#Adam cooper

[manderleyfire]

Adam Cooper as Boris Lermontov and Ashley Shaw as Vicky Page in Matthew Bourne’s production of 'The Red Shoes'

[gibsonsgirl]

Billy Elliot (2000) dir. Stephen Daldry

[dance-world]

Adam Cooper - Matthew Bourne's New Adventures - Swan Lake - 1995

[queercontent]

Another zine I want to work on is for Billy Elliot's 25th anniversary next year. I wouldn't say this was my gay awakening, but it's certainly remained a great love given my teen obsession with Jamie Bell and how often it appeared on free-to-air television. It sits alongside But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and Beautiful Thing (1996) as films that made me feel privileged to have grown up gay when I did.

If you've got something nerdy to say about this film, DM me with it (or add comments to a reblog) the second you finish reading.

The zine would talk about Billy Elliot's 'controversy': the debates about whether it counted as queer, and grooming allegations against Daldry for his sheer proximity to a young actor. It would also include how my crush on Jamie Bell developed over the last twenty-five years. But tbh that's all just filler. What I really want to talk about is how its big, nerdy intertextual references make it media created for us rather than a cishet audience.

First reference is from history, because why choose the 1984 miner's strike as your setting if your film had nothing to say about their contributions to Gay Liberation? Perhaps a little headcanon, but no less important to highlight this largely forgotten change in Labour's policy-making both in the UK and here in Australia.

And because we don't have a world of time, and because it was a helpful reminder when it came out, we lean on the 2014 docudrama PRIDE. This one follows Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), who crossed prejudices to show their solidarity during the 1984 strike — going as far as holding a club fundraiser featuring Bronski Beats as their headliner.

LGSM's contributions were ultimately refused by the Miner's Union, and yet they left a lasting impression on mining communities and labour unions. LGSM were subsequently joined by hundreds of miners during Gay Pride 1985 who had by then voted to include gay and lesbian rights in their party portfolio. It was the first time a major political party in the West had committed to supporting queer rights.

Next we slide hard into Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, which premiered in 1995. This modern re-queerification of the classic ballet by gay composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky has the prince assume part of the princess's role as he pursues a mysterious Stranger (the swan). Here Bourne goes as far as to replace the entire cast of traditionally female swans with sweaty, bare-chested lads.

The 2012 capture watchable [ here ] stars homosexual hearthrob Dominic North as the forlorn prince.

Now, in Billy Elliot, Mrs Wilkinson recounts the classic tale to Billy as they listen to Swan Lake on the ferry. It's a wonderful scene where Wilkinson begins with reverence and dramatics, but ends with her usual boredom, leaving young Billy both confused and unsatisfied with the plot. To me this echoes the desire among 90s content producers to change how we told queer stories.

In Billy Elliot's closing scene, however, we see a 25yo Billy leap onto the stage as Bourne's Stranger rather than the classic princess (even nerdier than that, we see Bourne's original Stranger, Adam Cooper, playing a 25yo Billy Elliot). You realise in future screenings that the opening scene is also an homage to Bourne's Swan Lake: much as the young prince begins his story in bed, dreaming a swan hottie will save him from becoming a man; Billy begins jumping on his bed, flapping his arms, dreaming of something beyond the life he's expected to grow into.

Quick tangent via The Eagle (2011), starring Channing Tatum as Roman legionnaire Marcus and Jamie Bell as his British slave Esca. Now, do we condone slavery? Absolutely not. But we do enjoy watching Tatum and Bell get super clingy as they traip across the countryside in what has to be the most romantic bro film of all time.

Relevance to Billy Elliot? Vague. But hear me out.

The film's based on Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth (1954), which ends with Marcus settling down as a farmer with Esca and a Briton wife named Cottia who doesn't appear in the film. Subsequent novels follow the father's ring as it's passed down Marcus's bloodline, meaning they shagged down to produce an heir but implying literally nothing else.

But imagine removing Marcus's wife from the equation altogether (all women, actually), adding 'submission' to the male bonding elements of your film, reprimanding disaster bisexual Channing Tatum for suggesting it's a romance, and then expecting a professional homosexual like me to believe this doesn't count as another gay Jamie Bell movie. That's all I'm saying.

Lastly, I want to talk about Elton John co-writing the musical, and Tom Holland as the most famous Billy. I want to talk about Spanish Billies Pau Gimeno and Cristian López acting together in Paraiso (2021-22). I want to talk about Kate Mara (married to Bell) as Patty Bowes in the first season of POSE (2018-21), and her sister Rooney as Therese Belivet in Carol (2015). I want to talk about so many things.

What would YOU want to write about this film?

[emptymasks]

I got to see A Chorus Line at The Curve! I've always wanted to see it and I loved it! It was a dream of younger me to see Adam Cooper, playing Zach, on stage (as someone who found Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake when I was younger and it was life changing for me) and I never thought I'd be able too. Overall loved the show and...

Watching Paul. Watching his scene with Zach in today's climate, and today when it's voting day here I'm in the UK and trans and LGBT+ people are degraded and used for political point scoring, to see a character talk on stage about struggling to know how to be a man, to say that many guys don't know how to be guys, to talk about doing drag and finding comfort through it and him breaking down crying and I'd only ever heard the cast album before so I don't know if it's usual for Zach to hug him but Zach putting a hand on his shoulder and Paul just turning and huffing him and clutching onto him and seeing Zach not push him away but hug him back and put a hand up yo stop Larry from bringing everyone else back on stage, checking with Paul if he's okay, then asking again if he's sure before letting everyone else back on stage… I didn't know I was going to get that emotional. And I didn't expect them to make me care about Zach and like him so much. He's still an asshole but also he cares.

Also because today is July 4th, the character Mike's birthday, when they go down the line and he says his birthday they added in a line for him to be like "it's my birthday today!" which was cute.

[keenenthusiastinfluencer]

Screaming crying throwing up

[theonlyadawong]

A Chorus Line

Director Nikolai Foster

Choreographer Ellen Kane

Curve Theatre, 2021

(Photos by Marc Brenner)

[strechanadi]

Matthew Bourne Swan Lake, the 2019 DVD edition

So I finally got to watch the 2019 Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake with Will Bozier and Liam Mower and I have thoughts.

First things first - Nicole Kabera is gorgeous queen and Katrina Lyndon is having a blast as the girlfriend.

I quite like good 95 % of Bourne’s changes he made from the original 1995 production - be it in choreography, costume or dramaturgy. I like the slight shift with the girlfriend not being in it from the beginning with the general secretary, which makes her story more tragic and painful, so bring it on! I like there’s no prince as a kid at the beginning with a swan plushie. But I’m not sure I like that the connection between the secretary and the stranger was erased. True, with the 1995 production the end of act III (the ball) looked a bit too cartoon villain-y, with the stranger evil laughter while shaking hands with the secratary, but now - he just goes to the queen and embraces her and it’s just... Bland. I don’t know, I quite like the idea of the secretary plotting with everything and everyone all the time.

Now to the main characters. Liam is pretty good (saying it in the most british way possible), there’s no denying that, his dancing and technique is on top, his acting skills undeniable and he’s a perfect cast choice for this role.

But now to Will. I was truly looking forward to finally seeing him, as he was the only Swans/Strangers I missed back in 2019 when I was in London to watch the production live. And I hate to say it, but I was quite disappointed. His characterisation was OK I guess, nothing special necessarily, but nothing too bland either. But what was putting me off all the time was his technique... It was clear he is not a classically trained dancer (as Adam Cooper was back in 1995 or Matthew Ball and Max Westwell in the 2019 run) and it was painful to watch, especially with the whole company evolving so much in this aspect! Back in 1995, they were not what you would call a ballet company (and New Adventures is not claiming they are a classical ballet company, so it’s cool) and there was basically just Adam Cooper (and possibly Scott Ambler) standing out. But now, looking at the company (both men and women), they are different kind of animals now. True, Bourne is still much more about musical/jazz/modern/ballroom/whatever type of dancing, but it is undeniable his dancers now are much better in the classical ballet technique department. And watching the male corps de ballet as swans doing really well with all their arabesques, pas de chevals, developpes and pointed feet in general, and then Will who you can see is trying, but his feet are just not trained enough for this sort of things... And it’s infurriating, because the man has A JUMP! His elevation is huge, he was seriously flying over the stage.

Is the Swan about pointed feet? Of fucking course it is not. The Swan is all about raw energy, animalistic power, charisma... (to the point where Matthew Ball sometimes looked like too well classically trained ballet dancer, not truly ready for the sheer abandon)  But the technique matters as well. It may not be the most imporant thing (and gods know it is not for me, not by far!), but while its lacking is putting you off, then it is clearly a problem.

Will found his was as the Stranger, he seemed much more in his element, reigning over the stage and all the characters. And he was positively glowing in last act as the beaten up, but still fighting Swan. I love all those moment where he was jumping head first between the other swans, ferociously protecting his prince, fighting for him almost on the verge of absolute hysteria. The ending was as heartbreaking as it should be.

But still...

MB’s SL is still one of my very favourites. It’s still fucking spectacular and I love all the paralels and connections and reflections of the original SL characters and story with Bourne’s new one and all the possibilities his retelling offers. But I just couldn’t shake the treacherous ideas about different casting for this latest dvd edition.

Because I would give anything to once again see Max Westwell as the Swan/Stranger (preferably with James Lovell as his prince - since these two together broke me beyond repair). And Katrina Lyndon as the Queen (because she was heartless, stone cold and freaking amazing in this role) and Carrie Willis as the Girlfriend.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016)

The Divergent Series: Allegiant makes it clear. The series has petered out. We’ll never get the fourth and final chapter. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Everyone could see this franchise was only green-lit because of the desperate appetite for more Hunger Games films. Still, it’s a bummer to see the poorly-conceived world, its uninteresting characters and lame twists go nowhere in the end. Well, not really.

The walls surrounding Chicago are opened, allowing the remnants of humanity to see the outside world -until new leader Evelyn (Naomi Watts) closes them again. As dissension brews within the city, Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort), Christina (Zoë Kravitz), Tori (Maggie Q) and Peter (Miles Teller) leave to find the ones who sent the message contained within the 5-sided box from the previous film. Hopefully, they will have answers and a way to restore peace.

Although the plot is new, we get the same beats as before. Tris realizes the government body she trusts is up to no good. She rounds up her friends - and Peter, whom she keeps bringing along despite having betrayed or bullied her at every opportunity beforehand - and sets off. Then, we learn Tris has some kind of special skill or quality she never knew she had until the big conclusion where, once again, she takes up arms and tells us all it’s time to fight back! Every time, these events made us raise an eyebrow at the world. It never seemed to make sense. Shockingly, Allegiant finds ways to make its flimsily-constructed setting seem even stupider. Tris stumbles upon the architects behind the 5 factions. What could’ve possibly prompted them to take Hogwart’s 4-House system to the extreme and build an entire society around it? Let me tell you.

Years ago, mankind went overboard with genetic manipulation. It resulted in most of humanity becoming mentally unbalanced and the world ruined. The few who didn’t buy into messing with their DNA opted to wipe everyone’s memories, throw them into these cities whose backward politics would keep them alive and hope for the best under the theory that people’s genetic codes would eventually fix themselves. They were right. Their plan worked. While everyone else's personalities are stilted, Tris is “pure”. She's the sign that the human race is back on track! It explains what we've seen before but seems needlessly convoluted.

At least Allegiant isn't boring. The teenage angst in the middle of much bigger things, guessing aloud how evil the obviously evil characters will be, pointing out the plot holes or the way these people’s jobs could’ve been made much easier, these things will keep you entertained during the film. Was this how director Robert Schwentke intended to keep us engaged? No, but I take my entertainment where I can get it.

The Divergent series began on shaky footing but it kinda-sorta showed some promise. With each subsequent chapter, some revelations hooked you in, we made some steps forward and the finish line seemed within eyesight. Then, the next chapter would begin, backpedal and make you wonder if those at the helm knew what they were doing. I know these films are based on a series of books, that "the whole story" was told over three novels but movie-wise, they could’ve easily stopped with Insurgent. They didn't, which means this franchise ends up going nowhere. There’s no need to watch Allegiant if you’re a fan of the series. All it does is leave you disappointed. If you were watching out of obligation/morbid curiosity, it's even more of a letdown. Come to think of it, the whole series leaves you unsatisfied. Just watch Hunger Games again. Heck, I’ll settle for The Maze Runner. (On Blu-ray, December 14, 2018)

[movienized-com]

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs (2024) #AdamCooper #RussellCrowe #KarenGillan #MartonCsokas #ThomasMWright #HarryGreenwood Mehr auf:

Jahr: 2024 (März) Genre: Krimi / Mystery / Thriller Regie: Adam Cooper Hauptrollen: Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Marton Csokas, Thomas M. Wright, Harry Greenwood, Tommy Flanagan … Filmbeschreibung: Im Zuge einer hochmodernen Alzheimer-Behandlung wird der ehemalige Mordkommissar Roy Freeman (Russell Crowe) damit beauftragt, den grausamen Mord an einem College-Professor erneut zu untersuchen.…

[themnmovieman]

Movie Review ~ Sleeping Dogs

Had it not been so content to lie in the realm of the forgettable, Sleeping Dogs may have had more bite.

Sleeping Dogs Synopsis: An ex-homicide detective with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder he can’t recall.Stars: Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Márton Csókás, Thomas M. Wright, Harry Greenwood, Tommy FlanaganDirector: Adam CooperRated: RRunning Length: 110 minutes Review: Newly minted Best Director Oscar winner Christoper Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a towering achievement, a centralized…

[moviesandmania]

SLEEPING DOGS Reviews of Russell Crowe mystery crime thriller plus trailer and release date

Sleeping Dogs is 2024 American mystery crime thriller film about a retired detective who has to reopen an old murder case. The movie was directed by Adam Cooper – making his feature directorial debut – from a screenplay co-written with Bill Collage. It is based on the E.O. Chirovici novel The Book of Mirrors (2017). The Australian-American co-production stars Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Marton…

[geekpopnews]

A Teia| Novo filme com Russel Crowe ganha trailer

No trailer de 'A Teia', Russel Crowe interpreta um detetive aposentado que precisa resolver um antigo caso enquanto enfrenta uma luta contra o Alzheimer. #ATeia #RusselCrowe # trailer #estreia

Confira o trailer de ‘A Teia’, o mais novo filme de Russel Crowe. O ator retorna aos cinemas em 2024 interpretando um detetive aposentado que volta a ativa buscando por verdades enquanto enfrenta a luta contra o Alzheimer. O filme tem o seu trailer divulgado com exclusividade pela Imagem Filmes e é uma das grandes estreias nos cinemas durante o mês de março. Confira trailer: Sinopse ‘A Teia’ O…

[billy-crudup]

I’ll kill young Spencer if you say anything in front of them. If you send a text or if the police show up, I’ll kill him. I think you know I’m not bluffing. I’m in control. I don’t know what you think you’re doing.

JOSH HARTNETT as COOPER ADAMS in TRAP (2024) dir. M. Night Shyamalan

[coolpeaches]

Cooper Koch photographed by Adam Washington for BODYELECTRIC Magazine

[cherryinterlude]

RAHHHHHH I LOVE TRAP 2024