Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Sexy Gay Brazilian Men Vs. An Alien Female Predator

Okay, perhaps that's a little dramatic, but then, this ad, from MixBrasil, the lgbt film festival in Sao Paolo features a hot gay couple poolside, staring at a woman that is clearly not human. Now this could perhaps be seen as homosexual gynophobia projected out visually. But the campaign speaks to the sense many queer folk have of being seen as alien, other. Thus, the theme line: What is weird for you?

Obviously, to those of us who live very queer lives, suburban soccer moms can seem weird. It is all in who is doing the looking. And while that may be the point of the ad campaign, I am not sure how it works to get people to go to this film festival — or whether they are seeking an audience above and beyond the usual lgbt film fest crew. Perhaps some alients. Don't know. Or maybe Grace Jones, since I have to admit, the woman in this ad looks like Grace Jones to me, and I've always suspected she wasn't quite human. You can see the rest of this odd campaign at adsoftheworld.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Blow

This short animation is from Australian director Craig Boreham, whose longer films that deal with queer sexuality and desire have won awards at festivals around the world. He describes this animation as "dark" and I agree -- it takes all the illusory heat out of sex in public space and reveals its loneliness and desperation, the alienation from self and other. There, isn't that just what you were expecting for a Sunday morning cartoon?

Queer Product Watch: Saks Fifth Avenue Ruby Slipper Collection...

Today's New York Times had an ad for a new collection of shoes from Saks: the Ruby Slipper Collection. Yes, you can see one of the original pair of pumps that graced St. Judy's feet in The Wizard of Oz — they're on display tomorrow through Sunday, September 14th.

And you can buy modern "reinterpretations" of this classic by a number of big name fashion folks (see Jimmy Choo's right). I don't think clicking your heels in them will get you anywhere. Well, they won't get you to Kansas, but then, who wants to go there anyway? They might get you onstage at Comix, where last night, along with an excellent set by Keith Price there was a less than excellent set by Hedda Lettuce (drag and volume is not enough, but maybe some red shoes to go with the green dress might have helped, then again, maybe not).

Which leads me to the question, will there be more gay men buying shoes at this show than straight women?

Comrades: The Gay Chinese Film Festival in NYC this Weekend

One of the finest films on the subject of sexuality and oppression will be shown at the opening of the Chinese LGBT Film Festival, Friday at the LGBT Center in NYC. East Palace West Palace ranks up there with Genet's The Balcony as an examination of how sex, identity and power relationships are expressed not only in personal relationships but in polities. And it is an examination of how the state becomes a presence in the bedroom, and in the fantasies, of its citizens.

The story is simple: a policeman arrests and interogates a man who was cruising in one of Beijing's most notoriously busy public toilets. What happens is anything but simple and delivers an emotionally searing experience. The really amazing thing is that it got past the Chinese censors because they didn't understand how politically subversive the film is.

However, if you tend to like action films, East Palace West Palace is not for you. Like many foreign films, it moves slowly, developing a powerful emotional punch quietly. This is not the American was of film making, and for that reason, it didn't really find an audience when it had its theatrical release in NYC ten years ago.

This is a rare chance to see it again, in a room filled with Chinese gay men (be still my heart) who will no doubt be eager to talk about it afterwards with an intelligence and insight you won't have access to if you watch it at home on DVD alone.

I am only sorry to say that I am out of town this weekend, or I would be there myself to see the film again, and to enjoy the fantasy of finding a Chinese husband (you can apply here by emailing me anyway!).   

Politics, Religion and Mass Hysteria: A True Masterpiece of Cinema, Ken Russell’s The Devils.

Religion has been used to generate mass hysteria for political ends for thousands of years now. But there have been few films that show the process so clearly. Ken Russell’s film, The Devils is the movie about EVERYTHING: the spirituality and lust in love; the madness and transcendence of sexual repression; using the threat of an imagined enemy to create state sponsored terror; justifying the use of torture to extract forced confession…. Watching this movie one can imagine the twisted and tortured mind of Roy Cohn while watching Vanessa Redgrave suffer the madness of desires that she demonizes and projects onto others. Not to mention the hypocrisy of Ted Haggard, Larry Craig and so on and so on.

This is a truly important movie. And it is simply criminal that it isn’t available on DVD. The VHS tape version is poor quality, and it has been cut. However there is a petition to Warner Home Video. And if you’ve seen this film and want to make sure others can, please sign the petition. If you’ve haven’t seen the film, read what others have to say about it, and then sign the petition.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Vick Vancouver

This is the first episode in a lovely little animated series that chronicles the adventures of a young gay man — this is already a genre of its own and amazingly enough post Stonewall the stories seem to have an archetypal feel that remains the same across generations. It may well be the Jungian archetype of the Puer, but it has heart and humor and sweetness along with a sharp eye for the world we live in.

An interesting note is how this is different from everything that has come before in that it appears on the web in weekly installments, not merely on youtube, but on its own website, vickvancouver.com — which is connected to queer community in this city on the edge of the future. (Yes this New Yorker has Vancouver envy.) The creators of this cartoon connect live events, web presence (not only their own site, but youtube and facebook groups) and community outreach. And commercialism feels relaxingly absent. What a pleasure.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Achilles and Patroclus

To call this 11 minute claymation telling of the Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus a cartoon does not feel right, regardless of the fact that this is certainly animation. It brings together so much that I love — Greek mythology and folk tale, animation and queer representation in media. This is not for children to watch. I mean, naked men in claymation? There is a rape scene in this cartoon that is intense and horrific. It is the story of the violence of war writ small. Yet this little film is really about the love between these two men. As the narrator asks: What makes a leader of men — the armor or the heart? Made in 1996, it is narrated by Derek Jacobi and was nominated for a BAFTA award. Be patient though, because it's long it takes a little while to load, but believe me it is worth it.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Stonewall & Riot

Who knew there was a gay pornographic super hero animated movie? It sure wasn't at any gay film festival I've been at — and I've not seen the trailer online before, even tho the flick is more than a year old. I wonder how come? Unless somehow I blinked and it went by that fast. Nevertheless, here for your adult pleasure (and this is no children's cartoon) is a bit from Stonewall & Riot By the way — don't click on the video screen, but on the start button of the video controls at the lower left...

TheLast Generation — CBS sets phaser to stun and fires Star Trek web site staff

Informationweek reports that CBS has fired the entire production staff at StarTrek.com, a site which has operated for the past 13 years, housing news, features, images and video related to the original Star Trek series — not to mention the numerous movies, sequels and prequels it generated.

While I haven’t been a fan for years, I am really surprised to hear this. True, I don’t know the business case for keeping the site up — honestly half the time I can’t see the profitability model for most sites — but I know that Trekkies are a very dedicated bunch. And there is advertising on the site — not to mention promotions and sales for Star Trek ringtones.

Back in 1967 when NBC announced they were canceling the original show, tens of thousands of fans wrote in and saved it (I was one of them — a member of Vulcanian Enterprises, the NY Star Trek fan club and we generated a lot of letters). Next season NBC tried to cancel it again and the same thing happened.

The fan base is so devoted that they have become worthy of anthropological study. After all, this is a franchise that has been going strong now for 40 years. Over at Boing Boing they note that the show ihas become the subject of academic study — with a group of religious studies professors in Canada, Britain and the United States contributing essays to a scholarly book entitled Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Explorations of Star Trek, Religion, and American Culture. I would have never guessed back when I was 16 and going to my first SF Worldcon.

So will an email writing campaign save startrek.com? As a gay man angry with our invisibility on the show, I have to say at this point I don’t really care.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: The Gay World

What the right wing already believes Sesame Street is all about: