Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2000)
JLJ^ 'Bedrooms and Hallways’ mm,.- m ‘Show Me Love’ JfTie eighth-annual Queer Film Festival, composed of films with sexuality themes, begins tonight Yael Menahem Oregon Daily Emerald «ff f it weren’t for j|; gays, honey, ff| there’d be no Hol m lywood,” Eliza beth Taylor is quoted as say ing. But does Hollywood por tray gay and lesbian rela tionships accurately? The answer is “no,” members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance agree. “Does ‘You’ve Got Mail’ correctly depict a heterosex ual romance?” Kathleen Workman points out. “Proba bly not.” “Hollywood doesn’t accu rately depict a heterosexual or homosexual relation ship,” Kayla Emmons adds. The eighth-annual Queer Film Festival begins tonight with a handful of films, but just because they portray gay and lesbian relation ships, doesn’t mean they represent them correctly. They are a step up from gay representation in films from the 1970s and 1980s, how ever. Those movies “depicted gays as cruising sexual predators,” Jason Maas Despan asserts. Even though Hollywood might not represent gay re lationships accurately, “at least they’re getting repre sented,” Maas-Despan adds. The film festival starts with the British film “Bed rooms and Hallways.’’Made in 1998, the film follows a dozen 20-something Lon doners in search of love as one character, Leo, is reach ing the big 3-Oh. Leo is searching for stabil ity, sex and identity, but not necessarily in that order. Af ter getting some advice from his eccentric neighbors, he joins a “New Man” therapy group. What ensues is any one’s guess, from a new crush to a childhood sweet heart who’s back in town. The film stars Kevin McK idd (“Trainspotting”), Si mon Callow (’’Shakespeare in Love”) and Harriet Walter. Friday night’s feature, “Show Me Love,” was nom inated last year for an Acade my Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Agnes and Elin are two teenage girls stuck in a small town, and the two are full of boredom. Agnes is the shy, new girl in town and she has a crush on Elin. Elin is popular, goes to par ties, drinks and finds nu merous boyfriends. Eventual ly, the two find each other. “Show Me Love” deals with teenage angst, adoles cent love and courage; Re becca Liljeberg and Alexan dra Dahlstrom are the two principal stars. Saturday introduces two features, Australia’s “Head On” and Canada’s “Beef cake.” The former is described as a “narcotic ride through a powder keg of racial ten sion, police homophobia and sexual abuse, all framed by a day in the life of a trou bled soul who must con front his status as an immi grant and a gay man.” “Beefcake” seems to turn the tables on women’s beau ty magazine by paying hom age to the 1950s muscle magazines. The film profiles photographer Bob Miser, creator of the Athletic Mod els Guild, an agency for buff young men who posed for magazines like Physique Pictorial, Adonis and To morrow’s Man. “Beefcake” is a blend of documentary and fiction film directed by Thom Fitzgerald. The film festival takes a little break until it returns Feb. 18 with several shorts: “Atlanta,” “Top of the World,” “The Offering,” “Das Clown” and “Adam.” Saturday returns with two features, “Das Trio” and “Living with Pride.” “Das Trio” follows three small-time thieves and pick pockets who break the group’s rule of “no exchang ing bodily fluids within the team.” The film focuses on three different people who are brought together by their ba sic needs and are tom apart by their unruly desires. “Living with Pride” docu ments the life and times of Ruth C. Ellis, who is recog nized as the world’s oldest “out” African-American les bian. The film offers an op portunity to experience a century-long history of African-American gays and lesbians as seen through the life of one inspiring woman. The last film of the festi val, “Better than Choco late,” is a romantic comedy that centers on 19-year-old Maggie, a college dropout who works in a lesbian bookstore. One night, she meets Kim and the two fall in love. Trouble arises when Mag gie’s mother and brother, who are unaware of her sex ual orientation, move in with her because of her mother’s divorce from her second husband. Other characters appear, including a transgendered nightclub performer who is pursuing Frances, the bookstore own er. “Better than Chocolate” is a film filled with love, ro mance and sex. The Queer Film Festival starts tonight, runs Friday and Saturday, and contin ues February 18-20. All films start at 8 p.m. in 180 PLC. Tickets are $4 for students, $5 for the general public per show, or $12 for students and $15 for the general public for a pass to all six nights. J= 686-2458 || Jv 492 E. 13th Ave www.Dijou-cinemas.com (2/11-2/17) Film Feet Calendar at the and around town nowiy PICTURE OF THE YEAR TIME MAGAZINE ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER 5:00, 7:05 & 9:05pm • Sun Mat 3pm Soon: Genghis Blues -- Sweet & Lowdown TERRIFIC! THUMBS UP! Rmrt, RMfB CW«T a THt MOWS HILARIOUS! fWUUNMUMEC JOURNAL SENTMEL (WINNER \ GRAND JURY PRIZE J SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL & American movie 4:45, 6:50 & 9pm - Sun Mat 2:40pm BijOU LateNite $3 TH-SA/S2 SUWE THE LEGEND Ur SLEEPY HOLLOW^ 11:0Sptn SAT MAT 2:45pm DEUCE BIGAL0W □ 11:20pm SAT MAT 3:00.pm lohn Henry’s Dance Niyhts [no cover for women!