All posts in category Queer Blogathon 1

Blogathon Wrap-Up

The Queer Film Blogathon has now drawn to its inevitable close, and mere words cannot express how happy I am with its success. Right now I could just kiss you all, really I could.

Altogether there were over SIXTY contributions by forty different bloggers, each and every one of them a gem. Seriously, the caliber of these posts really blew me away. We had everything from a comprehensive investigation of gender performativity in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, to an overview of the place of Cary Grant’s screwball antics in the history of queer cinema, to an exploration of magical realism in Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête, to an analysis of queer undertones in a Mexican Jaws knockoff, to a brilliant essay on sexuality in Silence of the Lambs, plus profiles on performers including Lilyan Tashman and Tommy Kirk, even a cartoon!

I want to thank each and every one of the dedicated bloggers, as well as the wonderful readers and commenters, who made this event such a success. I couldn’t have done it without you, literally. Thank you also for being so patient and understanding with me as I navigated my way through my very first time hosting a blogathon. I think it all came together pretty darn well, given the unexpected volume of contributions and the semi-sensitive subject matter.

As for me, I posted a whole lot in June and dedicated much of my free time to preparing for this event, so I hope you’ll understand if I use July to take a bit of a breather. Not saying I’ll stop posting completely, but things will probably slow down significantly, at least compared to June. Besides, I’m going to have less free time in July than I did in June, as I am set to take over the National Museum of Animals & Society’s On Bipeds & Brutes blog completely as of July 1, in conjunction with my promotion from intern to Public Relations Coordinator at the Museum. :)

In conclusion, I send my love and gratitude to every single one of you. You’ve opened my mind and warmed my heart with your intelligent, fascinating, heartfelt posts on this very important but oft-ignored topic. Give yourselves a round of applause. You’ve worked hard and you deserve it.

by Caroline S. on June 28, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Queer Blogathon 1

Posted by Caroline S. on June 28, 2011

https://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/blogathon-wrap-up/

QUEER FILM BLOGATHON

Yes! It’s time! Who’s ready for some queer film bloggin’? I know I am!

But first, I must acknowledge this BRILLIANT artistic contribution by the lovely Molly. It’s an illustration of Jim and Plato (James Dean and Sal Mineo) from Rebel Without A Cause (1955), with Judy (Natalie Wood) spying on them jealously from behind a wall. The joy this picture brings me is beyond description.

Now! ONTO THE BLOGGING! My own contributions from throughout the month of June are all handily organized under this neat tag here, but just to be extra obnoxious (and because I did work extra hard on them), I will list my film reviews for you here as well.

My Film Reviews

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to your contributions. Just comment below with a link to your post(s), and I will add them to the list. Then check back all day long as the contributions roll in! (more…)

by Caroline S. on June 27, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Queer Blogathon 1

Posted by Caroline S. on June 27, 2011

https://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/queer-blogathon/

Queer Film Blogathon – It’s Tomorrow!!!

Is everyone ready for the Queer Film Blogathon? You better be, because it’s tomorrow! I’m really excited to be hosting my first blogathon, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading everyone’s brilliant contributions. The response so far has been phenomenal, and everything leads me to believe that this is gonna be an event to remember!

Here’s how it’ll go down: In the morning (probably around 7AM PST) I’ll put up a post calling for submissions to the blogathon. Please leave a comment on that post with a link to your contribution (or each of your contributions, if you’re making more than one). When I’ve received your comment, I’ll then go in and edit the post, adding your contribution(s) to the ongoing list of submissions. I plan to be glued to my computer all day to make sure everybody’s contribution is listed quickly – and also so I can read and comment on all the amazing posts!

Worried that it’s too late to sign up as a participant? Don’t fret! Submissions will be accepted from anyone, whether you notified me ahead of time of your intention to participate or not. Of course, you’ve gotta comment with a link to your post so I know it exists.

There is no title requirement for contributions; they just have to include a link back to the blogathon post. (If you made your post earlier in the month and linked it to the initial blogathon post, that’s fine; I’ll update that post with a link to the new post.)

I think that’s about all there is to cover… Questions? Just leave a comment on this post! Otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning! :)

by Caroline S. on June 26, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Queer Blogathon 1

Posted by Caroline S. on June 26, 2011

https://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/blogathon-reminder/

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Image Source: MovieGoods

Synopsis: When Sydney drag queen Tick (Hugo Weaving) is invited to perform at a tourist resort in Australia’s Northern Territory, he invites fellow entertainers Adam (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to join him. Traveling on the cheap, the three glamorous queens must cross the unforgiving Outback in a decidedly un-glamorous dilapidated tour bus, which flamboyant Adam soon paints a vibrant lavender and christens “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” But out in the high desert, the trio experience the perils of both rural homophobia and mechanical malfunctions. Taking on helpful mechanic Bob (Bill Hunter), the troupe finally make it to their destination, where even more shocking surprises await them.

Here on Garbo Laughs, I’m dedicating the entire month of June to the topic of Queer Cinema (LGBTQs, and depictions thereof, in classic film). This includes reviewing one relevant film from each decade from the 1910s to the 1990s. This is all leading up to my Queer Film Blogathon on June 27th. Won’t you join me in celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month by contributing a post or two (or three)?

My final film review for the Queer Film Blogathon is of a movie I’m going to have a helluva time being objective about. I’ve mentioned before my nearly-obsessive (at one point it was definitely obsessive) love for Stephan Elliott‘s Priscilla in passing, noting that I’ve seen the film close to, if not more than, 200 times. This is the movie that got me interested in movies. I was 12 or 13 the first time I saw it, having previously given no indication that it’d be the type of movie I’d be drawn to; but somehow, I was absolutely entranced. That first summer, I bought the film on VHS and found myself often watching it three times in a single day. I found a copy of the script online and printed out the entire thing to memorize. Once, when I was napping on the couch, my mother happened to stumble across the film playing on television and put it on, and I woke myself up by reciting the dialogue in my sleep. So yeah, I’d say I’m a pretty big Priscilla fan. (more…)

by Caroline S. on June 26, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in 1990s, 4.5, All Film Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Queer Blogathon 1
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Caroline S. on June 26, 2011

https://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-1994/

Why Was George Cukor “Gone with the Wind?”

David O. Selznick, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard,
Olivia de Havilland, and George Cukor

In June of 1936, just one month after the publication of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures spent a record-breaking $50,000 to purchase the film rights to the historical epic that every other major studio in Hollywood had turned down. Even before he bought the rights to make the novel into what would later become the highest-grossing film of all time, Selznick had hired director George Cukor to be the man in charge of bringing Mitchell’s vision to the screen. Cukor was well-equipped for the job of helming such an enormous picture, having previously established himself with such hits as Little Women (1933), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Camille (1936). He spent the next two years deeply immersed in the daily chores of pre-production on Wind, including supervising the rigorous screen tests of actresses vying for the role of perhaps cinema’s most influential character, Scarlett O’Hara. In the final weeks of 1938, Cukor dedicated hours of his time to coaching lead actresses Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Havilland in preparation for their roles. Filming finally began on January 26, 1939 – and three weeks later, George Cukor was unceremoniously dropped from the film, and replaced with Victor Fleming. What happened?

The truth of what occurred between Cukor, Selznick and Wind has been a subject of speculation for over seventy years. Most agree that it ultimately came down to a clash over the script: Cukor preferred the version penned by Sidney Howard, whereas Selznick (naturally) insisted on using his own screenplay which he had crafted with Oliver H.P. Garrett. According to some accounts, Cukor was simply not happy with the work he was producing, and Selznick got tired of having his judgment as a producer insulted. (Incidentally, when Fleming was brought onto the project, he also expressed frustration with the script; Selznick immediately hired “the Shakespeare of Hollywood” Ben Hecht to rewrite the entire screenplay in five days’ time.) But there are still other, slightly more salacious stories – including one rumor which makes some very controversial insinuations about classic Hollywood’s bastion of heterosexual masculinity, Clark Gable. (more…)

by Caroline S. on June 25, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Queer Blogathon 1
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Caroline S. on June 25, 2011

https://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/gwtw-cukor-gable/

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