Brendan Fraser took the prize for Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards. He was nominated for his performance as the 600-pound Charlie in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale" — not everyone liked the movie, but seemingly everyone liked his performance in it. But this isn't the first Oscar winner featuring Fraser that had a "whale" as its subject. What was the first one? "Gods and Monsters," a 1998 biopic about James Whale (played by Ian McKellen), the director most famous for giving the world the first two Universal "Frankenstein" films.
Directed by Bill Condon, the film adapted "Father of Frankenstein," a speculative novel by Christopher Bram about Whale's death in the 1950s. Condon's script won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 71st Academy Awards. Bizarrely enough, "Gods and Monsters" actually does have some similarities to "The Whale" other than Fraser's presence and the cetacean-inspired naming. True to history, Whale is a lonely,...
Directed by Bill Condon, the film adapted "Father of Frankenstein," a speculative novel by Christopher Bram about Whale's death in the 1950s. Condon's script won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 71st Academy Awards. Bizarrely enough, "Gods and Monsters" actually does have some similarities to "The Whale" other than Fraser's presence and the cetacean-inspired naming. True to history, Whale is a lonely,...
- 3/14/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Please welcome guest contributor Anna to discuss Gods and Monsters for its 20th anniversary. You can follow her on Twitter @MovieNut14
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Based on Christopher Bram’s novel "Father of Frankenstein," Gods and Monsters – which references a line from Bride of Frankenstein – focuses on the final months of retired film director James Whale (Ian McKellen). Recovering from a series of minor strokes, he lives alone with his housemaid Hanna (Lynn Redgrave) and memories of his past. Because of his weakening state, he slips into a depression and contemplates suicide (which he would ultimately follow through in 1957). But the presence of gardener Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser) gives the aging man something to live for...
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Based on Christopher Bram’s novel "Father of Frankenstein," Gods and Monsters – which references a line from Bride of Frankenstein – focuses on the final months of retired film director James Whale (Ian McKellen). Recovering from a series of minor strokes, he lives alone with his housemaid Hanna (Lynn Redgrave) and memories of his past. Because of his weakening state, he slips into a depression and contemplates suicide (which he would ultimately follow through in 1957). But the presence of gardener Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser) gives the aging man something to live for...
- 11/5/2018
- by GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
- FilmExperience
Almost as soon as it was announced that J. Edgar Hoover would be getting a new biopic, speculation has been rife over how his relationship with Clyde Tolson would be portrayed.
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
- 11/7/2011
- by John
- The Backlot
Long considered to be one of the greatest British stage actors of all time and arguably the finest Shakespearean actor of his generation, Sir Ian McKellen has received a Tony Award and two Academy Award nominations. Over the course of his distinguished career on the British stage, he has also received the prestigious Olivier Award five times, and in 1981 received the Tony Award for his portrayal of Mozart’s nemesis Salieri in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. Although he is certainly not the first gay British subject to be knighted by his monarch, he is nonetheless the first to receive the honour after making a public acknowledgement of his homosexuality.
In 1988, McKellen took a brave personal step when he was being interviewed on BBC radio by conservative host Peregrine Worsthorne. While McKellen had quietly lived a gay life for many years, he
came out during the course...
In 1988, McKellen took a brave personal step when he was being interviewed on BBC radio by conservative host Peregrine Worsthorne. While McKellen had quietly lived a gay life for many years, he
came out during the course...
- 12/14/2010
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Gods And Monsters (1998) Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters stands as one of the most profoundly disappointing viewing experiences of my life, and I'm not sure why, since it doesn't really do anything wrong. Based on Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, this oft-celebrated movie tells the story of the last days of legendary horror filmmaker James Whale, the auteur behind such beloved cinematic chestnuts as Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Old Dark House. But while films of this sort often intrigue me (I love a good bio-pic as much as anyone), Gods and...
- 9/24/2010
- by Joe Barlow, Scranton Horror Movie Examiner
- Examiner Movies Channel
This week! We explore whether Disney lets little boys become Disney princesses – and if that's okay! We answer whether a guy should tell his 13-year-old brother to stop saying "That's so gay." And we ask: "Does de-gaying a movie ever work?"
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Contact me here (and be sure and include your city and state and/or country!)
Q: One of my cousins has a five-year-old grandson who is totally obsessed with Disney princesses and all things of a feminine nature. His parents are working on being accepting of him, but his grandmother, who has a gay son and a gay cousin (me), is totally accepting of him. Disney World has something called The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (gotta love that name), which is a salon that transforms little girls into the Disney princess of their choice. They also have something called The Pirates League, where...
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Contact me here (and be sure and include your city and state and/or country!)
Q: One of my cousins has a five-year-old grandson who is totally obsessed with Disney princesses and all things of a feminine nature. His parents are working on being accepting of him, but his grandmother, who has a gay son and a gay cousin (me), is totally accepting of him. Disney World has something called The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (gotta love that name), which is a salon that transforms little girls into the Disney princess of their choice. They also have something called The Pirates League, where...
- 5/19/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
Bella and Edward in love: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight Bill Condon to Direct Breaking Dawn Bill Condon, who will be guiding Twilight Saga leads Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner in Breaking Dawn, is best known for the three feature films he directed in the last twelve years. Gods and Monsters (1998), was a fictionalized account (based on Christopher Bram’s novel Father of Frankenstein) of the twilight of director James Whale’s life. Additionally, Condon wrote and directed the Alfred Kinsey biopic Kinsey (2004), starring Liam Neeson, and the musical Dreamgirls (2006), starring Beyoncé. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, James Whale (right), the subject of Condon’s Gods and Monsters, would have been an ideal choice [...]...
- 4/28/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Send it to aftereltonflyingmonkey@yahoo.com! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)
Q: I can't help feeling a little tingle when watching George Clooney. He seems so gay even though he never played a gay role. It's the twinkle in his eyes. His male friends are all dreamy and the women he's been attached to seem like they could care less. Is he the big gay secret in Hollywood, like Rock Hudson was? – Price, West Palm Beach, Fl
George Clooney
A: That little tingle you feel is called “being alive.” That said, Clooney seems unbelievably straight to me – the kind of man we here in Seattle call a “Seattle Straight Guy.” That means he’s thoughtful, articulate, fit, liberal as hell, well-dressed and well-groomed, but thoroughly straight, even as he’s totally cool with gay people.
If you mistake a Seattle Straight Guy for gay,...
Q: I can't help feeling a little tingle when watching George Clooney. He seems so gay even though he never played a gay role. It's the twinkle in his eyes. His male friends are all dreamy and the women he's been attached to seem like they could care less. Is he the big gay secret in Hollywood, like Rock Hudson was? – Price, West Palm Beach, Fl
George Clooney
A: That little tingle you feel is called “being alive.” That said, Clooney seems unbelievably straight to me – the kind of man we here in Seattle call a “Seattle Straight Guy.” That means he’s thoughtful, articulate, fit, liberal as hell, well-dressed and well-groomed, but thoroughly straight, even as he’s totally cool with gay people.
If you mistake a Seattle Straight Guy for gay,...
- 1/11/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
Bill Condon's superb "Gods and Monsters" and star Ian McKellen -- playing "Bride of Frankenstein" director James Whale as an elegant but forgotten genius -- should ride some of the best reviews of the year to lucrative limited-release business and almost certain awards consideration.
In the same league as "Heavenly Creatures" and "Ed Wood", the literate, challenging Lions Gate Films-distributed drama is based on Christopher Bram's novel "Father of Frankenstein". Although there are some deliciously comic moments and marvelously witty lines, even the presence of Brendan Fraser won't sell this unrated but cinematically polished gem to the masses.
It's ironic, because unlike Ed Wood, Whale achieved immortality of a kind in his own lifetime. The English-born director came to Hollywood at the dawn of the talkies and made "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff, as well as "The Invisible Man" and "Showboat". While most of his films were made in one decade, Whale settled in Pacific Palisades, Calif., had a reputation for being openly gay and eventually drowned in his own pool in 1957.
Certainly some liberties with the truth have been taken. But the storytelling is so focused on the richly imagined characters that one is thoroughly, wonderfully oblivious, trapped and spellbound by McKellen's feats of acting magic. Much credit also goes to Fraser, playing an ex-Marine gardener who befriends the ailing Whale, leading to an intense relationship that mirrors the filmmaker's own extraordinary horror classics.
The title refers to scientists and their creations, directors and their films, fathers and their sons, old queens and their young lovers. Alas, Whale is suffering from numerous physical-psychological maladies after a stroke and breakup with a longtime companion (David Dukes). Indeed, he fears he's losing his mind as memories of his poor youth and glamorous moviemaking days come to him unbidden.
While we know he lusts after quiet, gentle Clayton Boone (Fraser), the big lug doesn't have a clue, although he's nervous when artist Whale asks him to be a model. Clearly shaken by his experiences as a soldier and starting out a lot like his employer, the heterosexual Boone is seduced by Whale's fame, although his bar buddies, including Lolita Davidovich as an unencouraging ex-lover, laugh at "Bride of Frankenstein" on TV.
Propelled by Carter Burwell's excellent score, with a little help from Franz Waxman, the film dreamily moves between Whale's memories -- he fought in World War I and tells Boone a particularly ghoulish story -- and his sheltered life in a stately residence. The erudite but stunningly beautiful film cannily intertwines themes of defying nature, dawning intelligence and regeneration, with Whale's worsening madness leading him to want the unthinkable from Boone.
Along with McKellen's tour de force and Fraser's best work to date, "Gods" boasts an outstanding performance by Lynn Redgrave as Whale's stern but devoted housekeeper. From the sensual and subtle widescreen cinematography and sets to the great makeup and costumes, including recreations of the "Bride" laboratory set, the film is an all-around triumph.
GODS AND MONSTERS
Lions Gate Films
Showtime and Flashpoint present
In association with BBC Films
A Regent Entertainment production
In association with Gregg Fienberg
Writer-director: Bill Condon
Producers: Paul Colichman, Gregg Fienberg, Mark R. Harris
Executive producers: Clive Barker, Stepen P. Jarchow, David Forrest, Beau Rogers
Director of photography: Stephen M. Katz
Production designer: Richard Sherman
Editor: Virginia Katz
Costume designer: Bruce Finlayson
Music: Carter Burwell
Color/stereo
Cast:
James Whale: Ian McKellen
Clayton Boone: Brendan Fraser
Hanna: Lynn Redgrave
Betty: Lolita Davidovich
Harry: Kevin J. O'Connor
David Lewis: David Dukes
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
In the same league as "Heavenly Creatures" and "Ed Wood", the literate, challenging Lions Gate Films-distributed drama is based on Christopher Bram's novel "Father of Frankenstein". Although there are some deliciously comic moments and marvelously witty lines, even the presence of Brendan Fraser won't sell this unrated but cinematically polished gem to the masses.
It's ironic, because unlike Ed Wood, Whale achieved immortality of a kind in his own lifetime. The English-born director came to Hollywood at the dawn of the talkies and made "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff, as well as "The Invisible Man" and "Showboat". While most of his films were made in one decade, Whale settled in Pacific Palisades, Calif., had a reputation for being openly gay and eventually drowned in his own pool in 1957.
Certainly some liberties with the truth have been taken. But the storytelling is so focused on the richly imagined characters that one is thoroughly, wonderfully oblivious, trapped and spellbound by McKellen's feats of acting magic. Much credit also goes to Fraser, playing an ex-Marine gardener who befriends the ailing Whale, leading to an intense relationship that mirrors the filmmaker's own extraordinary horror classics.
The title refers to scientists and their creations, directors and their films, fathers and their sons, old queens and their young lovers. Alas, Whale is suffering from numerous physical-psychological maladies after a stroke and breakup with a longtime companion (David Dukes). Indeed, he fears he's losing his mind as memories of his poor youth and glamorous moviemaking days come to him unbidden.
While we know he lusts after quiet, gentle Clayton Boone (Fraser), the big lug doesn't have a clue, although he's nervous when artist Whale asks him to be a model. Clearly shaken by his experiences as a soldier and starting out a lot like his employer, the heterosexual Boone is seduced by Whale's fame, although his bar buddies, including Lolita Davidovich as an unencouraging ex-lover, laugh at "Bride of Frankenstein" on TV.
Propelled by Carter Burwell's excellent score, with a little help from Franz Waxman, the film dreamily moves between Whale's memories -- he fought in World War I and tells Boone a particularly ghoulish story -- and his sheltered life in a stately residence. The erudite but stunningly beautiful film cannily intertwines themes of defying nature, dawning intelligence and regeneration, with Whale's worsening madness leading him to want the unthinkable from Boone.
Along with McKellen's tour de force and Fraser's best work to date, "Gods" boasts an outstanding performance by Lynn Redgrave as Whale's stern but devoted housekeeper. From the sensual and subtle widescreen cinematography and sets to the great makeup and costumes, including recreations of the "Bride" laboratory set, the film is an all-around triumph.
GODS AND MONSTERS
Lions Gate Films
Showtime and Flashpoint present
In association with BBC Films
A Regent Entertainment production
In association with Gregg Fienberg
Writer-director: Bill Condon
Producers: Paul Colichman, Gregg Fienberg, Mark R. Harris
Executive producers: Clive Barker, Stepen P. Jarchow, David Forrest, Beau Rogers
Director of photography: Stephen M. Katz
Production designer: Richard Sherman
Editor: Virginia Katz
Costume designer: Bruce Finlayson
Music: Carter Burwell
Color/stereo
Cast:
James Whale: Ian McKellen
Clayton Boone: Brendan Fraser
Hanna: Lynn Redgrave
Betty: Lolita Davidovich
Harry: Kevin J. O'Connor
David Lewis: David Dukes
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/6/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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