LOGO has compiled a list of The 50 Greatest LGBT Films of All-Time, as chosen by their audience. I have to say that I've probably seen... 5% of them? I don't really rush out to see much gay cinema since... well, a really good percentage is just crap, I'm sorry to say. But I'm a bad Gay anyway, I never seem to make it to the Pride festivites anymore. Do I have to send back the toaster?
Here's the top 10:
I've made known my feelings for Brokeback in the past at my own site, so I'll just say - right on, with that one.
I know that Latter Days is a popular film (obviously, coming in at #2), but personally I hated it. It defines most of the things that keep me away from going to see gay films - I thought the actors were terrible, the dialogue downright painful, and while I'm always one to appreciate some man-flesh being on display, there's just something that skeeves me out about the way a lot of gay films throw everyone into tank tops and boxer briefs at every given opportunity.
Beautiful Thing and Trick I both liked when I was 20 or so but I haven't seen either of them since then. Angels In America should've placed higher. I shamefully admit I haven't seen Bound yet. Priscilla was fun, but again, it's been years. And that's it for what I've seen of the top 10.
And the fact that Heavenly Creatures placed at all the way down at #45 is just too horrific to even begin to contemplate. That film... well, I can't quite shift Brokeback out of #1 without my wiring short-circuiting, but it's an easy #2.
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Here's the top 10:
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Latter Days
3. Beautiful Thing
4. Trick
5. Bound
6. Angels In America
7. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
8. Desert Hearts
9. Tipping The Velvet
10. Big Eden
2. Latter Days
3. Beautiful Thing
4. Trick
5. Bound
6. Angels In America
7. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
8. Desert Hearts
9. Tipping The Velvet
10. Big Eden
I've made known my feelings for Brokeback in the past at my own site, so I'll just say - right on, with that one.
I know that Latter Days is a popular film (obviously, coming in at #2), but personally I hated it. It defines most of the things that keep me away from going to see gay films - I thought the actors were terrible, the dialogue downright painful, and while I'm always one to appreciate some man-flesh being on display, there's just something that skeeves me out about the way a lot of gay films throw everyone into tank tops and boxer briefs at every given opportunity.
Beautiful Thing and Trick I both liked when I was 20 or so but I haven't seen either of them since then. Angels In America should've placed higher. I shamefully admit I haven't seen Bound yet. Priscilla was fun, but again, it's been years. And that's it for what I've seen of the top 10.
And the fact that Heavenly Creatures placed at all the way down at #45 is just too horrific to even begin to contemplate. That film... well, I can't quite shift Brokeback out of #1 without my wiring short-circuiting, but it's an easy #2..
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25 comments:
Puh-lease. That's sooo ridiculous that D.E.B.S., Transamerica and Mambo Italiano even placed, when wonderful movies like My Beautiful Laundrette, Bad Education, My Own Private Idaho and Chuck & Buck didn't.
But I have to agree with Brokeback coming out on top. No complaints there.
I too absolutely HATED the atrocious 'Latter Days' -- and not just because I was once one of those boys in white shirts on bicycles, which this amateurish film caracatured and lampooned shamelessly to no end. Why do gays (other than Nat and me apparently) seem to embrace crap like this so fervently whilst relegating or downright ignoring much more progressive and noble efforts like 'Heavenly Creatures' and the heartbreaking 'Second Skin'? What's the point of even fighting for equality and fair representation if you continue to slop up derivative entertainment that perpetuates the same old, stupid stereotypes? I'm sorry but we gays need to wise up and stat.
Marco
P.S. 'Longtime Companion' deserves a top ten spot, too. Just had to add that caviat.
The list doesn't surprise me. It only tends to confirm that gays who vote in "best of..." polls are as middle-brow, unimaginative and literal as the rest of of the population. Some glaring omissions, already noted. Other good to great films missing include DEATH IN VENICE, PROVIDENCE and even MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and a host of others too depressing to actually list. And I'm wondering what precisely makes a film "gay," anyway. BOUND is a cheesy though entertaining exploitation flick with about as much to do with "gay" content as PATTON. Though I like HEAVENLY CREATURES, I'm puzzled about its status as a "gay" film. The only way its inclusion makes sense is to note that mostly, when the mainstream (or even the mainstream types within a given minority group) tosses a note of approval to films which contain a hint of sapphic activity, the lesbian characters in those films are typically "damaged" people who tend to be psychopaths, going through "a phase," unrepentant nymphomaniacs or all of the above.
Speaking of which.... I'm suprised MONSTER, MY SUMMER OF LOVE, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR and THE FOX aren't on this list.
Well not to add fuel to Anomynous' fire, but it just struck me that Mysterious Skin (Damaged? check) isn't on the list either, and ought to be.
DAMN YOU JA, I WAS GONNA MENTION THE HORRENDOUS ABSENCE OF 'MYSTERIOUS SKIN'!!!!
...and come to think of it, the fact that My Own Private Idaho isn't on there as well kinda ticks me off.
Yeah, Mulholland Dr, Bad Education, My Beautiful Laundrette, and My Own Private Idaho really need to be there. Hard to take it seriously without them.
I adore these movies, but beyond the obvious, I don't understand how "Heavenly Creatures" and "Mulholland Drive" are "gay" or "lesbian".
My Beautiful Laundrette, Mysterious Skin and My Own Private Idaho do definitely need to be on there. It's a crime that they're not. And what about Stonewall? I really liked that one. And Last Exit to Brooklyn?
I was happy to see Priscilla and The Sum of Us on there.
How are Boys Don't Cry and Hedwig only at #24 and #36 respectively? Below D.E.B.S.?
I admit to loving Get Real and Beautiful Thing though.
Titles I hate that are on there: Party Monster! Wtf is that doing there? Mambo Italiano! Gross. And above Cabaret and The Crying Game? lol.
Much like others have questioned how Heavenly Creatures and Mulholland Drive are queer films, how is Y Tu Mama Tambien. The gay content in that is very minute. And Rocky Horror? They're confusing gay with camp. And Victor/Victoria? Sure, it's about a cross dresser but she's not a lesbian!
Going by their theory, Elephant could be considered a gay film. Or Billy Elliot (and even then, Elliot is more of a queer film than some of the titles on the list).
The godawful "Making Love" is on the list, but not "My Beautiful Laundrette" or "Wilde" or "Far From Heaven" or ...? Geez, I hope that list does not somehow reflect gay people's taste. I am not gay so may be I am missing something but I've always thought a good movie is a good movie, whether it has a gay theme or not.
yeah, i was almost gonna say 'elephant' since it adheres to their criteria, but the film (while featuring two gay/curious males as its late focus) is so much more than that. i could go on for hours about that stunning motion picture, but that's for a different post.
I thought "Priest" was very moving.
Beau, agreed on Elephant 100%.
But I think the only way a movie like that could appear on the list was if everyone in that school were raging queens and the machine guns were shooting rainbows and lollipops.
Fuck, that list is pathetic.
That Brokeback Mountain is on top shows that a lot of people are lazy and have short memories. I find it odd that The Birdcage makes the list but not the original La Cage. Where's Jean Genet's Chant d'Amour. Where's Fassbinder? Where's Madchen in Uniform? Where's Kenneth Anger? I use to be a friend of Vito Russo's and I'm sure he would be appalled by this list.
I agree that Mysterious Skin was a marvelous film and should have joined in the top half of the list.
What about one of my personal faves,"Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City",Starring the superb Ms. Olympia Dukakis?(or does that not count because it was made for television?) Marcus D'Amico and Chloe Webb are perfect and brilliant as Mouse and Mona. Anyone know what happened to them?
What makes a film 'gay', anyway? I was looking all over HMV for the Criterion 2-disc My Own Private Idaho but didn't find it until a helpful employee directed me to the LGBT section. Same thing at my local indie video place (Bird Dog in Calgary) - separate LGBT section.
I'm not gay, so maybe some of you could lend me a bit of insight here - how do you feel about 'gay' films being cordoned off from the 'regular' movies? Does that strike you as a form of ghettoization? Or is it helpful in some way?
I was going to ask why films featuring lesbians (Bound, Heavenly Creatures) aren't treated with kid gloves to the same extent, but upon further consideration I already know.
There's a difference between films like Heavenly Creatures, My Own Private Idaho etc and films like Trick.
For some reason the idea of a LGBT section in a video store makes me think they're secretly trying to make sure people don't hire them. Like, what 16-year-old kid is gonna want to hang around the LGBT section of a video store? It's like they're shaming them into it. Like a porn section or something.
I would consider My Own Private Idaho and Heavenly Creatures as mere dramas more than overt LGBT films and should be found in a drama section or whatever your video store has accordingly.
(I just reread your thing and realised you weren't saying Heavenly Creatures was in this section, but I can't be bothered editing)
I was going to ask why films featuring lesbians (Bound, Heavenly Creatures) aren't treated with kid gloves to the same extent, but upon further consideration I already know.
OK I'll bite. I am slow on the uptake -- what is it that you already know?
I think the whole idea of "LGBT" as a genre is kind of stupid. It ghettoizes the gay content the same way the animated feature oscar ghettoizes cartoons. We say Heavenly Creatures should just be in drama but I think what we mean by that is it's actually a GREAT FILM and has universal themes. Though that one is just questionable as a gay film in general. But FFH, say, is definitely a gay or queer film but I think putting it in a "gay section" diminishes it. Same with BBM. I think when people think "gay section" they think Trick, But I'm A Cheerleader etc. i.e. thing that aren't good enough for "drama".
I mean, is there a "black" section/genre? Or a "disability" section/genre? OR A "working class" section/genre? These aren't genres, they're minorities/demographics. Gay is sort of different since it's a gender thing and gender is such a major literary concept anyway, but still. Plus gay, lesbian, crossdressing, transgender, queer, etc. are totally different concepts, really.
Really genre in general is totally jumbled/misunderstood. Drama, for instance, in the old greek definitions, means comedy/tragedy together... more like what we think of as "dramedy" now. So really, any film of any substance is a drama. Even comedies are drama. Now drama often = "default" or "boring".
Anyway. I'm ending my rant. It got way too long. Short story = that is a stupid list.
Daphne - namely that lesbians seem to be a lot more palatable than gay men to moviegoers.
Thanks john p. You are probably right but I don't quite get why gay female couplings in the moves should be more acceptable than male counterparts. Half the movie-going public is female, no? Being a straight female myself, I'd rather watch gay males in movies than gay females.
I don't think half the moviegoing public IS actually female, which would explain a lot of this.
People are always complaining about the lack of good female roles and stories in the movies, and the reason given is always that they don't make enough money. That's why no one expected "chick flick" Devil Wears Prada to do so well.
Things are slowly changing, but I think an argument can be made that females do not make up half of the $-plunking audience at the movies.
I of course disagree with many of the picks on the list, but any list oted on by whoever happens to see that some voting is going on is gonna be that way. Parting Glances, for me, would be #1. Many films low on the list would be high. My Beautiful Laundrette, Chuck & Buck and My Own Private Idaho seem to have been forgotten. All true enough. But I doubt it was all write-in votes—which films did LOGO list as selections? And for anyone who gets peeved at "gay & lesbian" as a category, it's really not so big of a deal. What are stores supposed to do? Have DVDs stacked randomly and let consumers wade through them all so as not to "ghettoize" anyone looking for "action," "drama," "gay themes," "blaxploitation," "romance," etc.? But all that said...D.E.B.S. is on the list so it's hardly the list of record.
I saw the list and I thought the picks were awful! Latter days?!? Day old coffee has more substance than that! No Bent? No My Beautiful Laundrette? No Mysterious skin?!
And the selection of non-English films!!! They missed out India's Fire, China's Peony Pavilion, Argentina's Plata Quemada (Burnt Money) and Japan's Gohato.
I'm so appalled that crowd pleasing is a major criterion for what is touted as "best."
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