mattbaume
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Bonus video! Daring gay British films of the 1960s, and also Ghostbusters
🕑 Added 2024-03-31 17:06:44 +0000 UTCHello there!
For this week's bonus video, I thought you might like a closer look at some of the movies that followed through the door that Victim opened: Brave films that included even more queer content like Taste of Honey, The Leather Boys, If..., and Sunday Bloody Sunday. (One little correction: The Leather Boys was based on a novel, not a play.)
If you're planning to check these films out, and I recommend that you do, you should be prepared that these films are pretty pessimistic! But not in a "the life of the homosexual is especially miserable" sort of way, as it would have been in years past, but in a more general "everyone's life is dark and dour" sort of way. So I guess in that respect they're basically normal British cinema.
Also, to my great surprise, these films had me thinking a bit about the new Ghostbusters movie! If you don't want spoilers (or do not give a shit about Ghostbusters), I put a timestamp in the video to help you skip over that part.
Plus! I've got a little scandal to discuss about Shirley Bassey, singer of the Goldfinger theme. Always timely, my gossip.
Backup link for the video: https://youtu.be/2QTJQCeUhgY
Comments
M.D. Wiselka
I agree with your take on Ghostbusters. The romance part was very disappointing. What was the point of putting it in, only to strip it back to nearly nothing? Who were they trying to please? Everyone? Try no one.
Matt Baume
I think it can be challenging to recognize the humor in those kitchen sink films, but yes it's definitely there!
Diana Sheward
I would say that our over all culture in the UK is more realistic/pessimistic than that of the US.The 1st & 2nd WWs and the populous having been bombed for 56 days and nights pretty much straight in the 'Blitz' (yes,it wasn't just London) may have contributed to this.I think the kitchen sink films are wonderful.A real time capsule of working class living in a UK still trying to come to terms with the devestation caused by WW2.I find them funny, irreverent,profound,and yes, pessimistic.Having a peculiarly American up-beat ending would have lessened their gravity and import.Nearly every other culture can cope with sad endings,but the US can't,I'm afraid we're all going to die at some point,none of us will get a happy finale,that is reality,that is natural.I don't understand the US needing to have a happy-ever-after ending,that just feels unnatural,forced and artificial.These 'positive' stories never ever reach the heights and depths of what is considered great art as they come across as shallow and trite.
