how would you know it is there?
Hearts break, then mend and break and mend again
in a cycle without beginning, without end."
-Bette Bao Lord
"Spring Moon"
There is something special about NETFLIX. I have only been a member since January 2009 and I am entertained by such a variety of stories. I simply add to my movie queue and never know what I'm going to get. At the end of this year I will make a list of all of the 5 STAR films I have discovered via NETFLIX.
A week or so ago I checked my mailbox and found the 1975 film "The Naked Civil Servant", an autobiographical story of the gay icon Quentin Crisp (b. Dec. 25, 1908 d. Nov. 21, 1999). John Hurt collected a Best Actor BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) Award for his flawless portrayal.
PHOTO: Quentin Crisp self-portrait, 1930s
Crisp was a flamboyant performer and pop-culture personality who railed against the rigid social mores of pre-World War II Britain, where homosexuality was illegal. The film caused considerable controversy in England when it first aired in 1975.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GnBiMPg2jo
I found the story amusing (in parts) and quite amazing. I also found this man to be quite eccentric and intelligent. Here are a few quotes I heard him say while watching the film:
"Films are magical illusions."-Quentin Crisp
"I think that everything that happens to us is our fault...but that's NOT our fault!"-Quentin Crisp
"Never share a narrow single bed with a wide single man."-Quentin Crisp
I recently learned that a new film entitled "An Englishman in New York" had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2009. It's about Quentin Crisp's later years and starring John Hurt as Quentin Crisp, Cynthia Nixon as Penny Arcade and Swoosie Kurtz as Connie Clausen. It was filmed in New York in August/September 2008. I plan to see this new film on May 2, 2009 at the Tribeca Film Festival. It will be amazing to see John Hurt reprise this role so many years later.
As many of us know, the tolerance for those who are different is still a problem throughout the world. Just today, on the cover of the New York Times is an article, "Iraq's Newly Open Gays Face Scorn and Murder". Coincidentally, the Quentin Crisp story examines how it is to be and cope with being different.
PHOTO: Quentin Crisp, 1980s
In Iraq "hate" is preached and even the family is not a refuge.
"The community should be purified from such delinquent behavior like stealing, lying and the effeminacy phenomenon among men," Shiek Jassem al-Mutairi said during his sermon last Friday, April 3, 2009.
"Homosexuality," he said, "is far from manhood and honesty."
In addition to the killings, a Sadr City Cafe in Iraq frequented by gay men recently burned down under mysterious circumstances. Feel free to read the details from the article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08gay.html?ref=global-home
Twenty-five years ago today:
April 8, 1984
Sunday
I was feeling better today. I picked up my bicycle and took a swift ride from Alameda on over to Howard Edelstein's house on Claremont Avenue in North Oakland.
I had to listen to Howard give me "doctor talk" over the telephone before I departed on my ride in and around the Berkeley vicinity. We spent time talking at Dreyer's Ice-Cream while I sipped my vanilla milkshake. It was a fun afternoon. I left by 2:30PM.
"I'll call you soon," I announced loudly to Howard as I rode up towards College Avenue on my bicycle.
I was home before long and was quite hungry. I was lounging when the telephone rang. It was a voice from the past. Tammy Duhr called! Of all people!
"Sean and I were talking about old chums and your name came up, so I called to see what you were up to," Tammy said.
"Well, I'm up to the usual," I answered, realizing this call was her way of telling me she is still 'available'.
We continued with laughter and memories from days gone by. I promised her I would call soon to arrange a date out.
Suzy Miller dropped over on her new bike. I shared some mixed nuts and orange juice. She seemed to need fuel for her body. I rode with her to the Harbor Bay Island bridge.
"I'll call you soon so we can go out," I said as I realized this line was becoming a pattern for the day.
The previous night I recalled telling Michael Thoennes, "We'll see, I'll call you...we'll see."
I believe it is 'in this order' as to whom I really want to go out with right now:
Chris Cordellos, Suzy Miller, Tammy Duhr, Howard Edelstein and Michael Thoennes. Every one else seems a distant memory as I am getting no contact from others. Chris and Suzy are my favored choices.
It's funny. I received my new ESQUIRE magazine today. There is an ad which tells of some film director who has written the ultimate self-help book for the non-gregarious: "How to Spend the Least Amount of Time With People You Don't Like."
It sounds like a worthwhile, good book. Of course I like most people in my life. Some do need to 'shape up or ship out'. I imagine I'll be doing the shipping and receiving. Who really meets my standards anyway?
0 kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar