26 JUStOUt
DECEMBER 5, 2008
S'
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f\
P ortland ’ s N ewest
A ntique S tore !
GIVING BACK TO YOU!
CHANGE HAS COME TO THE "BEAN"
KX'T
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Over 10,000 s.f. of finely crafted
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All T-Shirts $12.99
Selected Christmas Cards $1.00
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(1 block north of Hawthorne Bridge)
T-Shirts, Bumper Stickers,
Calendars, Cards, Novelties
M-Sat 11-6» Sun 11-5
Happy Holidays
Mon - Sat 10-6, Sunday 12-5
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I
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thejellybean.com"*
of the Spidei Wunutn (1985) share
the dubious distinction of being ca-
nonical works of old-school queer
cinema that are only now being
made available on DVD. Boys caused an uproar
at the rime by giving mass audiences an up-close
glimpse of “rhe gay lifestyle" at its wildest; indeed,
it was so controversial that some newspapers re
viewed it while refusing to nin ads tor it. Appar
ently the film’s tagline, “It’s not a musical," was just
r<x> much for rhe bluenoses. And Kiss of die Spider
Woman won an Academy Award for straight hunk
William Hurt’s portrayal of a mincing, kimono
clad queen. That it t<x>k these films so long to get a
release can only be attributed to insanity.
That said, revisiting them in 2008, Boys feels
like rhe classic we all thought it was, while Kiss
seems to have lost some of its luster. In rhe latter
case, what was lauded as "brave” and “provoca-
tive” in 1985 now feels forced and pretentious.
Kiss of die Spider Woman is based on Manuel
Puig’s brilliant novel, and it t<x>k some years to go
from the printed page to the screen. After several
false starts, I lector Babenco of Pixote fame was
signed on as director. Making a movie of a b<x)k
set in a claustrophobic South American prison
cell populated by two people couldn’t have been
easy. Valentin (Raul Julia) is a straight revolu
tionary; Molina (1 lurt) is a screaming queen who
regales his cellmate with imaginative retellings of
old I lollywood melodramas. Babenco’s approach,
aided by screenwriter Leonard Schrader, was to
open up rhe story in the only way possible: by vi
sualizing Molina’s stories in elaborate fantasy se
quences. That and, of course, by tracking the ten
sions, sexual and otherwise, between rhe “noble"
radical and the apolitical queen, who predictably
(and literally) “come together" despite their deep
differences.
Holiday Special!
(to the rescue)
Holidays (in-laws)can be (very') stiessful. So get
your loved ones an hour-long (or so) massage to
help them unwind and enjoy the quiet,
peaceful qualities of the season.
When you pun base 4 ( iift C CTtifieatCS,
you'll receive one I REE MASSAGE
to use a> you wish (for your sanity).
i\r>rrtlrrl Io
(503)453-9924
2330 NW FLANDFRS. SUITE 101
PORTLAND. OR <>7210
HARMONYTHERAPEUTICBODYWORK COM
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/ou (+k<j'll never ltn<hj!)
Ihr amount of
FREE.!
(cku^in^ +<>e k/orld. one twjcJe (or in-lcuj) aA a. lihe)
The Boys in the Band swing wildly from dazzling wits to self-hating queers.