Tag: Lesbian Interest

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Claire of the Moon (1992)

I first saw this movie on VHS in 1994 with my friend Jen Beam. She showed me 3 or 4 queer films that each left a lasting impression on me, and that may in part be why I love this movie as much as I do. It’s not great, and there are bits of it that are horrible, but it means well, and there are moments that really shine. The film score (by Michael Allen Harrison) is often stunning, just as much of the other music in the film is either bad or relatively forgettable. The performances are often more like caricatures, but for some reason I find this charming instead of annoying, and I’ve watched it 5 or 6 times, at least. I last watched this as part of my survival in NYC Covid-19 lockdown on April 21, 2020, but I barely wrote anything about it because it was one of the earlier entries before I knew that I was going to be watching and eventually reviewing over 800 LGBTQ+ inclusive movies from my collection. So, I’ll try to be better about that this time.

“Claire of the Moon” is a 1992 lesbian-themed erotic drama film directed by openly lesbian filmmaker Nicole Conn (“Elena Undone”, “A Perfect Ending”, “More Beautiful for Having Been Broken”) and starring Trisha Todd as Claire Jabrowski, a relatively famous published and seemingly heterosexual author, who decides to attend a retreat for all-female writers. While at the retreat she is forced to cohabitate with Dr. Noel Benedict (Karen Trumbo), an openly lesbian published author of a controversial book called The Naked Truth. The two live on opposite schedules but come to terms with a growing respect a rapport. The film centers on their budding relationship, but features the other women in supporting roles.

While the movie plays as a lesbian romance in an era that was nearly devoid of such films, the film also attempts to explore communication via Noel’s current work in exploring this topic through the subject of sex, theorizing that men and women speak wholly different languages, making it impossible for them to find true intimacy – while suggesting this is only possible via lesbian relationships. There are a lot of generalizations, but the film points that out as well, which makes the impassioned arguments a little hard to take seriously. But there are kernels of truth here and there which I wish had been expanded on more fully. At one point, while explaining her theory to her friends, she admits that sexual roles are complicated and possibly intrinsic, while she also struggles to define them and honestly explore them. She also discusses the vulnerability that partners must feel when exploring things that excite them as they risk rejection from those closest to them. There are no answers here and the discussions are murky enough to hide whatever the characters may actually be saying, but the discussion itself is an interesting topic that could have been explored in more depth. I also think it would have been fascinating for the other characters to have provided insight but they all seem willing to follow Noel on the matter – with the exception of Claire, but her objections seem to imply that she is wrong to disagree, which is fine, if a little simplistic. I should also say that I don’t mind everyone following Noel as I love the performance by Karen Trumbo, who sells the character’s obsession with tragic denial, even if I find the movie to be too in love with her backstory as a therapist in love with a client, which is a serious breach in ethics. But perhaps that was the point? I would have loved to have heard the filmmakers discuss this but I’m aware that I’m not the target audience and that I might take the film far more seriously than it needs to be. lol

I’ve always wanted to read the novel, but I’ve never owned a copy and it’s very difficult to find. I wonder if I might not get it through a library? Hmmm.

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Agatha All Along (2024)

AGATHA ALL ALONG, exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 MARVEL.

2025 Entry #60 10-30-24 “Agatha All Along” is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of Agatha Harkness. The series is essentially Season 2 of the 2021 Marvel miniseries, “WandaVision” (2021) and shares continuity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Schaeffer served as showrunner and lead director.

The series features queer talent, like Joe Locke as the mysterious “teen”, Miles Gutierrez-Riley as the teen’s loving boyfriend Eddie, and Sasheer Zamata as the bound witch, Jennifer Kale. Queer icons Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza & Kathryn Hahn also appear in the series, and the past relationship of the latter two as title character Agatha and the mysterious Green Witch known as Rio Vidal, is an essential element of the story. The series also confirms the queer nature of two characters who were themselves introduced in the aforementioned “WandaVision”.

This series is a delight! I loved “WandaVision” and I love most of Marvel so I’m a bit biased. I do however know people who enjoyed this who were somehow ignorant of the fact that it is a sequel or part of a larger story, but I’d recommend at least watching “WandaVision” before this series – and if possible, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” between them – because these 3 stories weave in and out of one another – and all of them feature queer characters. I always hoped that one of these queer characters would be introduced but I doubted they ever would! And not only has it now happened, but it happened in this impressive puzzle box of a series that genuinely surprised me with several of its twists.

I should warn people, I suppose, that the ending sets up more stories, which is pretty typical of Marvel, but these stories have a good chance at being made as this series was a big hit for Disney / Marvel! Rumors persist that this series will get a second season as it was nominated for awards outside the “limited series” categories and Disney+ has begun listing it as “Season 1”. Additionally, an alternate version of Agatha (still seemingly queer) & Vision have already returned in an episode of another series (“What If…?”) and another alternate take on Wanda is expected to appear in Marvel Zombies in October of 2025 – while the version of Vision from the parent series is also expected to return in his own spotlight show in 2026.

Highly recommended! Especially if you’re a Marvel fan!

Edit: This series has since been described the the middle part in a trilogy, made up of “WandaVision”, “Agatha All Along” & “VisionQuest”, an upcoming miniseries. Again, I’d include “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” between ‘Wanda’ & ‘Agatha’ but otherwise this seems to make sene. The new series is expected in late 2026.

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Hellraiser: Deader (2005)

2024 Entry #57 08-13-24 “Hellraiser: Deader” is a low budget 2005 American supernatural horror film; it was the seventh installment released in the Hellraiser series. Directed by Rick Bota, the original script was written by Neal Marshall Stevens. As with “Hellraiser: Hellseeker” (Hellraiser VI) it began as an unrelated spec script, which was subsequently rewritten (by Tim Day) as a Hellraiser film. Like “Hellraiser: Inferno” (Hellraiser V), series gay creator Clive Barker did not have any involvement in the production.

This movie barely rates a mention, but the point of me reviewing LGBTQ+ inclusive material stems from a childhood in which there was almost no representation – so childhood me (who collected horror movies, many of them low budget shlock like this one, and who was a fan of gay author Clive Barker, without knowing he was gay) would have enjoyed this movie. It’s not a happy movie and it’s not necessarily a good movie, but considering some of the Hellraiser sequels that have been spit out over the years, this one isn’t that bad. It also has several interesting concepts within it, which never quite gel, but raise some interesting questions, just the same. The film features a graphic topless girl on girl makeout scene in a bizarre, sex positive side plot – which may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea. And then there’s the human villain Winter, as played by Paul Rhys (“Food of Love”, “Saltburn”), who is revealed to be a descendant of Phillip LeMarchand, a French toymaker who was revealed to have been commissioned to make the Lament Configuration, the puzzle box which summons the Cenobites. His character is somehow able to bring people back to life with a kiss, which he demonstrates with both a woman and then a man. Some equal opportunity homoeroticism. Also, there’s some blink and you’ll miss it full frontal male nudity. So again, I’m pretty sure that little boy me would have loved this movie. But as an adult, it’s well below average. But horror fans might want to give it a go.

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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

2024 Entry #56 07-25-24 “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a 2024 American superhero comedy film based on Marvel Comics which serves as both the 14th entry in Fox’s X-Men film universe and the official 34th film in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Shawn Levy (“Stranger Things”, “Free Guy”) from a screenplay he wrote with Ryan Reynolds (“Buying the Cow”, “The Nines”, “Deadpool”, “Deadpool 2”), Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells.

I’m going to avoid spoilers, including plot info here as the film is still in theaters, and I have friends who still haven’t seen the film – which is packed with surprises that I don’t want to spoil.

Having said that, Deadpool is back and he’s more openly pansexual than ever – and this time he brought lots of friends, including cameo roles for openly queer Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a teenage member of the X-Men & Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s girlfriend and fellow X-Men member – both returning from previous Deadpool films. I’m sure there are other elements which I could mention, but it’s been nearly a month since I saw it and I only remember the highlights – because I didn’t write this right away. Lol

The movie is a fun action / comedy – with extreme comedy action violence and much raunchy humor. The film has been a huge success, having joined the billion dollar club and already ranking as the highest grossing rated R movie of all time.

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Deadpool 2 (2018)

2024 Entry #54 07-21-24 “Deadpool 2” is a 2018 American superhero film based on the openly pansexual Marvel Comics character Deadpool. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it is the sequel to “Deadpool” (2016) and, to my way of thinking, the thirteenth installment in the X-Men film series. The film was directed by David Leitch (“Atomic Blonde”) and written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds, who all worked on the original “Deadpool” and the upcoming sequel “Deadpool & Wolverine”. Ryan Reynolds (“Buying the Cow”, “The Nines”, “Deadpool”, “Deadpool & Wolverine”) also stars in the title role alongside openly queer Brianna Hildebrand (as lesbian character Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Josh Brolin (“Milk”, “Women in Trouble”, “Avengers: Endgame”), Morena Baccarin (“Firefly”, “The Good Wife”, “Deadpool”, “Deadpool & Wolverine”), Zazie Beetz (“Black Mirror”) & T. J. Miller (“Deadpool”). In the film, Deadpool forms the X-Force to protect a young mutant from the time-traveling soldier Cable.

The Queer Factor: Wade Wilson / Deadpool is more openly pansexual in this sequel, hitting on men and women constantly. Additionally, Negasonic Teenage Warhead has a girlfriend in this film, Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna); all three of these queer characters will return in the upcoming sequel. Also, the film goes out of its way to paint the anti-mutant villains as a kind of gay conversion camp, and then the hero takes great joy in killing them.

The Sequel Factor: For what it is worth, I enjoyed the first film more than this one, but I do still enjoy this movie. They’re both entertaining and fun, hyper violent and sexual, but this film is a bit unfocused and not all of the jokes land. I have high hopes for the sequel though, which we’re planning on seeing in theaters this week.

Be sure to stick around through the credits for some essential information.

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They / Them (2022)

2024 Entry #51 07-07-24 “They/Them” (or “They Slash Them”) is a 2022 American slasher film written and directed by the openly gay John Logan, in his feature directorial debut; he had previously been known as a critically acclaimed writer for film (“Gladiator”, “The Aviator”, “Skyfall”, “Spectre”, “Alien: Covenant”) & TV (“Penny Dreadful”, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”). The horror film follows a group of LGBTQ teens and a masked killer at a conversion camp and stars a host of LGBTQ talent, including non-binary actor Theo Germaine (“Work in Progress”, “The Politician”, “Adam”, “Holy Trinity”, “Equal”), openly gay Austin Crute (“Booksmart”, “Daybreak”), openly gay Cooper Koch (“Daddy”, “A New York Christmas Wedding”, “Swallowed”, “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), openly trans actress Quei Tann, openly non-binary Darwin Del Fabro. The film also stars Kevin Bacon (“Queen’s Logic”, “Wild Things”, “Beauty Shop”, “Will & Grace”, “The Closer”, “Where the Truth Lies”, “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) & also features Carrie Preston (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”), Anna Chlumsky, Anna Lore, Monique Kim, Hayley Griffith, Boone Platt & Mark Ashworth.

The film is a fun & extremely queer take on films like “Friday the 13th”, which Kevin Bacon famously appeared in, only this time the film is very inclusive and the homophobic assholes are the villains – and while the film plays up the queer kids as victims, SPOILER, the only people that die have it coming – except for a poor dog who is shot in a bloodless offscreen death that is once again used to demonstrate who the villains are.

I had a good time watching this, but it’s not what I was expecting. The film is relatively tame as far as gore goes, which feels odd for this genre. And while the film plays up the evils of gay conversion, and the idea that the campers are safe in a Friday the 13th rip-off may seem refreshing but that twist is kind of lame too because at times it feels like nothing is happening. One of the other things I didn’t like was that there are several campers in the group who never speak or they aren’t developed enough to qualify as characters, even in scenes that would suggest that they would have to talk. I found myself wondering who those characters were and so anytime they showed up and continued to not talk it annoyed me. But this a pretty harmless movie all things considered with a lot of positive messaging and a few minor scares.

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Interview with the Vampire: Part II (2024)

2024 Entry #49 07-01-24 “Interview with the Vampire: Part II” is the second season of AMC’s adaptation of the 1976 vampire novel and is far more LGBTQ friendly than even the source material, which I loved as a kid for its coded queer characters – and which are made wholly, wonderfully, devastatingly central in this version of the story. This season mainly adapts the second half of the first Vampire Chronicles novel. Season 3 has been ordered and will adapt “The Vampire Lestat”. A spin-off series, “The Talamasca”, is in the works and this series has some ties to “The Mayfair Witches”, AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” trilogy – but sadly, I can’t recommend the latter as it struggles as an adaptation and fails as an attempt at quality television. Season 3 of this series will likely be out in 2026.

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Thelma & Louise (1991)

2024 Entry #48 06-09-24 “Thelma & Louise” is a 1991 American crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. The film stars Susan Sarandon (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, “The Hunger”, “Cradle Will Rock”, “Cloud Atlas”) and Geena Davis (“Tootsie”, “Will & Grace”, “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”) as Louise and Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unforeseen circumstances. The supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel (“Pulp Fiction”), Michael Madsen (“Sin City”), Christopher McDonald (“The Boys Next Door”), and Brad Pitt (“Less Than Zero”, “Interview with the Vampire”, “The Mexican”, “The Normal Heart”). Filming took place in California and Utah from June to August 1990.

I wanted to revisit this film more than 30 years after first seeing it because I remembered several of my lesbian friends having stickers and magnets that said “Thelma & Louise LIVE” on them, and also having seen “The Celluloid Closet” many times over in which Susan Sarandon discusses putting the big kiss in at the end of the film. It surprised me to see that there are no LGBTQ characters in this movie. Even the much lauded kiss is between two women that the film goes out of its way to present as heterosexual and are kissing in a show of solidarity before they drive off a cliff together and presumably die. I think this, sadly, just goes to show how in the early 90s, queer audiences were starved for images of ourselves and would glom onto anything that remotely suggested homosexuality. It’s still a good film, but it just serves to remind me of exactly how far we’ve come.

Still, that connection between LGBTQ+ audience members and this film has made it something of an icon.

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Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

2024 Entry #46 06-06-24 “Mona Lisa Smile” is a 2003 American drama film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures in association with Red Om Films Productions, directed by Mike Newell (“The Good Father”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “An Awfully Big Adventure”), written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, and starring Julia Roberts (“Sleeping with the Enemy”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “The Mexican”, “The Normal Heart”), Kirsten Dunst (“Interview with the Vampire”, “Bring It On”, “Wimbledon”, “The Power of the Dog”), Julia Stiles (“The Lake”), and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Happy Endings”). The film follows Julia Roberts as Katherine Ann Watson, a 30-year-old woman who takes an Art History teaching position at Wellesley College in 1953. We see her life affecting and affected (am I using the right words?) by her students, her lovers and her coworkers, one of whom is a widowed lesbian, played by Juliet Stevenson (“Food of Love”, “Bend It Like Beckham”, “Infamous”, “Departure”).

I remember renting this movie and feeling like it never quite arrived by the time it was finished. But I’ve re-watched it twice since then and I’ve enjoyed it more each time. Still, I hadn’t seen it in about 15 years when I remembered Juliet Stevenson’s character and decided to revisit it again for this project. I’m glad I did. This was fun.

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The Prom (2020)

2024 Entry #43 04-15-24 “The Prom” is a 2020 American musical comedy film directed by out creative Ryan Murphy from a screenplay by out writer Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name by Martin, Beguelin, and Matthew Sklar. The film stars Meryl Streep (“Silkwood”, “Angels in America”, “The Hours”, “Evening”, “Mamma Mia!” / “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”), James Corden (“The History Boys”, “Lesbian Vampire Killers”, “Doctor Who”), Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”, “The Stepford Wives”, “Boy Erased”), Keegan-Michael Key (“Modern Family”, Schmigadoon!”), out actor Andrew Rannells (“Sex and the City 2”, “The New Normal”, “Will & Grace”, “Big Mouth”, RuPaul’s Drag Race”, “The Boys in the Band”, “Our Son”), openly queer Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”, “Schmigadoon!”), Tracey Ullman (“Ally McBeal”, “Will & Grace”), openly gay Kevin Chamberlin (“In & Out”, “Trick”, “Queer Duck: The Movie”, “Taking Woodstock”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, “Nip/Tuck”, “Modern Family”), Mary Kay Place (“All in the Family”, “MAS*H”, “Thirtysomething”, “Tales of the City”, “My So-Called Life”, “Further Tales of the City”, “Being John Malkovich”, “Latter Days”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, “Jack & Bobby”, “Pushing Daisies”, “Looking”, “Grace & Frankie”, “Shameless”), and Kerry Washington (“She Hate Me”, “Scandal”, “How to Get Away with Murder”), openly queer Nico Greetham (“Glee”, “American Horror Story: Double Feature”, “Love, Victor”), and introduces openly queer Jo Ellen Pellman in her film debut as Emma Nolan.

I saw the musical on Broadway and didn’t think much of it. It was cute but felt like it didn’t quite hit the mark. One of my friends left during the intermission because they didn’t enjoy it. I listened to the soundtrack for maybe a week? When the movie was released I thought it was too soon for me to dive in, which was my reaction again when it popped up in my queue, only then I realized it’s been out for 4 years and I gave it a watch. Through the first half I felt like I’d given it a bad wrap, but I could also see how it was working better as a film than a stage show in countless ways! However, the latter half of the movie did seem to drag quite a bit. And like the Broadway production, there were times when it didn’t quite hit as well as I felt it should, but in the end, it’s pretty entertaining. It will never be a favorite of mine but it doesn’t have to be. It’s just a bit of fluff. Gay fluff. And sometimes that’s what you need.

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