 lesbian road drama Desert Hearts or even recent masterworks like Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 adaptation of Call Me by Your Name.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
- 6/26/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
- 6/2/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This week is Lesbian Visibility Week, and for film fans, there’s a lot to celebrate. Despite the prominence of lesbians behind the scenes in Golden Age Hollywood, love and lust between women has been a taboo subject – or at least one considered unmarketable – for much of cinema history. Tragedies like The Children’s Hour, coded but non-explicit works like Thelma And Louise, and films like Blue Is The Warmest Colour, whose sex scenes make no sense unless approached as pornography for the male gaze, have left women who desire women with very little representation. Rare exceptions like Desert Hearts and The Watermelon Woman have had to do a lot of heavy lifting and were, for most of their history, very hard for most people to get access to. Over the last few years, this has finally begun to change, with mainstream films beginning to lose their fear of queer...
- 4/30/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Before each Smackdown, suggestions for alternates to Oscar's roster...
Tilda Swinton in "Caravaggio"
1986 was, from the digging I've done, a fascinating year for queer cinema. Some of the films originated in '85 but belatedly hit the US in 1986, disparate efforts such as Desert Hearts, My Beautiful Laundrette, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and What Have I Done To Deserve This?!. Meanwhile, Working Girls premiered at that year’s Cannes but didn’t get a US release until February 1987. All of these films showed up in one form or another alongside pure-cut ‘86 releases like Parting Glances and Caravaggio, indicating a shifting tide of indie and mainstream cinema with vested, complex, even sympathetic interests in LGBT themes and characters, often made by queer filmmakers. Not only that, but the films themselves are risky and provocative. Save for the deeply unpleasant Mala Noche, all are worth real engagement, and you couldn’t go...
Tilda Swinton in "Caravaggio"
1986 was, from the digging I've done, a fascinating year for queer cinema. Some of the films originated in '85 but belatedly hit the US in 1986, disparate efforts such as Desert Hearts, My Beautiful Laundrette, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and What Have I Done To Deserve This?!. Meanwhile, Working Girls premiered at that year’s Cannes but didn’t get a US release until February 1987. All of these films showed up in one form or another alongside pure-cut ‘86 releases like Parting Glances and Caravaggio, indicating a shifting tide of indie and mainstream cinema with vested, complex, even sympathetic interests in LGBT themes and characters, often made by queer filmmakers. Not only that, but the films themselves are risky and provocative. Save for the deeply unpleasant Mala Noche, all are worth real engagement, and you couldn’t go...
- 8/15/2021
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
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Whether it’s romantic dramas, war stories, action films, dark comedies, or illuminating the stories of marginalized women and girls, there’s no denying that female directors have shown their cinematic range. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done in widening opportunities, and completely shattering the glass ceiling, but female directors continue to make strides that have shifted the landscape.
The last three years have seen an uptick in women director’s helming box-office hits, and the numbers continue to increase. Despite the start of the global pandemic that crippled the movie theater industry but boosted the streaming world, 16 percent of the top 100 films in 2020 were directed by women.
Whether it’s romantic dramas, war stories, action films, dark comedies, or illuminating the stories of marginalized women and girls, there’s no denying that female directors have shown their cinematic range. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done in widening opportunities, and completely shattering the glass ceiling, but female directors continue to make strides that have shifted the landscape.
The last three years have seen an uptick in women director’s helming box-office hits, and the numbers continue to increase. Despite the start of the global pandemic that crippled the movie theater industry but boosted the streaming world, 16 percent of the top 100 films in 2020 were directed by women.
- 3/8/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
6 random things that happened on this day, January 17th, in showbiz history...
1976 "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow hits #1. Do you know any 'Fanilows'?
1986 The 3rd Sundance Film Festival kicks off. The Laura Dern led Smooth Talk wins the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition prize, but two queer classics Desert Hearts and Parting Glances, also received jury recognition. Also on this day The Clan of the Cave Bear opened in movie theaters starring Daryl Hannah. I remember it vividly because the poster was cool (Oscar-nominated makeup!) and my mom was reading the best-seller it was based on but wouldn't go to see it because it was rated R...
1976 "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow hits #1. Do you know any 'Fanilows'?
1986 The 3rd Sundance Film Festival kicks off. The Laura Dern led Smooth Talk wins the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition prize, but two queer classics Desert Hearts and Parting Glances, also received jury recognition. Also on this day The Clan of the Cave Bear opened in movie theaters starring Daryl Hannah. I remember it vividly because the poster was cool (Oscar-nominated makeup!) and my mom was reading the best-seller it was based on but wouldn't go to see it because it was rated R...
- 1/17/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
As individual states and the film industry at large begin to think about when the right time to reopen theaters might be, digital and streaming services deliver the strongest weekly slate of new releases since the shutdown.
Many saw it as a sign of the times when HBO acquired critically acclaimed Hugh Jackman drama ”Bad Education” at the Toronto Film Festival last year, never imagining that it would be a blessing for the film that it was bypassing theaters to debut on the premium network. Meanwhile, on Netflix, two new tentpoles — including one from the team behind “Avengers: Infinity War” — give subscribers some studio-caliber entertainment to watch at home.
Here are all the new releases, with excerpts from reviews and links to where you can watch them.
Independent films, directly on demand:
Bad Education (Cory Finley) Critic’S Pick
Distributor: HBO
Where to Find It: Premieres Sat., April 25 on HBO...
Many saw it as a sign of the times when HBO acquired critically acclaimed Hugh Jackman drama ”Bad Education” at the Toronto Film Festival last year, never imagining that it would be a blessing for the film that it was bypassing theaters to debut on the premium network. Meanwhile, on Netflix, two new tentpoles — including one from the team behind “Avengers: Infinity War” — give subscribers some studio-caliber entertainment to watch at home.
Here are all the new releases, with excerpts from reviews and links to where you can watch them.
Independent films, directly on demand:
Bad Education (Cory Finley) Critic’S Pick
Distributor: HBO
Where to Find It: Premieres Sat., April 25 on HBO...
- 4/24/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
2018 was an unexpectedly fine year for B&W features, “Roma,” “Cold War” and the underseen “1985” being obvious examples. But hopes that the trend might continue into the new year aren’t encouraged by “To the Stars,” a liftoff-resistant period drama that starts like a slightly cartoonish teenage version of lesbian date-night favorite “Desert Hearts,” then gradually plods toward an excess of retro-potboiler melodrama.
Blogger/journalist Shannon-Bradley Colleary’s first produced screenplay hits so many obvious marks so heavily that you can imagine this tale originating from a vintage drugstore paperback with the sell-line “Prejudice and Passions Explode in a Town Without Pity!” It all might have worked nonetheless if handled as a sort of semi-tongue-in-cheek empowerment fairy tale, and there are moments when director Martha Stephens (who previously co-helmed “Land Ho!” with Aaron Katz) seems to be aiming thataway. But only moments. Too often, “To the Stars” is earnest in that...
Blogger/journalist Shannon-Bradley Colleary’s first produced screenplay hits so many obvious marks so heavily that you can imagine this tale originating from a vintage drugstore paperback with the sell-line “Prejudice and Passions Explode in a Town Without Pity!” It all might have worked nonetheless if handled as a sort of semi-tongue-in-cheek empowerment fairy tale, and there are moments when director Martha Stephens (who previously co-helmed “Land Ho!” with Aaron Katz) seems to be aiming thataway. But only moments. Too often, “To the Stars” is earnest in that...
- 1/27/2019
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
In the summer, Outfest celebrates the latest Lgbtq movies and short films in downtown L.A. During the fall, the non-profit organization turns its attention to legacy: It honors key entertainment figures working today, while raising money to help ensure that past landmark Lgbtq movies do not vanish before our eyes.
The annual Outfest Legacy Awards serve as the key fundraiser for Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, a preservation initiative in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive. UCLA’s archive contains more than 40,000 Lgbtq pieces — from fiction to nonfiction films, home movies and news reports. Among the project’s restored films: “Different From the Others,” the earliest known movie with a gay protagonist.
The German silent feature from 1919 was nearly destroyed by the Nazis, who objected to the story about two male musicians whose love is threatened by blackmail. Within a year of its release, the movie was banned from public...
The annual Outfest Legacy Awards serve as the key fundraiser for Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, a preservation initiative in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive. UCLA’s archive contains more than 40,000 Lgbtq pieces — from fiction to nonfiction films, home movies and news reports. Among the project’s restored films: “Different From the Others,” the earliest known movie with a gay protagonist.
The German silent feature from 1919 was nearly destroyed by the Nazis, who objected to the story about two male musicians whose love is threatened by blackmail. Within a year of its release, the movie was banned from public...
- 10/26/2018
- by Matthew Carey
- Variety Film + TV
As impressive a directorial debut as it is a cinematic landmark, Donna Deitch’s 1985 masterpiece Desert Hearts joins the ranks of the Criterion Collection as not only one of the few pieces of queer content to ascend to its ranks, but also one of the few lesbian narratives to be directed by a woman.
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 12/19/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
For my final home video column of the year, I’d like to round up the most interesting and enjoyable Blu-ray and DVD titles I’ve encountered in recent months — not necessarily a “ten best” list, but a compendium of highly recommended releases that rank among 2017’s home viewing highlights (and that make great gifts for cinephiles as the holiday shopping season approaches). Here goes: Desert Hearts. Director Donna Deitch embarked on her narrative feature debut with a simple goal — to tell a love story between two women that didn’t end with either of them dying or in a bisexual […]...
- 11/24/2017
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A woman arrives in Reno by train and will leave the same way, with one seismic difference: she has met and fallen in love with Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), a local artist and resident free-spirit. The year is 1959, and Vivian (Helen Shaver) is in Reno to get divorced. (In 1959, did people always have to go to Reno to get divorced?) She's an academic leaving a loveless, functional marriage. The idea of falling for a woman has never entered her wildest speculations. Modern audiences will inevitably connect Donna Deitch's 1985 independent film, Desert Hearts, with Todd Haynes' masterpiece of twenty years later, Carol. Both are set in the 1950s and feature older/younger relationships forming between an experienced woman and a woman only beginning to discover...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/20/2017
- Screen Anarchy
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Allied (Robert Zemeckis)
That thing we can’t take for granted: a film whose many parts – period piece, war picture, blood-spattered actioner, deception-fueled espionage thriller, sexy romance, and, at certain turns, comedy – can gracefully move in conjunction and separate from each other, just as its labyrinthine-but-not-quite plot jumps from one setpiece to the next with little trouble in maintaining a consistency of overall pleasure. Another late-career triumph for Robert Zemeckis,...
Allied (Robert Zemeckis)
That thing we can’t take for granted: a film whose many parts – period piece, war picture, blood-spattered actioner, deception-fueled espionage thriller, sexy romance, and, at certain turns, comedy – can gracefully move in conjunction and separate from each other, just as its labyrinthine-but-not-quite plot jumps from one setpiece to the next with little trouble in maintaining a consistency of overall pleasure. Another late-career triumph for Robert Zemeckis,...
- 11/17/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Criterion Collection will be paying its respects to the late Jonathan Demme and George A. Romero in February 2018 by finally making “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Night of the Living Dead” members of its prestigious library. The two horror classics are joining famous titles from Kon Ichikawa, Satyajit Ray, and Tony Richardson as February additions to the Criterion Collection.
Read More:The Criterion Collection Announces January 2018 Titles, Including ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘I, Daniel Blake’
Criterion will release a new 4K digital restoration of “The Silence of the Lambs,” which has been approved by the movie’s cinematographer Tak Fujimoto. Included on the DVD and Blu-ray sets are 35 minutes of deleted scenes and audio commentary from 1994 featuring Demme, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and former FBI agent John Douglas. “Night of the Living Dead” will also be released in 4K, with never-before-seen 16mm dailies included as a bonus feature.
Read More:The Criterion Collection Announces January 2018 Titles, Including ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘I, Daniel Blake’
Criterion will release a new 4K digital restoration of “The Silence of the Lambs,” which has been approved by the movie’s cinematographer Tak Fujimoto. Included on the DVD and Blu-ray sets are 35 minutes of deleted scenes and audio commentary from 1994 featuring Demme, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and former FBI agent John Douglas. “Night of the Living Dead” will also be released in 4K, with never-before-seen 16mm dailies included as a bonus feature.
- 11/15/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
By 1985 Hollywood had still only dabbled in movies about the ‘shame that cannot speak its name,’ and in every case the verdict for the transgressors was regret and misery, if not death. Donna Deitch’s brilliant drama achieves exactly what she wanted, to do make a movie about a lesbian relationship that doesn’t end in a tragedy.
Desert Hearts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 902
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Film Editor: Robert Estrin
Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall
Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule
Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch
Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...
Desert Hearts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 902
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Film Editor: Robert Estrin
Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall
Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule
Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch
Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...
- 11/7/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Criterion Collection has unveiled its holiday slate, with “Election” leading the list of titles being released this December. Joining Alexander Payne’s classic in the Collection are a new digital transfer of Barbet Schroeder’s documentary “General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait,” “The Complete Monterey Pop Festival,” and the previously announced “100 Years of Olympic Films 1912-2012.” More information — and, just as importantly, cover art — below:
Read More:Criterion Collection Announces November Titles, Including Seminal Lesbian Drama ‘Desert Hearts’ and ‘The Philadelphia Story’
“Election”
“Perky, overachieving Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) gets on the nerves of history teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) to begin with, but after she launches her campaign for high-school president and his personal life starts to fall apart, things spiral out of control. In Alexander Payne’s satire ‘Election,’ the teacher becomes unhealthily obsessed with cutting his student down to size, covertly backing a spoiler candidate to...
Read More:Criterion Collection Announces November Titles, Including Seminal Lesbian Drama ‘Desert Hearts’ and ‘The Philadelphia Story’
“Election”
“Perky, overachieving Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) gets on the nerves of history teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) to begin with, but after she launches her campaign for high-school president and his personal life starts to fall apart, things spiral out of control. In Alexander Payne’s satire ‘Election,’ the teacher becomes unhealthily obsessed with cutting his student down to size, covertly backing a spoiler candidate to...
- 9/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Ah, the mellifluous refrain of Lily Tomlin’s Ms. Frizzle warning: “Strap in, kids. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” How many lazy afternoons were spent learning about the digestive tract from the inside of an intestine, or flying inside an exhaust pipe to fix a faulty engine and learn what a carburetor is? Now, it’s time for the next generation to surreptitiously learn about science at the urging of an eccentric, frizzy-haired teacher. Netflix released the first trailer for its reboot of “The Magic School Bus,” a beloved and educational kids’ show that ran for four seasons from 1994-1997 on PBS Kids, titled “The Magic School Bus Rides Again.”
Ms. Frizzle, originally voiced by Lily Tomlin, will now be played by Kate McKinnon, rightful heir to all things funny and wacky. The only thing missing in the passing of the baton is Ms. Frizzle’s signature frizzy hair,...
Ms. Frizzle, originally voiced by Lily Tomlin, will now be played by Kate McKinnon, rightful heir to all things funny and wacky. The only thing missing in the passing of the baton is Ms. Frizzle’s signature frizzy hair,...
- 9/5/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
New digital restorations are the main attractions for four titles that will be arriving via the Criterion Collection in November 2017. Le Samourai is the one that caught my eye first. Jean-Pierre Melville's work has been influential upon more than generation of filmmakers fascinated by the crime genre, and his 1967 drama is visually striking and emotionally chilly; Alain Delon stars. It will be presented in a new high-definition digital restoration. Desert Hearts is a profoundly affecting love story. Groundbreaking in 1985 for its frank depiction of the attraction between two women in the 1950s, I've only seen it on a lower-resolution version, so I'm very interested in seeing the new, restored 4K digital transfer, especially since it's from the early period of acclaimed cinematographer...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/17/2017
- Screen Anarchy
November over at The Criterion Collection may look a smidge slim, offering up just four new titles, but each new addition to the collection is a seminal selection well-deserving of the Criterion treatment. Of most interest, however, is Donna Deitch’s feature debut “Desert Hearts,” a seminal lesbian drama that’s been going through something of a resurgence as of late, thanks to last year’s 30th anniversary and a continued adoration for its forward-thinking subject matter.
As we recently explored, in the early ’80s, Deitch was a film school grad with only docs under her belt, eager to make a different kind of feature about lesbians in love, and “without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become...
As we recently explored, in the early ’80s, Deitch was a film school grad with only docs under her belt, eager to make a different kind of feature about lesbians in love, and “without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become...
- 8/16/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind tha
Film Society of Lincoln Center
The great Carlo Di Palma shot some of the finest films ever made, so he gets a series. Featuring Antonioni, Allen, Bertolucci, and more.
Metrograph
Though well past sold-out, the uncut print of Suspiria plays this weekend, as does 3 Women.
The top 10 of director Sergei Loznitsa screens.
Film Forum
Blow Up has been restored and begins screening.
Film Society of Lincoln Center
The great Carlo Di Palma shot some of the finest films ever made, so he gets a series. Featuring Antonioni, Allen, Bertolucci, and more.
Metrograph
Though well past sold-out, the uncut print of Suspiria plays this weekend, as does 3 Women.
The top 10 of director Sergei Loznitsa screens.
Film Forum
Blow Up has been restored and begins screening.
- 7/28/2017
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
For every cult classic like Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me or stone cold classic like Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, the folks at Janus and The Criterion Collection decide to use their platform to shine a light on some of film’s most interesting unsung gems. Be it from the early days of African cinema, the Romanian New Wave or even American indie cinema of the ‘80s and ‘90s, some of Janus and Criterion’s most interesting theatrical and home video releases are the ones that seemingly come out of nowhere.
Take, for example, Desert Hearts. From director Donna Deitch, Hearts tells the story of Vivian, a conservative, buttoned up English professor caught in the middle of late ‘50s Reno and a going-nowhere marriage. In the midst of a divorce Vivian meets Cay, a gorgeous and vibrant woman who helps not only open Vivian’s eyes to herself but to the world around her.
Take, for example, Desert Hearts. From director Donna Deitch, Hearts tells the story of Vivian, a conservative, buttoned up English professor caught in the middle of late ‘50s Reno and a going-nowhere marriage. In the midst of a divorce Vivian meets Cay, a gorgeous and vibrant woman who helps not only open Vivian’s eyes to herself but to the world around her.
- 7/20/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
In the early ’80s, Donna Deitch was a recent film school grad with no feature credits looking make a lesbian romance — one that didn’t end with killing its heroines. Without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become a groundbreaking lesbian classic that still resonates today.
Read More‘Desert Hearts’ Trailer: Donna Deitch’s Groundbreaking Lesbian Classic Restored — Watch
Adapted by Natalie Cooper from the 1964 Jane Rule novel “Desert of the Heart,” Deitch’s 1985 film is a poignant romance set in 1959, when straitlaced Columbia professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives at a ranch in Reno, Nev. to get a divorce (the only place one could at that time). She meets the rancher’s daughter, Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), an open and self-assured lesbian,...
Read More‘Desert Hearts’ Trailer: Donna Deitch’s Groundbreaking Lesbian Classic Restored — Watch
Adapted by Natalie Cooper from the 1964 Jane Rule novel “Desert of the Heart,” Deitch’s 1985 film is a poignant romance set in 1959, when straitlaced Columbia professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives at a ranch in Reno, Nev. to get a divorce (the only place one could at that time). She meets the rancher’s daughter, Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), an open and self-assured lesbian,...
- 7/20/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Set in 1959 and released in 1986, “Desert Hearts” is utterly timeless. Not only was Donna Deitch’s groundbreaking film directed and produced by a woman, but it was the first film to show two women have a romance onscreen that didn’t result in their deaths. A little over thirty years since its Sundance debut, Deitch’s classic is getting a beautiful 4k restoration and anniversary theatrical run — complete with this brand new trailer and poster.
Adapted from a novel by Jane Rule, “Desert Hearts” chronicles straitlaced English professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) who arrives in Reno to finalize her divorce. Hoping for a little peace and quiet, her world is turned upside down by the firecracker Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau). Ten years younger and not afraid to go after what she wants, Cay’s blows the lid off of Vivian’s carefully cultivated world at full speed.
The period details...
Adapted from a novel by Jane Rule, “Desert Hearts” chronicles straitlaced English professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) who arrives in Reno to finalize her divorce. Hoping for a little peace and quiet, her world is turned upside down by the firecracker Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau). Ten years younger and not afraid to go after what she wants, Cay’s blows the lid off of Vivian’s carefully cultivated world at full speed.
The period details...
- 7/14/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Aaron is joined by Doug McCambridge and Jackie Carlson and they discuss female filmmakers in the collection, take the deep dive into David Lynch and Coppola’s Rumble Fish. Most importantly, Doug is ridiculed for failing to live up to his promise to get the trial.
Episode Notes
6:30 – Aaron and his TV problems
14:50 – Female Filmmakers
33:10 – David Lynch
47:00 – Rumble Fish
54:30 – Short Takes (Canoa, Mildred Pierce, David Lynch Shorts, Touki Bouki)
1:03:40 – FilmStruck
Episode Links Frameline – Desert Hearts The Agnès Varda Blu-ray Collection What Did Five Woody Woodpecker Dolls Do to Upset David Lynch? Janus Films – Fire Walk With Me Episode Credits Aaron West: Twitter | Website | Letterboxd Doug McCambridge: Twitter | Website Jackie Carlson: Instagram | Letterboxd Criterion Now: Twitter | Facebook Group Criterion Cast: Facebook | Twitter
Music for the show is from Fatboy Roberts’ Geek Remixed project.
Episode Notes
6:30 – Aaron and his TV problems
14:50 – Female Filmmakers
33:10 – David Lynch
47:00 – Rumble Fish
54:30 – Short Takes (Canoa, Mildred Pierce, David Lynch Shorts, Touki Bouki)
1:03:40 – FilmStruck
Episode Links Frameline – Desert Hearts The Agnès Varda Blu-ray Collection What Did Five Woody Woodpecker Dolls Do to Upset David Lynch? Janus Films – Fire Walk With Me Episode Credits Aaron West: Twitter | Website | Letterboxd Doug McCambridge: Twitter | Website Jackie Carlson: Instagram | Letterboxd Criterion Now: Twitter | Facebook Group Criterion Cast: Facebook | Twitter
Music for the show is from Fatboy Roberts’ Geek Remixed project.
- 6/5/2017
- by Aaron West
- CriterionCast
It’s almost time to get your Q on, St. Louis!!
The 10h Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs March 29th – April 2nd at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103)
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of films from filmmakers that represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
All screenings at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103). Individual tickets are $13 for general admission, $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members with valid and current photo IDs.
Advance tickets may be purchased at the Hi-Pointe Backlot box office or website. For more info, visit the Cinema St. Louis site Here
http://www.
The 10h Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs March 29th – April 2nd at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103)
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of films from filmmakers that represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
All screenings at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103). Individual tickets are $13 for general admission, $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members with valid and current photo IDs.
Advance tickets may be purchased at the Hi-Pointe Backlot box office or website. For more info, visit the Cinema St. Louis site Here
http://www.
- 3/16/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival may already have announced their premieres, Spotlights, Competition and Next lineup, among other films and installations, but there’s four more features joining the festival.
Sundance Institute has added two Documentary Premieres and two archive From The Film Collection movies to next year’s lineup. The two documentaries are “Bending the Arc” and “Long Strange Trip,” with the archive films being “Desert Hearts” and “Reservoir Dogs,” which premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. The 25th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s classic will be followed by an extended Q&A with Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender.
Read More: Sundance 2017: The Lineup So Far
The archive films are selections from the the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute, established in 1997. With these additions, the festival will present 118 feature-length films, which represent 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers. For...
Sundance Institute has added two Documentary Premieres and two archive From The Film Collection movies to next year’s lineup. The two documentaries are “Bending the Arc” and “Long Strange Trip,” with the archive films being “Desert Hearts” and “Reservoir Dogs,” which premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. The 25th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s classic will be followed by an extended Q&A with Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender.
Read More: Sundance 2017: The Lineup So Far
The archive films are selections from the the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute, established in 1997. With these additions, the festival will present 118 feature-length films, which represent 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers. For...
- 12/14/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Festival brass on Wednesday added two Documentary Premieres as well as a pair of favourites from the vaults – Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs.
Documentary Premieres are Haitian activism story Bending The Arc from Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos, and Long Strange Trip, about The Grateful Dead, from Happy Valley and The Tillman Story director Amir Bar-Lev.
Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs producer Lawrence Bender will participate in a post-screening Q&A.
The archive films are selections from the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute established in 1997 that has grown to more than 4,000 holdings representing close to 2,300 titles.
The four additions boost the 2017 roster to 118 feature films representing 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers, including 20 in competition.
Entries were selected from 13,782 submissions including 4,068 features and 8,985 shorts. Of the feature submissions, 2,005 were from the Us and 2,063 were international. One hundred...
Documentary Premieres are Haitian activism story Bending The Arc from Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos, and Long Strange Trip, about The Grateful Dead, from Happy Valley and The Tillman Story director Amir Bar-Lev.
Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs producer Lawrence Bender will participate in a post-screening Q&A.
The archive films are selections from the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute established in 1997 that has grown to more than 4,000 holdings representing close to 2,300 titles.
The four additions boost the 2017 roster to 118 feature films representing 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers, including 20 in competition.
Entries were selected from 13,782 submissions including 4,068 features and 8,985 shorts. Of the feature submissions, 2,005 were from the Us and 2,063 were international. One hundred...
- 12/14/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Lgbt festival also sees industry and filmmaker delegate numbers double.
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has reported a 9% audience boost for its 30th anniversary edition, which closed on Sunday with a gala screening of Catherine Corsini’s French lesbian drama Summertime.
Audiences at all events and screenings over the 11-day festival totalled 25,623 – up on the 23,500 recorded in 2015.
This year’s festival also saw a boost in industry numbers with 168 visiting filmmakers and more than 300 press and industry delegates – up on the 120 filmmakers and 200+ industry that attended last year.
This was due to an expanded industry offering that included daily press screenings, alongside talks with an Lgbt focus on development, production and distribution with speakers including Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and new series The Makers, with key international filmmakers Silas Howard (Transparent), Fenton Bailey (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures), and Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts).
Expanding vision
Clare Stewart, head of festivals...
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has reported a 9% audience boost for its 30th anniversary edition, which closed on Sunday with a gala screening of Catherine Corsini’s French lesbian drama Summertime.
Audiences at all events and screenings over the 11-day festival totalled 25,623 – up on the 23,500 recorded in 2015.
This year’s festival also saw a boost in industry numbers with 168 visiting filmmakers and more than 300 press and industry delegates – up on the 120 filmmakers and 200+ industry that attended last year.
This was due to an expanded industry offering that included daily press screenings, alongside talks with an Lgbt focus on development, production and distribution with speakers including Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and new series The Makers, with key international filmmakers Silas Howard (Transparent), Fenton Bailey (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures), and Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts).
Expanding vision
Clare Stewart, head of festivals...
- 3/30/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Lgbt festival will feature more than 50 features in its 30th anniversary year; Catherine Corsini’s Summertime [pictured] revealed as closing night film.
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has revealed the line-up for its 30th anniversary edition.
The festival will feature more than 50 features and 100 shorts this year, as well as a series of events and an expanded industry programme.
The film programme will be split into three programmes - Hearts, Bodies and Minds - which will highlight three distinct themes: Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, transgender representation, and Queer Science and new technology.
The first of those, Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, will feature titles including Tomer and Barak Heymann’s documentary Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?, Andrew Stegall’s Departure, and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures.
The second strand, Transgender representation on screen, will feature...
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has revealed the line-up for its 30th anniversary edition.
The festival will feature more than 50 features and 100 shorts this year, as well as a series of events and an expanded industry programme.
The film programme will be split into three programmes - Hearts, Bodies and Minds - which will highlight three distinct themes: Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, transgender representation, and Queer Science and new technology.
The first of those, Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, will feature titles including Tomer and Barak Heymann’s documentary Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?, Andrew Stegall’s Departure, and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures.
The second strand, Transgender representation on screen, will feature...
- 2/18/2016
- ScreenDaily
Since we're not in Sundance this year, a look back at Sundance classics. Here's David on Poison...
Glenn kicked off our Sundance retrospective with a look at Desert Hearts, a film with more than a passing resemblance to Todd Haynes' Carol; a few years down the line, and we come to Haynes’ own appearance in the Utah festival, with his feature debut Poison. Winner of the 1991 festival’s Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic, Poison is considered a vital film in the ‘New Queer Cinema’ movement of the early 1990s, as coined by B. Ruby Rich the following year. Rich’s theory involved not just the presence of Lgbt characters and themes, but the queering of filmmaking form itself. Haynes had already demonstrated his inventive, radical eye in the controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, and Poison, with its triptych of homonymic narratives, consolidated the director’s manipulation...
Glenn kicked off our Sundance retrospective with a look at Desert Hearts, a film with more than a passing resemblance to Todd Haynes' Carol; a few years down the line, and we come to Haynes’ own appearance in the Utah festival, with his feature debut Poison. Winner of the 1991 festival’s Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic, Poison is considered a vital film in the ‘New Queer Cinema’ movement of the early 1990s, as coined by B. Ruby Rich the following year. Rich’s theory involved not just the presence of Lgbt characters and themes, but the queering of filmmaking form itself. Haynes had already demonstrated his inventive, radical eye in the controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, and Poison, with its triptych of homonymic narratives, consolidated the director’s manipulation...
- 1/26/2016
- by Dave
- FilmExperience
Team Film Experience isn't at Sundance this year, so instead we're going back through the years to discover and revisit some Sundance classics. Here is Glenn with the 1986 winner of the Special Jury Prize, Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts.
It was a happy accident that on a whim I picked the 1985 drama Desert Hearts to write about today given we’re still very much wrapped up in the warm bosom of Carol. I had not seen Donna Deitch’s film before and had no idea prior to sitting down to watch it that it shared so much in common with Carol, 30 years its senior. I was aware of course that it was a lesbian romance, and I was also aware that the film is (famously) regarded as the first film to allow a lesbian romance to end without tragedy. Still, there were moments where beat-for-beat the films are almost identical.
It was a happy accident that on a whim I picked the 1985 drama Desert Hearts to write about today given we’re still very much wrapped up in the warm bosom of Carol. I had not seen Donna Deitch’s film before and had no idea prior to sitting down to watch it that it shared so much in common with Carol, 30 years its senior. I was aware of course that it was a lesbian romance, and I was also aware that the film is (famously) regarded as the first film to allow a lesbian romance to end without tragedy. Still, there were moments where beat-for-beat the films are almost identical.
- 1/21/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Happy Gay Pride Month!
As celebrations kick off all over the world, you can queue up some of the best Lgbt films ever made on Netflix. Now streaming are great love stories like "Desert Hearts," as well as tearjerkers "A Single Man" and "The Hours," not to mention the musical "Rent," and award-winning documentaries about gay icons, including the immoral Divine and the voguing pioneers of "Paris is Burning."
Just don't wait too long: Movie availability is always subject to change.
As celebrations kick off all over the world, you can queue up some of the best Lgbt films ever made on Netflix. Now streaming are great love stories like "Desert Hearts," as well as tearjerkers "A Single Man" and "The Hours," not to mention the musical "Rent," and award-winning documentaries about gay icons, including the immoral Divine and the voguing pioneers of "Paris is Burning."
Just don't wait too long: Movie availability is always subject to change.
- 6/12/2015
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
When Night Is Falling
Written and Directed by Patricia Rozema
Canada, 1995
There is an oft-repeated story about filmmaker Patricia Rozema’s introduction to the cinema. Raised in a family of Dutch Calvinists in Kingston, Ontario, she was not allowed to attend her first film until the age of 16, when a date took her to see The Exorcist. In interviews, Rozema confided that she was haunted by the movie’s terrifying images for days afterward.
The media focused on her unusual film-going past when her directorial debut, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, became an unexpected Canadian and international smash in 1987. It was commonly referenced to underscore her ironic choice of career given the circumstances.
However, the anecdote has more personal relevance for me. In a way, it’s a mirror image of my own experience seeing Rozema’s third film, When Night Is Falling, when it was released in 1995. I...
Written and Directed by Patricia Rozema
Canada, 1995
There is an oft-repeated story about filmmaker Patricia Rozema’s introduction to the cinema. Raised in a family of Dutch Calvinists in Kingston, Ontario, she was not allowed to attend her first film until the age of 16, when a date took her to see The Exorcist. In interviews, Rozema confided that she was haunted by the movie’s terrifying images for days afterward.
The media focused on her unusual film-going past when her directorial debut, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, became an unexpected Canadian and international smash in 1987. It was commonly referenced to underscore her ironic choice of career given the circumstances.
However, the anecdote has more personal relevance for me. In a way, it’s a mirror image of my own experience seeing Rozema’s third film, When Night Is Falling, when it was released in 1995. I...
- 5/2/2015
- by A.R. Wilson
- SoundOnSight
When Lgbt people leave the safety of the city in films, it usually spells bad news – and Stranger by the Lake and Tom at the Farm don't buck the trend
Gay people and the city have been a good match since Sodom and Gomorrah. From the molly houses of 18th-century London to 1970s San Francisco via prewar Berlin, the urban environment has always been the natural habitat of queer culture – a place where Lgbt people can set their own rules, form their own families, be anonymous when they want to and find company when they fancy it. The countryside, on the other hand, is the place they escape from – a realm of social conformity with limited opportunities for culture, sex or socialising, and perhaps even a site of danger.
That's the stereotype, anyway, both in reality and on screen. Innumerable movies with claims to gay-classic status are inseparable from their urban settings: London has Victim,...
Gay people and the city have been a good match since Sodom and Gomorrah. From the molly houses of 18th-century London to 1970s San Francisco via prewar Berlin, the urban environment has always been the natural habitat of queer culture – a place where Lgbt people can set their own rules, form their own families, be anonymous when they want to and find company when they fancy it. The countryside, on the other hand, is the place they escape from – a realm of social conformity with limited opportunities for culture, sex or socialising, and perhaps even a site of danger.
That's the stereotype, anyway, both in reality and on screen. Innumerable movies with claims to gay-classic status are inseparable from their urban settings: London has Victim,...
- 2/21/2014
- by Ben Walters
- The Guardian - Film News
Tags: The AfterEllen.com HuddleAfterEllen HuddleDesert HeartsLoving AnnabelleHarold and MaudePortia de RossiEllen DeGeneresCluelessQueer as FolkIMDb
As Aaliyah once sang, "Age ain't nothin but a number." Unfortunately, she was 13 and married to R. Kelly and had to get divorced, but not all May-December love stories are so tragic. With so much talk about age differences lately, whether its celebrity pairings or inane court cases, we thought we'd share our favorites.
Dorothy Snarker: Harold and Maude, which if you May youngsters out there haven't watched, you should for the Cat Stevens soundtrack alone. But mostly because Ruth Gordon is everything you've ever wanted to be when you grew up.
Bridget McManus: My vote goes to Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins in Big. Although Hanks' Josh Baskin character is physically in an adult male body for most of the film let's not forget that he's just a 12-year-old boy wooing the 30-something New York businesswoman Susan.
As Aaliyah once sang, "Age ain't nothin but a number." Unfortunately, she was 13 and married to R. Kelly and had to get divorced, but not all May-December love stories are so tragic. With so much talk about age differences lately, whether its celebrity pairings or inane court cases, we thought we'd share our favorites.
Dorothy Snarker: Harold and Maude, which if you May youngsters out there haven't watched, you should for the Cat Stevens soundtrack alone. But mostly because Ruth Gordon is everything you've ever wanted to be when you grew up.
Bridget McManus: My vote goes to Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins in Big. Although Hanks' Josh Baskin character is physically in an adult male body for most of the film let's not forget that he's just a 12-year-old boy wooing the 30-something New York businesswoman Susan.
- 5/24/2013
- by trishbendix
- AfterEllen.com
Tags: gay for payShay MitchellJennifer BealsLena HeadeyPiper PeraboIMDb
Last week on Buzzfeed, I came across the article "31 Actresses That Went Gay for Pay." The sub-header of the article states "These (supposedly) straight actresses have switched teams for television and movie roles, sometimes more than once. And we love that about them." My first reaction was, "awesome!" because I’m pretty much a sucker for anything with lesbian content. (I swear I will watch paint dry as long as the paint is lesbian.) As I read through the article, a feeling of frustration washed over me. The connotation of “gay for pay” turns those roles, roles we love, to something less than positive.
First of all, "gay for pay" has pornographic origins. It’s used to describe a heterosexual performer who engages in gay sex for compensation. To equate all gay roles played by straight actors as "gay for play" seems fundamentally unfair.
Last week on Buzzfeed, I came across the article "31 Actresses That Went Gay for Pay." The sub-header of the article states "These (supposedly) straight actresses have switched teams for television and movie roles, sometimes more than once. And we love that about them." My first reaction was, "awesome!" because I’m pretty much a sucker for anything with lesbian content. (I swear I will watch paint dry as long as the paint is lesbian.) As I read through the article, a feeling of frustration washed over me. The connotation of “gay for pay” turns those roles, roles we love, to something less than positive.
First of all, "gay for pay" has pornographic origins. It’s used to describe a heterosexual performer who engages in gay sex for compensation. To equate all gay roles played by straight actors as "gay for play" seems fundamentally unfair.
- 3/12/2013
- by DanaPiccoli
- AfterEllen.com
Tags: Best Lesbian Bi Movie EverBest Lesbian Movie EverJamie BabbitAngela RobinsonIlene ChaikenColey SohnShamim SarifIMDb
The voting on our Best Lesbian/Bi Movie Ever poll closes next Tuesday, and if you haven't yet figured out what film deserves your click of approval, then perhaps you'll take some professional opinions into account. We asked some of our favorite out directors, actors and writers to tell us which movie they'd vote for to win the title of Best Lesbian/Bi Movie Ever, and it proved to be an interesting experiment. Most of them had the same problem you do: It's hard to pick just one! You might even get a few new films to watch out of reading their responses.
Photos from Getty
Jamie Babbit, director of But I'm a Cheerleader: Heavenly Creatures is my vote. Kate Winslet in her first role and Melanie Lynsky (she was later in my film But I'm a Cheerleader...
The voting on our Best Lesbian/Bi Movie Ever poll closes next Tuesday, and if you haven't yet figured out what film deserves your click of approval, then perhaps you'll take some professional opinions into account. We asked some of our favorite out directors, actors and writers to tell us which movie they'd vote for to win the title of Best Lesbian/Bi Movie Ever, and it proved to be an interesting experiment. Most of them had the same problem you do: It's hard to pick just one! You might even get a few new films to watch out of reading their responses.
Photos from Getty
Jamie Babbit, director of But I'm a Cheerleader: Heavenly Creatures is my vote. Kate Winslet in her first role and Melanie Lynsky (she was later in my film But I'm a Cheerleader...
- 11/9/2012
- by trishbendix
- AfterEllen.com
After a lesbian couple enjoyed the Us navy 'first kiss' on the pier, Julie Bindel picks her favourite women-only snogs
Lesbian kissing is more often than not viewed as specialist porn rather than a symbol of love and affection, but not so the footage captured on YouTube and newspapers of petty officers Marissa Gaeta and her partner Citlalic Snell. Gaeta and Snell were sharing the coveted homecoming "first kiss" on the pier, taking advantage of the repeal of the Us military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule. They had been at sea for 80 days and had no doubt missed each other. The fact that the crowd screamed and waved flags around the couple shows how far we have come since the days when the tabloids were expressing outrage at any sign of affection between lesbians on TV.
Which takes me to number 10 on my list of favourite lezzer snogs of all time.
Lesbian kissing is more often than not viewed as specialist porn rather than a symbol of love and affection, but not so the footage captured on YouTube and newspapers of petty officers Marissa Gaeta and her partner Citlalic Snell. Gaeta and Snell were sharing the coveted homecoming "first kiss" on the pier, taking advantage of the repeal of the Us military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule. They had been at sea for 80 days and had no doubt missed each other. The fact that the crowd screamed and waved flags around the couple shows how far we have come since the days when the tabloids were expressing outrage at any sign of affection between lesbians on TV.
Which takes me to number 10 on my list of favourite lezzer snogs of all time.
- 12/22/2011
- by Julie Bindel
- The Guardian - Film News
With Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right vying for Oscars, it seems Hollywood is growing up ... but the best roles still go to straight women
The two favourites for the 83rd Oscar for best actress are Natalie Portman and Annette Bening and, if either of them wins, the ceremony will also mark a momentous night for many more women: it will be the night when lesbian sex scenes became part of the cultural mainstream.
Bening's role as the strong matriarchal figure in a gay family in The Kids Are All Right naturally involves showing the daily intimacies of life with her on-screen partner, played by Julianne Moore. In contrast, Portman's brittle portrayal of the prima ballerina at the centre of Black Swan, a part that has already earned her both a Golden Globe and a Bafta, draws her into a lesbian encounter with a rival ballet dancer that is far from domestic.
The two favourites for the 83rd Oscar for best actress are Natalie Portman and Annette Bening and, if either of them wins, the ceremony will also mark a momentous night for many more women: it will be the night when lesbian sex scenes became part of the cultural mainstream.
Bening's role as the strong matriarchal figure in a gay family in The Kids Are All Right naturally involves showing the daily intimacies of life with her on-screen partner, played by Julianne Moore. In contrast, Portman's brittle portrayal of the prima ballerina at the centre of Black Swan, a part that has already earned her both a Golden Globe and a Bafta, draws her into a lesbian encounter with a rival ballet dancer that is far from domestic.
- 2/19/2011
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
In the 2006 documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, lesbian director Jamie Babbit spoke openly about how the MPAA ratings board saw lesbian content in movies as offensive or racy content. To get an R rating on her film, But I'm a Cheerleader, she said she had to cut down the sex scene between Clea Duvall and Natasha Lyonne. For those who have seen the movie, you know there is no nudity and it's mostly some breathing sounds with brief glimpses of hands moving over skin under the blanket in the dark.
Yet you've likely seen much more explicit sex scenes between men and women on film, such as Monster's Ball or 9 1/2 Weeks.
The latest film to be part of a ratings uproar is Blue Valentine, which features Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams having "believable" sex. (Acting sex; not engaging in real sex acts, which does happen on film. See: The Brown Bunny.
Yet you've likely seen much more explicit sex scenes between men and women on film, such as Monster's Ball or 9 1/2 Weeks.
The latest film to be part of a ratings uproar is Blue Valentine, which features Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams having "believable" sex. (Acting sex; not engaging in real sex acts, which does happen on film. See: The Brown Bunny.
- 12/9/2010
- by Trish Bendix
- AfterEllen.com
Before there was Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts) and Cheryl Dunye (Watermelon Woman) there was Barbara Hammer. In 1974, while attending school in UCLA, the young Barbara met a group of women and realized she was both a lesbian and a feminist, something that would influence not only Barbara herself, but generations of women — whether they realize it or not.
1974 is when Barbara put the first lesbian sex scene on film. It was a short, called Dyketatics, and shot close-up in all black and white. It was real sex between two women (Hammer and a friend) and it was controversial, of course. But it helped Barbara realized that capturing lesbian life on screen was part of her ideal life, and she wouldn't stop using her camera and her sexuality to infiltrate the worlds of art and film. Now, she's giving herself to the world of publishing with her new book, Hammer! Making...
1974 is when Barbara put the first lesbian sex scene on film. It was a short, called Dyketatics, and shot close-up in all black and white. It was real sex between two women (Hammer and a friend) and it was controversial, of course. But it helped Barbara realized that capturing lesbian life on screen was part of her ideal life, and she wouldn't stop using her camera and her sexuality to infiltrate the worlds of art and film. Now, she's giving herself to the world of publishing with her new book, Hammer! Making...
- 3/8/2010
- by Trish Bendix
- AfterEllen.com
Grey’s Anatomy just got gayer. Out actress Sarah Paulson has signed on to appear in an upcoming episode as the younger version of Ellis Grey, Meredith’s mother. Joining her will be Angel alum J. August Richards as the young Dr. Richard Webber.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the episode titled “Time Warp” will include flashbacks to 1982 to show the beginnings of years-long affair between Ellis and Richard. The episode will feature flashbacks to younger Bailey (Chandra Wilson) in her “pre-‘Nazi’ days” and Callie (Sara Ramirez) pre-Seattle Grace days. That would also be Callie pre-gay days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Now, I’m happy anytime Sarah Paulson returns to my TV. She was the best thing about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a cast of amazing actors. In particular I hope Sarah can show off a little of her amazing comic timing in the role.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the episode titled “Time Warp” will include flashbacks to 1982 to show the beginnings of years-long affair between Ellis and Richard. The episode will feature flashbacks to younger Bailey (Chandra Wilson) in her “pre-‘Nazi’ days” and Callie (Sara Ramirez) pre-Seattle Grace days. That would also be Callie pre-gay days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Now, I’m happy anytime Sarah Paulson returns to my TV. She was the best thing about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a cast of amazing actors. In particular I hope Sarah can show off a little of her amazing comic timing in the role.
- 1/21/2010
- by dorothy snarker
- AfterEllen.com
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Want to know if someone is openly gay? (We won't out anyone, but we'll let you know what they've said publicly.) Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: Is [actress] Clea DuVall a lesbian or has she ever come out and said anything about her sexuality?
— Melissa, Syracuse, New York
Clea DuVall
Answer: The 31-year old actress has never publicly stated her sexual orientation.
She is a favorite among lesbian viewers for her work in several films by out director Jamie Babbit, including But I'm A Cheerleader (1999), Sleeping Beauties (a short film starring Radha Mitchell, of High Art fame), Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), and her role in the HBO film,...
Question: Is [actress] Clea DuVall a lesbian or has she ever come out and said anything about her sexuality?
— Melissa, Syracuse, New York
Clea DuVall
Answer: The 31-year old actress has never publicly stated her sexual orientation.
She is a favorite among lesbian viewers for her work in several films by out director Jamie Babbit, including But I'm A Cheerleader (1999), Sleeping Beauties (a short film starring Radha Mitchell, of High Art fame), Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), and her role in the HBO film,...
- 1/13/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
With more than 200 films, 50,000 expected attendees and 26 years of history at its back, Outfest: the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, which kicked off Wednesday night, has reached an age that typically connotes old guard orthodoxy and establishment entrenchment. But if you ask interim executive director Kirsten Schaffer what makes Los Angeles' longest continuously running film festival important, it's all about the newbies.
"The festival is a launching pad for emerging queer filmmakers," Schaffer said. "This is the place to make connections with other filmmakers and industry, and begin to bring their careers to new places."
Because of Outfest's proximity to Hollywood, a certain amount of industry presence is endemic to the festival. However, as director of programming Kimberly Yutani said, the industry crowd is somewhat incidental to the festival's primary draw.
"Outfest is very much an Lgbt community festival," she said. "Yes, there are people in the industry who are gay that come with an eye for talent, but they come as a member of that community."
The festival's neutral attitude toward Tinseltown is perhaps best evinced by its lack of a formal marketplace. As Schaffer said, "A lot of things get bought and sold during Outfest, but we're not the queer Afm."
This aversion to becoming a trade show is essential to the festival's commitment to showcase compelling work. "We're an arts organization, so we're not confined by profit margins," Schaffer said. "We can show movies that mainstream entities aren't dealing with."
That especially applies to Outfest's Platinum section, which focuses on avant-garde and experimental media. This year's Platinum programming pays tribute to underground punk mutineer Bruce Labruce with screenings of his "Super 8 1/2" (1993) and new "Otto; or, Up With Dead People" (Strand Releasing) at Redcat.
This year's highest honor, the Outfest Achievement Award, will go to filmmaker Donna Deitch, whose 1985 "Desert Hearts" made waves for its earnest and positive portrayal of lesbian romance.
Outfest also has selected a small number of "centerpiece" films for Gala screenings. This year's opening- and closing-night galas at the Orpheum Theatre are 2007's "Breakfast With Scot" and 2008's "Tru Loved," both of which depict families helmed by gay and lesbian parents in tree-lined suburbia.
Likely to create buzz this election year are films in the Outing Politics series, including the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," a narrative version of which will be released by Focus Features this year, and Dan Butler's satire 2007's "Karl Rove, I Love You," which centers on an unknown actor's obsession with the Dubya handler.
"The festival is a launching pad for emerging queer filmmakers," Schaffer said. "This is the place to make connections with other filmmakers and industry, and begin to bring their careers to new places."
Because of Outfest's proximity to Hollywood, a certain amount of industry presence is endemic to the festival. However, as director of programming Kimberly Yutani said, the industry crowd is somewhat incidental to the festival's primary draw.
"Outfest is very much an Lgbt community festival," she said. "Yes, there are people in the industry who are gay that come with an eye for talent, but they come as a member of that community."
The festival's neutral attitude toward Tinseltown is perhaps best evinced by its lack of a formal marketplace. As Schaffer said, "A lot of things get bought and sold during Outfest, but we're not the queer Afm."
This aversion to becoming a trade show is essential to the festival's commitment to showcase compelling work. "We're an arts organization, so we're not confined by profit margins," Schaffer said. "We can show movies that mainstream entities aren't dealing with."
That especially applies to Outfest's Platinum section, which focuses on avant-garde and experimental media. This year's Platinum programming pays tribute to underground punk mutineer Bruce Labruce with screenings of his "Super 8 1/2" (1993) and new "Otto; or, Up With Dead People" (Strand Releasing) at Redcat.
This year's highest honor, the Outfest Achievement Award, will go to filmmaker Donna Deitch, whose 1985 "Desert Hearts" made waves for its earnest and positive portrayal of lesbian romance.
Outfest also has selected a small number of "centerpiece" films for Gala screenings. This year's opening- and closing-night galas at the Orpheum Theatre are 2007's "Breakfast With Scot" and 2008's "Tru Loved," both of which depict families helmed by gay and lesbian parents in tree-lined suburbia.
Likely to create buzz this election year are films in the Outing Politics series, including the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," a narrative version of which will be released by Focus Features this year, and Dan Butler's satire 2007's "Karl Rove, I Love You," which centers on an unknown actor's obsession with the Dubya handler.
- 7/9/2008
- by By Chris Edling
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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