Chop Suey (2001)

A homage to Bruce Weber's Favourite things, these being mixing film, photography and classic movies. With portraits of a lesbian jazz singer and a 16 year old wrestler.

Director:

Bruce Weber

Writers:

Maribeth Edmonds, Bruce Weber

Stars:

Peter Johnson, Frances Faye, Herbie Fletcher

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Johnson	...	Himself
Frances Faye	...	Herself (archive footage)
Herbie Fletcher	...	Himself
Dibi Fletcher	...	Herself
Christian Fletcher	...	Himself
Nathan Fletcher	...	Himself
Rickson Gracie	...	Himself
Robert Mitchum	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wilfred Thesiger	...	Himself (as Sir Wilfred Thesiger)
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Himself
Diana Vreeland	...	Herself (archive footage)
Teri Shepherd	...	Herself
Teddy Antolini	...	Himself
Jason Maves	...	Himself
Ryan Mickelson	...	Himself

Storyline

A homage to Bruce Weber's Favourite things, these being mixing film, photography and classic movies. With portraits of a lesbian jazz singer and a 16 year old wrestler.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian | male model | homoeroticism | food in title | male frontal nudity | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 2001 (USA)

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,472 (USA) (5 October 2001)

Gross:

$179,914 (USA) (19 April 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Just Blue Films Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited from Pretty Baby (1978)

User Reviews

NAMBLA Anyone. Or Where Was The D.A.?

This movie is essentially a "how-to" on how to be a well-connected pedophile. I'm amazed that so many people-- especially other gay men-- have seen this movie and read the book and no one has brought up the fact that if Weber was not an influential photographer, he would be in jail, doing time for child abuse. Poor Peter Johnson. Weber took this poor, naive (although incredibly handsome) teenager whom he found at a training camp for high school wrestlers in the Midwest, brought him to live in his home, and took thousands of homoerotic photos of him, many of them full-frontal nudes, all through Johnson's teenage years. That ain't art. It's child abuse. And what's worse, Weber made lots of money off of it, and poor Johnson is going to have serious "issues" the rest of his life. Weber's lecherous love of the boy is downright creepy, as are his ramblings about famous (and not so famous) people he's known, as he tries to complete Johnson's "education." Creepy, and then just plain boring. The only redeeming thing I can say about the movie is that it is a fascinating study of self-deception. But I can't help but wonder why no one ever considered the effect this was having on "Chop Suey" (Weber's nickname for Johnson) himself.