A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO NEW QUEER CINEMA

With the AIDS crisis forcing the LGBT communities to demand to be seen and heard back in the early 1990's, this was also reflected in the creative arts. Hollywood had shown very little interest in telling accurate stories or creating believable depictions of gays and lesbians, so they were going to take the matter in to their own hands. And from this emerged "queer cinema" which offered experimental and challenging indie works that revealed thoughtful narratives and authentic characters never seen before on the screen. In honor of Pride month, Vulture has created a useful guide to bring attention back to these early important films. While this list of fifteen movies doesn't cover the entire output, it is a very good start to begin a historical journey from that brief groundbreaking era.

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A Beginner's Guide To Queer Cinema

And here is a Vulture list of must-see, romantic films involving lesbian love. They have selected forty movies from across the globe beginning with the German all-girls boarding school drama, "Mädchen in Uniform" from 1931 to last year's "Thelma", a sci-fi based, coming-of-age romance from Norway.

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40 Essential Lesbian Romance Films

Finally, we have an interesting examination of the current state of queer cinema by E. Alex Jung who looks at several recent features with LGBT themes and tries to figure out what exactly makes a film, "queer".

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What is Happening With Queer Cinema?

OCEAN'S EIGHT (2018)

Written by Gary Ross and Olivia Milch


Directed by Gary Ross


Where & When: AMC Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. June 8, 2018  5:15 PM



"Ocean's 8" is a glossy, all-star adventure that showcases female empowerment and inventive teamwork through high-tech crime. Gary Ross replaces Steven Soderbergh, the director of the "Ocean's" trilogy, and delivers a stylishly entertaining romp that sticks to the tradition of savvy criminals being the heroes yet it's now a crew made up entirely of women. While the gender-flip concept is modern and enlightened, the execution is safe and predictable.

After convincing a parole board that she’s a completely changed woman since spending the last five years in prison, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is released from guarded confinement.  However, with grifting running deeply through her bloodline, she wastes no time scamming several high-end department stores and the Plaza Hotel in New York as soon as her heels hit the pavement. Although skeptical of his actual passing, Debbie still pays her respects to her estranged brother, Danny (played in the trilogy by George Clooney) by visiting his grave before setting her sights on tracking down her old partner-in-crime.

When Debbie finds Lou (Cate Blanchett), a no-nonsense, butch femme, she lays out the elaborate heist she‘s been plotting during her time behind bars. The idea centers around stealing a diamond necklace worth over one hundred million dollars and doing this during the annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While she initially balks at getting involved in this crazy scheme, Lou is eventually persuaded to participate. And in order to pull this heist off, they will require some professional help and begin to assemble a crew.

The first on board is Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), an unhip, financially-strapped Irish fashion designer whose job will be to trick their unwitting accomplice, Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), one of the hottest celebrities of the day, in allowing her to design her dress for the gala. Then Rose has to get the vain and frivolous actress to persuade the Met to allow her wear this vintage Cartier necklace to the event.

Next is Debbie's old friend, Amita (Mindy Kaling), an unmarried jewelry designer who gets involved to order to escape from her overbearing mother. Tammy (Sarah Paulson), a former racketeer turned suburban wife and mother, takes little convincing to get her out of the house to join them. And a street con-artist, Constance (Awkwafina) along with a brilliant computer hacker named "Nine-Ball" (played by pop superstar, Rihanna) rounds out the crew.

With all the players now in place, it is time to put the plan in motion. But Lou discovers that Debbie is planning another job within this already complicated job. A definite "no-no" in her book. It involves Debbie's art dealer, former boyfriend (Richard Armitage) who is responsible for her landing in jail. Debbie assures her that the plan will easily settle the score from her past while allowing them all to set-up for a very comfortable future.

 "Ocean’s 8" is one of those densely plotted capers (with a serviceable script by Ross and Olivia Milch) that requires every single step of this intricate con to go off without a hitch otherwise the whole plan will crumble apart. And of course it all does go relatively smoothly, no matter how far-fetched or improbable the situation. That leaves the film with no real suspense or surprises and the audience simply waiting for the routine, inevitable conclusion.

But the story is hardly the reason to watch "Ocean's 8". It's all about the delicious treat of seeing all these amazing actresses together in one film and the thrilling camaraderie of these female characters which is rarely shown these days on the big screen. Bullock, Blanchett and the gang seem to be having a grand time and enjoy each other's company while looking absolutely flawless.

The ultimate message of "Ocean's 8" is that men and women are truly created equal. This breezy comedy displays that the ladies are just as capable of lying, cheating and stealing with delightful skill and charm just like the fellas.

EVERY ORIGINAL NETFLIX MOVIE RANKED

After just recently reviewing my first Netflix movie, I guess this a good time to express my feelings about the steaming giant. First, let me say that you probably won't be seeing many reviews of Netflix movies here. One reason (and it's really the only reason) is that I tend to watch movies in a movie theater. I will proudly admit I'm old school and if I do watch a film on a streaming service or even cable, it's usually only because I wasn't able to catch it in a theater.

Ever since Netflix began acquiring original feature films back in 2007, they have evolved in to a major player in Hollywood and have aggressively competed with the major studios for talent and production. What I admire the most about this company is that they are modeling themselves much like the studios back in the 1970's when they were willing to take chances on innovative directors with intriguing ideas. Money doesn't seem to be a major obstacle (at this point anyway) as long as they have faith in the filmmaker involved in the project.

But my major concern with Netflix is how they are actively trying to dismantle the theatrical experience. With almost none of their original movies ever seeing the inside of a theater, the very few that do tend to be only of exceptional quality that Netflix feels can possibly earn award consideration. And even these films only receive a token one-week release in a theater in Los Angeles and New York for qualification purposes. Amazon, the other major streaming player for original features, manages to follow the traditional theatrical model by releasing many of their films in theaters for a regular run. They seem to use this not only for potential award nominations but also publicity for when the film does appear on their platform (and also make some extra money in the process).

So the question remains; is a film that is only streamed on Netflix and watched in the comfort of home the same as a movie seen in a theater which you must leave your home and sit with a bunch of noisy, popcorn-eating strangers? No. It is most certainly not.

And because of this, should they be viewed as equally the same?  I agree strongly with Steven Spielberg that streaming films should be eligible for an Emmy award and not an Oscar. The bottom line is there is room for everyone at the table so long as they are willing to play by the same rules.

Vulture has decide to offer a run-down of Netflix's ever-expanding, original feature films. There are currently one hundred and twenty-two movies ranked and it's not much of a surprise that they vary wildly in terms of cinematic quality. I must admit I have seen very few but those I have, are pretty high on the chart.

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Every Netflix Original Movie Ranked

COMING SOON

When I heard that Rami Malek, the offbeat-looking star of the offbeat television series, "Mr. Robot", would be playing Freddie Mercury in a bio-pic of the life of the flamboyant lead vocalist of the rock band, Queen, I thought it was a peculiar casting. While the actor does bear a slight resemblance to the late singer, I was a bit skeptical he would be able to pull off the bold and colorful personality of Mercury.

Now a teaser trailer is out for "Bohemian Rhapsody" (which is also the title of one of Queen's most popular and enduring songs) and I have to admit I'm quite impressed. Malek appears to completely embody the dynamic flair and energy of Mercury.

There has been some light controversy brewing over rumors that the filmmakers apparently are trying to "straightwash" Mercury in the movie. But one only has to look at any of his music videos or performances to know that the singer was never seriously trying to fool anyone. Any attempt to make him appear less than his authentic self would be not only a disservice to the film but also to the memory of Freddie Mercury.

Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects", "X-Men") was hired to direct and began filming last September. However by December, Singer was out and replaced by Dexter Fletcher due to his excessive absences and fighting with cast and crew.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is due in U.S. theaters on November 2, 2018