Happy Birthday, Mr. Waters

Stephen here, from Peel Slowly. Today we celebrate the birthday of an American treasure.


Besides John Waters’s many virtues as a filmmaker, commentator, cultural archivist, and so on, he’s also an excellent writer and teacher. His 1981 book "Shock Value," which traces his life through film, up to and including Desperate Living, is an invaluable education in how to write, direct and make films, inside and out. He didn’t create such a body of work without being a smart and driven man, and gratefully he shares his hard-earned knowledge with us. If you want to learn more about filmmaking or if you just want a great laugh-out-loud read about a simpler time, I heartily recommend "Shock Value" by the Birthday Boy!

I bring this up, however, because of how he ends the book’s final chapter, “Do You Have Parents?” (which he claims is his most frequently asked question). In the final sentences, Waters defends his films and their questionable content:

At least I’ve never done anything really decadent, like waste millions of dollars of other people’s money and come up with movies as stupid as The Deep or 1941. The budgets of my films could hardly feed the starving children of India.

As sensible defense if there ever was one.

In 1988, he did an abridged book-on-tape version and gratefully updated it for the 80s:

So, as we celebrate the living legend today, I ask: If John Waters wrote that book today, what films would he cite as being “stupid”? (Bonus points if you pick films with titles that would sound particularly snarky coming out of his mouth!)
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Link Flamingos

Scanners envisions Precious as a remake of John Waters Female Trouble. No seriously

Fin de Cinema top 100 of the decade. So many great movies...
Nicks Flick Picks is almost done with his, too.
Crossoverman cheats with lots of groupings for his top 50. But they're good movies so we'll let it slide

Just Jared Jude Law and Sienna Miller are back together? My god... when will these two make up their mind? I hope that when they're separated again Sienna has flashbacks about Jude as frenetically edited and obnoxious as the ones she has about Channing Tatum in GI Joe. Sometimes real life should be just like the movies.

i09 5 lessons we hope entertainment taught us in 2009. Good list
In Contention Guy's top ten of 2009, US and UK versions
42 inch Television's top ten of 2009. I link it becomes Whip It appears and that's nice to see for a change. Firmly agree that more and more people will catch on to this on cable and DVD.
Art Forum John Waters annual top ten list. I love this bit on Antichrist

If Ingmar Bergman had committed suicide, gone to hell, and come back to earth to direct an exploitation/art film for drive-ins, this is the movie he would have made.

(teehee)

and it's a bit late but I hope you all had a merry christmas... even if you were having a post apocalyptic christmas. Are you glad that that's all over with or are you already gearing up for another long weekend to ring in the New Year?
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Curio: Alt Cross-Stich

Alexa here from Pop Elegantiarum. Cross-stitch used to connote that awful, cloying gift you got from your grandma at Christmas. (My dad was forced to hang one from my grandma in his college apartment that read "Make new friends, keep the old, one is silver, the other is gold." Oy.) But the rise of feminist cross-stitch has revived the craft, and has led to a few interesting offshoots, including some film-related examples.


Here is my favorite, a John Waters-inspired piece from The Dirt Track. Perfect for those of you that are hating Christmas this year as as much as Divine did in Female Trouble.

And here is a ubiquitous Lebowski entry from spamberly. (I must admit I have this one in our bedroom.)


Finally, here is a not-so-alternative example for the holidays from you heart us. Is it just me, or is A Christmas Story now so overplayed that hanging this would be similar to hanging a "I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas" cross-stitch? The cycle continues: my little-one's grandma would hang this one up for Christmas in a heartbeat.

"Sometimes shook up old ladies get cut!"

Take a Vow of Celibacy for Celluloid!

And if you're not needle averse... perhaps a tattoo of your favorite director.


I had totally forgotten about this roll call moment from John Waters' Cecil B Demented (2000) and I lurve it. Unfortunately the movie isn't as strong as its concept. It doesn't help that Melanie Griffith stars and doesn't seem to be in on the joke in the way Kathleen Turner was in Serial Mom. But it's Melanie Griffith, what can you do?

The highlight of the film: Alicia Witt as porn star Cherish. Around this time I really thought Witt was going to become a big star. But then she lost the Mary Jane role in Spider-Man and nothing ever seemed to fully ignite in that career. Runner up: Maggie Gyllenhaal (she sports the Kenneth Anger tattoo) as "Raven" slapping Melanie Griffith because Satan told her to. That's something I feel everyone should do when they're in a film with Melanie, whether or not Satan requests it.
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"I can't go back and be a faux revolutionary"

The Takeaway has been doing a fun series of interviews with John Waters, who has been sadly missing from the cinematic landscape. Only two films this whole decade? In this very short video he talks about the dire state of indie filmmaking. Sadly, financing for what was supposed to be his next film, Fruitcake (best title ever), fell through.



There's more interviews at The Takeaway featuring the bad taste auteur, chatting about everything from television's The Wire to Tina Turner to his own artwork. I love his "rear projection" piece. And he continues to make with the funny

I think all my work is about humor... insider humor about the business. I try to celebrate the sadness regular people have for not being in showbusiness.

Ha! There's only one John Waters.
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Signatures: Edith Massey

Adam of Club Silencio here with another look at my favorite actresses and their distinguishing claims to fame.

She did know what she was doing. People thought she didn't. I remember when the Newsweek review came out of Polyester, it said that she either deserved the Oscar or a 24-hour nurse.

-John Waters

Unlike other actresses I've featured in "Signatures," Edith Massey's gifts were never based on her nuance or complexity. All the same she had a purity that was considerable to the impurity of her characters. In the hands of John Waters, performance is something else entirely, yet irrefutably perfect for his brand of cult comedy. Subversion is his specialty, and Edith never was a go-to glamour girl or bankable supporting lady. Snaggletoothed and eccentric, Edith was the most unassuming of comic geniuses. But give her a debutante gown, or a bra and crib, and she's happy to let her degradation deliver.

In fact Edith's delivery was always a bit like... delivery. Waters hired her as a local woman he'd known from a bar and thrift shop in Baltimore, and Edith never really strayed from that humble origin. She didn't necessarily deconstruct her dialogue by character motivation or dramatic beats, but by exaggerating her volume and experiencing memory lapse. Somehow the comedy was never lost or muddled, it was magnified - catapulted into classic status.


Waters' collaborations with Edith were very much collaborations, as he's often reminded of her unique take on life:

And Edie and I used to do this kind of date together, but we'd drive by car, and she would drive me crazy because she would say out loud every single thing she saw. We'd be driving along and she'd say, "Car, house, lawn, pretty lady, red car, telephone pole, lawn, lawn, lawn..." I said, "Edith!!" It was just... internalization was a concept she was very unfamiliar with.

For as often as Waters had her throw acid in people's faces, get married in eggs and a wheelbarrow, or gang rape then infect her family with rabies, I'm convinced we never lost sight of Edith's heart amidst the humiliation. She was more lovable for her flaws, and for her innocence in roles that were anything but. Edith has remained an unforgettable icon to outsiders and singular personalities; an unwitting movie star of the most deserving kind. She was the sort of legend befitting of cult cinema: big, bawdy and bewildering, but brilliant nonetheless.


By royal proclamation I claim today Backwards Day in honor of Edith Massey's signature splendor. She's learned to rule with dignity and remains for me a Queen of cult cinema. I love her like she loves eggs, and I miss her still.

Indie Spirits ~ Live Blogging

5:00 PM Mickey Rourke (a lot more on him if you scroll down), Kerry Washington, Taraji P Henson, John Malkovich, Darren Aronofsky, Debra Winger, Rosemarie DeWitt... lots of famous faces flashing at us, some of them probably trying desperately not to think about the Oscars tomorrow. Ben Stiller is talking at us to introduce our host Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder, Hamlet 2). Why is it that I think Stiller is so funny when he's playing himself and not so funny in actual movie roles? Jokes about "most of us haven't seen these films"... why do I get so much flak for suggesting Hollywood types don't watch all the nominated movies and yet, they themselves joke about it constantly. (sigh) He's joking about how the Oscars are orgies of backpatting for beautiful people. At the indie spirits they're beautiful on the inside instead. People don't seem to think this joke is funny. Neither does the cameraman because they cut to Aaron Eckhart and Jenny Lumet (both classically beautiful, neither apparently amused)


...and then he's on to talking about Penélope Cruz and making lesbian jokes. Weird segueway.

5:10 Jonathan Demme is wearing an orange t-shirt. For a second I thought it had Obama's face stencilled on it. The face being inescapable. Even when we're celebrating movies.

5:20 Best Supporting Actor goes to James Franco for Milk. Haaz Sleiman does not win but you can't really types "loses" when the subject looks like this...

<--- (yeah, like that)
5:25 Best First Screenplay goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk, beating Jenny Lumet for Rachel Getting Married (it's going to be a Milk day obviously. But then the Indie Spirits usually end up sucking up to one of the main Oscar nominees. Last year it was Juno for everything). Black gets political and says we can't wait 30 more years for equal civil rights for gay and lesbian citizens. It'll be awesome at the Oscars to hear this spoken aloud (since he'll win there, too).

5:30 First Feature goes to Charlie Kauffman for Synecdoche New York. He thinks "best" is "crap"... I think that's a nod to his competitors but the speech is kind of jumbled so who knows. The speech is not circular or full of allusions or depressing or, in short, anything like his movies.


5:32 Best Supporting Actress goes to Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She's the only Oscar nominee in this lineup so winning the Oscar isn't the same battle at all. But her speech (she hasn't prepared one is really fun) and I love the story about Woody Allen actually leaving the set to see his dermatologist (new freckle discovery) on the day she was making out with Scarlett Johansson. Debra Winger loves this story too. It's nice to see her laugh. I love that Misty Upham (Frozen River) is all dressed up. At the Spirits!

5:45 John Cassavetes Award goes to ??? I forgot already. This is the type of movie one senses the Indie Spirits exist for. But if they didn't include all the Hollywood stuff nobody would watch the show.

5:55 No fair. No song to introduce Rachel Getting Married. Just a song from the movie.

6:00 Documentary goes to Man on Wire. Shortest speech of the night. Basically 'thanks'. It was presented by Batman and a fake Joaquin Phoenix. Kinda funny but I have to admit --you miss a lot when you live blog. I don't even know who that was making the Bale "we're done professionally" jokes. How fresh!


6:05 Melissa Leo wins Best Actress for Frozen River. Rachel Getting Married is going to lose everything but great films are their own reward. I'm watching this show with two friends one says "She made her dress from the Golden Girls couch!" The other says "She looks like a Relief Society President" You'll get that if you're Mormon but otherwise you're out of luck. But maybe you know enough about Mormons to know. They're taking over. Mormon raised at least: Amy Adams, Aaron Eckhart, Eliza Dushku, Dustin Lance Black. They're everywhere! When I was a wee tyke the only celebrities who were "a little bit" Mormon (past or present) were Donnie & Marie.

at some point in this presentation Teri Hatcher did a really disturbing "Bitch is Back" number celebrating Wendy & Lucy. I don't think Michelle Williams knew what to make of it but since she isn't exactly a "loud" actor or a "loud" personality it's anyone's guess what she was feeling.

6:11 Some woman won some award. That's all I know. See what I mean about missing things while live-blogging. She's from Seattle. There's some specificity for you!

6:15 I want this to be over.

6:something or other Rosie Perez is presenting something and says 'I hate Penélope Cruz.' I love Rosie Perez. Why doesn't Hollywood?

6:29 The Class won foreign film. Yay! So I got to see my silver medal director Laurent Cantet.

6:30 Cinematography goes to Maryse Alberti for The Wrestler. Director Darren Aronofsky accepts. I love that he always says "I'm Darren". For a brilliant auteur he sure doesn't waste a lot of time selling himself. Could you imagine M Night Shyamalan's trademark intro being "Hi, I'm M"?

6:32 Cameron Diaz gives the Robert Altman Award for to Synecdoche New York. Great cast that movie had. I just wish someone else had directed it. I love Kauffman's writing but I feel like his writing is too self-devouring for the same person who dreamt it up and wrenched it out of its creative womb to also try and visualize it. Just my take. Obviously, others disagree.

6:38 Rainn Wilson does a musical number for The Wrestler. I shan't torture you with a photo but Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz find it amusing.

6:42 Laura Dern THE FACE presents Best Actor which goes to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. I don't know if y'all checked that link the other day about "hair" and Oscar winners but if he wins tomorrow he'll be only the second Best Actor winner ever to win for a long haired role (the only other one was Jon Voight in Coming Home. His speech is on fire and it's spreading. It starts with a tribute to another 80s up and comer who never quite became what he was supposed to become (Eric Roberts -- Julia's brother, yes -- last seen in The Dark Knight) and I have to agree with him there. Someone give Eric another great role. If you've seen Bob Fosse's Star 80 you'll understand Mickey's shout out.


This might be the craziest longest most train-of-thought speech since Ally Sheedy won for High Art.

Update: Here is the whole thing...



To Darren Aronofsky ,who is worried about actors being scared away from working with him because of Mickey's story about how "tough" Darren is:

If they aint got the balls to bring it, then fuck 'em

He's crazy. He totally gets the room going. He cracks Laura Dern and Philip Seymour Hoffman up. He scandalizes Anne Hathaway with a story about wrestler's "banging chicks in the ass in the bathroom". Well done Mickey. This is what the Indie Spirits live for.

6:53 John Waters and quirk queen Zooey Deschanel make jokes about inflated budgets on these so called "indies". It's mildly amusing.

6:54 Tom McCarthy wins Best Director of The Visitor. He's worried about following Mickey Rourke. No kidding. I love this guy although I wish the beard would go. He thanks "Dickie Jenkins" Hee. Richard seems very happy for him. And this also means more shots of Haaz.

6:59 Best Picture goes to The Wrestler. I'm happy for them. Darren... Just "Darren" please ... gets a full kiss from Mickey and the cheek kiss from his partner Rachel Weisz. Thank you. Darren calls The Wrestler a "Passion piece. We all bled to get here" It shows. Damn what a movie it is. I hope you've seen it by now. Twice. I'm not even that mad that Rachel Getting Married lost everything tonight. Because at least the awards went to fine films.

7:02 The End.

New Line (R.I.P.)

As you've heard by now New Line Cinema has been absorbed into Warner Bros. The gargantuan corporate beast still thrives and grows. It will eventually own your very soul. Reel Fanatic has written a fine if measured eulogy, praising them for bringing us several John Waters classics and the neo classic Lord of the Rings trilogy, damning them for Brett Ratner and other blights. New Line's death undoubtedly kills off any His Dark Materials: Golden Compass sequels but they didn't really go for it anyway so no big loss. I realize that my initial review was a thumbs up ... but like Sweeney Todd, which I liked much more, it faded rapidly, replaced as it should be with memories of the superior source material. I'm only human and sometimes --well, all the time actually (and I think this is a universal truth though many people refuse to acknowledge it) what I bring into the theater affects how I respond to the movie.

People will worry about the future of the troubled LotR prequel The Hobbit but if you ask me, we're better off without it ...though we won't be without it. Warner Bros won't be able to let it rest since Rings was a cash cow. Even if the property is entirely damaged it will one day walk the movie theaters like a miserable shuffling reanimated corpse. I say let it rest in peace with the Golden Compass sequels. It's sometimes best to quit while you're ahead. Every new morsel of info regarding the infinite lawsuits over Tolkien's material and Hollywood's profits or non-profits (hee, who are they trying to fool?) from the same... and every new idea -'let's make it two films since there's not enough material for one' (huh?) makes me say: no thank you. I'll always have 10+ hours of Frodo, Aragorn and Legolas and that's enough for me.

So New Line is dead. Long live Warner Bros. When it comes to the cannibalism of corporate Hollywood I stay very zen. Hollywood is immortal. In some way or another all of its severed heads regrow. I remember when Orion folded, I think around the time they won a Best Picture prize (for Silence of the Lambs), I was heartbroken. I had been conditioned to be excited when I saw their logo because they had delivered me many formative treasures. Other studios delivered goodies thereafter. All was well. I was a baby cinephile. I hadn't yet seen the way great studios (early Weinstein Miramax) can become embarrassments (Chocolat-pushing Weinstein Miramax) or even how they can be reborn and revitalized (the new Weinstein-free Miramax). Early this decade I became really fond of USA Films and then they were suddenly Focus Features (my current favorite) but they were even better. As long as there's a studio here or there and a mover and shaker behind the scenes that cares about quality, it's all good
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more at twiigs.com...

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Indie Spirits ~ Live Blogging

Live Blogging the Indie Spirits? I didn't even watch last year. But maybe I'm trying to warm up for tomorrow nights big event. Yes, that's my excuse for this foolishness. Apparently IFC is advertising their red carpet like so (Brangelina, pictured right) but do people really wear tuxes to the Indie Spirits? Not as I can recall. False advertising!

4:48 Ooh Anne Thompson is onscreen. She's sweet. She's talking about the jury and that their selections are more mainstream this year. The jury selection is one of the more interesting things about the Indie Spirit Awards but it actually makes it hard to get into from year to year, because there is no through line at all. It's impossible to predict and often reads as nonsensical from category to category. Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Savages but not Linney? Matt Singer is the host of this nomination special and he just said the craziest thing 'Philip Seymour Hoffman's roles in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and The Savages are very similar'

That's so true. I've always found that holding up my parents jewelry store while embezzling from my employer brings up the exact same issues of character as writing essays on Brecht and putting my father in a nursing home.

er... Matt? Earth to Matt.

4:53 They're "live! uncut! right now!" only it hasn't started yet. It's still commercials.

4:58 I've been blocking out the fact that Rainn Wilson (Juno) is hosting this show, homeskillet. Else I would never have agreed to live blog it.

5:04 Patty Clarkson (they just showed her) is so pretty. I'm ignoring Rainn so let's just focus on the camera cutaways. Steve Buscemi. Mike White. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Rainn makes a joke that he's the prettiest. Actually Hoffman is. He actually looks pretty good tonight. Cate Blanchett. Sienna Miller. Bruce Greenwood. Ed Begley Jr. Parker Posey [I'm still focusing on the cutaway reaction shots] Let me guest... this Juno table is going to get a lot of shout-outs. I'm not even going to mention how tacky it is to have a host that's in the movie that will win everything. Or how tacky his performance is in the same movie. No matter how many awards Juno wins, that convenience store mess is one fumbled opening that can't be undid.

5:12 Felicity Huffman is bad at reading from a teleprompter. Best Supporting Male: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk to Me, I always pretend I'm watching him in Serenity whenever I see him), Marcus Carl Franklin (I'm Not There), Kene Holliday (The Great World of Sound), Irrfan Kahn (The Namesake... he's such a good actor) and Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn... he looks so cute in his tan blazer). Chiwetel Ejiofor wins. Kasi Lemmon accepts since Chiwi is in London playing Othello.

Eliza Dushku and Parker Posey. Two (indie) girls I love

5:17 Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova singing "When Your Minds Made Up" from Once. I love them very much and the movie but this sounds a little rough. Off key and forced. I'm going to blame it on the acoustics in the room since I will be sad if their performance at the Oscars isn't a lot better tomorrow.

5:20 Kerry Washington is dreamy. Now... what the hell is wrong with Oscar that she isn't presenting there? Seriously, Patrick Dempsey??? Why. It angers me. Kerry Washington! Now, that's somebody AMPAS should get familiar with. Diablo Cody wins screenplay for Juno and Jason Bateman presents it. TACKY! It's like when The Producers won all the TONY Awards with Nathan Lane hosting. Why do awards shows do these things. It just screams complete and utter tastelessness.

5:23 Maria Bello is presenting something. Best First Film I think. I am distracted because I don't want her to keep playing second fiddle to horses, country singers and Alison f'ing Lohman --all of whom she is infinitely superior to. She needs another A History of Violence. Pronto. Is that the Mad Men star presenting with her? I must watch that show. The guy from The Lookout wins (Scott Frank).

5:32 They just cut from Matt Dillon to Don Cheadle. No joke. What is this 2005? I don't need that reminder when I'm watching awards shows. No I do not.

5:34 Supporting Female. Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There), Anna Kendrick (Rocket Science), Tamara Podesnski (name of movie?), Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead --yay!), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding) they describe her as a "free spirited sister"... huh? Did Matt Singer write this? (Hee. sorry Matt, I couldn't help it). Pauline is not a free spirit. That girl is all locked up in her depression and her sister is one mean warden, that's for damn sure. Cate wins for I'm Not There. Of course. She is very pregnant ---ooh, awesome shoutout to "Todd Haynes's body of work" Hear, hear.

The "F***" count is now at 5. "S***" has only been uttered once. There's no bleeping on this show. Naughty IFC.

5:41 The spoof songs. This one from Diving Bell and Butterfly was actually funny.

5:44 Rainn is doing "spoof" auditions for all the best features. This time it's I'm Not There. Todd Haynes is hot --I'm just sayin' cuz nobody ever says. Rainn keeps calling him "Ted". Hee

5:50 Meg Ryan looks like herself again! This is the second star they've brought out saying "From The Women" -against my better judgment I'm excited for the remake. She and Tom Wilkinson are presenting the John Cassavettes Award which is for the true independent / shoestring budget movies. August Evening wins. Other than this award and a couple of others the whole concept of the Indie Spirits is kinda pointless since you can bet if a big hit or Oscar nominee is nominated, that's the person who wins. Not exactly hard core independence you know?

5:52 Cate Blanchett is so cute pregnant. She no longer looks emaciated. She introduces herself as Marcus Carl Franklin to introduce I'm Not There clip. Hee. Steve Zahn is singing "Like a Rolling Stone" as a spoof for the movie. "to speak in a monotone. like a dylan clone"

5:56 MAGGIE CHEUNG --GODDESS ALERT !!! Foreign Film goes to Once. Maggie seems happy about that. They made Once (one of the year's best) for $100,000. Wow, crazy that it's a gazillion times better than movies that are made for $100 million. But now John Carney needs to shut up. He's giving the complete history of the packaging and making or and distribution. Glen Hansard shuts him up. Thanks Glen!

6:00 I did NOT need to see Rainn Wilson's ass. I really did not. Cut to: Brad Pitt, who looks like he's 30 again. Delicious. Botox is a magical magical thing. It should be free or at least government subsidized.

6: 07 Best Actor. I want Tony Leung Chiu Wai to win for Lust, Caution but of course he won't. The delicate fabric of the universe would tear if something that wonderful happened. Philip Seymour Hoffman wins. Nice speech -- he called Laura Linney "sublime." And how.

6:12 Alison Janney's dress is fresh and kicky and exactly right for this event, casual but still glam. I'm sure it's not easy to dress for any of these events. Anyway, it looks better moving than in this photo here to your right. She's presenting with John Waters who often hosts this very show. This is the part of the show where they give out grants to filmmakers.

6:25 Is this over yet? Raiiin Wilson is not funny.

6:26 The Artist Formerly Known As Keri Russell would like everyone to know that she will lose however many lbs Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett gain while pregnant. She feels it's the least she could do for Hollywood's beauty standards. Tamara Jenkins won screenplay for The Savages.

6:32 You know how some people read romance novels that are all sort of the same and even if they're smart people they keep reading them... even though it maybe doesn't challenge them, this habit. That's me with fantasy novels. Only the books are much better (I would guess) and the sameness is only in the archetypes and general conceits... though the details are much different from author to author. I just finished reading Transformation by Carol Berg and I found it to be quite a page turner. Really enjoyed it. I was excited to discover that there are sequels (I don't know why I feigned shock. Every fantasy book every written is part something of something --they're more franchise focused than Hollywood even.) Part of me is embarassed about this habit of mine but part of me is like 'sorry, that's just what I like.' If you're wondering what this has to do with the Film Independent Spirit Awards, than congratulations: you've actually read this post. But it doesn't. Have anything to do. I'm just bored of watching is all.

6:45 Crazy Love won Best Documentary and Janusz Kaminski (who used to be Mr. Holly Hunter) just won cinematography. And now Patty Clarkson is onscreen with Dennis Quaid (both from the great Far From Heaven) for a brief shout out to Heath Ledger and presenting the Robert Altman Award to I'm Not There. Casting director Laurie Rosenthal is accepting. She's happy that casting directors are finally being acknowledged. And hey, Laura, so am I. And more on Heath Ledger. I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't know about his directorial efforts at all. Now I'm sad again.

6:53 Javier Bardem just agreed to f*** Rainnn Wilson. Javier is a good sport. Best Director nominees Todd Haynes (I'm Not There), Tamara Jenkins (Savages), Jason Reitman (Juno), Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and Butterfy) Gus Van Sant (Paranoid Park). Julian Schnabel wins. He is not wearing pajamas. He invited Jason Reitman to share the stage with him. Strange. Even Schnabel likes Juno? This speech is odd. It has so many half sentences and changes of subject... Where is Juliette Welfling when we need her? Edit him! "I want to thank Javier Bardem for being Javier Bardem"

6:58 Best Actress: Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), Sienna Miller (Interview), Ellen Page (Juno), Parker Posey (Broken English) and Tang Wei (Lust Caution). And the Spirit Award goes to Ellen Page. I know a lot of people say that Ellen Page is playing herself in Juno but I think that's a too-easy dismissal. Nice humble acceptance speech there and no Juno tics. So there.

7:05 Dustin Hoffman:

I did fuck Javier Bardem and Philip Seymour Hoffman is the product of our union.
...I hope you understand I mean that metaphorically.

Dustin Hoffman you crazy crazy two time Oscar winner. He's here to present Best Picture The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I'm Not There, Juno, A Mighty Heart, Paranoid Park. Gee, I wonder... which movie will win. Juno (duh... it's the Oscar nominee). Love Fest. I'm out.

7:10 I did not turn off the television in time and they showed us Philip Seymour Hoffman's ass as well as he spanked and wrestled with Raain Wilson as credits rolled. I did not make any of this up.*
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National Coming Out Day: Queer Hollywood

Hollywood movies would be more dynamic --or at least more surprising --if there were more diversity in the faces, voices, genders and sexual orientations of the people in front of and behind the camera. We could use more people of color, women and GLBT talent willing to bring their own unique perspective to the movies. So today on National Coming Out Day we celebrate one of the underrepresented brave minorities of Hollywood.


Out Writers, Directors
[Links take you to to official sites or IMDB pages]
Pedro Almodovar -Spain's greatest living filmmaker and the man behind the kissable Volver, the Oscar winning Talk To Her the "fag noir" Bad Education and many other amazing films. I like him... a lot. OK, I lurve him
Jane Anderson Writer/director of The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio and the TV movies Normal and When Billie Beat Bobby
Gregg Araki -His most recent critical triumph was Mysterious Skin but he's got the Anna Faris stoner comedy Smiley Face awaiting release. Previous credits include The Doom Generation and The Living End
Alan Ball The creator of TV classic Six Feet Under. His current projects are Nothing is Private (awaiting release) and HBO's True Blood (a vampire series)
Clive Barker Horror novelist who also writes and directs his own adaptations including the famous Hellraiser which is getting a remake

Greg Berlanti He directed the popular gay film Broken Hearts Club but his real contribution is executive producing major television series including Everwood, Dirty Sexy Money and current favorite Brothers & Sisters (related B&S post)
Bill Condon The director of Dreamgirls and Kinsey. Oscar winning screenwriter of Gods and Monsters.
Lisa Cholodenko Director of Cavedweller, Laurel Canyon and the terrific, leztastic High Art with Oscar worthy performances from Ally Sheedy and Patty Clarkson (neither were nominated. grrrr)
Stephen Daldry Oscar friendly director of The Hours and Billy Elliott. He's got two promising films in the works: The Reader with Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes and the ambitious adaptation of Michael Chabon mammoth bestseller The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Er... good luck with that Stephen.
Marleen Gorris Dutch director of Antonia's Line, Mrs Dalloway and the upcoming Heaven and Earth

John Greyson Director of gay indies like Proteus and Lilies (please do see the latter --good stuff). Anyone know where he's gone to since Proteus?
Todd Haynes One of the greatest filmmakers in the world. He'll be expanding his fame and gathering more acclaim when I'm Not There, his Bob Dylan picture opens next month. He's already made at least two masterpieces: Far From Heaven and [safe]. Haynes posts
Nicholas Hytner Theater director who occassionally dabbles in the movies: History Boys, Center Stage, The Crucible among them
Dan Ireland Director of Passionada, Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont and Jolene
Miranda July The performance art charmer from Me and You and Everyone We Know is dating Mike Mills (Thumbsucker) but has been characterized as openly bisexual and "a queer woman" in many a profile
Tom Kalin He disappeared after Swoon his Leopold and Loeb queer indie but he's finally made another film: Savage Grace with Julianne Moore --coming soon.

Joe Mantello Broadway mover and shaker but no movies since Love! Valour! Compassion!
Rob Marshall Director of Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha and the upcoming musical Nine with Javier Bardem and Catherine Zeta-Jones
John Maybury Director of The Jacket and Love is the Devil... so you have him to thank for that shot of Daniel Craig naked in the bathtub (pre-Bond)
John Cameron Mitchell The multi-hyphenate artistic force behind neo classics Shortbus and Hedwig and the Angry Inch
François Ozon French auteur. He brought you the fabulous gallic divas of 8 Women. Past credits include Swimming Pool and Under the Sand. His new film starring Romola Garai is called Angel

Kimberly Peirce Director of Boys Don't Cry and the 2008 Iraq war soldier drama Stop Loss starring a who's who of young Hollywood including Ryan Phillipe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Victor Rasuk and Channing Tatum
Angela Robinson Director of Debs and Herbie: Fully Loaded
Don Roos Writer director of the highly watchable Happy Endings and The Opposite of Sex. His new project is called Love and Other Impossible Pursuits --JLo is currently set to star
Paul Rudnick Also known as columnist "Libby Gelman-Waxner" from Premier Magazine. His screenwriting credits include the brilliant Addams Family Values and the not so brilliant Stepford Wives remake. He's also a popular playwright
Adam Shankman This director had quite the summer with Hairspray. Previously directed other things best not mentioned now that he's made a really good film.
Joel Schumacher Oft-maligned director of The Number 23, Phantom of the Opera, Batman and Robin, and many more. But he'll always have bragging rights on Colin Farrell's Tigerland breakthrough

Bryan Singer Fanboy favorite director behind Superman Returns the two X-Men movies that are worth anything and The Usual Suspects. Next projects include Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and the mouthwatering possible greatness of The Mayor of Castro Street, a biopic on gay legend Harvey Milk. Please cast well Bryan. Please cast well
Rose Troche(Go Fish, Hung, The L Word)
Guinevere Turner This beautiful brunette acts in Go Fish, American Psycho, The L Word and she writes too. Screenwriting credits include Go Fish, American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page
Christine Vachon The legendary producing force behind Killer Films. She's shepherded dozens of the most influential and important American indies of the past two decades onto the screen. She'll be in the history books. Past triumphs include Far From Heaven and Boys Don't Cry and the book A Killer Life.
Gus Van Sant Indie director (My Own Private Idaho) turned Hollywood Oscar force (Good Will Hunting) turned curiousity (Psycho) turned artfilm auteur (Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, and the new film Paranoid Park)
Kevin Williamson Writer of the Scream films. Director of Teaching Mrs Tingle. Recently created the "Hidden Palms" TV series
John Waters American treasure. Credits include: A Dirty Shame, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Pink Flamingos and many more


Out Actors and Performers
Chad Allen Credits include Save Me, End of the Spear, Dr Quinn Medicine Woman and the recurring Donald Strachey Mystery movies on Here! television
John Barrowman Charismatic star of "Torchwood", abundant musical theater goodness, and the wonderful "Night and Day" sequence within De-Lovely
Jackie Beat Drag superstar. Films credits include: Adam & Steve, Flawless, and Grief
Simon Callow Beloved British stage star. Frequent film and television work including Phantom of the Opera, "Angels in America", "Rome", No Man's Land, Shakespeare in Love and of course A Room with a View
Craig Chester Indie film actor and best friend of Parker Posey. Starring roles include: Adam & Steve and Swoon

Allan Corduner Fine character actor. He was Sullivan to Broadbent's Gilbert in the fine Topsy Turvy and his many other credits include Vera Drake
Alan Cumming <--click away. His website is fun. Broadway superstar, cologne hawking cheeky celebrity, X2's Nightcrawler and frequent supporting player in films and television
Wilson Cruz TV supporting player. Seen most famously on My So Called Life. Recently: Noah's Arc and Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in all the World
Ben Daniels British theater actor. Film credits: Beautiful Thing, Passion in the Desert
Rupert Everett Enduring celebrity. His beloved supporting role in My Best Friends Wedding didn't bring the expected mainstream lead roles but he's a fine actor and can still get media tongues wagging. Most recently seen in Stardust. Also writes books (More Rupert scribblings)

Harvey Fierstein American treasure. Broadway legend and lifetime activist. Most famous film credits include Mrs Doubtfire and Torch Song Trilogy. Recent Broadway activity includes the smashing revival of Fiddler on the Roof and a TONY win for originated the Edna Turnblad role for the stage version of Hairspray (and yes, he runs rings around John Travolta)
Peter Frechette Theater actor with film and TV credits including Inside Man, Grease 2, and an Emmy win way back when for thirtysomething
Stephen Fry Most famous to movie awards fanatics as the frequent host of the BAFTAs. Also writes hilarious books and acts in films from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to Wilde
Robert Gant -From Showtime's Queer as Folk. He'll next be seen in Kiss Me Deadly with Shannen Doherty
Malcolm Gets Recently starred in the romantic comedy Adam & Steve, most famous for several seasons of TVs Caroline in the City
Jason Gould Son of Barbra Streisand. There's gotta be a movie in that, right?

Neil Patrick Harris "Doogie Howser" finally came out. Currently starring in How I Met Your Mother. And for my money the best part of the Broadway revival of Sondheim's Assassins (great singing voice) though he wasn't the one that got TONY attention.
Cheyenne Jackson United 93 ensemble player and Broadway über hunk: the star of All Shook Up and the colead of the current camp hit Xanadu (More on Cheyenne)
Derek Jacobi Highly acclaimed stage star and frequent film actor. Recent appearances include Underworld: Evolution, Nanny McPhee, Hamlet and Gosford Park. He was also Daniel Craig's keeper (the painter Francis Bacon) in Love is the Devil
T.R. Knight Series regular on Grey's Anatomy
Nathan Lane Broadway megastar. Most famous film roles: The Producers and The Birdcage
Eric Millegan Series regular on TV's Bones and lots of theater

Sir Ian McKellen Gandalf. Magneto. Superstar. Activist. Hero.
Denis O'Hare Broadway star. Recent film credits include Michael Clayton (now playing) and that cynical journalist in A Mighty Heart. Let's not talk about that hideous TV movie version of "Once Upon a Mattress"
Peter Paige Most famous for his series regular role on Queer as Folk but he's kept himself busy since with TV, stage, and indie film
David Hyde Pierce "Niles" on Frasier finally came out. It was about freaking time.
Anthony Rapp An original cast member of Rent. Other films include A Beautiful Mind and 80s guilty pleasure Adventures in Babysitting

Christopher Sieber Star of TV's shortlived gay themed comedy It's all Relative. And you have to give him credit for playing straight man to the Olsen Twins in another one season TV flop Two of a Kind. Will be in next year's romantic ensemble drama See You in September
George Takei "Sulu" of TV's legendary Star Trek . Just got killed off on Heroes but not many people stay dead on that show. We'll see.
Rufus Wainwright this folkrock god has been paying homage to Judy Garland for so long now he's starting to feel like a real actress. Plus he's actually acting in films now including Heights and this year's Canadian Oscar submission L'age Des Tenebres (Rufus! Rufus! Rufus!)
Gedde Watanabe Still most famous for playing "Long Duk Dong" in Sixteen Candles but he's done lots of TV work including a few seasons of E.R.
BD Wong Eternally busy thespian and activist. Lots of Broadway (M Butterfly, Pacific Overtures), voice work, and TV under his belt including major lengthy stints on Oz and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Simon Woods Shy cutie Mr. Bingley in Pride & Prejudice and Octavian on HBO's Rome

Out Actresses and Performers
Alexis Arquette Sister of Patricia and Rosanna. America witnessed her journey towards the big snip on The Surreal Life. Past film credits include: Pulp Fiction, The Trip, Wigstock, and Threesome
Sandra Bernhard Legend. Without her you're nothing. Former comic superstardom
Saffron Burrows Eric Bana's delicious lady love in Troy also loves the ladies. Recurring character work on Boston Legal. Other credits include: Reign Over Me, Frida and Miss Julie. Dated her director Mike Figgis and also Alan Cumming (in the list of men above) but is now partnered with Fiona Shaw (The Black Dahlia) --scroll down for her
Ellen Degeneres Talk show megastar. Former leading sitcom lady
Sara Gilbert "Darlene" from Roseanne. Riding in Cars with Boys, 24, Twins
Jane Lynch Awesome comic supporting player: You'll remember her from For Your Consideration, Best in Show and seductively singing to The 40 Year Old Virgin

Cherry Jones Broadway goddess. Longtime activist. Sarah Paulson's girlfriend. Sometime film actor including: The Village and Cradle Will Rock. Meryl Streep snagged Jones's TONY winning Doubt role for the film version
Miriam Margoyles Wonderful character actress who you delighted in (even if you don't know her name in The Age of Innocence, Magnolia and Being Julia among many others
Heather Matarazzo Treated rather gruesomely in this year's Hostel Part 2. Previously seen in The Princess Diaries and abused in Welcome to the Dollhouse
Tammy Lynn Michaels Melissa Etheridge's partner. Television actress most famous for her role on the defunct series Popular. Recent credits include stints on Committed and The L Word
Cynthia Nixon Sex & the City's Miranda. Currently reprising the role for the film version. Also busy on the boards

Rosie O'Donnell Talk show troublemaker. Former comedic superstardom
Sarah Paulson Fresh off of a leading TV role in the cancelled Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Previously rocked stylized period pieces like Down With Love and The Notorious Bettie Page whilst rocking Cherry Jones' world. Her next gig: joining the starry cast of The Spirit directed by Frank Miller
Portia de Rossi From the dearly departed Arrested Development. Formerly of Ally McBeal. Currently on Ellen DeGeneres' arm
Fiona Shaw Stole the show in last year's DePalma oddity The Black Dahlia. Terrorizes Harry Potter every couple of years for a few minutes as Aunt Petunia. Receives endless kudos for brilliant stage work. Next movie is The Other Side with Angelica Huston, Jim Broadbent, Jason Lee, Lili Taylor and many other famous faces. Dating Saffron Burrows
Lily Tomlin Legend. Recently of I Heart Huckabees. Eternally in Nashville. Came out officially in 2000. She's been living with her girlfriend and writing partner Jane Wagner (The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe) since the 1970s

For every A list actor/actress who repeatedly lies about it... For every gay casting director who refuses to consider gay actors for straight or gay roles (grrr and for shame) ... there are a ton of hardworking admirable professionals like these above who aren't afraid to speak their personal truth. They can say the G word with pride ...or at least a minimum of fuss or angst. More power to these brave and awesome entertainers.

Buy tickets to their movies. Watch their TV shows





If you're here for the first time: please check out the most recent postings. There's daily movie-loving hijinx here at the film experience.

Further Reading? If you want to see more complete lists there's also the Wikipedia pages for a MUCH longer list of famous GLBT people . You'll notice that the list you've just read above has more than its share of Brits: they tend to come out in greater numbers over the pond. Here's the pink list --a list of influential gay Britons published last year in The Independent

Hairspray's Original Songs

Those three of you interested in the "Original Song" Oscar category --arguably the Academy's strangest category: song writing is a skill worthy of the movie industry's highest award but casting and stuntwork are not (?) --should take note: Hairspray's soundtrack listing shows three songs that weren't in the Broadway show. Only one song, "The Big Dollhouse", has been cut. It was a comedic number sung in prison by Tracey Turnblad (the hero), her mother Edna and various other female characters. Contrary to original rumors there's no new song for villainess Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) though her equally evil daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) gets one, "The New Girl in Town". This leaves Pfeiffer with the Broadway show's least successful song "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs" --the tune is weak and applause was limp the night I saw it on Broadway --the other songs tended to provoke berserk applause.

The other two new songs have gone to Tracey's beau Link (Zac Ephron) who gets a ditty called "Ladies Choice" and there's a group number led by Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)" Maybelle already has one inspirational tune. Now she'll have two? Seems like overkill... especially when you stop to consider that another new song "I Can Wait" written for Tracey has been cut from the film and the CD. Essentially the important supporting players have been given an extra number but there's no new songs for either the heroine or villain. I've listed the characters in rough descending order of their importance to the show and in parenthesis their number of solos/duet or group songs. Tracey Turnblad -Nikki Blonsky (2/5), Edna Turnblad -John Travolta (0/3), Link Larkin -Zac Ephron (2/3), Amber Von Tussle -Brittany Snow (1/0), Velma Von Tussle -Michelle Pfeiffer (1/1), Motormouth Maybelle -Queen Latifah (2/2), Wilbur Turnblad -Christopher Walken (0/1), Penny Pingleton -Amanda Bynes (0/2), Seaweed -Elijah Kelley (1/3) and Corny Collins -James Marsden (2/0). Alison Janney plays Penny's hysterical conservative mother (one variation on a stock character in John Waters ouevre) Prudy Pingleton but she has no songs.


The coolest track of the CD is likely to be "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" given that it features three Traceys: the original Ricki Lake (from John Waters classic 1988 comedy) Marisa Jaret Winokur (a TONY winner for creating Broadway's Tracey) and this film's debuting big girl Nikki Blonsky. What does that mean? I'm guessing that it's been cut from the narrative and it's the closing credits song. But still, that's a potentially awesome number and a nice tribute to Hairspray's long journey from wonderful cult comedy to moneyed mainstream musical.