Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Directors:

Lisa Ades
Lesli Klainberg

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A chronological look at films by, for, or about (or "by, for, and about") gays and lesbians in the United States...

Plot Keywords:

Gay Interest | Lesbian Interest | Queer | Cinema | Gay

Cast

Randy Barbato	...	Himself
Dan Bucatinsky	...	Himself
Jonathan Caouette	...	Himself
Ash Christian	...	Himself
John Cooper	...	Himself
Wilson Cruz	...	Himself
Alan Cumming	...	Himself
Donna Deitch	...	Herself
Arthur Dong	...	Himself
Alonso Duralde	...	Himself
Marga Gómez	...	Herself
Stephen Gutwillig	...	Himself
Todd Haynes	...	Himself
Marcus Hu	...	Himself
Nina Landey	...	Herself
Ang Lee	...	Himself
Jennie Livingston	...	Herself
Jane Lynch	...	Herself
Heather Matarazzo	...	Herself
Ian McKellen	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Cameron Mitchell	...	Himself
Michael Musto	...	Himself
Tommy O'Haver	...	Himself
Jenni Olson	...	Herself
Peter Paige	...	Himself
Patrik-Ian Polk	...	Himself
Billy Porter	...	Himself
B. Ruby Rich	...	Herself
Angela Robinson	...	Herself
Don Roos	...	Himself
James Schamus	...	Himself
Michelangelo Signorile	...	Himself
Rose Troche	...	Herself
Guinevere Turner	...	Herself
Christine Vachon	...	Herself
Gus Van Sant	...	Himself
Andy Warhol	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Waters	...	Himself
Stephen Winter	...	Himself
Alice Wu	...	Herself

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:(Banned)

Company:

Orchard Films

Movie Connections:

Features Saving Face (2004)

60 Years of Film History

July is Queer Month for IFC and they kicked it off with this informative special documentary on the history of gay cinema. I am straight myself, but I was surprised that there had been so many gay films so early on. The story goes in a chronological order, told to us by gay critics and filmmakers. They trace gay cinema's roots back to Kenneth Anger's Fireworks. I believe Anger was 17 when Fireworks was made. They described it to be a sort of Muscle Beach experience followed by surreal imagery. After Kenneth Anger they came to 60's undergroud cinema like Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures and Andy Warhol's Blow Job. John Waters and others talked about how everyone in the theater showing Flaming Creatures was arrested. After discussion about the 60's there is talk about gay characters in 70's films and finally actual movies aimed at gays in the 80's and the gay film festivals in the 90's. After watching this documentary they mentioned many directors that I had no idea were gay, like Gus Van Sant and Luchino Visconti. Van Sant's Mala Noche had this documentary feel to it, but that film is virtually extinct today. This is more of a look at the history of gay film characters and gay filmmakers. The film seems to be too focused on just promoting a sexuality in cinema. But it makes sense because subconsciously almost every decision we make is based on sexuality.