MD Top 10: Disney Toons in the Glass Closet

 

Much has been made about the “coming out” of LeFou, the bumbling sycophant sidekick of the hunky villain Gaston in Disney’s latest live action redo of one of their animated classics, Beauty and the Beast. 

Redneck states and even whole countries are scrambling to ban or restrict the film, and homophobic internet trolls (who you know haven’t even seen it) have already tried to sabotage its Internet Movie Database score with low ratings (in contrast, its CinemaScore rating, which polls actual theatergoers, is a solid A). Even so, actual film critics are calling it a Beauty (by the way, our Dearest review will be posted shortly) and this box office Beast in the making just set the record for the biggest March opening day ever.

Which all seems like much ado about nothing, or at least much ado about something that was pretty obvious 26 years ago for anyone who viewed the beloved 1991 original through a queer eye: yep, LeFou has always been pretty gay. In fact, since the very first Disney animated feature eight decades ago, there has been gay characters aplenty through the years, one just has to know how to read the (often none too subtle) subtext to see into their glass closets.

For example:

1. The Seven Dwarfs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937):
If that many dudes living in the same house doesn’t raise an eyebrow, what about the fact that the pure as the driven snow Snow has nary a qualm about moving in with them? Yes, they aren’t exactly tidy, but they sure are interested in learning all about girlfriend’s new boyfriend.

2. Willie the Operatic Whale, Make Mine Music (1946):
He’s an “Operatic Whale”. What else is there to say?

3. The Grand Duke, Cinderella (1950):
You know he was just dying to try on those glass pumps.

4. Captain Hook, Peter Pan (1953):
At the start of the long list of effeminate Disney villains (see also: Aladdin’s Jafar, The Lion King’s Scar) is the “Elegant” Captain Hook. With his dainty lace accents and expertly waxed moustache, it is no wonder that this chicken hawk is so obsessed with the ultimate twink (remember he never grows up) Peter Pan.

5. Just About Everyone, The Jungle Book (1967): A bossy queen (Bagheera) and a big lovable bear (Baloo) are the de facto gay dads of Mowgli, who every guy in the jungle “wants”. The “mancub” is seduced by a lisping snake (read: phallic symbol), abducted by an all male band of party animals and hunted by a tiger velvety-voiced by George frikkin’ Sanders, thus proving that The Jungle Book is like the gayest movie ever.

6. Edgar, The Aristocats (1970): Yes, this scheming butler was English so it may be hard to nail down the gay, but how about this: his whole diabolic criminal plan was to steal… cats.

7. Ratigan, The Great Mouse Detective (1986): No, it’s not the tired “Holmes and Watson bromance” meme that will set off your gaydar in this talking animal take on the iconic sleuth. Rather, it is its rodentified version of Sherlock’s nemesis Moriarity, who not only talks like Vincent Price and owns a pet cat named Felicia, but also tries to pass as a mouse when he’s really a self-loathing closeted rat. No wonder he wants to go into politics.

8. Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King (1994): Two misfit outcasts find each other and shack up in a jungle paradise where they spend their days exchanging witty banter and belting out show tunes (composed by Elton John no less). Also: Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane no less), at the drop of a hat, knows exactly how to dress in drag and do the hula.

9. Wiggins, Pocahontas (1995): As the aide-de-camp to the pompous (and equally queerish) Governor Radcliffe, he’s the original perky P.A., one who doesn’t balk at tending to the boss’s prissy pug and is an expert gift basket maker. Fun fact: out actor David Ogden Stiers performed the voices of both Radcliffe and Wiggins.

10. Pleakley, Lilo & Stitch (2002): It’s not surprising that this one-eyed alien “Earth expert” who takes a liking to sporting wigs and wearing mu’umu’us is voiced by Kevin McDonald, best known for his often-cross-dressed performances on the comedy sketch show The Kids in the Hall.

Reverend's Preview: Cine Gay Returns in Politically-Charged Times

 

Deportation fears are at a fever pitch, sadly, thanks to el presidente Trump. Fortunately, he can’t prevent 2017’s edition of the San Diego Latino Film Festival nor its LGBTQ showcase Cine Gay. The event runs now through March 26th at the AMC Fashion Valley 18.

Now in its 24th year, the fest annually screens more than 160 films from Latin America, Spain, the United States, Mexico and other parts of the world in celebration of Latino film, art and culture. Also featured are after parties, filmmaker workshops and guest celebrities from the hottest TV shows and feature films.

“LGBTQ cinema is transcendent by nature, oftentimes forcing spectators to look beyond their own experiences and inviting them to engage, reconcile and ultimately relate to issues initially outside of their understanding”, said Moises Esparza, the festival’s programmer. “It is our pleasure to continue our annual tradition of bringing you the very best of LGBTQ Latino cinema.”

Among the films to be shown this year are:

Don't Call Me Son

Don’t Call Me Son
(Brazil, 82 min., 2016, Portuguese w/ English subtitles, Drama)
Tall, dark, androgynously handsome Pierre wears eyeliner and a black lace g-string, while having sex with both boys and girls. The confusion only goes deeper when the teenager’s single, working-class mom is arrested for having stolen him at birth. He’s returned to his biological parents: bourgeois, straight-laced and thrilled to have him back... at least until he shows up in a zebra-print mini dress. The turmoil of adolescence is plumbed with wit and compassion.

Etiqueta No Rigurosa
(Mexico, 92 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)
Victor and Fernando run a beauty salon in Baja California. For many of their customers they were a lovely couple, until they decided to marry. They become the first ones in their state to fight for their rights in a place filled with homophobia and inequality. Through their struggle, they manage to open the eyes of Mexican society and affirm a love that fills every frame of this moving and eye-opening new film.

Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America
(USA, 90 min., 2016, English, Spanish w/ subtitles, Documentary)
When Moisés Serrano was just a baby, his parents risked everything to flee Mexico and make the perilous journey across the desert in search of the American dream. After 23 years growing up in the rural south as an undocumented gay man, Serrano is forbidden to live and love in the country he calls home. He sees only one option: to fight for justice and demand equality.

Jesús

Jesús
(Chile, 83 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)
Jesús, 18, lives alone with his father, Hector, with whom he has a detached relationship. He dances in a K-pop band, hangs out with friends, does drugs, watches trashy clips, and has sex in public places. One night, he and his friends partake in a tragedy. This event will make Jesús and Héctor closer than ever, but also threatens to tear them apart forever.

The Ornithologist
(Portugal / France / Brazil, 117 min., 2016, Portuguese, Mandarin and Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)
A handsome ornithologist experiences a series of surreal adventures during a bird surveying trip in this queer interpretation of the life of St. Anthony of Padua.

Ovarian Psycos (USA, 72 min., 2016, English; Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)
Riding at night through streets deemed dangerous in Eastside Los Angeles, the Ovarian Psycos use their bicycles to confront the violence in their lives. The film rides along with the Ovas, exploring the impact of the group’s activism born of feminist ideals, indigenous understanding and an urban/hood mentality. They confront injustice, racism and violence, and take back their streets one ride at a time.

The Cine Gay Showcase also features an LGBT short film program. Complete screening information including dates, times and ticket sales can be accessed at their website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Dearest… 2016: The Late Shows

 

Every year there’s always a few big Oscar bait-ers that I end up scrambling to see before the big night, and this year was no different. 

Hidden Figures:
This inspirational crowd-pleaser tells the previously little-known stories of the black women who endured racism and sexism to contribute greatly to the American Space Program during the early days of NASA. The terrific trio of Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer imbue their characters with the poise, drive and intelligence their real-life inspirations deserve, women that quietly overcame both by example and by simple strength of character. Sure, it’s Hollywood slick and a bit corny at times, but a little old fashioned corn won’t hurt you when it’s served up this well. (8/10)

The Ladies Who Launch

Arrival:
What would happen if several gigantic alien craft appeared at various locations across the Earth and we have no idea what they want? That question is the starting point of this moody science fiction drama that stars Amy Adams as a brilliant linguist tasked with finding a way to communicate with the squid-like, ink-squirting visitors. Director Denis Villeneuve maneuvers through the dense narrative that is heavy on the science (at times overwhelmingly so) but it remains grounded by the human emotions that bring it down to earth, ultimately revealing itself as a uniquely intimate sci-fi epic. (8/10)

The aliens have yet to master the art of the high five.

Loving:
Taking its name from the plaintiffs of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark 1967 US Supreme Court civil rights case that struck down state laws prohibiting interracial marriage, this well-intentioned but frustratingly uninvolving biopic proves that sometimes being historically accurate, no matter how noble the intentions may be, can produce a really boring movie. As Richard and Mildred Loving, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga craft delicate, understated performances despite the overly-reverent approach of writer/director Jeff Nichols. As the film inches along, the protagonists gradually turn into observers of than actual participants in their own story. (6/10)

Loving Couple

Fences:
And speaking of overly-reverent, director/star Denzel Washington practically enshrines the words of playwright August Wilson in this screen adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning kitchen sink drama. As director, Washington barely opens up the action, while as an actor he recreates his Broadway turn as an embittered garbage man alongside this season’s award magnet Viola Davis as his long suffering wife. The duo won Tonys the last time they played these roles, and they’re still playing for the balcony here. The florid dialogue is spoken in that heightened stage inflection that signifies “Acting”, and dammit if Denzel won’t let you forget it. (5/10)

Viola Davis, fearlessly using every bodily fluid possible to get that Oscar.

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

Dearest… 2016: Only When I Laugh

 

From bittersweet comedies to mildly amusing dramas that end up in the Golden Globe comedy categories anyway, these are (for lack of a better term in some cases) the comedy/dramas of 2016. 

The Lobster:
In a vaguely futuristic world where single people are turned into animals if they don’t couple up, two outcasts (Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz) find each other in this bizarre love story/social commentary/black comedy that you’ll either love or hate depending on your capacity for embracing the absurd. Count me among the former. Director Yorgos Lanthimos and his co-writer Efthimis Filippou have conjured up an intriguingly insane premise and brazenly maintain the precise tone needed to turn this potential train wreck into a true original/future cult classic. (8/10)

Fist. Behind. Fuck. I'll just leave those three words there...

20th Century Women:
Outstanding and endearing, Annette Bening is a free spirit single mom in 1979 Santa Barbara who embraces the mantra of “it takes a village” when she enlists the aid of two younger women (Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning) in the task of helping her teenage son become a good man. Like his Beginners, writer/director Mike Mills taps into his own family history here, showing a knack for creating smart, funny and real female characters, the kind you’d want to hang out with around the kitchen table. (7/10)

Significant Mother

Captain Fantastic:
Viggo Mortensen plays a refugee from the 60s, the kind who gives his kids names like “Vespyr” and “Bodevan”, raises them off the grid in a wilderness compound, celebrates “Noam Chomsky Day” instead of Christmas and most likely reeks of patchouli oil. If your eyes rolled at any of that, then avoid this one at all costs, ’cause it only gets worse. This “rebel” balks at old people on their morning stroll who are shocked to see his dick and teaches his kids how to shoplift, grave rob and dress as tacky as possible for a funeral. It’s all too much crunchy granola hippie bullshit for me. (4/10)

My pain is mine...

A Man Called Ove:
One would not be wrong at first to call Ove (Rolf Lassgård) the proverbial grumpy old man, but we soon learn that he has just cause for his cantankerousness. Stultified by grief and longing to just be with his beloved, recently deceased wife, his frequent suicide attempts keep getting interrupted by the lives that obliviously continue around him. Sweden’s contender for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2016 Academy Awards, you’ll warm to the charms of Ove just like Ove comes to realize that living on may not be that bad after all. (9/10)

Widower's Peek

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.