A Piece of Pie: The Queer Film Podcast

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Click here to send us a message!This week we're taking a look at two very different queer icons. Musical geniuses Freddie Mercury and Liberace each got the biopic treatment in the 2010's, and each got very different treatment. Behind the Candelabra starred Oscar winners Michael Douglas and Matt Damon and was directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh. Despite the pedigree, only HBO would release it. Bohemian Rhapsody, by contrast, despite a troubled production and a problematic filmmaker, somehow won four Academy Awards in 2019. 

Click here to send us a message!This week we're joined by film scholar Syd Wrigley, who joins the podcast to discuss Gregg Araki's famed Teen Apocalypse Trilogy. Starting with Totally Fucked Up in 1993, he followed it with The Doom Generationin 1995 and finally Nowhere in 1997, the trilogy that would define a generation and stands at the center of the New Queer Cinema movement. Recently re-released via Criterion, these films are being discovered by a brand new generation, and Araki is only now finding auteur status. 

Click here to send us a message!This week we have an interview with director Dana Flor discussing her new documentary, 1-800-ON-HER-OWN, an intimate look at singer songwriter Ani DiFranco ! And we're excited to announce a partnership with the filmmakers to bring the movie to Chicago! On April 13 at the #Music Box Chicago to catch the Chicago premiere in person! 

Click here to send us a message!This week we're joined by writer Alonso Duralde, author of Hollywood Pride to discuss Barbra Streisand's directorial debut, Yentl. The story of a young woman who bucked convention, and gender norms, to follow her dreams. Progressive for 1983, the film was ahead of it's time, and is undergoing a queer reappraisal. 

Click here to send us a message!We only have one tradition here at Piece of Pie, and that's our annual Oscar episode. We started this little podcast discussing the Oscars, and ever since we've made sure to cover them. This year Paul Klein and Chris Alexander join Brian to discuss queer representation at the yearly show, Conan O'Brien and more!

This week we're joined by Chicago's Joan Waters, local drag queen and John Waters super fan, and we're taking a look at Polyester, John Waters' first studio film. With his biggest budget to date, Waters paid tribute to William Castle, and Douglas Sirk, two of his favorite filmmakers. Sirk directed the Rock Hudson classic All That Heaven Allows, a clear influence on queer filmmakers like Todd Haynes and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. So we paired it with Polyester as we take a look at the similarities, differences, and Sirk's continued influence in queer cinema. Say Hi!

Brian interviews filmmaker, writer and actor Vera Drew about her debut film, The People's Joker. Produced on a shoestring budget and released in secret while Warner Bros waged a legal battle, The People's Joker uses popular DC Comics characters to tell a truly unforgettable coming age of story. Say Hi!

We're saying goodbye to a tumultuous 2024 by discussing one of the year's biggest, and arguably gayest, box office hits. From bookshelves, to Broadway and now to movie theaters, Wicked is a superhero tentpole movie for theatre kids, but is it any good? And how does it hold up taken next to the beloved stage play? Rob and Max join Brian to discuss all that and more! Say Hi!

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Brian and Max went to the Alamo Drafthouse to catch one of the year's most talked about films of the year, Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis. Developed by Coppola over a course of 3 decades, Megalopolis finally hit screens in 2024. After standing ovations at film festivals, the film released to the public with mostly a shrug, but Brian and Max wanted to see it for themselves, and then recorded at a bar after the screening. Say Hi!

By now, Keanu Reeves is an accomplished action star with two multi-billion dollar franchises to his name. But this week we're taking a look at the two movies that helped get him there, Point Break and Speed. He hit it big with these two films, and represented a shift away from the buff action heroes which drove the critics of the time to only one conclusion - he must be gay. Join us as we unpack two of the biggest hits of the 1990's; the queer coded Point Break and what was then seen as feminine features for a masculine action hero. Say Hi!

This week we're joined by "The Horror Dyke," Heather O. Petrocelli as we take a look at David Cronenberg and recent Palme D'Or Winner! In 1996, Cronenberg released the controversial Crash, about a man who seeks to reinvigorate his sex-life after a near-fatal automobile accident. We pair it with 2021's Titane, Julia Ducournau feminist body horror film that owes a huge debt to Croneberg's work, while remaining it's own truely unique vision. Say Hi!

Our newest contributor Paul rejoins the podcast as Max and Brian revisit their series pairing off the films of Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson. We've skipped ahead a bit to land on their 70mm roadshow pictures, each auteur using their clout to shoot on film, on location. In doing so they crafted two of their most personal movies, with wildly varied results. Give us a listen as we continue to pit these two geniuses against each other!Say Hi!

This week we're taking a look at two films from Gregg Araki. One of the architects of the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990's, Araki pivoted in the new century after finding critical success with Mysterious Skin. He followed up that award winner by pivoting to a stoner comedy that Max argues is worth revisiting every April 20. Say Hi!

This week we're joined by film scholar Paul T. Klein, as he brings a queer appraisal to one of the biggest box office hits of all time, Titanic. What is it about this film that appeals to queer audiences? Is it Rose rejecting the life others want for her? Or did Cameron interject just enough Sirkian melodrama to appeal to our camp sensibilities? Maybe it was just Leonardo DiCaprio in his Twink era? We also take a look back at the 1958 classic, A Night to Remember, the film that inspired James Cameron. Paul joins Brian and Chris to discuss why this doomed ocean liner has captivated audiences for over a century. Say Hi!

Send us a Text Message.As we head into the final stretch of #Pride2024 we're taking a look at a couple of movies that attempt to dramatize the very concept. In 2014, action film director Roland Emmerich tried, and failed, to tell the legendary story of #Stonewall via a white-washed tale of privilege. A year later came a film called #Pride that tells the true story of a group of activists who find kindred souls in a group of coal miners and work to support their cause. Two true stories told in vastly different ways, each tell essential stories of queer history. 

Send us a Text Message.We're celebrating Pride 2024 by introducing Pink Flamingos to a contributor who'd never seen a John Waters movie! This disgusting masterpiece has been grossing people out since 1972, long since becoming a beloved cult classic. With tongue firmly in cheek, Waters' film features violent SA, cannibalism and, yep, that famous ending with dog feces. How does it hold up fifty years after it's debut? You'll have to listen to find out. 

Send us a Text Message.With the recent release of Ripley on Netflix, Brian welcomes Max and Nick to discuss all things Tom Ripley. Since the novel was released in 1955, audiences have been captivated by the murderous exploits of this charming sociopath. Every generation, filmmakers bring their own perspectives and a brand new actor to the role, as he gets gayer by the decade. Join us as we discuss the character, why does he endure, and why are audiences so enthralled by a queer murderer? 

With celebrated out filmmaker John Schlesinger at the helm, 1969's Midnight Cowboy has entered the queer canon, flaws and all. We pair it up with 2017's Beach Rats from director Eliza Hittman. 

We're joined this week by writer Casey Snow, who brings her love of the lesbian spy comedy D.E.B.S. and we pair it with 2023's hit comedy, Bottoms, starring Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennot. 

We don't have many yearly traditions here at The Queer Film Podcast, but we always make time for the Academy Awards! It's our seventh annual discussion--despite what Brian says in the recording, mistakenly saying it's the sixth--and he convened with regular contributors Rob and Chris, to discuss predictions before the show and reactions after the fact. Join us as we celebrate yet another year of movies!

Is the director of The Love Witch a cult visionary, or a TERF Tommy Wiseau? This week we're joined by Raphael Martinez, programmer at Facets and host of their monthly film trivia night, to discuss that exact question. And be sure to join us on February 29, 2024 as your host Brian co-hosts the trivia with Raphael as we give away prizes before a screening of the film in question! 

With Oscar season in full swing, Brian and Chris are once again looking at the Best Actor race. This year, Bradley Cooper and Colman Domingo are nominated for playing real life queer figures , and so too are Jodie Foster and Annette Bening. In an Oscar season that's largely been defined by snubs, there's also a record number of queer characters and stories this year. And of course, some painful snubs. 

We're revisiting our Quentin Tarantino / Paul Thomas Anderson series with two films that many would say are their respective masterpieces. After they spent the 90's being the gods of film schools everywhere, they entered the 21st century artists with something to say, each filmmaker forging seeking to forge a new path for their career. Or did they? Brian welcomes Max and Nick back to the show to discuss two modern classics, There Will Be Blood and Inglorious Basterds. 

With a new Mean Girls in theaters, what better time to revisit the 2004 film that's become a classic. It's also one of our most requested movies to cover, so for those who've asked, your wait is over! We've paired it with the cult 1988 classic Heathers, starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Is Heathers a precursor to the Lindsay Lohan film or does it have more in common with Terence Malik's Badlands?

For our final episode of 2023, Brian and Max are celebrating a Shane Black Christmas!

Two of Brian's favorite filmmakers have movies coming out in the last few months of 2023, so for this episode we put on our Film Nerd Caps to revisit their earlier works. Chris from When We Were Young joins us again as we discuss David Fincher's The Social Network and Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. 

Just in time for Halloween, Brian and Max return to discuss Stephen King adaptations! Back in 1983, when he was the hottest writer in the country, two auteurs tackled his bestselling novels! John Carpenter, fresh off a couple of commercial duds was looking to cash an easy check, while David Cronenberg was fresh off two of his biggest hits. Each filmmaker brings their unique style to King's macabre stories in the process crafting two of his most beloved adaptations. 

When Rock Hudson died of AIDS in 1985, it shocked much of the world. In Hollywood, his homosexuality was an open secret, but to the rest of the world he was a charming, handsome leading man to the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day. This week, we're taking a look at one of the earliest face's of the AIDS epidemic and discussing the documentary, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed and his most famous rom-com, Pillow Talk! 

For Pride month 2023, we're taking a look back at two of John Waters' later movies, Pecker & Cecil B Demented. One of our most iconic filmmakers, Waters at the end of the 20th Century had settled into a more grand statesman of cinema more than simply being a provocatuer. While he never loses his sense of humor, these two films feel more auto-biographical than his previous works, with Pecker focusing on a young photographer and Cecil B Demented following a gang of maverick filmmakers. Brian and Max discuss all this, plus a young Maggie Gylenhaal, praise for Christina Ricci and debate the term "ugly hot." 

We're kicking off Pride 2023 with a look at the ABBA-centric sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! Host Brian had never seen the original, much-less the sequel, but over the years, it's become a beloved new classic. So, Rob and Max agreed to show him the movie for the first time ever! 

This week, we're joined by special guest Kyle Turner, writer of the new book, The Queer Film Guide. Brian and Matthew welcomed him to discuss the new book, and one of his favorite entries, 2018's Knife + Heart. 

In 1993, Hollywood adapted Super Mario Bros., then a hit Nintendo video game, into a live-action movie starring Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper. It was the first time a video game would make the leap to the big screen, but it certainly wouldn't be the last. In 2023, Nintendo tried it again, this time teaming with Illumination for an animated take on their most famous franchise. It took the world by storm, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year. This week, Matthew and Brian discuss the new release, and are joined by Max as we take a trip down memory lane and re-examine the 1993 attempt. It's weirder, darker and yes, gayer than you probably remember, but how do the two movies hold up? Join us as we discuss video game movies, Bob Hoskins' mustache and much more!

We're re-visiting a project we started a couple years ago, pairing the films of auteurs Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. We're picking up with Anderson's fourth film, the offbeat Punch-Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler and pairing it with Tarantino's third, Jackie Brown. Both films find the filmmakers in transition, dealing with critical acclaim and awards recognition by defying expectations and crafting quirky, unforgettable love stories. They're both outliers in their respective filmography's, but on this episode we suggest that maybe that needs to change.  

It's our fifth annual Oscar episode! Brian and Chris are talking about Hollywood's biggest night!

It's Oscar season, so we're taking a look at two controversial Academy Award winning movies! In 1993, Philadelphia was the first movie to address the ongoing AIDS crisis, winning Academy Awards and angering gay rights activists like Larry Kramer. Twenty years later, in 2013, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto each won acting's top honor in Dallas Buyers Club, while angering the entire community. Brian welcomes Chris back to discuss landmark AIDS representation, and major steps backward. 

Last year, the gay community was gifted not just one but TWO romantic comedies given release by major studios. Fire Island debuted on Hulu, while Bros was released to theaters, but both sought to bring a queer touch to the old rom-com formula. Fire Island is a modern adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" while Bros borrows from Nora Ephron and Woody Allen. We're joined by our contributors Rob and Lauren as we compare the two films and ponder why one gets so much right, while the other gets a lot wrong. 

Another year, another straight actor playing queer in a quest for Oscar gold! This year, it's Brendan Fraser, the erstwhile George of the Jungle, who turns in a rare dramatic performance in what is being billed as his big comeback vehicle. But was he ever a good actor in the first place? And why is he in a fat suit? Contributor Chris, from When We Were Young returns to continue the never-ending discussion of what happens when straight folks tell queer stories. 

We're celebrating 100 episodes! To commemorate, Brian asked his contributors to come on and discuss their favorite queer films. The results may surprise you!

This year we're celebrating the holidays by taking a look at two of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time! And for this one Brian and Matthew are joined by Derek, from the instagram account, Queer Cinema Archive, as we revisit these family favorites. It turns out both films are dripping with queer coding and stereotypes. Join us as we dissect these tropes, and how they're still doing damage today. 

This year we're celebrating Thanksgiving with Parker Posey, Sigourney Weaver and many more! Two films where dysfunctional families reconnect for a holiday weekend, The Ice Storm and The House of Yes! 

This Halloween season, we're taking a look at two recent horror films, 2014's It Follows and this year's sleeper hit X. Both films take the "sex is bad" trope so common in horror and use it not just for their final girl, but as motivation for the villains themselves! It Follows is the story of Jay, a woman who gets more than she bargained for after a one night stand, while X follows an adult film crew to a remote farm-house they've rented to film their latest movie, much to the chagrin of that farm's owners. Matthew and Brian paired these movies up for those reasons, and we found it opened up a much larger discussion on modern horror films such as Barbarian, Candyman, the new Scream entry and A24 as a brand vs A24 as a film studio. Beware of spoilers for those other films, and join us as we talk Ti West, John Carpenter and much, much more!

Our two movies this week are based on real-life criminals who went to great lengths for love and lived the catch-phrase "Be gay Do Crime." Dog Day Afternoon is frequently listed as one of the finest films of the 1970's, but ignores the fact it features Oscar nominees Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon playing a queer couple. In 2009, Jim Carrey played a leading man to love interest Ewan McGregor the subversive crime caper I Love You Phillip Morris. Brian and Chris are once again debating straight people playing queer, but Brian is far more forgiving when it's pitched just right. 

This week we're taking a look back to the 1950's, the Hays Code, and repressed homosexuality. Tennessee Williams won several awards for his works, including a Pulitzer and a Tony, but when Hollywood came calling, they had some changes they needed to make. For this episode, we're joined by Chris and Rob to discuss Williams' provocative plays, Hollywood adaptations, and Paul Newman's steely blue eyes. 

In 1988, John Waters, the Sultan of Sleaze himself, released what might be called his sweetest movie, Hairspray. Starring Ricki Lake, Sonny Bono, and Divine, it was the first time a Waters character had a conscience, and set out to do the right thing. It retains a lot of his sensibilities, but it can easily be seen as his attempt at a Hollywood ending. It worked, because the film became a cult classic and eventually would be turned into a hit Broadway musical, and then of course, Hollywood adapted the musical for the screen in 2007. It polishes off some of the rougher edges, casts John Travolta as a woman, Michelle Pfieffer as a racist and Zac Efron as, what else, but a teen heartthrob. For the first time ever, we've paired a movie and it's remake to look at what makes each of them work and where they fall short. Matthew joins Brian as they discuss all this and more!

To celebrate the upcoming sequel, we asked contributor Rob to check out the original 1986 Top Gun. starring the new minted superstar, Tom Cruise, in what would become a template for his early characters. Is it a queer classic with  homoerotic overtones or too mired in its own fake masculinity?

Writer and contributor Lauren Emily Whalen returns to the podcast to discuss her new novel, Take Her Down, a YA re-telling of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar! To commemorate it's release, she agreed to discuss two of our generation's most beloved Shakespeare adaptations; Romeo + Juliet and 10 Things I Hate About You. 

To celebrate the arrival of Shortbus to digital platforms, after being hard to find for over a decade, we are taking a brand new look at John Cameron Mitchell's followup to Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Contributor Matthew joins Brian to watch this overlooked gem for the first time. 

The very first episode of this podcast was focused on the 2018 Oscars and in this, our fifth annual look at Hollywood's Big Night, Will Smith gave us an Oscar ceremony we won't soon forget! But that has overshadowed the incredible work of actors, writers and directors whose career goal is an Oscar night victory. While the Smith debacle cannot go unremarked upon, Matthew and Chris joined Brian to discuss the night overall, where legacy awards were aplenty and a few new stars got to shine.