In my next post I review Valentine's Day, a film which I did not, by any stretch of the imagination, enjoy. But I wanted to make a special point about the section fo the film that disappointed me most.
In the film Eric Dane's star quarterback holds a press conference to publicly announce that he's gay. This conference is not brought on by the imminent outing by the paparazzi, but comes at the point where he is between contracts and is not willing to hide his personal life anymore.
The movie not only makes the decision to come out seem trivial but almost makes it seem unnewsworthy. To the extent that the first press question is from Jamie Foxx asking if this meant that Dane was retiring - the predictable response "I'm Gay, and I'm Gonna Play".
Coming out is never easy. Every time you meet someone new you are, in effect coming out. Often it is a non-issue, sometimes not. Even today, at my temping job, I was at the receiving end of some barbed jokes about my sexuality. There was no malicious intent behind the comments and I do not suspect any homophobia from the gentleman involved but that is not to say the comments don't in some way belittle me and all lesbians and gay men.
For such a high profile sportsman, such as the character Dane was playing, coming out would likely lead to a horrendous amount of abuse and, given he wasn't signed to a team at that point, may also be the end of his playing career. By presenting this skewed version of coming out the film does no justice to the many players of all sports who are making that tough decision every year. The film even flinched from his happy ending, when his partner returns at the end of the movie thay are the only couple not to kiss.
I want a world where there is no discrimination based on sexuality, but we must accept that homphobia exists and perhaps the film would have been better served if there was greater realism in the way it dealt with this issue. I wanted to see how Dane made his decision to come out - in fact I actually want to see a film which honestly looks at how someone's life would change in these situations.
I don't know what it's like in America, but here in the UK in the Soccer Premier League (our most watched game) there isn't a single out gay player. In fact there has only ever been one in the history of top flight football. That player, Justin Fashanu, faced extreme abuse from other players, managers and fans - even his own brother publicly disowned him. Fashanu committed suicide in 1998.
Here in the UK the Football Association has begun a campaign to remove homophobia from the stands. Here is the viral advert they have made to publicise the campaign I warn you it sets out to be shocking.
The FA have chosen shock tactics to not only reflect the attitude that persists in the terraces but also because they have struggled to find top level player who would be willing to be the front of the campaign. I'll say that again - the perceived abuse from the fans would be so bad that no straight footballer is prepared to front a campaign against homophobia for fear of becoming a target.
I hope that this video is a start, I hope we can elimated homophobia from football, I hope Hollywood can reflect the burden gay players have more accutrately and I sincerely hope that one day an out gay man will be scoring the FA cup winning goal.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Valentine's Day Postscript - Coming Out
Brenda Fricker
Happy Birthday to
Brenda Fricker
65 today
So, yesterday was Pete Postlethwaite's birthday. He was nominated for a best Supporting Actor Academy Award for In the Name of the Father directed by Jim Sheridan, who directed Brenda to win best supporting actress for My Left Foot. I do like these little small connections between actors. Brenda also has nothing coming up that I'm interested in seeing.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Tuesday Trailers - Shutter Island
I've been waiting for this for a very long time, ever since it was originally mooted as Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio's fourth collaboration. Since then I have read the book which reduced my anticipation a little, but I still suspect it will a superb experiment in style and suspense. Judge for yourself with the first trailer.
Shutter Island is released on 12 March 2010.
Pete Postlethwaite
Happy Birthday to
Pete Postlethwaite
64 today
Warrington born Pete trained at the Bristol Old Vic and has had a long and varied career in theatre and film. He has a couple of major productions out this year but nothing that I particularly want to see him in.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Personal News (14/02/2010)
Quick update the filming on Tuesday and Wednesday was lots of fun. Cutting the corpses arm off was suitably gory and the relationship between my character and my wife seemed to work fine in front of the camera. Hopefully that will translate to the final product. I should get a set photo this week, and I'll be sure to post that.
I'll be going off on the Of Mice and Men tour this week, so all of a sudden the output will drop.
Not completely, of course, I have birthday posts written until I come back after the tour and Tuesday trailers for a few weeks, I've even prepped some of the Friday release posts. Generally though it will go quiet. I won't be able to respond to comments, or do a weekly news post or review films. I will try though, whenever I get the opportunity to slip into an internet cafe and keep you posted on any developments.
Meg Tilly
Happy Birthday to
Meg Tilly
50 today
Do you struggle to remember which of the Tilly sisters is which? Well you're lucky I'm here. Meg came to fame in The Big Chill and Agnes of God before her career slowly declined over a period of ten years followed by her retirement from acting and the commencement of her writing career. Got that? OK, come back on 16 September 2011 for the second part of this series.
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Film News (13/02/09)
You just can't move without finding exciting news stories this week, overall there have been 13 different press releases that have struck me as projects to look out for. That's pretty much a record for me and as a result this weeks post will be scattershot, focusless and messy. Hang on that's every Saturday news post only even worse. And on to it...
Contagion
I think we all know that I am a huge fan of Steven Soderbergh. Frankly I think he's a genius, with an enormous output and a clever way of balancing high-profile marquee productions with more intimate experimental work. This week it was announced he's working on Contagion, an international deadly virus thriller. It's not the sort of thing that has been tried on such a massive scale before (most virus plots focus on small communities such as Outbreak). It's definitely going to be one of his bigger pictures with Matt Damon, Jude Law and Kate Winslet all circling roles.
Here's a flu virus in action - Steven Soderbergh not pictured.
Read on for Penelope, Rachel and Cate casting news, 70's comedies, US Presidents, metaphoric violence, original musicals, Russian spys and social satires!
Dream House
Our first major casting story is the addition of Rachel Weisz to the it's-not-a-remake-but-sounds-exactly-the-same-as-Cold-Creek-Manor Dream House. She will be married to Daniel Craig, which in itself is quite a dreamy proposition.
Hanna
Also signing on to a new project is Cate Blanchett, who has taken an unnamed role in Joe Wright's child trained to kill flick. This shouldn't be a big surprise as there's a big hole in her schedule where Wright postponed his Lady Mountbatten/Nehru picture for Hanna in the first place.
Laverne and Shirley/New Years Eve
There seems to be some confusion about what's next on Garry Marshall's slate. New Line, sensing box office gold with this weekends Valentine's Day have already started the ball rolling on a sequel - that is using the same concept of a star studded selection of relationships all intersecting on New Years Day. Names in the hat for who'll be in that one.
In the meantime Garry's been joking(?) on the red carpets that's he's planning a big screen adaptation of "Laverne and Shirley" - the long running spin-off from "Happy Days". I'll confess I don't know the series so I can't say whether it's a good or bad thing.
Personally I'm planning on seeing Marshall's latest magnum opus this afternnon so I'll get back to you on whether I think he should be allowed behind a camera again.
Untitled LBJ Biopic
From the austin360.com website (I think it's just a local arts/tourism site) comes the news that Robert Benton is prepping for a biopic about 36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson. All we know from the story, which can be found here, is that filming will likely take place elsewhere in order to receive more favourable tax cuts. It seems that would be bad news for the Texan economy. HBO are producing so this may or may not get a theatrical release, but either way the story of LBJ is probably ripe for the telling.
Little War of Our Own
Beacon pictures have picked up Dan (The Hurricane, Murder in the First) Gordon's script about a small town drifting towards violence during the second world war, effectively mirroring the international political scene at the time. It will up to the Sheriff to keep the peace before it's too late. This could be a modern western, or just pure allegory, either way it may just work.
Melancholia/Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Penelope Cruz has hit the headlines for signing on to two widely diverse projects. The first is Lars von Trier's catastrodrama Melancholia, and the second will be seeing her square off to Johnny Depp in the next Pirates installment. Both projects, which I'll be honest I was probably going to see anyway, have just got a lot more interesting.
Robocop
The remake of the seminal 80's action thriller is not yet dead in the water. In spite of rumours that Darren Aronofsky was against shooting in 3D and that MGM were equally reticent about the R rating the director favours, writer David Self is convinced the project is still go. There are certainly practicalities about the production that need to be finalised as there would be when dealing with a "large corporation" but there's nothing major in the way. Other than Aronofsky's Black Swan, which is due to be released later this year, of course.
Song is You
Based on the novel about Arthur Philips, the story revoles around a middle aged commercial director, going through a bad patch in his life (I'm mentally casting Paul Giamatti) who feels a connection with a club singing ingenue. A tenous romance then plays out with him guiding her career and her becoming his inspiration to reinvigorate his life. Sounds dreadful - only the plan is to make a musical about it. I hope thet means original songs. There are so few musicals writeen directly for screen that I hope they're good when they do try.
The Terminal Spy
Do you remember when there were multiple Alexander Litveninko project hangiong around Hollywood, with Johnny Depp being very vocal about his wish to play the former KGB spy? Well finally one of these is beginning to get moving with news that the authoritive Alan S. Cowell's investigative best-seller is being developed. He's the former chief of the London Bureau of the New York Times so it'll be well researched and at the same time won't hesitate from pointing the finger where it needs to be pointed. Whther any adaptation will be able to fit in the complexities of the case, or whether Depp will be involved in this one remains to be seen.
Turn of the Century
Finally I'm turing to on of the most promising directors of the 1970's, but equally one who never really made good on that original promise: Peter Bogdanovich. It's been 9 years since his underrated Cat's Meow so we're certainly due this Kurt Anderson adaptation. The novel has been favourably compared to the yuppie classic "Bonfire of the Vanities", a social satire which should fit Bogdanovich's style. Let's hope it does - I want to see a re-emergence of the once feted auteur.
Stockard Channing
Happy Birthday to
Stockard Channing
66 today
There are worst things I could do, than celebrate Stockard's birthday with you...
That's about as far as I can go with that. She's a wonderful and talented actress, with an eclectic and fascinating body of work including 6 Tony nominations. Although few can argue her crowning cinematic glory was the complex Betty Rizzo in 1978's Grease. So here she is singing "There are worst things".
Friday, 12 February 2010
Out This Week (12/02/10)
It's an extremely busy week with 12 different titles competing for audiences, including 2 animations, 2 big budget action adventures, an all-star romantic hyperlink picture and this weeks film of the week: A Single Man
Anonyma: A Woman in Berlin
Hailed as a major turning point in World War 2 cinema, Anonyma looks at the occupation of Berlin following it's fall to the Russian Army, and the sacrifices and concessions a group of women had to make.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Battle for Terra
Looking suspiciously similar in plot to James Cameron's Avatar (humans conquering defenceless peace loving planet) this computer generated animation plays to a much younger audience and probably is less defensive about it's parallels to modern society. Cast includes supporting turns from Brian Cox and James Garner.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Beyond the Pole
Big screen adaptation of the cult British radio serial about the first organic, carbon-neutral expedition to the North Pole. The trailer looks hilarious, with some high class UK comic actors in the main roles. Worth going beyond the multiplex for.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
My Name is Khan
Bollywood superstar Sharukh Khan has been going all out to publicise his latest project, including interviews with Empire Magazine and on the massively popular Jonathan Ross show. Whether this will translate to a bigger audience will yet to be seen, but the trailer which highlights the personal journey a Muslim man makes to speak with the President following 9/11 looks like it has potential.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The lightning Thief
The first of 2 Greek themed adventure movies for 2010 (Clash of the Titans is coming in April) this one transplants the Greek legends to a 21st century setting with the teenage son of Poseidon rescuing the lightning bolt stolen from Sean Bean's Zeus. All very silly. Catherine Keener (Who should know better) and Uma Thurman take on supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Ponyo
Ponyo on the cliff by the sea (to give it the full title) may not be getting the raves that director Hayao Miyazaki is used to but the animation is still divine and the story will entrance everyone who sees it. The English language cast includes a galaxy of big names such as Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin and Cloris Leachman.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
A Single Man
Finally bringing Colin Firth the awards attention he has deserved since his harrowing turn in the BBC film "Tumbledown" back in 1988. Firth excels as the gay university professor who has resolved to commit suicide but calmly lives his last day as normally as possible. Julianne Moore also has a plum role as his boozy neighbour.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
Sukhmani
Finding anything about this Bollywood drama is really difficult. It was filmed in the Sabathu Army camp and concerns a family dealing with everyday issues against a backdrop of army life. The only trailers I've seen are song listing which doesn't sell it to me.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Takeshis'
It's taken nearly 5 years for Takeshi Kitano's surreal neo-noir to hit UK cinemas, which is odd as he's pretty much a known entity with a serious committed following. The film starts with a meeting between actor Beat Takeshi (himself) and his doppelganger (also Takeshi) and then slowly segues into masses of violence. Business as usual, then.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Valentine's Day
Big confession here. I know I have A Single Man as my film of the week, and I suspect Ponyo will be a much better second choice, but this is the film that I plan to see over the weekend. It's got an all star cast who all fall in love. What could be more wonderful than that?
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Winter in Wartime
The second World War 2 film of the week - it never ceases to produce new storylines - revolves around a small boy in the Netherlands finding out his family are involved in the resistance and assisting an injured British soldier. Similar to a reverse Whistle Down the Wind.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Wolfman
There was a point when there were very high hopes for this Universal monster remake, but with Joe Johnston in the director's chair we should have known better. Still it should be the number one box office hit of this weekend. Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro play the world's least likely father son pairing and Emily Blunt gets to wear period dresses again.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Burt Reynolds
Happy Birthday to
Burt Reynolds
74 today
As tempting as it is to celebrate the 18th of Taylor Lautner this morning, I've decided to stick with a man who's already proved that he's an enduring sex symbol. Burt rose to fame following his knockout performance in Deliverance, which he followed by 2 decades of poorly picked projects which he, as an performer, managed to rise above. Critically his best success came in the late 90's as Porn film direcor Jack Horner in Boogie Nights.
Talking about porn, one of his major turning points as a star was his centrefold in Cosmopolitan (1972). I wonder if Taylor would ever do that?
