Uncle Todd's Cabin

Queer director Todd Haynes tracks Bob Dylan through I'm Not There

BY TONY PHILLIPS

Filmmaker Todd Haynes isn't about to take a charge like forsaking his guerrilla roots lying down. “If you compare the way this movie was made,” he explains of his latest I'm Not There, “The financial cuts these unbelievable actors took, and you compare that to a budget for a movie like Across The Universe, we're the guerrillas.”

And yet, his back catalog, particularly his films about musicians, points to a phenomenon that could at least be classified as mellowing.

His 1987 short Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, which charted the legendary anorexic's demise, was taken out of legal circulation in 1990 because Haynes never cleared The Carpenters music with their estate, already none too pleased that Karen was portrayed by an ever-diminishing Barbie doll.

Haynes 1998 feature Velvet Goldmine, conceived as a Ziggy Stardust rock opera, suffered a similar kibosh when David Bowie read the script and refused to lend his music.

But the third time was the charm. Haynes refused to even consider making his Bob Dylan movie without permission, and lucked into securing both music and life rights through Dylan's eldest son, Jesse, who is also a filmmaker. He even coached Haynes about cutting “living legend” and “voice of a generation” from his pitch.

Given that kind of precision, I'm hesitant to call this a Dylan bio-pic, especially since Haynes cast Richard Gere, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Cate Blanchett to play the fractured troubadour, so I ask Haynes what he calls it?

“A psychic opus,” he begins, “I'd call it a piece of music. I'd call it a story of an artist's mind, but it's also a bio-pic. What's wild is it actually supplies most of the turning points or obligatory moments bio-pics provide: You see Dylan turn Christian, you see him being yelled at by the folk crowd when he plugs in electric, you see him being called Judas, you see him have his motorcycle crash.” Haynes is certain all those moments would be included in a standard bio-pic, but fact and fiction would blend in a way that audiences have learned to accept.

Haynes admits “heterosexual icon” is the way most people perceive Bob Dylan. So why is one of the pioneers of new queer cinema aping the hetero norm?

“The thing that excited me most about new queer cinema was the formal and stylistic experiments that were part of all those films,” Haynes begins, “And the unique way each filmmaker was telling their stories, which were completely different one to the next, but also completely different from mainstream approaches.”

He takes a moment, then continues, “I'm not sure how far post-Stonewall we've become. I miss gay culture being less popular and less beloved: the Queer Eyeing of our culture. Our biggest and most controversial political issues of the day are whether we can join the military or get married. That would almost be a rude joke to someone like Genet. Of course, all of those things should be legally supported and protected, but is that the extent of the risk we take as a community? It's just a lot about where we've moved to culturally.”

Haynes, born in Encino, is perhaps proof that what goes around comes around, at least culturally. “I hated L.A. growing up as a kid,” says the Portland, Oregon-based director, “I craved a more old-school urban city. Even from a really young age when we'd visit San Francisco, I was just elated. And when I first saw New York at age nine, I was in heaven.”

But after turning in his most New York film to date, Haynes is up with Los Angeles. “L.A.—because of the changes in the east coast and New York City in particular—has become such a more alive city,” he continues, “And one that's uniquely driven by a growing, leading minority culture. You cannot say that about New York anymore. L.A. is so full of surprises and discoverable corners. It's just a big, sprawling, messy, fascinating place, not like the clean, completely privileged world of New York these days. L.A. is really great, if it weren't for the fucking traffic.”

LIMITED RUN

Lagerfeld Confidential

The Los Angeles premiere of director Rodolphe Marconi's documentary of the legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld offers an intimate look at the life of one of the most influential fashion designers of the past century. The designer allows Marconi unlimited access into his day-to-day life, through his home, studio, travels, photo-shoots and fashion shows. The Aero. Wed., Dec. 5. 7:30 p.m. www.americancinematheque.com.

A Christmas Story

This nostalgic cult Christmas comedy focuses on Ralphie Parker's overwhelming desire to get "an official Red Ryder, carbine-action, 200 shot range model air rifle," despite the fact that all the adults around him tell him that it will "put his eye out." Egyptian Theatre. Sun., Dec. 9. 2 p.m. Free. www.americancinematheque.com.

The Pixar Story

The first in-depth look at the most influential animation studio of its time, this documentary goes behind the scenes of the groundbreaking company that pioneered a new generation of animated feature films from Toy Story to The Incredibles. Egyptian Theatre. Tues., Dec. 11. 7:30 p.m. www.americancinematheque.com.

Christmas Evil

One of the first films to feature a "killer Santa" character, this dark horror comedy has been praised by filmmaker John Waters as a "true cinematic masterpiece...the best seasonal film of all time." Nuart Theatre. Fri., Dec. 14. Midnight. 310/479-3003. www.landmarktheatres.com.

HOMO MUST

All About Eve

Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's multi-Oscar-winning masterpiece pits middle-aged Broadway megastar Margo Channing (Bette Davis) against smooth-talking, two-faced wannabe Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) in a showdown of bitchiness and backstabbing. Rigler Theatre at The Egyptian. Wed., Dec. 12. 7:30 p.m. www.outfest.org.

ON SCREEN

I'm Not There

The Weinstein Company
starring Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere
Rated R, 135 mins
***1/2

As you might have heard/read, six different actors portray Bob Dylan—sort of—in one of Todd Haynes' most unconventional works yet. As music-rich and reverential as Velvet Goldmine, and with occasional stylistic similarities, I'm Not There juggles and intercuts a handful of storylines and characters, each representing periods, personas, and obsessions from Dylan's life: most recognizable is Blanchett as the mid-60s Highway 61 Revisited-era, wiry-haired Dylan, who frolics with queer Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (David Cross, a dead ringer) and the Beatles, while more obscure/metaphorical is black, pre-adolescent Marcus Carl Franklin as the youthful, tall-tale spinning singer/songwriter, and Gere as Billy The Kid. It's a bizarre tapestry rich with symbolism. What it all means will be studied and deconstructed in film schools (and Dylan fans' living rooms) for years to come, but as entertainment I'm Not There falls somewhere between multimedia gallery installation and Fringe Festival musical. —LAWRENCE FERBER

JUNO

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman
Rated R, 92 minutes, Fox Searchlight
***1/2

This achingly funny satire concerns a pregnant teen named Juno (Hard Candy’s Ellen Page in a star-making performance) giving her baby up to a yuppie couple (Bateman and Jennifer Garner). Juno refreshingly features smart characters and realistic relationships, plus a killer script by Diablo Cody. Boasting authentic teen-speak, as well as a running gag about blue vomit, viewers will be laughing so hard, dialogue will be missed. While there are some hilarious jibes at suburbia—note the Glacial Valley development's five styles of homes—Juno has a real heart, too. The parents (Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons) are loving and knowing; Janney's speech to an ultrasound nurse is terrific. And if Garner's character seems too severe, a scene where she feels Juno's baby kick is redemptive. Yet, Juno belongs to the acidly funny Ellen Page. She gives the best teen performance since Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex. —GARY M. KRAMER

The Schwagster

While sitting around in the Frontiers-dome one day, we realized that the only thing better than a free magazine is a free magazine that hands out free stuff to it's beloved readers. Thus the Schwagster was born—he's here, he's queer, he's a giver.

The Schwag

In an effort to please our diverse readership, this installment of the Schwagster offers not one, but two films for your viewing pleasure. Oceans Thirteen features the holy trinity of blockbuster babes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon in the third and supposedly final installment of the popular Soderbergh series. If you love Dick as in Phillip K., the two-disc special edition of neo-noir sci-fi classic Blade Runner features bonus original footage as well as new recently shot scenes.

Why the Schwagster's giving it away

Because we can't believe they still fit in to their costumes some 25 years later.

The Skinny

Oceans Thirteen and Blade Runner are available on DVD now. To nab the Schwagsters copy email your name, address, to schwagster@frontierspublishing.com

Worth Repeating

Trog [1970]

In this truly bizarre film, three Englishmen go spelunking in the countryside and happen upon a cave and wonder if they're the first humans to ever set foot within—a question once uttered pretty much means that one of these guys isn't making it out alive. It's only a matter of time before the audience is introduced to Trog, a prehistoric creature that may or may not be the missing link, a creature that also sort of resembles my third-grade attempt at dressing up like Sasquatch. If the viewer thinks that the film can't get any more farfetched they'd be wrong, because this is when Dr. Brockton is introduced, a renowned anthropologist determined to find and study Trog, and this paragon of science is played by none other than Joan Crawford. Yes, in her final foray into the world of celluloid, Crawford made the unlikely choice of joining the cast of this sub-par monster flick, a choice that I am oh so glad for. Of course the creature isn't all bad, I mean, it likes to play with dolls, is an adept music critic, and seems to understand the allure of Crawford. Much like Crawford, though, Trog was not meant for the modern age, and soon enough the wheels of tragedy are set in motion, though what the tragedy about this film ultimately is I leave for each viewer to decide for him/herself. —JAMIE BARTON

DVD Throwdown

Loss VS. found

When I moved to Los Angeles from New Orleans some 10+ years ago I was only able to bring the most important things: family photos, my great-grandmother's sterling mint julep cups, and my oldest friend Tom. Tom was the actual impetus for the move to La La Land—he had decided his days of slinging gin at various French Quarter gay bars had provided enough material to become a successful Hollywood screenwriter, a la William Holden's Joe Gillis. Unfortunately Tom, like Joe, never quite made it and ended up lost in the decadent miasma that is Hollywood.

Real friends are incredibly rare and friendships that stand the test of time even rarer. Tom and I met when I was a senior in high school. We endured college mid-terms, numerous heartbreaks over unworthy boys, the death of his mother, countless hangovers, ridiculous arguments, three states and five apartments together before I finally committed to moving in with a boyfriend and changed the dynamic of our friendship forever. Tom died recently after years of lost weekends in WeHo—boys, bathhouses, and bumps—an all too clichéd storyline for someone as original as my Tom.

The death of a friend has a way of bringing so many things sharply in focus—the years wasted never saying the many things you assumed you had forever to say, the petty insecurities, the overwhelming anger at being left alone. I would never have thought that the Here! Films release Cut Sleeve Boys, a movie I initially dismissed as silly fluff, could so accurately portray this shade of the emotional color wheel. Set in the gay Chinese subculture of London, flamboyant Ash and jaded Mel lose their best friend Gavin causing them both to look at what's lacking in their own lives. I loved this film. Chowee Leow and Steven Lim are fantastic in the leading roles—delivering real, funny, sincere, believable, and heartfelt performances that had me at “hello”.

From Taiwan we get a different view of lasting friendships in Picture This! Entertainments release, Eternal Summer. The story of classmates Jonathan (studious, quiet) and Shane (rebellious, jock) whom, after years of tutoring sessions have become unlikely friends, have their friendship interrupted by the arrival of Carrie, the new girl at school. First she tries unsuccessfully to seduce Jonathan then spitefully turns her attention to Shane after figuring out that J. is in love with his best friend. This is a beautifully told story that unfolds itself slowly and draws the viewer in, both visually and emotionally.

Rarely do I have the pleasure of viewing two films for Throwdown that are equally enjoyable. This issue we get two excellent films that present universal stories of friendships and loss told from the gay Asian perspective. I can't choose a winner—they've both won a permanent place in my DVD library—so I've decided to pick the winner in honor of Tom. Putting myself in his Doc Martens (he was old school) I have to crown Eternal Summer the winner. It's exactly the kind of story Tom admired and would love to have written—beautifully paced, realistically told and without forced sentimentality. As Tom often said about his collection of bar stories, “If gays are involved you don't need embellishment—tell the truth—the drama's already provided.”—GEORGE SKINNER