#I love Funeral Parade of Roses

[warblingandwriting]

Every year a new movie comes out that tries to be ''''subversive'''' and '''provocative''' but it actually painfully derivative of another (or often multiple) movies or books that came before it, but because they came out before the year 2000 no one cares to engage with them anymore apparently.

[nicosraf]

Could you recommend some of your favorite books, books that inspire you, or books that have a similar vibe to ABM?

When I was drafting ABM (and a bit before) I was binging a lot of the Latin American Boom books!!

The Kiss of the Spider-Woman by Manuel Puig (my current favorite book), Los cachorros by Mario Vargas Llossa (I'm not sure what the English title is), and The Place Without Limits by Jose Donoso were the most inspiring to me (so they're to blame for ABM's bizarre style)! While editing, I also read the Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, another fav book of mine. And, unsurprisingly, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Maurice by EM Forster were veryy influential.

Similar vibes to ABM... I'm not really sure! Some people have said Song of Achilles has a similar vibe, and I definitely tried selling it like that once, so there's that. One novella that I admire and has queer Catholicism vibes is Exodus 20:3 by Freydís Moon! The manga Kaze to Ki No Uta has similar beautiful-gay-tragedy vibes too (at least for me).

Sorry this list is a little bizarre sksks

[autumncrowcus]

Peter (Shinnosuke Ikehata) as Eddie in Funeral Parade of Roses, an adaptation of Oedipus Rex set in an okama bar

[boringkate]

Here’s a bunch of junk for you trans girls to watch

Update: there used to be a link to a mega folder here, but it got taken down.

///TGIRL FEATURE FILMS (alphabetical order)

Adam (2019) it's about a cis boy who's mistaken for a trans boy and rolls with it. Big cast of trans characters including a tgirl played by a tgirl who everyone wants to fuck. Directed by a trans dude. Highly legit. If you're still hung up on pre release speculation based on the novel then you're the most annoying person alive.

Assassination Nation (2018) The first half is Euphoria and the second half is The Purge. ONE OF THE BEST TGIRL MOVIES OF ALL TIME.

Bit (2019) Lesbian girl power vampire movie where the main character is a tgirl played by a tgirl. It's solid. I find it frustrating that they hint at her being trans without explicitly acknowledging it (and she's passing as fuck, so it's easy to not notice), but I know that's what some of y'all want.

Boy Meets Girl (2014) Cis dude for trans girl love story. Pretty normie, but also you see her fully naked (gock out) at the end.

Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) Extremely 60s. Cool as hell.

Lady Daddy (2010) South Korean romcom about a trans girl played by a cis girl who tries unconvincingly to back pass when she finds out she has a kid. Very cute.

Lingua Franca (2019) written directed and starring Isabel Sandoval. An undocumented trans woman immigrant in New York deals with a cis dude partner being a cis dude. Which is also the plot of The Garden Left Behind (2019).

Myra Breckinridge (1970) Raquel Welch is a trans woman and her goal is the destruction of the last vestigial traces of traditional manhood! It's Fight Club! It's Hackers! It's divisive, but it's probably my favorite movie!

So Pretty (2019) Literally the first scripted feature length (non pornographic tho it does have cock) film to feature two trans women played by trans women kissing eachother.

Something Must Break (2014) THE OTHER BEST TGIRL MOVIE OF ALL TIME. Drugs. Crimes. Gock. Slow motion pissing. Slow motion park Fucking. Genuinely the most beautiful sex scene I've seen in any movie. And she makes it to the end still alive and more sure of herself and at peace than ever.

Tangerine (2015) Groundbreaking and also a bunch of the secondary characters are real life pornstars (which I think is neat).

The Garden Left Behind (2019) This and Lingua Franca (2019) really are tgirl twin films, but (like with Antz and A Bug’s Life) the vibes and details make them distinct (I assume tho tbh I’ve never watched Antz).

///TGIRL DOCUMENTARIES

Bambi (2013) about a trans girl showgirl in 50s/60s paris

Paris is Burning (1990) basically it's Pose.

Shinjuku Boys (1995) Trans dudes working in a tokyo club that caters to tboy chasing cis girls. There's at least one trans girl in the mix too.

///FORCED FEMINIZATION

A Reflection of Fear (1972) They raised her as a girl and it made her do murders! It drags in places, but the girl in it is so ethereal and it has ageplay vibes and daddy issues.

Memory Run (1996) A very fun direct to video scifi action flick about fighting fascism by blowing up your pre transition self with a rocket launcher + it's based on a novel written by a trans woman.

She-Man A Story of Fixation (1967) Notable for being such a cliche sissy maid fantasy while also coming out so early + it was Bob Clark's first film lol.

Sleepaway Camp (1983) A more famous version of Reflection of Fear.

Surrender Dorothy (1998) A MUST WATCH. I personally bought a physical DVD and made an ISO of it for you because I was unsatisfied with the quality of the only copy that seemed to exist online. I ALSO PERSONALLY CREATED MY OWN SUBTITLES FOR IT BECAUSE EVEN THE DVD DIDN’T INCLUDE ANY! WHICH TOOK HOURS TO DO!

The Skin I Live In (2011) A rapist is kidnapped and turned into a girl by a mournful vengeful plastic surgeon. Which was also the plot of Victim (2010). I never really vibe with Pedro Almodóvar movies, but I recognize this is the preeminent forced feminization film.

///SHORT FILMS

Gender Troublemakers (1993) Some 90s Toronto trans girls fucking and discoursing. Explicit tgirl on tgirl action. This is the only one on the list that I haven’t actually watched yet. I’m hyped to watch it tho. Seems mindblowingly rad af.

Happy Birthday Marsha (2018) It's about Marsha P. Johnson.

I don't Know (1971) I'm obsessed with the trans girl in this one she just keeps popping up in all kinds of early 70s stuff. Directed by Penelope Spheeris (who is the sister of the cis gf in it).

Mesmeralda (2019) AN ABSOLUTE BANGER HOLY FUCK THE VIBES ARE OFF THE CHARTS! PLS WATCH THIS! I refuse to apologize for it being 15GB. It’s worth every byte.

Pat Rocco's Changes (1970) It's that same girl again!

Queens at Heart (1967) I can't get over that hairdresser girl thinking she's back passing. Most adorably weak boymode ever.

Shangri-La (2021) Another Isabel Sandoval joint.

The Yellow Wallpaper (2021) Freshly post op girl with a supportive boyfriend goes unhinged.

Undress Me (2012) Jana Bringlöv Ekspong did a few short films. Give janabringlove a google after watching this.

///JUST LIKE BTW

Some of these would be tough to find elsewhere, but most of the movies are also watchable on fmovies and/or can be torrented in higher quality.

After you've worked your way through the folder then just start doing Google searches for trans films. Look at IMDB keywords and letterboxd lists. There are so many more out there. These are just like my personal picks.

[maybe-boys-do-love]

The emerging transness of Smells Like Green Spirit is so intimate and accurate, it hurtsssssssssssss.

It's the way Mishima CAN'T pull off boy clothes...but suddenly makes perfect sense when she's in her girlie tops and shorts. And it's the way Mishima walks and holds herself. And in the moments Kirino's not trying to pass, it's in her body, too. And it's Kirino and Mishima's queer voices!!! Not voice-trained femme or prepubescent puberty blocker voices, these are t-girl voices and I love them so dearly! (My ex got asked to audition for HS's part in Euphoria based on her insta and immediately got passed over when they heard her voice lol.) It's in being able to spot the queerness of people who can pass! And it's in the joy of confessing trans things to someone for the first time! It's in their stolen make-up experiments! And wondering if they like girls or just want to look like them! And weird tastes in super masculine men! And sure, it's also in the bullying and the dissociation, but it's also being vulgar and ridiculous and running around laughing when you find someone who gets it.

I never imagined we'd get a show like this. Casey Plett and Imogen Binnie have delivered some great trans-realist fiction, and in Japan, you've got the iflm Funeral Parade of the Roses as a really cool and identity-complicating trans* predecessor from the 1960s, but I just can't believe I get to see and hear a trans girl coming-of-age story that isn't trying to preach at me. Smells Like Green Spirit is just letting us watch these precious trans eggs hatch. And it doesn't seem like it'll be easy or even necessarily end happily *fingers crossed so tightly*, but the amount of detail delivered by this show is coming from an intimate place of knowledge, which gives me so much hope.

[cadmium-free]

Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) - Watched on August 5, 2023

It spirals to its inevitable conclusion. We revisit a moment, a scene. A little more plays out, we step back or step forward. We live transfixed in a moment. Sometimes a scene mirrors another, it's all the same but with different details. There is no escaping fate, we can only be sucked closer and closer to our inevitable conclusion.

Stop Making Sense (1984) - Watched on October 5, 2023

I genuinely don’t think this needs any explanation or justification at all. I could watch it over and over and over and over and over.

Possession (1981) - Watched on October 17, 2023

It took me three sittings to get through this film and I wasn’t sure I liked it immediately after I finished it. And then it just simmered in my mind for days and weeks after until it finally clicked into place. I love the way Sam Neill moves in this. Everyone comments on the haunting way Isabelle Adjani looks directly into the camera, and yea. Yeah. Ok. Yeah. Yeah.

The Devils (1971) - Watched on June 26, 2023

I thought going into it with the full knowledge of Urbain Grandier would defang it, and perhaps this did soften the blow a bit, but it's audacious, frenzied, sensual. You get tangled up in its themes, its sensations, its torture.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Watched on January 13, 2023

This set off a brief and ferocious obsession with Al Pacino. I have a strained relationship with films based on true crimes, but this slides past my qualms, perhaps just on the strength of the fact John Wojtowicz himself did write a review of it.

Bound (1996) - Watched on April 5 and August 19, 2023

The way Corky and Violet can come together with genuine trust so quickly. The way Ceaser can misunderstand Violet so fundamentally. The literal betrayal in realising who someone is.

Häxan (1922) - Watched on October 27, 2023

The 1922 equivalent of a Youtube video essay where a guy is like, "Guys, I just learned a bunch of fucked up facts about witches and witch trials. I think maybe we just execute women for being poor and mentally ill. Also aren't mental institutions a bit fucked up?" but like, a bit hornier than you would expect for the subject.

Cruising (1980) - Watched on January 17, 2023

It’s all about looking and being noticed. The camera is looking. Al Pacino is looking. The men are looking. And the ambiguity of the gaze and the plot.

Pontypool (2008) - Watched on October 4, 2023

It's a film about words. It's a film about broadcasting from a radio station and seeing nothing. Our imagination fills in the visual gaps. It's so much more horrifying to be piecing everything together from the safety of a recording booth.

The Lair of the White Worm (1988) - Watched on February 1, 2023

Hugh Grant—looking like a lesbian—who is a freaky little rich boy who believes in cryptids, Peter Capaldi—looking like a lesbian—sucking snake venom from a neck bite, an incredibly sexy snake woman with a house full of snake stuff, a giant snake puppet, surreal dream sequences, the coolest game of snakes and ladders ever made, snake dicks, weaponised bagpipe music, homoeroticism, and giant strap-ons.

Ravenous (1999) - Watched on October 19, 2023

This film is so offbeat and strange. It has the strange feel of a comedy, while being a really understandably grim depiction of cannibalism as manifestation of greed, expansionism, and colonization. I kept having these moments of shock that this was a studio movie, that studios were willing to make this film that so thoroughly deconstructs the American mythology.

Penda's Fen (1974) - Watched on July 6, 2023

The first movie in a long time that has made me feel as though I need to pick it apart like an essay, to rewatch multiple times and take notes and repeat sentences until I’ve done a thorough analysis. I've never had a film hit me in quite this way before.

[shipcestuous]

Okay, so I found a list of canon incest on Mydramalist.com (here https://mydramalist.com/list/61GmGYn3), obviously it only containts movies/TV shows from Asia. What I wanted is for your followers to confirm if all of those is blood-related incest? Cause it's supposed to be blood-related, for fauxcest there's a different list, but also errors happen, and I already found one, Ireland 2004 is fauxcest, as least with main characters (who think they might be brother and sister). Copying the rest of the list here:

Ashes of love (2018) - cousins

Kissing cousin (2016) - cousins

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - brother/sister, this one I've seen on your blog so it's confirmed to be blood-related incest

My man (2014) - father/daughter

Graupel Poetry (2012) - brother/brother

Just like today (2011) - ?

Mitsu no aji (2011) - uncle/niece, this one I've seen and confirm it's blood-related, at least nothing to suggest otherwise is mentioned and they say they cannot get married (non-blood uncle/niece would be able to get married in Japan)

Himitsu (2010) - father/daughter

Forbidden Love (2008) - brother/brother

Innocent Love (2008) - brother/sister

My sister, my love (2007) - in your masterlist, so I can count it as confirmed?

90 days of love (2006) - cousins

Withered in a Blooming Season (2005) - brother/sister

Temptation of wolves (2004) - brother/sister

Damo (2003) - ?

Old boy (2003) - father/daughter, brother/sister, this one is popular so we can be safe it's confirmed

The Rose (2003) - brother/brother, brother/sister, for this one I actually read spoilers and (spoilers obviously) confirm there's incest but the endgame couple is fauxcest

Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi (2002) - brother/sister

Jan Dara (2001) - ?

Secret (1999) - father/daughter

Kou Kou Kyoushi (1993) - father/daughter

Kou Kou Kyoushi (1993) (movie) - father/daughter

Himiko (1974) - brother/sister, I've seen and confirm

This Transient Life (1970) - brother/sister

Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) - ?

Profound Desires of the Gods (1968) - ?

From myself, taking the chance, add

27. Love's circle or resentment (2016) - brother/sister, two couples are suspected to be half-siblings (spoilers) one is really related and the other isn't (side note I cried so much in the end)

If anyone could confirm or refute the blood relation I'd be thankful :)

I hope everyone sees this. Please forward to anyone you know who watches Asian dramas and might be able to help.

Plus, I would love to hear more about what's on this list if anyone can rec.

[theoperativeif]

The Funeral (Polina Short Story)

The sun rose over the Imperial Palace, bathing it in rays of light that cast themselves in long beams along the hallways.

Polina had spent her early days running through these hallways; she always loved the large portraits and the vibrant garden in the courtyard that was a wonder of the galaxy. Now she wondered if time had tainted her view of it, or if it really was never that special.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she noted how tired she looked. She looked over at the paper sitting on her bed, walking over to it and gingerly picking it up. She read the contents again, her hand trembling despite her best efforts. A knock at the door caused her to jump, nearly dropping the letter. Taking a moment to compose herself, she folded it, tucking it into her sleeve.

Stepping out into the hallway, Polina was flanked by two guards, their crimson armor shining in the sun's early light. Her attendant, the one who had knocked, struggled to keep up with them, the poor woman nearly colliding with one of the staff in her attempt to get out in front of Polina. Polina ignored the woman; if she paused or lost focus now, she would be undone.

Polina's heart ached as she navigated the familiar yet forever altered hallways of her childhood; each step brought a new memory, a new pain. She looked over at one portrait, its subject seemed to silently mock her with its stoic expression.

She eventually reached the Palace's large front doors that looked like they were built for giants. She paused and waited in place. Eventually, footsteps from the opposite side began to approach as her brother stepped into view, flanked by two guards of his own. He didn’t look at her. No smile of reassurance, no look of shared grief, instead, he looked away, not meeting her gaze at all. She clenched her jaw, soon looking away from him and stepping towards the door. He did the same, standing beside her silently as their guards moved to stand behind them.

The doors opened; the front of the palace had been transformed into a sea of flowers. Bright colors danced with the wind, behind that, Imperial flags fluttered with the flowers. The palace's garrison flags remained higher than the others, their fabric torn and scorched. The garrison was present, dressed in their dark armor; they stood out from the royal guards. Their heads were held high as they stood at attention, Polina noted the many members missing limbs or sitting in chairs.

Beyond them stood thousands of soldiers arranged in parade formations. Fighters flew overhead in a display of Imperial power while screens were projected into the air, portraying the crowds assembled in the city below, all gathered to mourn with her.

Her brother stepped up first. He delivered remarks complimenting the soldiers of the empire, cheering on their heroics, and pledging that this attack would not go unpunished and that the war raging would end with the Empire standing tall. Polina noted the implication that the Commonwealth sponsored the attack, something even the Intelligence Agencies dared not say.

He stepped aside to the applause of billions across the galaxy. Polina took a breath then stepped forward, pulling out the letter.

“Citizens of our grand Empire, today we stand united in mourning the loss of my sister. In my hands, I hold a letter from my sister whose absence we all keenly feel today,” she opened it, smiling at the poorly spelled letter, “she often sat in meetings she didn’t understand due to her age, she didn’t understand the war our veterans sacrificed so much fighting, nor did she understand the shortages facing our colonies. She did understand a feeling that our Empire's children face, loneliness; she didn’t want any child like her to be alone and afraid, so she wrote a letter asking if she could donate her stuffed animals to the Empire's orphans, then they would never be alone. I pledge to fulfill her last request. I also pledge that every family of those that fought and died in this tragedy are never left wanting. In this war, we often can forget why we fight; we fight for our children, for our families, to ensure the next generation can proceed on to a future without fear. And our veterans,” Polina turned towards the soldiers lined up, pausing for a moment, “you are the best of the Empire, I pledge half of the Imperial allowance for my family to go to you and your families. Our Empire stands with you. Thank you all for coming.”

There was silence for a moment as Polina stepped back, looking over the hidden faces of the soldiers. Suddenly, the soldiers' heads dipped as one as they put a hand over their hearts.

Polina turned, her eyes meeting her brother's suspicious gaze as he looked between the soldiers and her.

One of his advisors stood nearby, whispering into his ear. Snake, she thought, with the barest hint of a frown tugging on her features. Stepping back, the Emperor’s personal orchestra began to play as the coffin was escorted back inside the palace by the royal guards. Emotion tugged on Polina’s soul, begging to be let out, but she squashed it down, silently lashing out at it like a child being grounded.

The day passed like a blur; dignitaries became like a formless crowd, their words empty and promises of friendship seeped in ingenuous talk.

When Polina wondered where the day had gone, she trembled. It had passed like any other day.

Polina found herself walking along the grand halls, passing the ballroom and the burnt-out garden her father loved more then his children. Blinking, she found herself in the throne room, sitting on the bottom step. When she was a child, she would often sit on her father's lap as he heard pleas from his governors and subjects. That was many years ago.

"I assumed you'd be here," the familiar tone of her brother's voice pierced the stillness, startling Polina into turning towards him. As he approached, his uniform fluttered about him—still a size too large, Polina noted with an affectionate smile. A shadow moved behind him, and she tensed, watching as it mimicked her brother's movements before a towering figure emerged into the light. A grotesque figure loomed over them, resembling a metal skeleton animated into a ghastly form of life. Polina fought against the swell of fear—no, terror—that threatened to overcome her. Why should she fear her brother's protector? Was it not an Operative's duty to risk their life for hers? No, she pondered. Her apprehension wasn't directed at Operatives in general. Rather, it stemmed from the fact that this one pledged loyalty to her brother alone. Such a notion unsettled her. Was she truly so isolated that even her brother posed a potential threat? She had never coveted the title, and merely days ago, he was prepared to relinquish his place in line to her. "You shouldn't have done that," her brother's words snapped her back to the moment, his stance and tone brimming with agitation, his gaze attempting to pierce through her.

"Done what?" she inquired, choosing not to rise, instead leaning back and feeling the step's edge press against her spine. "The letter, the pledge, all of it," Vasily paced, his frustration palpable. "You don't grasp it, the Governors, the veterans—they are clamoring for someone to lead them." "Our father leads them," Polina retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm, which only served to agitate him further. "He abandoned the empire just as he abandoned you and Daria!" Vasily's outburst revealed a storm of emotions before he quickly subdued his anger. "Like he abandoned you," Polina murmured softly, offering her brother a compassionate smile. She understood that the pressure was always on him, she remained free from it until she freely placed the expectation of change on her own conscience. But Vasily had never been afforded such freedom. "He may have forsaken you, Vasily, but that doesn't mean the people see it. The veterans hold you in high esteem." "I was held in esteem," Vasily responded bitterly, his hand unconsciously flexing; Polina observed the Operative's stance relax behind him. "You are," she insisted calmly, forcing herself to stand and face her brother, "No one is cherished as you are, by all of us. They respect how you carry yourself with dignity and assurance." Vasily averted his gaze, fists clenched. The Operative took a step forward towards Vasily this time. Reaching out, Polina placed her hands on his shoulders, then pulled Vasily into an embrace. She didn't need to see his face to understand his turmoil. "I miss her too," Polina whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Behind them, the Operative lowered its head in a gesture that seemed to convey a shared sense of loss, not just for one, but for countless others.

[valaenatargaryensdragon]

What would happen to Baelon and his mother after Maegor dies?

Baelon spent his entire life watching his mother suffer and attempting to save her. Maegor was the main reason for her suffering and he hated him for it but he was still his father.

Baelon would do everything in his power to keep the throne for himself because then his mother would be the Queen mother and no other woman would suppress her power. Baelon is no idiot though and knows his cousins would try to take the thrones.

Maegor’s wish did come true and Baelon does claim Balerion the black dread and that was his biggest advantage to the throne. Baelon’s first move was to win the people over by throwing festivities and doing charities. Even going as far as letting peasants into the Red Keep to meet him personally. Baelon knows that power comes with respect not fear.

Then his next move is to end the feud with his cousins and that ensues with his marriage to Alysanne, this way he unites the family once more, his uncle’s blood will be on the throne, his uncle’s wife will not be able to harm him seeing as he is her son in law and also his mother would accept the marriage since marrying cousins was not seen as incest.

Baelon is not cruel and knows that Alysanne is still a child so he vows in their private quarters that he will not touch her before she is of age and ready. Baelon however made it very clear that he plans on resuming the blood line and having children and Alysanne was on board considering the fact that I vision her mother convincing her to bring heirs to the throne so their blood would rise to the throne.

Baelon is a strong king, however he is both brains and muscle, he uses strategy to ensure wining the Dornish war instead of battle like Maegor. The second his firstborn was confirmed to be a daughter who named Vaenora he travels to Dorne to make a marriage pact later on known as the sun and moon marriage alliance for Vaenora’s hair was compared to the moon in color once she married the Dornish prince and moved to live in Dorne.

Baelon is a traditional man so his three daughter Vaenora, Saelys and Elaenerys were pushed back in line for the throne in favor of their younger brother Rhaelor. Baelon and Alysanne were blessss with seven children, after their three daughter and son they were blessed with twin daughters named Lucenya and Daegelle followed by a son named Aelyx. After they had the heir and spare they ceased having anymore children.

Baelon was the king to unite the seven kingdoms by ensuring to marry his five daughter to five different kingdoms, Vaenora to Dorne, Saelys to the Stormlands, Elaenerys to the North, Lucenya to the mountain and the Vale, and Daegelle to the Reach. His eldest son and heir married from the rock and his youngest for the isles and rivers. Baelon was a smart kind yet a strong one, not one to shy from a fight or a war, always joining the tourneys until his age betrayed him and winning almost every time and never failing to crown his lady wife Queen Alysanne his Queen of love and beauty never once embarrassing her in public or private.

Baelon’s mother’s wish if him falling in love never came true but Baelon was content with his wife and children. He never complained and he never once disrespected them or made them feel less than Queen and Princesses and princes.

His mother passed away during his tenth year as king failing to meet his five youngest children. Baelon gave his mother a funeral that will be remembered for centuries to come. Her body was dressed in the purest of whites, silks and laces. A crown of winter flowers upon her head and a bouquet of roses in her hands. Every finger adorned with rings of all shapes and sizes that were hiring with her.

Her corpse was paraded around the streets for people to pay respect with him in the lead with his crown on his head. A crown she had designed herself for him and placed on his head during his wedding as a gift. Alysanne flew her dragon above their heads before meeting Baelon at the Sept and witnessing the funeral. Baelon never truly recovered from her death. He build a statue of his mother in the gardens of the keep and was usually found their during hard times. Some servants swore they heard him talk to the statue, asking for advise.

Baelon went on to be loved and respected as a son, husband, father and king.

[angstics]

QUEER FILM SUMMER CONTINUES: this week, we'll be watching FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES (1969) dir. toshio matsumoto. set in the gay nightlife of post-occupation tokyo, documentary and experimental filmmaking blend narrative and reality as we follow twisted love stories, sexual exploits, war protests interspersed by interviews & meta commentary... from the clips and reviews ive seen, it's a very funny film. i advise checking content warning for this one (generally: violence and sexual content).

the livestream will be MONDAY MAY 13 at 7PM EST (4pm pst / may 14, 12am bst).

JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER HERE.

[veryqueermovies]

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Here is a short list of Queer Asian films to watch all year long!

Funeral Parade of Rose (1969)

Farewell My Concubine (1993)

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Fire (1996)

Happy Together (1997)

Intimates (1997)

Drift (2000)

Lan Yu (2001)

Blue Gate Crossing (2002)

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

The Gathering (2003)

Tropical Malady (2004)

Ethan Mao (2004)

Saving Face (2004)

I Don't Want To Sleep Alone (2006)

The World Unseen (2007)

Love of Siam (2007)

Drifting Flowers (2008)

Just Friends? (2009)

Yes Or No (2010)

Muli (2010)

The Dance of Two Left Feet (2011)

Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012)

Night Flight (2014)

Loev (2015)

Front Cover (2015)

Naanu Avanalla…Avalu (I Am Not A He…I Am A She) (2015)

Our Love Story (2016)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Spa Night (2016)

Die Beautiful (2016)

Fathers (2016)

A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016)

Taste Of Betel Nut (2017)

Present Perfect (2017)

Close-Knit (2017)

Malila, The Farewell Flower (2017) 

Billie & Emma (2018)

Fish Bones (2018)

Dead Ex (2018)

Our Body (2018)

Song Lang (2018)

Rainbow’s Sunset (2018)

Twilight's Kiss (2019)

How I Felt When I Saw That Girl (2019)

Goodbye Mother (2019)

Moonlit Winter (2019)

Monsoon (2019)

Super Deluxe (2019)

The Half Of It (2020)

Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)

I Told Sunset About You (2020)

A Distant Place (2020)

Midnight Swan (2020)

Wish You (2021)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Joyland (2022)

Cobalt Blue (2022)

[nicosraf]

how would you feel if someone wanted to adapt angels before man into a movie?

I think it'd be groovy! I've been asked about what an ABM movie would look like a few times, so I'm going to repeat myself a bit. I don't trust Hollywood with ABM, really, so I think I'd want it to be an indie project. I would rather the wings look like store-bought Halloween costumes than CGI.

I also don't really care for it to be 1-to-1 with the book. I'd rather it maintain the aesthetic and stick to the central theme than copy the plot, which I don't think translates very well to visual (it's very long, the internal monologue, the narrative style, the Uri-Kimah chapter). That said, I'd want them to have some fun with it! ABM is a weird book, let it be a weird movie!! with a weird soundtrack and weird cinematic shots.

In terms of live action, ABM is inspired visually by Fellini Satyricon (1969), Sebastiane (1976), and Funeral Parade of Roses (1969), all 3 really bizarre queer films. So hey if you want some semblance of how I imagine ABM to look like, this is it!

In terms of animation, I get inspiration from films like Perfect Blue , Belladona of Sadness , and Kaze to Ki No Uta ! But I love stop-motion films like Coraline and I could see ABM in that style very very well.

Be careful watching any of these! They all feature quite a bit of violence and sex - and sexual violence features pretty prominently in, I think, all of them. Kaze to Ki No Uta also has CSA so it deserves that extra warning.

I'm always tempted to write a long post about ABM aesthetics and what movies-books I took them from (especially Sebastiane) but I'm afraid I'd never shut up.

[indie-queer-movie-tournament]

Entries List (which I will keep updated)

Anything in bold has propaganda

Alex Strangelove (2018)

Alice Junior (Alice Júnior) (2019)

A Moment in the Reeds (Tämä hetki kaislikossa) (2017)

A Single Man (2009)

And Then We Danced (და ჩვენ ვიცეკვეთ) (2019)

Beach Rats (2017)

Big Eden (2000)

BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017)

Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2) (2013)

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Booksmart (2019)

Bottoms (2023)

Bound (1996)

Boys (Jongens) (2014)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

Breakfast with Scot (2007)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

Camp (2003)

Can You Ever Forgive Me (2018)

Carol (2015)

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Center of My World (Die Mitte der Welt) (2016)

Chasing Amy (1997)

Closet Monster (2015)

Cloudburst (2011)

Colette (2018)

Crash (1996)

Crush (2022)

Dating Amber (2020)

D.E.B.S. (2004)

Desert Hearts (1984)

Disobedience (2017)

Duck Butter (2018)

Edge of Seventeen (1998)

Elephant (Słoń) (2022)

Esteros (2016)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Fire Island (2022)

Freak Show (2017)

Funeral Parade of Roses (薔薇の葬列) (1969)

Get Real (1998)

God’s Own Country (2017)

Grandma (2015)

Handsome Devil (2016)

Happiest Season (2020)

Happy Together (春光乍洩) (1997)

Hearts Beat Loud (2018)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

I Can't Think Straight (2008)

I Dream in Another Language (Sueño en otro idioma) (2017)

I Killed My Mother (2009)

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

In & Out (1997)

Jenny's Wedding (2015)

Je Tu Il Elle (1974)

Kajillionaire (2020)

Kill Your Darlings (2013)

Kinky Boots (2005)

Latter Days (2003)

Longtime Companion (1989)

Mario (2018)

Maurice (1987)

Milk (2008)

Moonlight (2016)

Mosquita Y Mari (2012)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

Mysterious Skin (2004)

Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006)

North Sea Texas (Noordzee, Texas) (2011)

Operation Hyacinth (Hiacynt) (2021)

Pariah (2011)

Patrik Age 1.5 (Patrik 1,5) (2008)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) (2019)

Princess Cyd (2017)

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

Rafiki (2018)

Rūrangi (2020)

Saving Face (2005)

Selah and the Spades (2019)

Shiva Baby (2020)

Sorry Angel (Plaire, Aimer et Courir Vite) (2018)

Straight Up (2019)

Swan Song (2021)

Tangerine (2015)

Tár (2022)

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Die Bitteren Tränen Der Petra Von Kant) (1972)

The Bubble (הבועה) (2006)

The Conformist (Il conformista) (1970)

The Feels (2017)

The Half of It (2020)

The Handmaiden (아가씨) (2016)

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The Lost Boys (Le Paradis) (2023)

The Meetings of Anna (Les Rendez-vous d'Anna) (1978)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)

The Power of the Dog (2021)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Strong Ones (Los fuertes) (2019)

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

The Way He Looks (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho) (2014)

The 10 Year Plan (2014)

Tomboy (2011)

Totally Fucked Up (1993)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

Transamerica (2005)

Water Lillies (Naissance des Pieuvres) (2007)

Yossi & Jagger (יוסי וג'אגר) (2002)

You, Me and Him (2017)

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-12-04

ah fuck the mondaypost

Listening: I have been going back through some of @kelp-of-discontent's recs that I've saved and not gone back to. Great taste! Here's Pool Kids's Pool Kids

I always love the unmoored feeling good math rock gives you and this really lands that.

Watching: Double Features, 1) Bara no Soretsu/Funeral Parade of Roses because @thosearentcrimes has been trying to get us to watch that forever and we finally just sat down and watched it on yes the extremely funny ultrawide monitor that was being used as my TV.

Bara no Soretsu is very good in that arthouse way where it's very unpolished and has some very out there ideas about what makes a good movie but executes on it earnestly and with a goal. It's a combination of a movie about transgender women in the underground gay men's scene in 60's japan loosely based on the myth of Oedipus and also a documentary following the actors as they make this movie, in a way that makes it kind of hard to tell when something is meant to be the movie and when it's meant to be the documentary.

It's very uh. Challenging? It's honestly less tragic than I was expecting and it's mostly just a fascinating look into this very specific time and place. The interviews are priceless, a trans woman very straight facedly looking into the camera when asked "are you having a good time" and going "no, but I'm going to keep doing it". 10/10

Also Tomb Raider but the 2001 Angelina Jolie one. An impromptu pick for Bad Movie Night because we had an empty house and didn't want to burn a good bad movie. Tomb Raider is most interesting in how it approaches shooting action which is to say that it's mostly not good at it but has brief moments of inspiration. A very generic action adventure story otherwise, featuring young Daniel Craig as a prettyboy graverobber counterpart to Lara Croft. They made Angelina Jolie do an English accent and she just could not do it.

Reading: The other short stories that came along with Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. Tower of Babylon is a fun atmospheric story of the Ancient Sumerians building a tower to breach the vault of heaven. Division by Zero is a very compelling depiction of a mathematician going insane because she has proven arithmetic to be inconsistent, which is notably not accompanied by any material changes in the world around her, which I liked.

Making: Mostly preparatory. I have a few project I've been sketching out, including hacking my own controller onto a WS2812 LED string and automating my radiators. The stepper motors and the string arrived today. Looking into exprTK, an expression evaluation library that should be suitable for my needs, and the ESP32 RMT subsystem which is a cute little mini-DSP and modulator built into the ESP32 ostensibly for IR Remote Control but frequently used now to quickly and efficiently implement all manner of protocols.

Playing: More Dark Souls, although less this week because I've been doing other things. still working around Darkroot Basin but I really haven't been there long. The ents are a real pain in the ass when paired with the knights, not because they're very hard but because you just have to wait for them to jump you.

Tools and Equipment: a new AMD GPU tuning utility for Linux was released a little while ago, LACT, which has a much simpler interface than some of the older tuning utilities. I like it, especially since I was doing some fan noise tuning after I installed the new network card and being able to just hit the fan speed with a slider was convenient.

[fibula-rasa]

Favorite New-to-Me Films

March 2023

(in order of the image gallery above)

Funeral Parade of Roses / 薔薇の葬列 (1969) [letterboxd | imdb]

Socrate’s Escape / La fuga di Socrate (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

It’s the Cats (1926) [letterboxd | imdb]

I Like Bats / Lubię nietoperze (1986) [letterboxd | imdb]

Bride of Deimos / 悪魔の花嫁 蘭の組曲 (1988) [letterboxd | imdb]

Love in Exile / Madsalune (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Mermaid Forest / 高橋留美子劇場 人魚の森 (1991) [letterboxd | imdb] & Mermaid’s Scar / 人魚の傷 (1993) [letterboxd | imdb]

She-Wolf / Wilczyca (1983) [letterboxd | imdb]

[xbadgerbearx]

chapter ?: bonus

word count: 855

Sonata in Darkness: ... [9]

“Isn’t that just terrible? Him raining on your parade like that? What is it they say? One day you’re on top…the next, you’re a clown. Well, let me tell you…there are worse things to be…”

The Riddle shrinked to the floor after wailing over his failure. He cried and as he became unresponsive. 

“Don’t be sad,” the voice beside his cell cooed. “You did…you did so well. I heard you didn’t get the girl, but that’s okay. Because you know, Gotham loves a comeback story…”

The Riddler slowly rose to his feet and peered through the bars of his enclosure. “Who…who are you? How…” The Riddler’s face twisted in confusion. “How did you know…?”

“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?” The unseen man paused before continuing, “Riddle me this…the less of them you have, the more one is worth.”

The Riddler pondered for a moment before slowly brightening up. Hopefully, he answered, “A friend…?”

The unseen man began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and soon the Riddle followed gleefully while horrible ideas brewed in his mind.

The man’s words echoed in his head…

He didn’t get the girl, but that’s okay. Gotham loves a comeback story.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Batman was busy helping rebuild Gotham. It helped to throw himself at his work, that way he didn’t have the time to think of you. He was currently exhausted and resting at Wayne Towers. He barely sat in his chair before his phone buzzed. Checking it, his heart swelled when your name popped up. It had been a few days since he last spoke to you. He still didn’t know your name, so he had you added as “Rat <3.” 

I’m sorry! Something came up…

Would dinner work?

Dinner sounds perfect. I’ll let you know on the date soon.

Speaking of dates, am I finally going to learn the name of my mystery date?

Mmmm sorry, I guess you’ll have to find out at dinner ;)

…

I’m guessing we aren’t going to get that dinner anytime soon…

So I thought I’d tell you my name, but only if you confirm something for me.

Got it?

Bruce raised his brow at the message, but he missed you so much that he’d be willing to say just about anything to continue a conversation with you.

Yeah, sure. Anything.

His heart raced as he watched the three little dots move to indicate that you were typing. He meant what he said too.

I just want to say that this will stay between us, okay?

Our little secret :) 

You sure you want to know? Because then you’d HAVE to tell me the truth…

Bruce smiled at your message before answering.

I promise to tell you the truth.

Bruce’s smile widened when you replied with your name. It was pretty and he thought it suited you nicely, which he made sure to message you. He quietly whispered it to himself to see how it would sound, but then quickly stopped upon realizing how cringe he was acting. He was Batman! Batman doesn’t act like he’s in love or anything… right? God, he was going crazy.

Thank you, Batman ;)

His heart stopped and he froze immediately. His smile fell just as quickly. How…what? How did you…? He took several minutes to think. He did promise that he would confirm something for you and tell you the truth, but that would be telling someone of his secret identity. It’s called a secret identity for a reason. But if he lied, then he probably wouldn’t forgive himself. Plus, it would be so much easier to just tell you instead of dance around it. He must have taken too long to respond, because he could see you typing again.

I know that it might sound crazy, but I’m pretty sure that I’m right.

I mean, there were a couple clues that pointed to you, but there was one big one.

…

You were oddly nice to me at Mitchell’s funeral, and even asked me out. That doesn’t seem like something a billionaire would do to just anybody.

And when the bombs went off, you were super protective. A normal person would have been running away, but you didn’t. 

And when Batman (yes, you) and I were on the tower, he asked why Falcone would take me with him to the funeral. Batman wouldn’t have known…unless he was you.

Bruce just stared at his phone a little numbly. He felt so stupid; how did he not cover his tracks better? 

The icing on the cake is that I’ve kissed both Bruce Wayne and Batman… 

They’re like the same, haha.

Bruce slowly started to laugh. It started quietly, but quickly he was actually laughing. He rolled his eyes in amusement. 

Alright, you’ve caught me Ms. Detective.

I’m impressed.

I knew it!!!

We really do need to meet up for dinner now, you need to tell me everything.

He smiled at your excitement. It felt strangely good for someone else to know his secret, someone other than Alfred. Maybe he could see you more because of it. Bruce quickly typed back, secretly excited and filled with content.

It’s a date :)