The Television and Movie Recommendation/Discussion Thread!

[famer]

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but I loved :



Entre Nous

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing



Entre Nous is an old french film. Beautiful leads.



IHMS is a great Canadian film with Anne Marie MacDonald(!) AMM is pre-"fall on your knees" (great novel), pre-"goodnight desdemona, good morning juliet" (gender-bending shakespere play) and pre-"better than chocolate" (she plays the bookstore owner).



I also really liked Losing Chase with Helen Mirren and Kyra Sedgwick. Chutney Popcorn was pretty good too (and a lesbian of colour film to boot). Fire wasn't too bad. Ditto for Unbearable Lightness of Being -- the source of my Lena Olin shipping.



Other films that are kinda bi/lesbian but not my faves:

Henry & June

Iris (subtext)



Kinda really hated Monkey's Mask.

Edited by: famer at: 8/13/02 8:52:00 am

[Repost Moderator]

Originally posted by BBOvenGuy



My write-ups for the original pilots of Birds of Prey can be found here:





Birds of Prey: www.geocities.com/bbovenguy/Birds.html

[Tulipp]

I know theatermouse mentioned this one on page 7, but I had to give another plug for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which I watched last night.



Amazing. Funny, great music, and--what I didn't expect--totally deep and wise.



I hardly own any movies, but this might be one of them soon.

[kukalaka]

I recently watched If These Walls Could Talk 2 and I think it's absolutely beautiful.



The first was so sad, and the one with Ellen Degeneres and Sharon Stone was both hilarious and moving. And it had a happy ending

--

It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain

[theatremouse]

tulipp, the hedwig dvd is DEFINITELY worth it.



ugh, the first time i tried to watch IFTWCT2 i didnt make it through the first ten minutes. i seriously could not bear to be watching it, and had to stop.

but i've watched in since, with another somehow it's easier to watch unbearable things with company....or easier to force myself to watch anyway.

Willow: It's horrible! That's me as a vampire? I'm so evil and... skanky. And I think I'm kinda gay.

[Hyo Shin]

I don't know... The first one was great. But I don't like the third episode. Actually it was a rip-off of a much better Australian short.

[themagicpixie]

Re: the Nazis and gay people: my g/f & I are on holiday around Europe and recently went to Berlin, where we visited museums and read a lot of information about what happened to gay people in the concentration camps... very upsetting. Gay men were seen as threatening the state by the Nazis as they did not help the increase the population... also their activities were seen as degenerate. We saw a memorial to the thirty or so gay men known to have died at Neuengamme concentration camp near Frankfurt... the real figure was probably much higher.



The laws were used to persecute gay men even after the end of the war. The thing to remember is that there are many countries around the world where male homosexuality is still illegal, including many we might think of as being liberal...

[Sweetjane]

here i am , coming back to the internet and the kitten after about 2 months off , and i see in my absence that an air has arrived in which comments like 'i dislike mulholland drive' seem to go unnoticed! well my kittens and angry lion friend! this will not do............



.....ahhh i can see i came back at the right time , my dear angry lion , there is hope for you yet , fear not they don't call me Sweet'willsingthepraisesofmulhollanddriveuntilthecowscomehome'Jane for nothing, you know.....



Sweetjane

"Say i'm weary , say i'm sad , Say that health and wealth have missed me ,
Say i'm growing old but add; Jenny kissed me"

[scout03060]

I really enjoyed "Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit" It's a British coming of age film about a young girl's journey with her sexuality and overcoming a strong religious upbringing.



I also saw a film on the Sundance Channel called "Floating" it has Chad Lowe (who's gay) in it and another young man. It's about their friendship and their relationships with their fathers. Again a movie that is not all love and puppies but I liked it.



I've seen most of the movies mentioned. Some I agree are shit others are pretty good. Some I have seen that I didn't see mentioned are Chutney Popcorn, Terese and Isabelle, Common Ground, Mercy, and a comedy tape from Georgia Ragsdale: Honey, Pass That Around.. , and A Girl Thing.



Deanna



Oh yeah I have seen "Sticky Fingers of Time" and "The Watermelon Woman" too but I didn't really care for them.

Edited by: scout03060 at: 8/12/02 8:48:23 pm

[AutumnT]

You mean the character Chad plays and not the actor who seems pretty straight and married, right? Your phrasing was a bit confusing.

Autumn

-----------

Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

[relativegirl]

Jeepers! I hope for Hilary's sake that was just confusing phrasing. I like Hilary and that would just be a world class bummer for her if Chad wasn't acting.

~ If I should rock you,
the whole world would rock within my arms ~

[AutumnT]

Quote:

---

but I had to give another plug for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which I watched last night.

---

Oh yeah. Hedwig is something else. My brother saw it on stage and said it was the most amazing thing he'd seen. Still, the movie. And experience.



And while I am in this thread I saw 2 movies this weekend of note. The first was called The Sex Monster. Really pretty bad. Had Mariel Hemingway playing a wife of a husband that fantasizes all the time about inviting a lesbian for a three way and when she finally agrees she finds she quite likes what he called her "home field advantage" and basically starts seducing women left and right. Still, the movie, not so good and too much playing up the guy's point of view. It was a bit sleazy when all was said and done. Info here: us.imdb.com/Title?0159730



The second was Slaves to the Underground which is basically a Seattle late 90s tale of a bisexual woman in a girl's band that can't really decide what she wants and bounced between an old boyfriend and her current lover who is the lead singer. Not a bad movie, but you do have to watch the girl leave her female lover for the guy even if in the end she ends up with no one but happy. us.imdb.com/Title?0117664



The second was most definitely the better movie.

Autumn

-----------

Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

[xita]

Yeah Autumn I saw both of those and was not happy with either one. The first, "The Sex Monster", tried so hard to be funny but really wasn't. Lesbians will probably want to watch it because of Mariel Hemingway's role in it. Some of us remember her from "Personal Best." The latter "Slaves to the Underground," was boring. I found myself fast forwarding throught it or reading while watching. The characters were not compelling.



"Hedwig and The Angry Inch" is an amazing movie. I really wish I had seen the stage production. Hedwig has a sexuality and that is so unusual for movies that deal with transgendered / transexual people. It doesn't shy away from anything and actually has good songs, well not all, I could not tolerate the last song. Anyway, highly recommend it.



I saw a movie last week and I cannot stress how bad it is.



The Monkey's Mask has got to be the worst "lesbian" movie ever made.



It's a murder mystery whose first mistake is to make Poets the subject for the movie. Apparently it's adapted from a novel/poetry book. Well what works on books does not always work in movies. The first thing I noticed was its fond use of the word cunt, which I am not the biggest fan of. The second mistake was having a narrator. Dear god.. what a bad choice. A narrator in a movie is often a mistake and rarely works. At best it is a cheap way to move the plot or a boring way to communicate feelings. In the case of our leading character, it only makes her seem like a horny/dumb/boring dyke.



The other mistake was casting Kelly McGillis. Dykes remember her fondly for the energy between her and Jodi Foster in "The Accused." For some reason Ms. GcGillis has aged 300 years and resembles my grandmother. Nothing wrong with that but the drive of the movie is that this woman is supposed to be a super hot seductress that the lead character cannot get enough of. The love scenes instead of turning me on left me turning uncomfortably away from the screen.



The other problem is that the plot was so thin, I found myself thinking this mystery would be over in 3 minutes if this chick started thinking with her brain and not with her "cunt."



Ok , I think this was overly harsh but... any movie that makes me think, "hey claire of the moon wasn't bad" deserves it.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Childie -"Not all girls are raving bloody lesbians, you know!"

George - "That's a misfortune of which I am perfectly well aware."

The Killing of Sister George

Edited by: xita  at: 8/13/02 3:04:27 am

[AutumnT]

Quote:

---

The first, "The Sex Monster", tried so hard to be funny but really wasn't. Lesbians will probably want to watch it because of Mariel Hemingway's role in it. Some of us remember her from "Personal Best."

---

Yeah, I of course remember her from that. The first movie of this nature that I saw. But of COURSE even though I went by myself to that and The Hunger I was totally straight. LOL. And yeah, I agree with the trying to be funny but not thing. Plus there was a big personality shift in Mariel's character where all of a sudden after almost jumping on every woman in sight she was all shy and unsure again.

Quote:

---

The latter "Slaves to the Underground," was boring. I found myself fast forwarding throught it or reading while watching. The characters were not compelling.

---

I liked the lead singer. I was really annoyed by the male characters, esp the "friend" that could not believe the rape. Maybe this held my attention more because ot the locale and the fact that The Sex Monster was so bad.



And Xita. I am really really scared about that worse than Claire thing. Was it GULP worse than Salmonberries? Because then I am really scared.

Autumn

-----------

Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

Edited by: AutumnT  at: 8/13/02 1:18:29 am

[Scoobiedoo]

Jesus/Allah/Buddah has been co-ordinating her strange kharmic pull around me all day.



This afternoon i sat down to write this seminar paper i have to give on Thursday about the wonderful Australian poet, Dorothy Porter. After writing a couple of pages, and lacking inspiration, i flicked onto the internet to see what had been happening on the kitten board and toddled off to read Xita's colourful post re: "The Monkey's Mask".



All I can say is.... lol.



You see, Dorothy Porter wrote the book that the Monkey's Mask is based on. And I totally agree with you Xita. That movie blowed. I remember seeing it last year and almost crying by the end of it because of how absolutely bad it was. But please, don't let that put you off the book. The book is magnificent. I just have no idea why they would want to tarnish the wonder that is the literary version by trying to translate it to the screen It's a book of poetry for god's sakes! It belongs on paper!!!



I think that is basically the underlying factor to the film's badness. They tried to adapt a book of poetry with a flimsy narrative to screen where narrative is all important. They obviously wanted to keep the the poetry feel by having a narrator, and using a lot of the same language used in the book, but it just doesn't WORK. And cunt does have a place in certain poems. But it sounds kinda clunky on screen.



And Kelly McGillis.... good lord That was the worst casting decision ever. She was just completely un-charming...and for some reason, felt no need to change her american accent. And the sex scenes... good lord... there were times when I would cover my eyes for fear that I would be turned off having sex with another woman ever again



The only slightly amusing thing i could take away from the whole experience was when "the penis" appeared toward the end, and the entire audience (mostly made up of lesbians) collectively shrieked and covered their eyes



Oh crap... NOW how am i supposed to write this stupid paper?



(long live "When night is falling")

--------------
This is love

[AutumnT]

Wow. That is bad.



For some reason the Salmonberries horrible moment stuck in my mind is not the library "revelation" scene, not any bingo scenes, but just a faux arty overlong shot of a tub faucet dripping. And dripping.

Autumn

-----------

Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

[xita]

Scoobiedoo LOL that's great. I will not let this turn me off this poet but I am so glad you agree about this movie. And good luck with your paper



Ahh yes and the penis.. the appearance of it was .. just.. wtf, you know? I wasn't sure if she was horny or if this was part of her "cunning" detective skills and it was all a trap.



autumn the revelation scene is pretty scary though. It's weird I really loved the director's previous film, Baghdad Cafe, which remains one of my favorite films ever, and it's not even gay.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Childie -"Not all girls are raving bloody lesbians, you know!"

George - "That's a misfortune of which I am perfectly well aware."

The Killing of Sister George

[raccoon]

Again, I have to applaud the Swedish movie "Show me Love, or "Fucking Åmål", as it was originally named. (Åmål is a small town in Southern Sweden, which the protagonists are dying to get away from.) It's a lesbian movie where sexuality is in no way portrayed as negative. This movie was a great hit in my home country of Norway upon release. Thank God for movies like these.



On another note, I'd like to add that one of the most popular series of novels in Norway right now centers on a female cop who is openly and unashamedly gay. The author is a lesbian, who recently married her partner (gay marriages are allowed in Norway.) However, artificial insemination is only allowed in Denmark, where this high-profile lesbian couple went to get pregnant. When that did happen, I'm happy to say that the only person who was ridiculed by the press was the Republican female party leader who spoke against lesbian reproduction. That gave me hope for the future.



As a bisexual woman who is permanently moving to the American South, I'm a little apprehensive as to what the future might bring. What is Atlanta like in the terms of homosexuality? Are there any Atlanta kittens out there? I'd love to hear from you



Annie

*I am, you know, yours."

[Hyo Shin]

Question. Is the female cop Hanne Wilhelmsen? Is she married?



>On another note, I'd like to add that one of the most popular series of novels in Norway right now centers on a female cop who is openly and unashamedly gay. The author is a lesbian, who recently married her partner (gay marriages are allowed in Norway.) However, artificial insemination is only allowed in Denmark, where this high-profile lesbian couple went to get pregnant. When that did happen, I'm happy to say that the only person who was ridiculed by the press was the Republican female party leader who spoke against lesbian reproduction. That gave me hope for the future.

Edited by: Hyo Shin at: 8/13/02 3:58:26 am

[pikachu1060]

I was planning to buy this movie, but i guess i won't. I'm quite curious to see Grandmother McGillis though ... I still remember how gorgeous she was in top gun, and i can't picture her aged of 300 years (lol).



As for slaves to the underground, i have to agree that it was quite boring, though i manage to see it all in one go. But i wouldn't watch it again... or couldn't, should i say.

Chris
------------------
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood,
but of respect and joy in each other's life.
Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. (richard bach - illusions)

[raccoon]

Hey, Hyo Shin, I have to admit that I don't know whether Hanne is married or not - I'm not that into crime novels. What I find reassuring is mainly that Norway's most popular heroine is a lesbian, and that nobody minds that - heck, they even support it.



Of course, there are a lot of obstacles left. While the Netherlands allow gay marriages all the privileges of straight marriages, Norway still does not. Gay adoption, for example, is still not allowed. I'm torn between staying in Norway to fight for these rights and going to Atlanta to pursue the scholarship I've been awarded. If any Atlanta/Southern Kittens would like to get in touch with me I'd love to hear from them



Annie

*I am, you know, yours."

Edited by: raccoon at: 8/13/02 9:23:12 am

[Hyo Shin]

Clumsy me. No, I meant Anne Holt. You answered too fast.

[scout03060]

Yes Autumn T I meant Chad's character not the actor himself. I realized later that might have been confusing. oops



Deanna

"With courage greater than your fear, jump into the unknown and you will fly!" - Author Unknown

[raccoon]

Heh, Hyo Shin



Yes, Anne Holt is married to Tine Kjær, who is an editor at at one of the most important publishing houses in Norway. Norway has allowed gay marriages since 1993. There are still a lot of inequalities though. Gay couples can't adopt each other's children, and one of the partners *have* to be a Norwegian citizen for them to get married, unlike straight marriages.



Recently, the couple went public to announce Tine Kjær's pregnancy by a sperm donor clinic in Denmark, where such procedures are allowed. When they announced it, the female leader of the Christian People's Party (which is currently in government, grr aargh) went ballistic. Thankfully, she was the one criticized by the press and other prominent figures, not the couple. In fact, most people protected their right to establish a family.



Things like this lets me hope the world is indeed improving.

*I am, you know, yours."

Edited by: raccoon at: 8/13/02 9:36:40 am

[kukalaka]

I watched "It's in the Water" yesterday and the scene where Alex rented all those videos totally cracked me up



Thanks to all of you as this thread is the reason why I recognized most of the movie titles.

--

It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain

[GracefulVictory]

LILO AND STITCH!!!!!! My current favorite movie... And probably just my ultimate favorite. Why???

1) It's simple and sweet. Most of my favorite movies are like that.

2) Great message. Ohana means family and Family means never leaving anyone behind.

3) I feel like STITCH. A crazy wacked out, want to destroy in a good way, but self destructs at times, still trying to figure out where I fit in the world type. I'm SOFT and CUDDLY just not BLUE and FUZZY.

4) SURFING and HAWAII. I love to try to surf. And everyone tells me I would sooooo fit in HAWAII. Now I just have to visit to see how true that would be...



Big Disney fan... Now a movie that just so epitomizes how I feel...

[Rally]

Well I just saw Best In Show, which is a very funny movie. Reminded me of sitting around our hotel room after seeing Amber in Santa Barbara and watching the a dog show on television.



But it also features one of the most stereo typical gay male and one the scariest lesbian couple of all time. But then the film is a parody, so no harm done.



Also very scary Parker Posey with braces.

------------




Well officially, of course, I have to say that I have no idea what you're talking about.

Edited by: Rally at: 8/21/02 7:37:27 pm

[Jennem]

I have to put in a Farscape plug.



The show is an amazing piece of work.



The writers are fantastic. The 'ships that are supported in the show are beautiful, but they don't take over the show. The plot line is great, and the cinematography is wonderful.



Right now its about nine episodes into its fourth season (It aires on the SciFi channel here in the states, and in Oz, I believe it aires on channel nine...at least, that's the station one of my Oz friends is always bitching about...).



Anyway. I became involved in BTVS and A:ts because of the Scifi/drama element, and that's why Farscape appealed to me. And, frankly, its replaced BTVS and A:ts in my heart....



To give some of you an idea of what Farscape is like, Firefly is a Farscape rip off, that *hopefully* no one will watch beacause I'll be damned if I'm going to let an ME production RIP OFF beat out the original/better show.





Jennem

[Oldbdeyes]

Jennem - I agree that Farscape is a great show, though sometimes very frustrating to follow.



Now on to my movie.



Lately, I've been thinking about the the book/movie 'Misery'. I sometimes wonder how big of a gap there really is between me and Anne, the fan so devoted to a character she is willing to physically harm the writer to bring her character back.

[famer]

I really liked My Big Fat Greek Wedding . It's not exceedingly original (and no gay content) but it's funny and heartwarming -- just what many of us need right now.



Possession may be something which many will want to avoid. It's got a version of the lesbian cliche in it and, personally, I thought it was an awful film (I talk a little about this in the Les Cliche thread). Despite this, it's been getting good reviews and many people think it's the cat's meow. Just my two cents.

Edited by: famer at: 8/21/02 11:05:54 pm