You are judging this film too harshly I’d say. Projecting modern standards on a gay-themed movie that’s more than a half-century old is not realistic, and we fail to appreciate that this film was brilliant and edgy enough for its time. I’d say this film is quite acceptable for 1969.
Glad I found your channel! Utena got hyped up so much by the LGBTQ community that I was actually disappointed when I started watching it and it wasn’t as gay as I expected. I still loved it because of the gender role reversal and surrealism, but I agree it wasn’t that homo erotic.
Might I recommend Long Exposure, the webcomic by Marsoid. It's a teen drama where a bully and a nerd are forced onto a school project together, where they accidentally trespass on a gonverment base, gain superpowers and slowly fall in love with each other, while navigating their personal lives. Jonas (the nerd) is a shy, unconfident bisexual trying to survive high school in a small town and deal with his abusive father. Mitch (the bully) is a rough, gay jerk who hangs out with his gang.
I would like it if they made a movie like this, but the twist is that the two straight dudes actually fall in love and realize they're gay or bisexual, like they go on a self-reflective journey and realize they've been lying to themselves while trying to deceive others.
thank you so much for pointing out that the portrait shows more of his shame than his soul. in my mind this has always been a story about shame, but it's been completely twisted to just be "anti-sin"
A bit of outside perspective, from this straight horror/sci-fi genre nerd: Will Byers’ entire character storyline is in fact a big-budget remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2. (Great video of yours on that movie, by the way!) We get to revisit and examine the themes of Nightmare 2, by looking back on it from our current state of social progress decades later. We have an awkward, closeted teenage boy in the mid-‘80s, who is haunted by this evil spirit that wants to use his fears and self-loathing in order to break out into the real world. He is not only terrified that this evil spirit will kill everyone around him, but that even asking anyone else for support and speaking about his problems out loud will only bring them into his circle of danger. (The story is also very much related to the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s.) But wait, which character am I even talking about here? Will Byers and Jesse Walsh line up so neatly alongside each other, this must obviously be one of the Duffers’ deliberate efforts. Keep in mind how the series looks back on both the pop culture of the ‘80s but also the dark underside of living through it if you were any kind of a misfit.
You say it wasnt progressive for the time, i would genuinely love to know what more progressive queer movies for the time there were? Im struggling to make that sound qenuine but i promise it is! As a baby gay 12 yrs ago it was hard enough to find modern sapphic films (imagine me and you was my bread and butter 😂) but i also have always been into the vintage aesthetic and so tried to find the queerest old movies I could. This was the only one i found that didn't end in tragic death so it stood out to me But yeah really genuinely, if theres more progressive movies from that time i would love to see them
I love how this video came out right during the end of Sister 3, an arc that involved Ellen's gender identity being seriously discussed...not to mention right before The Legend of Diane, wherein the comic did in fact get the More Gay that it apparently needed.
I think 'The Gay Deceivers' has a lot more going for it than some give it credit for, even for its time period. As you mentioned, thanks to Greer the film has much more positive imagery than literally any other film of tv series portraying queer people at the time, and there is even moments in the film where characters express just how difficult it is being gay can be in America. I gather the anecdotes in The Lush Life Bar were snuck in by Greer himself, but the fact that the writer and director allowed it says a lot about the film's progressive value. Although 'The Gay Deceivers' wasn't even close to being appreciated in 1969, we can appreciate it retroactively today. The film was never going to be the afterschool special some would've wanted it to be; its existence as is was a risk. That is why I personally am grateful the film was made. As a queer man in the 21st century, I can enjoy this film and appreciate its qualities - both good and bad - and see them as a very insightful view into how cruel things were, how far we've come, and how much more we have left to go. ❤
This!!! When I was first realising I was queer I was also super into vintage aesthetics and I spent SO much time searching for older films that had LGBTQ+ themes. This is the only one I found that didn't end in tragedy and actually had some semblance of happy queer people and not just one character in constant turmoil over being gay And also a side note but when I'm bopping to music while cooking I still think of Malcolm dancing while making breakfast. Every single time 😂
Can you imagine society handcuffing you up and locked up in US jail to get actually raped and beaten up by buffed inmates as a "gaymo" for having exposed to have possession fictional rape fanfiction ? Fundashis might risk that in their lives . I cant imagine womens jail being this violent.
I'd been wondering if you would cover Descendants 3, but I understand if you never wanted to due to lack of interest and/or feeling any obligation to address Cameron's death.
I don't know I mean I would say the Russians are far more evil than nazis. Not saying that the nazis Are innocent But if you look through the USSR history.
Hey I miss your videos… ☹️ Used to watch them all the time, especially when I was first coming out. Do you still do them? Was wondering if you could do Eden’s Curve. Would love to hear your take.
Gay life for lots of us is sad, and lonely and hard, and miserable. It is for me. It started that way, and at 41, unloved and unlovable, it will end that way.
