This The Addams Family 2: The tradition continues full of winks to the LGTBIQ+ public? Is it the classic of fantastic cinema The woman and the monster an expression of homosexual or bisexual otherness? The writer Javier Parra (The terrible mother) has extended its exercise of criticism and dissemination of horror films in key queerstarted with the book queer screamwith the corresponding sequel: Queer Scream 2: Revenge (Two Whiskers).
Parra reviews more or less shared and popular references from other perspectives, from a certain logic of decoding hinted messages, but this is only one of the multiple facets of this diptych of essays. It also focuses on films that were born with a certain explicit veneer of diverse sexuality, such as PerformanceMick Jagger’s film debut or the Spanish lesbian-terrifying revelation I feel strangestarring Rocío Dúrcal and Barbara Rey.
Along the way, films that are outside the canon are recovered, even very outside the canon, as is the case with the filmography of Frank Henenlotter (creator of the saga Basket case) or David DeCoteau (Creepozoids). Parra defends this inclusivity: “Once we start to rescue films that have had LGBTIQ+ representation, whether positive or negative, I think it is important to take everyone into account. From there each reader will know which works they will have to approach, and if they are going to do it in a more ironic or less ironic way. I put it all on the table. And time ends up putting the films in their place.”
Is there geek culture for everyone?
The diptych queer scream It fits within a certain proliferation of documentaries and essays that address horror and fantasy cinema from the vindication of diversities of all kinds. the film horror noirefor example, deals with representations of blackness in horror films, and the participation of African-American artists such as directors Ernest R. Dickerson (bones) or Jordan Peele (Nope). The documentary Scream, queen. My nightmare on Elm Streetwas based on the experience of gay actor Mark Patton as the protagonist of Nightmare on Elm Street 2 to deal with the connections and disagreements established between terrifying cinema and its most public queer.
Patton’s experiences, marked by homophobic responses to his interpretation, evidence past states of current realities. In recent years, a part of geek culture, once associated with a certain weirdness (hence its name, derived from English freak), has entrenched itself… against the rarities that are not yours. As if there was a rarity It was correct that she had to be white, heterosexual and have money in her pocket, ready to spend.
Can gay pride fit with geek pride? Defensive (or offensive) reactions are often perceived from a part of the fandomand even from a part of the specialized critics. Proposals that implicitly or explicitly expand or question gender, ethnic, identity and sexual inclination biases, perhaps not so much class biases, that have permeated fantasy cinema and other narratives closely associated with culture are received with a certain hostility. geek Parra considers that “unfortunately there will always be people who will not see beyond their own bubble.”
The podcast co-host we are alive wants to emphasize “that horror cinema itself is already born being queerit is something that many essayists have already dealt with.” There is no need to make great efforts of memory. A capital director in the deployment of fantastic sound cinema, James Whale of Bride of Frankensteinhe was gay. One of the most influential cult authors in the eighties of the last century, writer and director Clive Barker (hellraiser, night races), explored sadomasochistic imagery that would become increasingly explicit queer. In the same way, there have also been views tinged with panic towards homosexuality and dehumanization of the other. Fandom reactionary, be disabused: there has never been a depoliticized cinema, devoid of explicit or implicit ideologies, of struggles between normalities and subversions.
“Nowadays there are people who throw their hands up saying that they want to indoctrinate us, but to me it seems super necessary that readings of the fantastic be made from the LGTBIQ+ environment, and also in an anti-racist key, and also making visible the works made by women,” says Parra. The enormous amount of fantasy and horror cinema produced around the world should make it easier for there to be films for everyone, but Parra believes that “some people never have enough. When these people complain, what underlies it is the fear that their land marked by heteropatriarchy will be taken away from them.”
The rich want to eat young people
queer scream 2 It is organized into various more or less thematic chapters where various films appear that coincide in portraying situations of ghostingor in generating passions among the public queer although they do not incorporate characters or plots related to this group. See, for example, What happened to Baby Jane?with its battle of classic Hollywood divas. The review includes titles from all eras, and also includes works from the pornographic sector that include real sex.
Parra also points out film terrors of recent years, not necessarily dark or difficult, but sometimes little known. Independent productions abound and can be difficult to track down outside of specialized festivals. They are works like Something In The Dirtfrom the (very established, but not too famous) duet formed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. EITHER Fresh and Gold Boytwo movies about Tinder dates gone wrong.
Challenged to highlight any recovery that seems especially memorable among those included in his book, the author points out Societythe fantastic nightmare of black humor and gore effects about rich people who devour (literally) the young people they fancy. It stars a young Billy Warlock, who would later appear in the television series Baywatch. “It has always been seen against the rich, but it also has a reading queer quite interesting. The moment you see it again, it will be impossible to stop seeing it through that prism,” he explains.
Parra also mentions the discussed fantasy comedy Death suits you so wellto which he dedicates warm words in his essay, because “it has a goofy and queer background that must be vindicated.” And he ends his trio of improvised recommendations by mentioning the remake of the classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacrereleased in 2003, for being “a pretty cool hymn to bisexuality.”
A doubly personal walk
The first installment of queer scream It had some alternative history of fantasy cinema. There was a certain desire to generate a reference essay. The new book seems more like a relaxed prowl. Its author addresses works that had been left pending, deals with new discoveries, with the freedom of a walker who wanders through the corners of a city he already knows. He explains that his first book was marked “by a still quite academic way of writing,” although he made “personal confidences in it.” “This time I wanted to write looser,” he emphasizes.
The inclusion of very personal comments is another core of this essay project. In queer scream 2 There are moments of playful and relaxed personal expression, for example, about the crushes cinematographic images of the teenage Parra towards the youthful bad guys of the time of Scream, I know what you did last summer either The Faculty. At other times, however, the author talks about toxic relationships and traumatic sexual experiences. And he connects them with films like the very intense Possessionby Andrzej Zulawski.
Parra reaffirms that “the most important thing in both books are the films, recovering them or introducing films that the reader may not know.” “That I tell things about my life is just an extra,” he says. At the same time, he is aware that this aspect of the book has been an element that may have influenced the good reception of the first book: “The editors encouraged me to continue opening up, although it was difficult for me, after having connected with the reader in the first queer scream. And I have noticed the positive response from people who have seen themselves reflected by having similar experiences.” However, it stands out that this more testimonial writing is limited to this specific essay project that, perhaps, will have a third part one day.
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