New Movie Queens Segment! Plastic Surgery Movies

WE'RE BACK....

Everyone have a nice winter? Good - how nice for Eve, how nice for everyone. As you may have noticed, we have been on sabbatical, going, as our film critic goddess Pauline Kael once titled one of her review collections, "Deeper Into Movies." David has yet to return from whatever film festival or Facebook symposium he has been attending though I am happy to report that a slew of other Movie Queens have been stopping by Movie Queen Manor as of late and you will be meeting some of them soon. One nice byproduct of our leave taking has been finding the time to actually edit up some new Movie Queens segments. Here's one we've been dying to share with you. It focuses on our thoughts on plastic surgery - how it's literally altering the face of Hollywood - and on our favorite plastic surgery themed movies. More segments and posts to come in a more timely fashion - we hope.

To that end, we've also created our own channel at YouTube which has many of your favorite segments collected in one spot:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MQSemaphore

Until next time.

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,

Ricky

As Always, We're the Last to Notice a New Year Has Started

IS IT REALLY 2009 ALREADY?

We really don't mean to be the last ones to wish you a Happy New Year but we also know that if you're reading this it means you're a film person and understand that the end of the year means there's an overwhelming amount of not just regular movies but GOOD movies to watch. And that's when all the For Your Consideration screeners start getting delivered as well. Everyday here at Movie Queen Manor, literally, from the end of Thanksgiving until the end of the year, it seemed that Arlando was bringing in another FedEx or DHL delivery to the screening room. Not that we're complaining, not for a second. But it has kept us from blogging (not our favorite thing to begin with) or doing anything more than, well, watching movies.

Getting snowed under with a buttload of great movies also kept us from posting our holiday movie podcast and now it seems a tad, um, late, right? So, maybe next year. In the meantime, we have finally noticed that the new year is here which means that David is off attending film festivals in far off lands while Ricky is at Movie Queen Manor (as always) watching...more movies and attending to the 10,000 details that keep the Movie Queens running smoothly. A lot of exciting things happening behind closed doors at the Manor with details forthcoming soon. In the meantime, why not read about Ricky's Top Ten GLBT Films of 2008 and then immediately go see the ones you've missed as soon as you're finished?

Until next time.

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,

Ricky and David

the Movie Queens

The Milk Interviews

MILK

I know it's been ages since David and I have posted but we warned you that this wasn't going to be an every day kinda thing and as you've seen, sometimes not even an every month kinda thing. We're just up to our ears in movies, movies, movies. This is the time of year that tons of great stuff finally, finally hits theatres or arrives in the form of a screener by Fed Ex and so instead of writing here, we're watching Up There.

But I've felt a little guilty about not blogging and since I had the pleasure of talking with everybody from Milk (with the vivid exception of Mr. Penn), I thought I throw up this little post with a shout out to all the interviews - they're posted at my site, http://www.knightatthemovies.com/ for your reading enjoyment.

David and I actually do have another podcast coming soon in which we discuss one of our favorite holiday movies so check back in soon -- and we promise to do so as well. Until then,

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,

Ricky

The Mother of Tears/Giallo Movies - Podcast #6

ALL OF THEM WITCHES

Fall is finally in the air and the Halloween season has officially kicked off with the release on DVD of The Mother of Tears, Dario Argento's conclusion to his "three mothers" witches trilogy. Argento, the acknowledged father of the "giallo" film (an Italian term for gory horror movies though David explains this much more completely in the podcast) made his name with the 1977 classic of the horror genre Suspiria. I really dug the over the top Mother of Tears when it hit the theatres last summer (see my insightful review HERE) and in this next little podcast David and I discuss the movie, the giallo genre, Suspiria, David's favorite giallo The Driver's Seat (which stars none other than Elizabeth Taylor) and much else. We also talked about The Driver's Seat during our discussion of camp films which you can see in one of our YouTube Segments. Click HERE to see that (and yes it's possible for a film to be giallo and camp - more than possible in fact.)

Get set for one of our rambling though never less than fascinating film packed discussions. We'll be back shortly (we always promise that I know but we're just too busy to blog every ten seconds). Halloween film recommendations coming, more podcasts, ad naseum.

Until then...make room for G-I-A-L-L-O with our latest PODCAST recorded just for your listening pleasure.

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,

Ricky & David

Ricky Discusses "The Women" On TV

ROGER & ME

I didn't think Diane English's remake of The Women, one of the worst reviewed films of the year was all that bad - no really. Perhaps it's because I knew in advance there was NO WAY any remake could hold a candle to Our Lady of the Classics. It's got to rank right next to All About Eve and perhaps Valley of the Dolls as one of the penultimate classics for gay men of a certain age. I say "certain age" because I'm not sure what you gay youngsters think of the original or if it's even on your radar screen.

I also liked that English reshaped the material into the familiar format of a sisterhood picture - one not as full of bitchery or as fun to be sure - but this new direction helped distinguish this remake from the original (just as in 1956's remake, The Opposite Sex, in which the men and musical numbers were featured). It's also kinda fun to look at the Rotten Tomatoes ratings and see that very few critics felt as I did, though I am happy to report, Roger Ebert was one of them (maybe we sent good vibes to one another as we watched in the same packed screening room?).

I was invited to discuss my take on the film on a local news program, "Chicago Tonight," and here's the YouTube video for your viewing pleasure:



For my full written review, click HERE.

And here's one more bonus: I also had the opportunity to chat with the forthright and funny Annette Bening about the film and a lot of other stuff for a recent piece for the Chicago Tribune. As is usually the case, much of the material got left out of the print edition so click HERE to read the complete interview.

David and I will return shortly with yet another podcast - we've got some more great but obscure films to recommend. Until then...

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,
Ricky

Tearoom - Podcast #5

TEAROOM

While away on vacation Ricky spots a public restroom which reminds him of a fascinating little film he recently reviewed by queer underground filmmaker and historian William E. Jones. The movie, which Jones labels a "document" is called Tearoom and not surprisingly, David, who is also something of a historian, had plenty to say about it. A typical fascinating Movie Queens discussion ensues for you to enjoy by clicking

HERE

Until next time.

Sweet Cinematic Dreams,

Ricky and David

Diary of a Mad Housewife & Tower of Evil

Recently I had the very good fortune of being a guest at the home of a pair of Movie Queens that gave this old Movie Queen a run for his cine-fanatic money - in fact, they did outrun me - no matter how long I chased them around the coffee table. Though, I have to give myself props - I didn't spill a drop of my cocktail despite some of the tight turns in their well appointed living room.

Anyhow.

My presence was requested to join in a viewing of yet another movie in the VERY long list of movies that raises the question, "If 'Meatballs 4' can be on DVD, why can't this???"

Hilarious and brutal- "Diary of a Mad Housewife" is a study in masochism set in the urban nightmare that was late sixties/early seventies New York - back in the days when it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy - back before the Disneyfication of Times Square. Back when it was still a little scary. I loved the ...(read more) shot of the two rats Tina (Carrie Snodgress) stumbles upon early in the film. In one shot, director Frank Perry perfectly captured the City itself and the general mood of our nation at that time.

Did the rats somehow represent Tina's husband Jonathan (Richard Benjamin) and her lover (Frank Langella)?

Well, why not?

Amazing editing by Sidney Katz that include some brilliant jump cuts - stunning sound design - a great overall look and top-notch acting. Richard Benjamin might be overplaying the tiniest bit- but, then again, there are a lot of the people in the film who sort of declaim their lines in a near hysterical - nearly shouting out to the cheap seats tone. The scene with the baby sitter asking Jonathan to sue the city for her as she raises her skirts to crotch level is everything this movie is all at once- disturbing, unsettling, annoying and weirdly mysterious.

See it however you can and then pine for the beautifully transferred DVD sometime in the future.

In the meantime, you might want to check out a DVD that I fell asleep to late last night. "Tower of Evil" was released in 1972 and is a prime example of that blend of supernatural horror and titillation... and I do mean breastitude. Some people get killed on a mysterious abandoned island with a decrepit lighthouse. The ladies mostly walk around with bare breasts when they are not sewn into swinging late sixties early seventies hipster get-ups - the rust colored velvet jumpsuit with all those white zippers is 1,000 times greater than anything you might see on any season of "Project Runway" (especially this season). The guys do the same in an array of turtlenecks, tight tees and hip hugging crotch enhancing trousers. There are coy junk obscuring camera tricks (think Austin Powers here) - but, in consolation there are a fair number ass shots that almost make up for the teasing.

The plot isn't worth paying too much attention to- but, there are several key moments that really floated my boat:

1. The first shot of the hypnotizing light boxes in the full light of day.
2. A sequence that I think just might be the longest scream sequence in all of cinema history clocking in at a full minute. And ending with a panicked flurry of, "KILL!! BLOOD!!!"
3. When the guys go off to investigate they tell the women to stay behind and, "If anything happens, just scream." People usually do when they're impaled, thrown off lighthouses or chased by hideous malformed creatures.

There's some not-very-scary ancient mumbo jumbo devil worship crap (with some kind of storky looking 'golden' idol that looks to me to be flipping off its worshipers) to keep the plot in motion- but, over all this is is more of a cavalcade of terrible acting, fine fashion and excellent shoe foley.

Fall asleep to it. I did and woke up just in time for the explosive, flaming finish.

~ David