Search - Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema on DVD

A Welcome Documentary

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 12/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

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"Fabulous: The Story of Queer Cinema"



A Welcome Documentary



Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride





A welcome addition to any video library is ?Fabulous: The Story of Queer Cinema?. It not only is a history of our movies, it is the history of our lives as recorded by the movies. We have come a long way and what makes this documentary so special is the way it tells the story of contemporary GLBT history.

?Fabulous? investigates the emergence of the gay and lesbian film movement from when we earmark that the gay liberation movement actually started, the 1960s, through the rise of the new queer cinema movement of the 1990s and the rise of gay film festivals, and the acceptance by our movies by the establishment along with the new predominance of gay characters in the mainstream as well as what is currently happening. And it is done exceptionally well. We learn that the story of our movies is aligned with what was going in the world and that certain events allowed for the gay movie to blossom. The movie is presented along with a timeline and we can actually see what caused a change in the world?s acceptance of our films.

The movie contains interspersed interviews with some of the movers and shakers of the gay cinematic movement including John Waters, Todd Haynes, Alan Cumming, B. Ruby Rich, John Cameron Mitchell (he is so cute!), Don Roos, Gus Van Sant and scores of others (37 people are interviewed).

We have always yearned to see our lives on the silver screen and for so long we were not able to (in some cases in Arkansas, we still can?t). The films discussed in ?Fabulous? are the ones that have affected our lives. Those interviewed give great insight into the field of our cinema and share what movies were and still are important to them. ?Fabulous? recounts the history of GLBT cinema through those who have been involved in it.

In retrospect it seems that gay film was always in the forefront of independent cinema and some of these movies are not only queer films but important ones as well. Today queer film is everywhere as ushered in by Ellen Degeneres and ?Will and Grace? on TV to the success of ?Brokeback Mountain? and ?Boys Don?t Cry? produced by major studios. Not so long ago we did not have the opportunity to see ourselves on the screen and now it seems as if we are everywhere. In the past it was stereotypes and very sad and depressing stories that defined us. Now what was the norm seems to have become the exception. Who would have ever thought that shows like ?Queer Eye?, ?Queer Duck? and ?Boy Meets Boy? would have be so popularly watched by so many?

The road to this point was not an easy one as explained in this documentary but it is important to know, as I learned here, that there always was a road. In the beginning there was not a lot of traffic but times have changed. The stories that are related here are sincere, uncut and explicit and it seems to me that the story of our films is really the story of us. We really have come quite a way.

Some of those interviewed relate some very personal stories. Heather Matarazzo and John Cameron Mitchell express their feelings from the bottom of their hearts. One of the most interesting parts of the film as what they relate how they felt when they saw their first gay film.

This is such an important movie in that it is both entertaining and educational. I do not think I will ever look at another gay film the same way ever again. I will now appreciate what it took to reach the point so I can indeed look at them and enjoy. Gay film should never ever be taken at face value. Each and every film is to be cherished, even if it is lousy, because it tells our story through sweat and tears and hard work. This is what makes this movie so special. If you get a chance to see it, I am sure that you will agree. I am so thankful that we have this documentary and I can only hope that more like it will follow.

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Amos Lassen





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