Weekly news, gossip, reviews and endless opinions on the state of music, entertainment, pop culture and whatever else crosses my filthy little mind. You haven’t heard it until you’ve heard it here!
- Opinion: Welcome to Bizarro World, Here Am Your Oscar
- More Opinion: Brokeback Mountain 2 or How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying
- News: Speaking of Brokeback Crapola
- CD Review: Blink Away, the Lashes Are On to Stay
- CD Review: Headley’s Success Isn’t Just “In My Mind”
- DVD Review: Love In Thoughts--Too Thoughtful For It’s Own Good
- DVD Review: Forget TransAmerica, Take a Trip with the Gendernauts
Opinion: Welcome to Bizarro World, Here Am Your Oscar
What is wrong with the Academy Awards this year? Has it finally lost its collective mind? With everyone running out and buying rainbow-colored tuxedoes up for the much anticipated “Big Gay Oscars,” it is clear that Hollywood is trying to make a political statement in a big way! This is further evidenced by the fact that Jon Stewart who on the Daily Show is one of the Bushies’ most avid (and funny) critics hosts this year’s event. While understandable considering the politicizing of gay issues like marriage rights to win the last election, I feel in its rush to make dysfunctional cowboy love the portrait poster child of the Oscars, the Academy have cropped many more deserving moments out of what is supposed to be an accurate snapshot of American filmmaking. Chief among these castaways are films featuring and directed by women. It’s like Hollywood has suddenly been transported through a dimensional barrier where everything was backwards like on Bizarro World.
For those of you who don’t have the necessary geek points to know what Bizarro World is, I’ll give you a crash course. In the old Superman comics of the sixties, Superman had a chalk-faced nemesis, a perfectly opposite mirror to the Man of Steel in every way. He was completely backwards. While Superman upheld truth, justice and the American way, Bizarro was the un-champion of dishonesty, injustice and everything wrong. Where Superman was from the exploded planet Krypton, Bizarro was from the square shaped Bizarro World where everything was weirdly inverted and perversely skewed parodies of real life. It seems like with the exclusion of the female voice from the picture, Oscar is sending a mixed message of tolerance for men whether gay, straight or transgendered (even if portrayed by a woman), but that ignores the crucial female perspective as unfit for recognition. This unevolved attitude is paralleled in stories where Bizarro demonstrated the great lengths he went to live up to his Bizarro Code: "Me do the opposite of all Earthly things! Me hate beauty! Me love ugliness! Is a big crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro World!"
There is just something inherently backwards about largely excluding women’s visions from the Academy Awards by a community that prides itself on being the most progressive thinkers in the entertainment world. While the Academy always gives accolades to women in the obvious categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, women were ignored again this year in the key categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original and Adapted Screenplay. Four of the five films nominated for Best Picture focused almost entirely on the male characters. Best Picture favorite Capote focused on the gay author Truman Capote and Good Night and Good Luck similar ally focused on a singular man. Brokeback Mountain centered on the two male leads while Munich boasted 5 men as principles. At least Crash had some central women characters, but men still had more screen time over all.
No women were nominated in the Best Director category - continuing the neglect that has been an annual tradition for 75 of Oscar's 78 years. Of the 40 full-length films that received nominations in any category, Niki Caro's North Country (which should have easily gotten nods for Best Picture and Best Director) is the only one directed by a woman. In the three closely-watched categories of Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay, Diana Ossana, the co-writer of Brokeback Mountain, is the only female writer nominated. Even gay-friendly gems like The Producers superbly directed by Susan Stroman and starring as-gay-as-it-gets duo Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick was snubbed this year.
Could it be any clearer how backwards the Academy has become? They openly and patronizingly push an agenda while completely ignoring a whole segment of the artistic community that makes it up. Isn’t ignoring the woman’s voice akin to throwing out the baby with the bathwater? If Hollywood wanted to make a real statement that smacked more of courage than of pandering, wouldn’t they be better served by presenting a united front and at least nominating some of the comparable quality work that was crafted by female hands even though **gasp!!**clutch pearls!!**it doesn’t have any gay content whatsoever?
But then, if that were the case Bizarro wouldn’t be a presenter at this year’s awards. Watch closely as he tears open the envelope revealing the winner. However, don’t forget that on Bizarro World all the big winners are really just backwards losers and what is supposed to be perceived as depth is just a shallow mockery and a pale reflection of the real thing. One day the Academy Awards may decide to get more in tune with the real world and give women the recognition they richly and increasingly deserve. Until then, as Bizarro would say: “Me am displeased to announce the loser am everybody!”
To see what you can do to help Hollywood “Push the Envelope” in the Academy Awards please visit www.womenarts.org.
More Opinion: Brokeback Mountain 2 or How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying
It was inevitable: Brokeback Mountain’s slick grassroots advertising scam worked far better than its architects ever dreamed. The movie has reached almost iconic status with * most * gay men and their allies everywhere with even the Chinese clamoring to see the movie which their government censors have forbidden. What better way to ensure that every gay boy on the Asian continent sees the movie? Now, with the stealth and precision that only a truly well-oiled propaganda machine can muster, talks are already underway for a sequel to the Ang Lee directed adaptation of the Annie Proulx short story.
Mark my words, if—no when—the sequel happens look forward to a whole marketing line of Brokeback Mountain merchandise from toys to lunch boxes to t-shirts and so forth. Don’t be surprised if McFarlane Toys releases a commemorative edition action figure line and an animated series or television drama follows. Dark Horse comics will produce a comic book adaptation and before long Graphic Novels will be in the works. Soon, we will thrill to the adventures of Ennis in novelizations and short story collections by an array of authors. After all, as long as gay men everywhere are willing to fork over their cash to corporate enterprise, the makers of the Brokeback crapola will gladly take it to the bank.
News: Speaking of Brokeback Crapola
On February 20 one lucky e-bay-er became the proud owner of one of the Jake Gyllenhall denim shirts the actor wore as Jack Twist in the movie. The price tag on this little piece of film history? $101,100.51! At least 100% of the money went to a great cause in supporting Variety, The Children’s Charity of Southern California. My only question is this: Aren’t there cheaper ways to come out to your parents?
CD Review: Blink Away, the Lashes Are On to Stay
The Lashes – Get It
Columbia Records
Rating: B+
Forget everything you think you know about the Seattle music scene. Bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden may have put the Rainy City on the map but the Lashes are about to take the game to a whole new level. The six-strong ensemble manage to seemingly without effort mix a potent brew of equal parts punk ferocity and power, clean, well produced hook-driven pop music and just a touch of retro-tinged attitude for flavor a la The Killers. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just another pretender to the throne. The Lashes are the real deal! Sexy Lashes front man Ben Clark’s vocals are interesting and pointed like Smiths-era Morrissy without the whiney posturing. He’s easy on the eyes, too! Dynamic guitar combo Scotty Rickard and Eric Howk lead the sonic charge that storms across the 11 track length of their debut “Get It” with drummer Mike Loggins pounding out the fevered pace of the album and bassist Nate Mooter and Keyboardist Jacob Hoffman providing much of the subtlety that underscores the aggressive surface of the songs. It will be a great experience watching the Lashes growing into their sound over the next several years. Don’t take my word for it, take a cue from the title and just go “Get It!”
CD Review: Headley’s Success Isn’t Just “In My Mind”
Heather Headley – In My Mind
RCA Records
Rating: B
R&B songbird Heather Headley’s latest offering “In My Mind” is proof that artist can overcome the sophomore album curse when they put real time, effort and energy into crafting quality work rather than crapping on a disk and calling it music. Headley is definitely not resting on her laurels after her 2003 acclaimed release “This Is Who I Am.”
“In My Mind” borrows from all the great qualities of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Roberta Flack wrapping them up in a candlelight and jasmine package that is definitively Headley’s own. The Trinidad native has a vocal range that easily purrs softly in your ear then escalates to a soulful wail with equal ease. With A little more experience and time under her belt Heather Headley has the potential to poise herself to claim the title of reigning R&B Diva. Definitely worth checking out is the Remix Single for the title track and first single “In My Mind” featuring excellent remixes by the Freemasons & Dave Hernandez. Guaranteed to make you move or…well you wasted your money.
DVD Review: Love In Thoughts--Too Thoughtful For It’s Own Good
Love in Thoughts—Wolfe Video
Rating: C+
I love foreign films. One might even say that I’m a foreign film geek. With it’s origins in Germany, “Love In Thoughts” (Originally, “Was nuetzt die Liebe in Gedanken”) is a well made foreign film, but I am sad to say that it’s strengths as a foreign film geek’s wet dream hardly qualifies it as a hit seller in the US.
The sorrowfully beautiful countryside of pre-war Weimar Germany is the real star of the show as the story based on the infamous (in Germany, in a very localized area) ‘Steglitz Student Tragedy’ of 1927 plays itself out on the screen. It is immediately apparent upon viewing the film that director Achim von Borries is close to the story, focusing his lens so completely on his subject that he seems to expect that his audience all old hands with the story. It is a nuanced and intricate piece of work detailing the bohemian movement of the time starring steamy-eyed Daniel Bruehl who seems unable to do any wrong in his acting choices of late (Take a look at the hilarious “Good Bye, Lenin” for proof).
All of these good points play against the film, however when it digested by most film viewers. The film is so thoughtful that it seems anyone who isn’t from Germany is left on the outside of some “in-joke” that just leaves the viewer confused. That confusion has the potential to turn quickly into boredom as von Borries slowly shifts from scene to scene taking time to absorb every tiny detail into his view before moving on. The movie is truly a pleasure to watch for those who enjoy such things, but the majority of viewers will feel left out and bored. Even the sinewy Bruehl isn’t enough to keep attention focused on the slow moving story. A no less a fascinating and informative insight into German psychology and history and an excellent example of great cinematography, “Love In Thoughts” is not a flick I think most people will be inclined to love.
DVD Review: Forget TransAmerica,
Take a Trip with the Gendernauts
Gendernauts—First Run Features
Rating: A