Chorus.Fm Weekly Movie Club • Page 11

A very good film that partially makes up for how long it took you to pick.

 

Y’all gotta have these picks ready, I got a masterpiece locked in and I’m not up until like October

I’ve not heard of this one, excited to check it out

 

Heathers is having its 35th anniversary this month. It is playing at my local theater July 30th and I assume some of yours as well.

 

All light, Everywhere. Had a hard time organising my thoughts on this. Its subject and message are important but watching it meander around was frustrating. This might be because I already have a lot of thoughts on the subject, usually from sources that aim to explain concisely and directly their position and wanted that from a film that was more intent on vibing it out.

I'm going to ask a friend to watch this, we had a conversation recently where they asked my thoughts on a clip from libsoftictoc and I said I don't like rage bait propaganda and he said how could raw footage be propaganda. I think I went on to explain my position well but it was probably very dry and this film does a better job of emoting it.

The scene where the community is discussing whether or not it wants the spy plane and the man with dreads said this company are the only ones trying to help us, broke my heart. Criticising capitalism is outside its scope but could have made the whole film about how the company's existence is to profit, selling a product that's purpose is to enslave people from that community to profit the private prison system.

 

@Meerkat picks tomorrow.

 

Miami Blues is on Criterion until the end of this month

 

i just started the book today and I’m enjoying it so far

 

Soooo we gona get a pick?

 

It is frustrating to have some sort of problem with someone picking a movie almost every week.

 

Chill out nerds

 

I’ve been sick and barely able to even look at my phone, sorry guys. Let’s go with But I’m A Cheerleader

 

I’ve slipped out of keeping up with this lately, but I’m all for an excuse to finally watch But I’m a Cheerleader.

 

I’ll never forget watching that as a teen because it came on late at night, had cheerleader in the title and listed nudity. It was a very different experience than I expected. It rules, been a minute since I last watched it

 

Haha, same reasons I had put it on.

 

Added But I'm A Cheerleader to my watchlist about a month ago. Glad I finally have a reason to check it out now. Still need to watch All Light, Everywhere as well.

 

Sorry again for being late with my pick, I get it’s been annoying and a general issue but I’ve been completely down and out. Putting some thoughts down so if you haven’t seen it maybe wait to read. Or not, whatever works for you.

Anyways, But I’m A Cheerleader is incredibly important to the queer film canon. It’s got quite the cast and launched the long term friendship and working relationship between Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, and Melanie Lynskey. I do feel it was ultimately cast correctly, but a fun what if to play is that Michelle Williams originally wanted to be Megan but couldn’t commit to filming due to Dawson’s Creek. She ultimately just wanted to be in the movie any way she could and ended up as head cheerleader. I always wish I could go to the universe where she plays Megan to see how it affects her career. It would’ve been huge culture shock for audiences (which granted were small for this movie at the time) to see girl next door Jen Lindley in a queer role.

Babbit’s use of shifting color pallets and color in general is clever and effective. Starting with brown and neutral earth tones and then exploding into bright blue and pink when she gets to camp is such a well placed metaphor. It’s also refreshing to see this much attention to the general visual of the movie considering how dark everything is currently.

It’s interesting watching this in the context of when it was made in comparison to where we are presently. Years ago when I’d show this to friends, a lot of my straight friends wouldn’t necessarily dislike it but they wouldn’t understand it or find it funny. As the conversation around sexuality and gender roles and heteronormativity has evolved, the movie has become much more accessible. I think for a while people didn’t connect the satirical aspect of it.

The character of Jan in particular is interesting to consider. Babbit has a solid conversation about the movie in general and Jan specifically in this interview (I’m on mobile so I can’t hyperlink): https://www.autostraddle.com/jamie-...eerleader-barbie-sex-and-getting-bad-reviews/

The sex scene between Megan and Graham fascinates me from a technical perspective. It doesn’t feel prudish or hidden despite never seeing anything explicit. It’s all in the lighting and faces. Given the strange conversations around sex scenes lately, it’s fun to look at something that isn’t all out there but still manages to get the point across to arguably the same effectiveness.

Also for anyone unaware, this is the start of Lyonne being typecast as queer and the running gag of “where were you when you found out Natasha Lyonne was straight?” I definitely enjoy and appreciate seeing queer actors in queer roles, but Lyonne more than anyone is a great case in anyone playing anyone. Obviously I feel differently in regards to trans characters. But looking at all of Lyonne’s queer roles, you don’t question her for a second. You fully believe her and there’s a level of care in her performances you can’t teach. I’ve always had a lot of respect for her refusal to treat these roles as less than or being put in a box at a time period where it was considered risky for straight actors to take queer roles.

 

Catching up, I went into the last few relatively blind.

I truly knew nothing about Heathers except for it starred Christian Slater (who I have never fully understood the hype around). I thought it was just an earlier Clueless at first, but then it swiftly changes direction it to something absolutely bonkers. My local Alamo was playing it recently and I wish I had been able to make it then. I haven't fully gathered my thoughts on it, but I really enjoyed it. Great pick.

With All Light, Everywhere I also didn't read the premise. I thought it was basically a history of the camera doc. While the languid pace lost me from time to time, it really was a fascinating film. The evolution of the movie camera and how its origins parallel its current day uses in oppression really landed. Seeing the origins of one camera coming from the same technology as the Gatling gun, or carrier pigeons as early war drones was an effective juxtaposition to modern-day body cams and aerial surveillance.

There was a post in the Oppenheimer thread talking about how that movie examines the conflict between science and politics and I felt that same conflict here, between breakthroughs in camera technology and the police state. Really interesting doc.

@Long Century The community meeting was one of my favorite aspects too. I would watch a feature-length doc based on that story alone. Though I was also in awe of the dystopian scenes from the Axon headquarters. That tour felt like it was straight out of Robocop. I couldn't believe the spokesperson could talk about candor and transparency and then moments later show the "black box" R&D area or the on-and-off switch for the factory floor viewing.

But I'm a Cheerleader has been sitting on my Prime watchlist for about a month now, I should get to that this weekend.

 

But I'm a Cheerleader. Went in completely blind and loved it! What a special film. The humour was laugh out loud funny, satire landed perfectly. The cast, the set, the story, the romance everything worked.

Great write up from @Meerkat too! The article link was good reading, I also really liked the inclusion of a straight gender non conforming character.

 

@irthesteve is up.

 

It was interesting to find out that critics at the time dismissed I'm a Cheerleader. It's not some sort of masterpiece but it is more clever and humane than a lot of films like it.

I remember that poster from movie renting days. I didn't rent it at the time but it always stuck out.

 

What did I do

 

It’s your turn to pick the movie.

 

I love each and every one of you, but I don't know how I got here or what this is hahaah

 

It’s a weekly movie club (that some people dip in and out of or catch up on after a given movie’s week). So, if you have a movie suggestion for people this week, go for it, lol. Even if you haven’t participated before and might not be able to keep up.

 

Have y'all seen The Brothers Bloom? I suggest that one, I love, it's fun and clever and weird, hopefully it fits the vibes of this thread