It's the 40th annual celebration of gay pride and before, during and ( most likely ) after you've experienced one ( or all! ) of the many locals diversions being offered in the next week or so, there are a host of DVDs—old, new and forthcoming—that will help keep the anniversary and gay pride celebrations going.
First, a history lesson is in order, and what better way to find out about the Stonewall riots that kicked the gay revolution into high gear than with the appropriately named 1995 comedy/drama Stonewall? Set at the now historic bar in New York City, the low-budget but winning little indie features a trio of sassy drag queens whose stories blend with the real life events. I'm also a huge fan of 1994's The Celluloid Closet, the award-winning documentary look at gays and lesbians in the first 100 years of the movies. ( It was my pick as the kick off film for the recent Queer Cinema 101 series at the Center on Halsted. ) The film takes us from the silent era on up to the advent of the queer cinema genre in the early '90s. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema from 2006 is a natural follow-up and is equally entertaining.
There are a host of insightful and fun documentaries that explore all aspects of queer culture. I have a particular fondness for drag-queen culture and 1991's Paris is Burning, which explores the world of drag balls; Wigstock, the 1995 film covering Lady Bunny's annual outdoor drag extravaganza; and 1994's dramedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert are three of my favorites. And until the DVD is released, the entire season of the hilarious reality bitchfest a.k.a. RuPaul's Drag Race is available for viewing at www.logoonline.com .
The 40th anniversary of Stonewall also means the 40th anniversary of the death of legendary Judy Garland, whose passing had a hand in kick-starting gay pride. There are arguably three Garland masterpieces—The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) , Meet Me In St. Louis ( 1944 ) , and A Star Is Born ( 1954 ) —among Judy's many motion pictures. In addition to those three, I'd recommend a host of other Garland films but for now will settle on suggesting the somewhat obscure Presenting Lily Mars from 1943, in which Garland gets to sing, dance and crack wise as a star-struck teenager; the charming In the Good Old Summertime, a turn-of-the-entury musical from 1949 ( the film that features little Liza Minnelli's film debut ) ; and Garland's last film, 1963's I Could Go On Singing, in which she plays a thinly disguised version of herself. Still belting it out and commanding the stage at 41, Judy also delivers a performance that is moving and camp at the same time. This is the Garland that was fully aware of her gay following—and played to it.
By the way, get ready to shell out moola for yet another edition of The Wizard of Oz—this one celebrating the film's 70th anniversary. I know, I know: There have already been three versions. However, Oz completists and Garland fans will want this new edition as well. This time, Warner Bros. is giving the beloved classic another touch-up and includes ( get ready ) 16 hours of bonus content, with four new hours just for this version. The limited-edition set—which will be available on DVD or Blu-Ray—will also include a glossy booklet by Garland expert John Fricke, and arrives at the end of September.
Some other DVDs to celebrate gay pride with include Pedro, the pretty good biopic of the late AIDS activist Pedro Zamora which originally aired on MTV ( arriving June 30 ) . The film was scripted by Milk's Oscar-winning scribe Dustin Lance Black ( which gives me another excuse to nag readers to see Milk if you haven't and the equally moving documentary 1985 Oscar-winning The Times of Harvey Milk ) . Were the World Mine, the gay fantasia with music and one of my favorite gay indies from last year, is also out on DVD and is an essential for the home collection. The Art of Being Straight, a mumblecore indie starring writer/director Jessie Rosen, follows the exploit of a young actor who explores his bisexual tendencies when he arrives in Los Angeles. It's available in multiple formats ( online, viewing on Here! and on DVD ) . Who knew there was a queer hip-hop scene and that it was had such a large following? Pick Up the Mic is an eye-opening look at the burgeoning music culture—long overdue considering the homophobic history of rap culture. I'm also a big fan of the moody, beautifully shot Solos from Singapore in which a male teacher falls in love with his comely student. Artsy in the extreme ( the film is told in non-linear style, includes a lot of static, beautifully composed still shots, and has no dialogue ) , Solos is the queer movie for those seeking something a bit more adventurous.
Five camp gladiator flicks from the '50s and '60s are included in the recently released, three-disc ( aptly named ) Muscle Madness set. Steve Reeves and several other examples of prime beefcake star in Goliath and the Sins of Babylon, Hercules Against the Moon Men, Colossus and the Amazon Queen, and two other alternately hilarious "epics"—each more entertaining and containing more male musculature than the previous. From 1957 comes the complete version of The Strange One, an oddly compelling curio in which Ben Gazzara and several other Actor's Studio performers made their screen debuts ( including a hunky George Peppard ) . Gazzara stars as a sadistic but very sexy bully at a military academy who holds sway over his fellow cadets until he goes too far. The homoerotic subtext is very thick ( starting with the Tom of Finland illustration that plays over the credits to Kenyon Hopkin's wonderful film score ) . Scenes detailing a subplot in which an obviously gay cadet tries to blackmail Gazzara's character into a sexual relationship considered too risqué and cut by censors, have been restored in the DVD.
Finally, two DVDs appearing in July—The New Twenty ( which focuses on straight-gay friendships ) and She Likes Girls 4—a lesbian-themed compilation sure to make the ladies happy—will help keep the spirit of gay pride going as we swing full tilt into summer.
Check out my archived reviews at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Readers can leave feedback at the latter Web site.