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Episode 45- The Journey (Sancharram)

 

This week, we're heading to a mansion in a beautiful Indian jungle, where a couple of young lesbians fall in love with each other amid scenes of rushing water and gorgeous verdant forest. It sounds like I'm being facetious in describing this but actually the scenery is stunningly beautiful, and this movie is really good! Except for, like, the homophobia and sexism.

 

The Journey Wikipedia page

Episode 44- My Days of Mercy

 

Hello dear Gays, this week we're talking about that Ellen Page/Kate Mara movie you saw the trailer for and got really excited to see those two kiss, and then forgot about because it had basically no theatrical release. Which tbh is fine, because this movie isn't the best, and is very very sad, and does a solid low-medium job of discussing the death penalty in America, one of the last bastions of the death penalty. However, Ellen Page continues to be the best, even when she's mostly crying and otherwise sadly emoting with her face.

 

My Days of Mercy Wikipedia page

Sarah's book recommendation: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Episode 43- Chasing Amy

 

Well y'all, we had to do it sometime. This week, Sarah and Alicia discuss the 1997 bro movie with a lesbian character, Chasing Amy. Tune in to hear some complaints! But also some actual discussion! The main thing is that no one likes Ben Affleck, can we all agree? And even though this movie is Lesbianism for Bros 101, the character of Alyssa actually has some agency, which is cool. Enjoy, queers!

 

Further reading:

Chasing Amy Wikipedia page

Buzzfeed article by Shannon Keating, Looking Back at the Sexual Politics of 'Chasing Amy' 20 Years Later

Oliver Lee Bateman's The Big I: Chasing Amy and the toxic nerd masculinity of the 90's in the Paris Review

Episode 42- High Art

Hi dear queers, this one's another downer, but please don't go away! Alicia and Sarah still have positive things to say about this lesbian classic from 1998 in which Sad Artists are Addicted to Substances. It is very somber but also has some great acting! (except for Patricia Clarkson; what are you doing Patricia??) And Sarah recommends a book about recovery that is way more nuanced than this movie! Enjoy, gays!

Further reading:

High Art Wikipedia page

Roger Ebert review (do with this what you will)

Variety review by Emanuel Levy

Episode 41: Desi's Looking for a New Girl

 

Do you have serious 90s nostalgia and wish you could watch a movie that's a lot like Better Than Chocolate and The Watermelon Woman in its aesthetic but with no sex, no plot, and an almost entirely Latinx cast? Then this movie is for you! Alicia and Sarah discuss this kind of flat, but also in many ways kind of great, film that centers a lot of Dyke Drama and outdated relationship/gender norms but also a diverse array of Latinx queers in San Francisco. Plus, there's a bookstore involved, so you know Sarah got excited. Enjoy, friends!

 

Further reading:

The Wolfe On Demand link to the movie (use this service, it's awesome!)

Variety review by Dennis Harvey

Rotten Tomatoes info on the film

A blurb from the Chicago Reader

Episode 40: Booksmart

 

This week, we're delving into one of the best movies of 2019- and that's like, objectively speaking! Literally everyone loves this film, and with good reason. And one of the two main characters happens to be one of the raddest high school lesbians ever to be on screen. Join us as we dig into the funny, the problematic (there's always some problematic stuff, nbd), the emotional, the beautiful, the *journey* of this wacky gay as hell mainstream gem.

Episode 39: Pride month special: MANDAHLA ROSE

 

That's right gentlequeers, this week we've got a Very Special Episode in which we talk to the one and only Mandahla Rose! If you don't know her(??!!), Mandahla is basically in all the good queer content from film to web series, including the upcoming web series BIFL, described as the queer Friends (yes please). You may recall our episode about her movie All About E last year. In this delight of an interview, we talk to her about representation, playing a nonbinary ace lesbian (hell yeah!), and she shares some truly wild stories about filming the sex scene in All About E. Enjoy and happy pride, y'all!

Episode 38: Boys Don't Cry

 

CW: Literally everything horrible you could think of

Hi y'all. As you likely know, this movie is really tough to watch and to talk about. It's based on the true story of a young trans man named Brandon Teena who lived in Nebraska in the early 90s, in the days leading up to his brutal murder. There's a lot to unpack re: the queer/trans tragedy trope, who gets to tell queer and trans stories, and how those stories get told. Alicia and Sarah try their best in this episode. Not much snark this week folks! Take care of yourselves and know that we love you!

 

Further reading: Boys Don't Cry Wikipedia page

History vs Hollywood article that mentions Phillip DeVine (warning, it misgenders Brandon Teena throughout)

How I Broke, and Botched, the Brandon Teena Story by Donna Minkowitz 

IndieWire article about Hilary Swank by Jude Dry

Episode 37: Antonia's Line

 

[CW for rape, suicide, and ableism] Did you like Chocolat but wish it had less Johnny Depp and more women's empowerment? Well, Antonia's Line definitely does not have Johnny Depp and does have slightly more women's empowerment, so it might be up your alley! This 1995 Dutch movie about 4 generations of women who don't need men at all (one of whom is so gay!!) won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and was described as a 'feminist fairy tale,' which is more or less accurate. Join Alicia and Sarah as they discuss this cool multigenerational family saga that takes place in a quirky European village, and how artichokes are gay!

 

Further reading: Antonia's Line Wikipedia page

Episode 36: Summertime/La Belle Saison

 

 This week we're continuing our little European tour with a French movie that has much gay! We're not going to lie, this is one of the whitest movies we've seen, which is saying something. But it also has a lot of Lesbian Drama TM, some very great sex and kissing scenes if you're int that, some #Cophine vibes, very pretty landscapes, second-wave feminism (we said it was white), French, and most importantly, Sarah's favorite trope: farm dykes! Join Alicia and Sarah as they dig into this 2015 film.

 

 Further reading:

Summertime/La Belle Saison Wikipedia page

Catherine Corsini Wikipedia page