Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

A chronological look at films by, for, or about (or "by, for, and about") gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback Mountain." ... See full summary »

Directors:

Lisa Ades, Lesli Klainberg

Stars:

Tom Arnold, Randy Barbato, Dan Bucatinsky

Cast

Credited cast:
Tom Arnold	...	Frank (archive footage)
Randy Barbato	...	Himself
Dan Bucatinsky	...	Himself
Steve Buscemi	...	Nick (archive footage)
Jonathan Caouette	...	Himself
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Cay Rivvers (archive footage)
Ash Christian	...	Himself
John Cooper	...	Himself
Wilson Cruz	...	Himself
Alan Cumming	...	Himself
Donna Deitch	...	Herself
Divine	...	(archive footage)
Arthur Dong	...	Himself
Alonso Duralde	...	Himself
Adam Goldberg	...	Brett Miles Sanford (archive footage)

Storyline

A chronological look at films by, for, or about (or "by, for, and about") gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback Mountain." Talking heads, anchored by critic and scholar B. Ruby Rich, are interspersed with an advancing timeline and with clips from two dozen films. The narrative groups the pictures around various firsts, movements, and triumphs: experimental films, indie films, sex on screen, outlaw culture and bad guys, lesbian lovers, films about AIDS and dying, emergence of romantic comedy, transgender films, films about diversity and various cultures, and then mainstream Hollywood drama. What might come next?

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian | gay | gay interest | cinema | homosexual history | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

IFC

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fabulosa História do Cinema Gay

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orchard Films, Independent Film Channel (IFC)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Jane Lynch: For the longest time I couldn't put a name to who I was. I didn't have an image of anybody else who was like me, and it was torture.

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Connections

Features Tarnation (2003)

User Reviews

A must for cinephiles

For someone who is not familiar with the history of gay and lesbian cinema, this was an outstanding introduction to the subject.

I was fascinated with the early "gay" films and the fact that they were basically pictures of muscle men. I can imagine the Governator in some of these films.

What was significant and more important than the lack of films was the fact that gay and lesbian youth did not have any role-models to tell them that they were OK in how they felt. How many suicides resulted in a lack of gay films and gay actors on television? Taking us through the early days to today and thinking about the future of gay and lesbian films, it was an eyeopening experience and a must see for anyone interested in cinema history.