20. Fascination
I started this last year and then never finished it. I should’ve stood by that. It was really strange and really French and felt like an ordeal by the end. The scene in the still above was nice but the rest was something I did not need to see. The lesbian vampires scene was nice I guess.
19. Frisk
Saw this being described as Gregg Araki like so I tried to check it out. I guess it’s as uncomfortable and annoying as you’d expect a movie about a gay serial killer to be? Ugh. Too directly shocking for me to be entertaining and too experimental for me to really keep up with. It was a struggle. Parker Posey being there helped me through it somewhat but still. A no for me.
18. Dry Wind
This movie is technically much better formally than the other ones I listed but whew, it is boring. It’s essentially about this guy who works in a factory and is attracted to a man who flirts with another man that’s not him. It’s occasionally artsy which helps it sometimes but those scenes don’t really go anywhere. The lead character is very annoying and does not grow. That didn’t help immersion whatsoever. I wanted it to be over about an hour in. Its occasional sexiness helped me through it but it was still a drag.
17. Saint Laurent
It’s a biopic about the popular designer, Saint Laurent. The atmosphere was pretty great and felt like it took me to that time. I enjoyed this pretty much but it’s just too damn long. It’s one of those exercises in excess that I think something should’ve been trimmed off of a bit. The queerness is great and the music choices are phenomenal. It certainly looks great though, it’ll always have that. That first hour was great though.
16. Lan Yu
It’s a pretty great love story with some interesting hiccups along the way. My biggest complaint is that the pacing is kind of erratic and the relationship isn’t given much time. It’s 86 minutes long and it feels like that even though the time depicted is much longer.
15. Tom at the Farm
A Xavier Dolan-directed queer horror movie sounds insane and in some ways it is. It’s more of an exercise in tension than I’m used to from him and while it didn’t blow my mind it was still very enjoyable. You don’t need to know too much about this ahead of time for full enjoyment but it was pretty nice. He needs to work more within this genre.
14. I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing
This movie was a pretty cute gay Sundance movie. It follows a woman who becomes the assistant of another woman who works as a museum curator. It doesn’t really progress in any way you’d expect and I’d guess it ends in a nice way. I would’ve liked the romance to be more of a central part of it but the focus was more on art. I read something that interpreted the ending as more romantic than I thought so maybe its just something you’ll have to see for yourself with.
13. Summer of ‘85
I’ve been excited about this movie since I first saw a trailer for it and it did not disappoint. All you need to know is it’s a guy meets guy story and then…things ensue. Even if I don’t necessarily love everything that happened onscreen some scenes do achieve a level of pure joy. Some try to aim for sadness or to be thoughtful. I didn’t feel either and that interrupted my immersion. Cool ending though. Considering.
12. Caravaggio
Derek Jarman movies are better felt than watched like regular movies and this felt pretty great. There is not much here when it comes to anything like linear narrative in any way at all but it’s still gorgeous. Not adhering to history in any way I assume but it’s cool to see Tilda Swinton’s first role and old gay stuff in general. It’s about a painter thinking about his life on his deathbed. Anything else would either betray a surprise or be something I missed.
11. Hawaii
An old-fashioned gay romance slow burn. One guy works on housekeeping for the other guy’s house and slowly but surely they connect. You basically spend this whole thing waiting for them to figure it out and it’s marvelous. There was some dialogue I didn’t love but it was just a personal nitpick. It’s great.
10. Her Story
A really fantastic and interesting narrative about a trans woman finding love and just living her life. A woman meets her to ask about interviewing her for an article and it progresses from there. It’s essentially a web series that put together builds a movie but in less than an hour, it still packs a punch. Angelica Ross is a standout as usual playing her friend in this and even though it’s pretty short it’s still a great story.
9. Water Lillies
Celine Sciamma’s first movie is a surprise even though it’s kind of very expected for where her career went afterward. It’s about a girl who desperately wants to join the local pool’s synchronized swimming team. But in the middle of it is a slow lesbian coming-of-age story where Adéle Haenel gives a very interesting and bewildering performance. Loved it. I gotta finish Sciamma’s filmography.
8. Heavenly Creatures
A story I wouldn’t be able to believe was true had there not been full proof that it was. It’s an incredible story about two (gay? probably) girls who maybe sort of commit a murder. At its core, it’s a movie about how childlike creativity even in the darkest of situations can provide an easily accessible safe haven within the mind. The movie’s also notable for being the first role for both Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet who immediately show how they wouldn’t be leaving the industry anytime soon with their performances. Plus Peter Jackson, the director went on to make some small movies called The Lord of the Rings, and it’s so interesting to see some of the beginning of that series within this film.
7. Lingua Franca
A really intriguing story about a trans immigrant woman navigating the world in fear of either being revealed. This is a simplistic way to describe the story but it’s a really interesting to go about making this. Isabel Sandoval does an incredible job writing, directing, and editing this. That Smoke Gets in Your Eyes scene is still one of the best things I’ve seen. I really appreciate how it doesn’t go in any way you’d expect. The stark realism lands the point beautifully and there’s no way I’ll be able to forget certain scenes from this.
6. Fresh Kill
Such an incredible movie. The lesbian family that leads this is just one of the perks of it since there is a lot going on. It’s an indie movie focused on an overarching conspiracy involving a ghost ship, ominous commercials, and overbearingly disgusting landfills. It’s incredibly dense and so fun. Also hard to describe without spoiling somewhat but just keep this in mind: If you think cat food and capitalism can’t be addressed by the same subplot then buckle in.
5. Punks
A wonderful black gay rom-com that despite being released in 2000 is still one of a rare variety. A really fun story, great acting, and a happy ending really pull this one together. I highly recommend you watch this because it sadly is something we really don’t get much these days. Plus the leads are hot! Why not.
4. Orlando
Tilda Swinton playing a nobleman in period drama sounds interesting enough. Then she has a female love interest, then they’re roller skating, then her character’s a woman. None of that seems odd in context either. This was genuinely one of the more interesting movies I saw last month and a sight to behold. Please check it out cause I’m still wrapping my head around it. In a positive way.
3. The Queen
An incredible documentary about drag queens getting ready for a ball. As a long-time fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race (and someone who can’t keep up with watching it live for the life of him), I was excited to finally see Crystal LaBeija as she was a Snatch Game character. It was interesting to hear some insights on how these people felt during the era (the sixties!) and how intricate the performance process is and always has been. Also that last fifteen minutes with her meltdown and everything might be cinematic history. Think about it.
2. Shinjaku Boys
A really great documentary about trans men in Japan. They work as hosts at a nightclub and ‘date’ the women that come there. The camera also follows them around as they live their daily lives and voice their thoughts on identity. It was really eye-opening and interesting to watch.
1. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
My favorite watch of pride month is a bit peculiar. It’s an adaptation of his books that indirectly describe his life intercut with the last day of his life. But due to objections from his widow, it’s not able to include direct references to his homosexuality through a book he wrote about a queer relationship. One particular scene sneaks in so nevertheless, the movie is still firmly in the queer canon for me. The whole thing is visual poetry and the score is one of the most stunning things I’ve ever heard. It was a sight to behold. And even if the real Mishima was not necessarily the best person, he certainly was indirectly responsible for one of the best movies.
Overall, it was a pretty great pride month in terms of media. I saw some stuff I loved and some stuff I loathed. You can access this list on Letterboxd here. As usual, my actual watchlist included much more than I even got to here but I’ll get to those eventually. But anyway, I did it! Two newsletters two months in a row! It’s becoming a habit for me to cautiously say I should be back…but I’ll be back! I have plans for these! And maybe a Medium article about a movie but um…we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I hope you like one of the movies I spotlighted here! Tell me if you do! Enjoy!
Orlando hive keeps winning!
thank you for the recs i added so many to my watchlist! ♡