Florida Agenda

And Now the Good (and GLBT) Movies Will Come Out to Play

Photo: Rooney Mara in “The Girl with  the Dragon Tattoo”

By Warren Day

For at least a couple of decades, the movie year has divided itself into three basic seasons.

The first four months of the year – January, February, March, April – is the Dump Season. The major and critically-acclaimed films having been packed in toward the close of the previous year (to qualify for awards), now give way to the also rans. The new films that are left are largely the ones in which the studios have little faith, so they dump them into these winter months when theater attendance is at its lowest ebb.

Next we have the Blockbuster Season – May, June, July, August. This is when the studios pile on the heroic, comic-book, pre-sold sequels and R-rated comedies to ensure they will keep the theater seats and their coffers full. In this third of the year, studios will earn over 55% of their annual boxoffice. For counter-programming, there are usually one or two adult films released in August. This year, it was the wildly-successful, “The Help.” That film cost only $30 million (compared to other summer films with budgets around $175 million), yet “The Help” is likely to earn $150 million—domestically alone.

Finally, we have the Award Season, which stretches over the last four months of the year, from September through December. It kicks off with three, very high-profile film festivals where the studios test the critical and award-worthy waters, namely the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

All three of these have just finished, and among the hundreds of movies on display were most of the key ones expected to pull in the honors from the critics and award groups (of which the Holy Grail is the Oscar® Awards). Only three films released in the first eight months are expected to have a chance to be nominated in the major Oscar categories: “The Tree of Life,” “Midnight in Paris” and “The Help.”

Colin Firth in “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Already among the critics, industry-insiders, and would-be opinion makers, there’s a growing consensus on what films stand a chance for the top ten lists, and who will be making acceptance speeches at the Kodak Theater in February.

Of those ten, four have GLBT-related content, so this is truly the season when the movies come out.

First up, October 7, is “The Ides of March” with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. Here, I’m making the assumption that the studio wouldn’t be courting the gay press so much if there wasn’t a gay connection. The plot does revolve around a scandal that threatens an attractive presidential candidate (Clooney) and how an idealistic staffer (Gosling) struggles with the moral and political implications.

It was seen at all three film festivals I mentioned and received kudos for being a taut thriller that could easily take place in other areas of American life.

Ryan Gosling in “The Ides of March”

Then on November 9, we have “J. Edgar,” Clint Eastwood’s film about J. Edgar Hoover who headed the F.B.I or its predecessor for 48 years, welding great power over the secrets of this country, but in his lifetime squelched any rumors he was gay (and maybe a cross-dresser). Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hoover, and Armie Hammer, who played the Winklevoss twins in “The Social Network,” plays Clyde Tolson, his deputy and supposed lover. Eastwood has said this is “not a film about two gay guys,” but the original script was written by openly-gay Dustin Lance Black who won an Oscar for writing “Milk.”

On December 9, we have the movie theater version of John Le Carré’s great novel, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” starring some of the best actors working today: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Among these male spies, there are two who’ve had a fervent affair that greatly affects the outcome of the story. Previously dramatized in 1979 as one of the most highly-acclaimed TV mini-series (with Alec Guinness), the filmmakers have seemingly been successful in making a 127-minute version of this complicated story. Premiering in early September at the Venice Film Festival and already showing in England, the reviews have been through the roof and the movie is being heralded as a sure thing for several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Leonardo DiCaprio in “J. Edgar”

Finally on December 21, the English language version of Stieg Larsson’s worldwide best seller, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” reaches theaters. Directed by David Fincher, one of the best directors working today, the advanced word is this may be even better than the well-liked Swedish film version. Daniel Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist, the investigative reporter, and Rooney Mara plays Lisbeth Salander, a bisexual who is also a brilliant computer hacker, and one of the most fascinating fictional characters to emerge in many a year. It may be the first mainstream film to feature a bisexual as its protagonist.

The other movies being touted for best of the year include: “The Descendants” with George Clooney (some are already predicting this will win Best Picture), “War Horse,” Steven Spielberg’s version of the book and play, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clear,” with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, and “The Artist,” a silent film (with music and sound effects) that has charmed critics and already won some awards.

So far this hasn’t been a sterling year for movies (“Green Lantern” anyone?), but as usual the best have been saved for the Awards Season, and from the advanced reviews and buzz, we have some excellent ones coming in the final three months.

And it appears, at least as of now, that 40% of the best films of the year will have some GLBT content, a fact that will further convince the right-wing fundies that Hollywood is a liberal bastion of iniquity. To which I say, thank God it is!

Send comments and questions to AgendaReviews@aol.com.

The first sign of spring, as we’ve all heard, is the first sighting of a robin.  So what about summer? Well, ever since “Star Wars” rocketed out on Memorial Day weekend in 1977, it has become the first warm-weather release of a blockbuster, except Hollywood keeps moving that date up.

This year’s summer – or at least movies’ biggest boxoffice – season begins for the USA on May 6 with the 3-D thunderous opening of Thor. Taken from the Marvel Comic series and costing the studio a whopping 150 million dollars, you can see it at your local theater for a bit less.

Based loosely on Norse mythology, Thor is the God of Thunder who is exiled to earth from Asgard (think of it roughly as Mt. Olympus) by Odin (think of him as the Scandinavian Zeus). And, as often happens in polytheism, the gods connive and clash with each other, with us poor humans as pawns.

If this strikes you as not particularly newsy (a movie based on a comic seems to come out every few weeks), then chew on this: Thor is receiving some of the best reviews of the year, currently receiving 94% kudos from the often jaded critics. Heavens to Betsy!, as the gods might say.

What’s also clear is that in the universe of genres that make up our movie fare, there’s never been a time when all types were ascending the heights.  Instead, one or two genres will shine for a decade or two, and then be replaced by another. In the 1930′s, the gangster film was going great guns; in the 1940’s and 1950′s, it was musicals and biblical epics; and in our present time, it’s animated films and movies either based on comic books (The Dark Knight, Spiderman, Ironman or on their close relative, fantasy-based stories, such as Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter). If you aren’t seeing animated films and comic book/fantasy ones, then you’re missing some of the most creative and entertaining times to be had at the movies today.

Thor has all the markings of a crossover hit, meaning it will attract and appeal to people who normally don’t favor such films. It has Academy Award winning stars Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, it’s directed by Kenneth Branagh of Shakespeare renown and, in the title role, is a 27-year old named Chris Hemsworth, who the critics are predicting will be a major star, and whose poster is already adorning many a gay man’s wall. As Thor, he’s an absolute Adonis (If I might be allowed mixed mythologies!).

Other comic book movies coming this summer include Captain America with Chris Evans (The buzz is good), and The Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds (Hitting the buzzsaw is more likely here).

Really good comic book movies, as Thor surely is, taps into the mythos of our imagination, into our deepest daydreams, where our fantasies are fulfilled, where good triumphs and the villains come to a glorious end – that is, until they’re needed for a sequel!

Thor will be released nationwide on Friday, May 6th in IMAX and 3D. Check your local listings for movie showtimes and locations.

Photo: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in THOR

ALEX VAUGHN

As the 13th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival kicks off this weekend, I got to thinking about gays in film. There have been gay characters in movies for over one hundred years – the big question is, however, how fair a depiction has been offered to date?

Well, in short, not very – but that is changing. Gays have been shown either as stereotypical sissy queens, with fag hags, or bull dykes! Organizations such as GLAAD go as far to say that often in movies like Basic Instinct and Silence of the Lambs, gays and lesbians have been demonized and shown to be psychopaths. (Anyone with an ex might agree that’s fair enough!)

Much has been written, discussed and complained about regarding how gays and lesbians are portrayed in the movies. In his book The Celluloid Closet, Vito Russo analyzes the representation of gays and lesbians in Hollywood films from the 1890s to the 1980s, and demonstrates a history of homophobia. He argues that Hollywood’s portrayal of lesbians and gay men has often been cruel and homo-phobic. Gay and lesbian characters have been defined by their sexual orientation, and lacked any complex character development.

When you look back over gays in movies the slow progress of acceptance tracks closely to social evolution, not just in Hollywood, but globally. From 1890s to the 1930s, homosexuality was often presented as an object of ridicule and laughter; it is fair to say this continues today. The character of the sissy was popular at this time – a character who was a source of amusement and reassurance for the audience. The sissy was not a threatening representation of homosexuality because he occupied a middle ground between masculinity and femininity. From the 1930s to the 1950s, religious and women’s groups criticized Hollywood films for contributing to immorality. As a result, the industry introduced a self-censorship code that affected the portrayal of homosexuality. During these years, films could not feature overtly homosexual characters—so homosexuality was suggested through a character’s mannerisms and behavior, leading, of course, to reinforce the idea that all gay people were limp wristed mincers! This strict code was loosened in the 1960s and 1970s, which also saw the dawn of the women’s movement and the gay rights movement. While gays and lesbians were becoming more visible and vocal in public life, their representation in films was becoming even more homophobic. At this time, gay characters were often represented as dangerous, violent, or murderous.

Since the 1990s, Hollywood has improved its portrayal of gay and lesbian characters. The popularity of films such as The Birdcage, Philadelphia, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Flawless and In & Out demonstrates that audiences can and do enjoy films with gay and lesbian characters. But despite these advances, critics say the industry is still too cautious in its portrayals of gay themes, characters, and experiences. Hollywood films are designed to appeal to as large an audience as possible; and producers fear that focusing on gay and lesbian themes risks offending a large portion of the audience, as well as potential investors.

This means that good gay films, or more importantly films with good and well-rounded gay characters, are somewhat renegaded to the ‘underground’. Movies like the British, Beautiful Thing and It’s My Party, starring Eric Roberts, were both touching movies that had a plethora of supporting characters to create ‘real life’ gay characters. They weren’t camp, overly emotional or even fashionable – they were just people getting on with their lives.

Brokeback Mountain proved there was appeal in a mainstream gay love story. The film, though visually stunning didn’t do much for politics, but made huge steps for showing it is possible for a movie with two gay characters involved in a relationship to be an international, award winning blockbuster.

Today, there is undoubtedly more acceptance of gay lifestyles in film. In television, shows like Will and Grace opened doors to show that characters  didn’t always have to be camp or in the closet. They could be just like Will, looking for love in all the wrong places,  successful in business and socially, and not finding that special someone.

Just last week, a gay-themed film has proved an unexpected success in conservative Malaysia although Malaysian films are not allowed to depict support for gay life and homosexual intercourse remains illegal in the country, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

When you actually think about it, the movement, like many others for the  community, is on the right trajectory and we need to really think about what we would want to see in film – the chances are straight people would want to see it too!

There is no question that with the a much enlightened and open-minded youth coming to the fore, we will soon be seeing more gay movies and more importantly more gay characters who are not defined by their sexuality. This will show that a gay movie isn’t what people imagine to be an ‘arty flimsy attempt’ to disguise gay-porn, but real well-rounded characters who aren’t just like straight people, but are just like normal real gay people. Everyone has a story to tell after all.

“In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at—or something to pity—or even something to fear. These were fleeting images,  but they were unforgettable, and they left a lasting legacy. Hollywood, that great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people … and gay people what to think about themselves.” – Vito Russo

Alex Vaugn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Agenda. He can be reached at editor@FloridaAgenda.com

Fort Lauderdale

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Dine & Donate Movie Night at Courtyard Café benefiting Women in Network (WIN). Thurs., September 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy the movie Fried Green Tomatoes and the great food at Courtyard Café. 100% of every fried green tomatoes order will go directly to WIN. 10% of all other food orders from 6 to 10 p.m. will be donated to WIN. Join in the fun, have a great meal, enjoy a classic movie and help WIN. For more information, email information@womeninnetwork.com

BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISER Join Southern Country South Florida in supporting a great cause at Scandals Saloon on Thursday, September 23 starting with happy hour at 6:30 p.m. Couples country dance lessons at 7:30 p.m. with Lee Fox. D.J. Gina will be spinning your favorite country tunes, 50/50 raffle.

FOR FILM LOVERS Get your tickets now for the Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festivalwhich runs from October 7 – 11. Fourteen great films are being shown at The Manor, 2345 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Individual movie tickets can be purchased for $8 for festival members, $12 for non-members. Discount ticket packages are also available. For more information, visit www.flglff.com or call (305) 534-9924 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

SPA DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS It’s only the beginning of the semester; exams haven’t started and the only stress students are feeling is deciding which bar to go to on Thursday night. But bliss spa at W Hotel Fort Lauderdale knows that campus is your catwalk no matter what time of year, so they’re introducing a 20 percent discount on spa treatments for college students. Students can visit bliss in the W Fort Lauderdale to indulge in signature services, famous facials and musthave mani/pedis. The special continues through October 31st when students present their college I.D. Bliss spa, 401 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. (at W Fort Lauderdale) on Fort Lauderdale Beach. To book an appointment, call (954) 414-8230.

THE VEEP VISITS Vice President Joe Biden will be in Broward County on Friday, September 24 at 12 noon at the Westin Diplomat Hotel, 3555 South Ocean Drive in Hollywood. The Vice President is here to support Florida’s Democratic candidates. To RSVP or for more information, email JLutin@FlaDems.com or call (954) 290-9321.

Miami

POTLUCK DINNER Families Like Yours and Mine, a LGBT family group, will be holding a potluck dinner on Sat., Sept. 25 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish Center, 2750 Mc Farlane Road in Coconut Grove. This will be the group’s first dinner get together. For more information or to RSVP, email tfrontado@gmail.com. There will be great food, nice people and a playground for the kids

HELLROTIKA SAVE Dade presents: Hellrotika: Circus of Lost Souls, the 16th Annual Halloween Extravaganza will be held on Sat., Oct. 30 starting at 8 p.m. at The Awarehouse, 550 NW 29th St. in Miami. This year’s event is envisioned as a perfect combination of dance party, mingling forum and themed spectacle. Event guests will be treated to an immersive, multi-media experience with macabre interactive “circus” performances, a costume contest, food vendors and the latest dance music played by world class deejays. Tickets are now on sale for “Hellrotika” — general admission tickets are $25, VIP tickets are $45. VIP tickets give you access to unlimited cocktails at the Grey Goosesponsored bars. There is a discount for tickets purchased prior to Oct. 1st. You can get tickets at Hellrotika.com

‘WHIT & WILDE AND OTHER SUCH POETS’ INSIGNIA, the vocal ensemble of the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus proudly presents its long-awaited performance of “Whit & Wilde and Other Such Poets”. Through poetry and song, the members of Insignia will explore the richness and complexity that flowed from the pens of the gay giants of the literary world. The ensemble will present new settings of Oscar Wilde’s “The Grave of Shelley” and Walt Whitman’s “The Mystic Trumpeter” both commissioned for this concert. The program will also include pieces with texts by Langston Hughes and Elton John. The concert will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 2750 Mc Farlane Road in Coconut Grove starting at 4 p.m. on September 26. Tickets can be purchased at miamigaychorus.org

MIASCI COMMUNITY DAYS Miami Science Museum (3280 South Miami Avenue in Miami) is proud to announce the launch of MiaSci Community Days, a series of free admission opportunities on select weekdays to ensure that each and every member of the community has the opportunity to visit the Museum. Residents of Miami-Dade County are invited to visit the Museum on weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. now through Thursday, September 30th.

Bay Area

FRONT RUNNERS ST. PETE The Front Runners get together every Saturday morning through next May at 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. The first Saturday of the month they meet at Old Northeast Northshore Pool in downtown St. Petersburg; the second Saturday at Pinellas Point/Bay Vista Park; the third Saturday at Sunset Beach/ Bedrox Pavilion located at W. Gulf Boulevard and finally, on the fourth Saturday at Gulfport-Clymer Park (Gulfport Boulevard at Beach). For more information, contact Barry Dingman at barrydingman@gmail.com

“RESPECT: A MUSICAL JOURNEY OF WOMEN” Now through Sunday, September 26, “Respect: A Musical Journey for Women” is at the Joeb Theater at the David A. Straz, Jr. Performing Arts Center. From “Someone to Watch Over Me” to “I Will Survive,” it’s the journey of women, told through top-40 music in the new musical production. Combining excerpts of 60 songs with women’s own stories about found dreams, lost love, relationship issues, workforce entry, independence and more, this show is exhilarating! It’s more than just a story worth telling, it’s a must-see and must-hear event. Showtimes are Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.

BLACK, WHITE AND BLUES The Tampa Film Institute, parent organization to The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF), is proud to announce the Florida premiere of the feature film, Black, White and Blues. Tampa-born producers Charlie Poe, Jeff Balis and actor/writer/producer Morgan Simpson along with producer Rhoades Rader (Dodgeball) coordinated with GIFF and three other notfor- profit organizations to debut the film in Tampa. All proceeds will benefit Academy Prep of Tampa, Glazer Children’s Museum, Junior Achievement and The Tampa Film Institute (GIFF). October 1 at Ferguson Hall at 6:30 p.m.

SUNDAYS AT SAWMILL CAMPING RESORT The Sawmill Resort & Campgrounds is located in Dade City (between Tampa & Orlando). Wake up with a hearty breakfast at Splash Pool Bar and Cafe, catch some rays in Sawmill’s heated clothing- optional pool and enjoy nature in a peaceful setting along the Withlacoochee River. The fun never stops at Sawmill. Make your reservations now, and don’t forget to ask about their special offers on cabins, R.V. and tent site stays.

Central Florida

PAWS FOR A CAUSE Revolution Nightclub, The Doggie Door, BullFish, and Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) presents “Paws for a Cause – A Puppy Pageant” on Sunday, September 26th from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. The categories are “Most Original,” “Best Owner/Pet Lookalike” and “Best Crowd Pleaser.” Puppy pageant begins at 4:00 p.m. with host, Baby Blue. Special performances by Dani Shay (6:00 p.m.) and Simpsons RD (7:00 p.m.). There will also be raffles, drink specials and a complimentary buffet. $8 cover or $5 cover with an item from OCAS Wish List (www.ocnetpets.com). Revolution is located at 375 S. Bumby Avenue in Orlando.

IN ANITA’S WAKE: THE IRRATIONAL WAR ON FLORIDA’S GAY FAMILIES This film will be presented at various Central Florida venues in the upcoming weeks and the presenters urge the “One Orlando” community to attend and bring a friend! This 70-minute documentary looks back at the hysteria surrounding the 1977 homophobic crusade of Anita Bryant and the resulting anti-gay adoption statute passed by the Florida Legislature. Featured in the film are parents and children currently fighting to save their families from a Florida government still intent on tearing them apart. When will Florida’s leaders reject the loathsome politics of fear and bigotry? To be presented on Saturday, September 25, at the Global Peace Film Festival, 3:30 p.m.; Rollins Bush Auditorium, Winter Park. Thursday, September 28, Hippodrome Theatre at 7 p.m.; Gainesville (an ACLU event with Martin Gill and Shelbi Day); Wednesday October 20 at Orlando PFLAG, 7:00 p.m., First United Methodist downtown, Wesley Building room 313; and, Sunday, November 14, in Melbourne, (location to be announced) 1 p.m. (an ACLU event). For more on this and other films, visit vickinantzfilms.com.

“THE CRUCIBLE” The Downtown Theatre presents Tony Award-winner for Best Play, Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” now through October 9. “The Crucible”, a historical play based on events of the Salem witchcraft trials, takes place in a small Puritan village in the colony of Massachusetts in 1692. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. with a special Sunday matinee on October 3 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 or $15.00 for students and seniors. For information, call (407) 841-0083.

A Year in the Life of a Semi-Legend

by Warren Day

During the opening of this fascinating and often funny documentary, I was reminded of something Steve Martin once said, “Comedy may be big business, but it isn’t pretty.”

The first shots of this movie are not “pretty.”  They are extreme close-ups of Joan Rivers without make-up as they begin the process of applying the foundation, the lipstick, the eyelashes and all the rest. Only then are you allowed to see her full and famous face.  Plastic surgery or not, for a woman in her mid-seventies, she looks amazing.

The directors (there are two of them) are proclaiming their POV at the very beginning, that the real Joan Rivers is the one you see on the stage armored in a glittering cocktail jacket, coiffure hair, and a cosmetic mask.  The woman is the act and the act is the woman.

This non-reality reality can also be seen in her swaged and gilded Manhattan apartment that doesn’t look so much like a home as it does like a stage set that screams out, “the woman who lives here is successful!”

The year that’s covered is quite a year, even by a semi-legend standard.  She has a book published (her eighth), is roasted on Comedy Central, writes and appears in an autobiographical play staged in Edinburgh and London, wins Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice show, continues selling her line of  jewelry on QVC, and cooperates with this cinéma vérité documentary (which is receiving rave reviews).

Like a shark, Joan Rivers would die if she ever stayed still.

She’s as driven as Ben-Hur’s horses, and her daughter says “The Career,” as it was known around the house, was like having an imperious sibling who was always mother’s favorite.

Like other strong-willed women cut from survivor’s cloth, Joan has a huge gay following.  On her way to an appearance in the rural Midwest she worries the audience will not be receptive to her and quips, “they’ve probably killed all their gays.”

These larger-than-life, Auntie Mame type dynamos are best seen from Row S.  Up close and day-to-day they can wear you out and leave you looking for an exit, as her husband Edgar did with suicide, and as her long-time manager does in this film when he disappears and doesn’t return phone calls.

They say there’s no such thing as a good comedian who’s had a happy childhood.  Hurt and anger create a Petri dish for a sense of humor, and the secret to Joan’s continual success is that she lacks for neither, even in her eighth decade.  To retro fix a famous quote of Frederick Nietzsche’s, “that which doesn’t kill us, makes us funnier.”

If you ever thought a stand-up comedian’s life was a barrel of laughs, this movie will correct that impression.  Being funny for a living is hard work … and often not very pretty for the one standing alone on the other side of the microphone.

This film is rated R for language and opens June 25 in south Florida.

For the movie trailer, twitter feed and more info, visit Movies and Gossip