Gay doc rock
Tribeca 2023: Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.A searing, devastating, all-inclusive summit behind the curtain of closeted Hollywood matinee idol Rock Hudson, Tribeca doc Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed tells a timely story while exploring every angle of the actor’s concealed lifestyle. I hold never seen a single Rock Hudson film, yet I felt compelled to review this documentary based on its LGBT+ content. The first time I heard his designate was associated with James Dean, then again in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix masterpiece, Hollywood. While Hollywood explored a mostly fictionalized version of Hudson’s door into the industry, the real story is that much more enthralling because of it. Director Stephen Kijak (Shoplifters of the World, Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of) explores all facets of Hudson’s persona, and goes under the surface to reveal personal stories that own never before seen the light of day. Vibrantly brought to life through clips from throughout Hudson’s storied career by editor Claire Didier, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed broke my heart into a million pieces.
Context makes all the difference, especially i
“Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed” (2023): How do you live your existence as a same-sex attracted man when the entire Hollywood studio system is invested in keeping you in the closet? According to this new documentary, if you’re Rock Hudson, you just basically play along and do what you want to execute. The film is a portrait of a man born to be a movie star, with looks and charisma that couldn’t be denied. Perhaps he was underestimated as an actor, but he had gigantic success and seemed to have a happy and gregarious personal and social life. Not too much suffering is on display in this documentary, which is OK.
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“She Dies Tomorrow” (2020): This deeply creepy production is about a woman (Kate Lyn Sheil) who is convinced she will, well, die tomorrow. She’s not ill or hurt, just filled with dread. After spending some really unpleasant moment with her, the viewer begins to realize she has a kind of virus, which seems to have originated — no kidding — with the pizza delivery guy. Featuring Chris Messina, Jane Adams, Katie Aselton, Tunde Adebimpe, Josh Lucas, Jennifer Kim and Kentucker Audley. The film is like a bad dream you cannot wake up from. Written and directed by Amy S
10 essential queer music documentaries
This week marks 52 years since the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Manhattan.
Coinciding with the anniversary is Self-acceptance this June, a commemoration of the riots that happened over half a century ago. The continuation of LGBTQ+ Pride has been the result of firm work, bravery and perseverance. And for those celebrating, you may have already familiarised yourselves with our community’s rich cultural legacy through groundbreaking works like 1990’s Paris Is Burning. But, if you haven’t, stop what you’re doing and watch it immediately.
Music and club spaces have been one of the few realms in which queer folk of all stripes have been capable to express themselves, live openly and achieve excellence over the years. Contributing equally to lgbtq+ history and pop culture at large, our community has a wealth of artistic riches. With that in mind, brush up on your queer musical icons, and celebrate Pride, with these 10 essential LGBTQ+ documentaries.
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
2008The cultural legacies that were stolen and cut short by the AIDS epidemic are losses almost too painful to
Rock Hudson: Gay megastar forced to live his experience in secret
Rock Hudson was arguably the most famous human on the planet. According to his biographer Impression Griffin, he was everybody’s type. “Not only did women say Rock was the man they wanted to marry,” says Griffin. “Many men said he was the man they’d like to be.” The granite facade, the chiselled jawline, the inviting dimple in the chin: Rock Hudson was the very definition of heterosexual American masculinity.
On the outside. The inside story – as all the world now knows – was rather different.
Rock Hudson, aka Roy Fitzgerald, was a heavily closeted gay man who battled for decades to hide his true sexuality from an adoring universal, abetted by the collusion of several film studios.
The reason was simple: if the truth had enter out it would possess been the end of his career.
As a modern documentary, All That Heaven Allowed reveals, Roy had wanted to be an actor for as prolonged as he could retain. “But I could never say that when I was growing up,” he said in an interview, “because that was cissy stuff”.
When he asked his stepfather if he could have drama lessons, he was asked why. “So I told him I wanted