Every year around June I spend virtually an entire weekend at the Powerhouse watching queer films. This year I saw four in one day and that is pretty lightweight compared to what I’ve done in years before. When you go to a film festival you go through a whole range of experiences… excitement at the beginning which turns to annoyance because the introduction and sponsors are the same at every screening which turns to weariness because you are reaching your ability to sit still capacity. But it’s worth it because every once in a while the festival will turn out a Debs.
The festival isn’t quite over for me yet but my Debs this year seems to be “Nina’s Heavenly Delights“. It helps that the women are hot and that the subject is food but it’s a sweet little story if not just a bit contrived. It’s kind of a scottish bollywood lesbian film mixed with a touch of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. I know it’s pretty common these days but it’s still a bit of a spinout to hear a scottish accent on an indian person – in the same way it’s odd to hear crocodile hunter voices coming out of a jackie chan lookalike. I’ll probably get in trouble from someone for making that comment but fuck off, I’m not being racist, I’m analysing my reaction to seeing something and I’m trying to do it without prejudice. Anyway, it’s a cute film and I’d see it again.
I’ve also seen Gypo which is an english film in a Mike Leigh type depressing way. Watching those sort of films reminds me of my time in England and the poor standard of living you get when you are on a low income. It’s hard to believe that the Empire it once was is now a bunch of bad speaking young kids in tracky dacks and trainers throwing rocks at cars. I thought they sent all the lower classes to Australia! They must have an amazing ability to regenerate young Oliver Twists over and over again.
Gypo is one of those movies that tells the story from three people’s perspectives and it’s only when you see the final person’s story that you get to know the whole narrative. Comments are purposefully obscure in one scene so they have more impact in another. Basically it’s a film about going through life on auto pilot until someone comes along and shows you that there is more to life. I liked it, but it didn’t have much of a sex/hot factor. The refugee chick was pretty nice though. 🙂
The Best of Lezploitation was a documentary I saw and it was excellent! Not a documentary in the sense that there was a voice over or anything, it was more just a mash up of trashy lesbian scenes from many movies that were made by men for men. You know the kind – women who take their clothes off in exercise yards in jails to exercise, dildos being passed on ropes in jails, vampires who jump out of cuckoo clocks to bite on naked women. Really, really funny when viewed with a bunch of like minded individuals and I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t mind a few of the scenes. Now I understand where movies like Police Academy and Porkies came from.
Seven questions about desire was a short docco that ended in sex and orgasms. You didn’t see anything, pretty much just her face – but here is my tip. Once you hear the interviewer leave to go and get some toys from the cupboard, you aren’t going to get any more conversation so you can leave then if you want. Primarily this is a film festival docco, you wouldn’t really want to see it anywhere else.
I’m pretty sure I’d seen it before but I definitely earned my gay stripes by watching “The Hunger“. I think this film still only hangs around thanks to the fact that it has Catherine Denuve and Susan Sarandon kissing – oh and maybe because some guy called David Bowie is in it (he doesn’t really sing in it though). I like the way it is a vampire movie without all the fangs and garlic and such but the movie can drag when it’s almost midnight and you’ve spent the entire day in a cinema. I like the premise but the ending sucks a little. Plus Susan’s 80s hairstyle is a little distracting.
I’ve still got Itty Bitty Titty Committee left to go tomorrow night which I’m excited about because it’s directed by Jamie Babbet who directed “But I’m a Cheerleader” which is one of my all time favourite lesbian films. Even if the movie sucks I’m pretty sure the soundtrack will be good. On Wednesday I’m off to Melbourne to not watch the Socceroos play Argentina, so we’ll see how good my blog posting is down there. Be back on Sunday if you don’t see me before then!