The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

QUEER DUCK, The Movie
21:50 Jul 23 2006
Times Read: 530


Queer Duck, The Movie just released on DVD, is an hysterical animated romp playing very much on gay stereotypes in a way that gays will appreciate far more than straights (who will be asking their gay friends to explain some of the jokes). The whole thing is a silly, screaming romp of song spoofs, celebrity imitations, innuendo, and single entendres. Well, maybe none of it really needs explaining to anyone, but the gags are so fast and furious it’s like a silly gay rollercoaster. The animation is cheap and simple, but filled with knowing nods to film history. Max Fleischer fans especially should notice some familiar time-and-labor savers common in older cartoons. The genre isn’t for everyone, but for those who like this sort of humor, it is an absolutely fabulous must-see!



For those of you who want to try smaller samples, episodes of “Queer Duck” that ran on Showtime can be seen at http://www.sho.com/site/queerduck/home.do

Descent
01:02 Jul 21 2006
Times Read: 535

“Descent” is a movie about young women trapped in a foul subterranean pit, confronting gruesome challenges, not the least of which is that they are being stalked by sub-human monstrosities eager to devour their flesh. This sounds an awful lot like high school, and I would say that demographic will provide the bulk of their audience. With beautiful young women writhing, fighting, squeezing through tunnels, the appeal to the boys is obvious. With a general “girl power” theme centered around 6 athletically vigorous women taking on challenges of rapids, mountains, and here, cave exploring, there’s something for the girls as well.



For the somewhat innovative setting, and some decent timing to induce chills and shock, this is a fairly-by-the numbers hash of familiar formulae. It doesn’t take a lot to guess early on who will survive. The casting was clearly more about athleticism than acting skill, but given the script all in the cast rise to the challenge, giving their parts at least as much as they have to work with. It’s not the best movie I’ve seen this week, and having just been through a film festival I can even say it’s not in the top ten.



If you like creepy ooky things in the dark, quasi-cannibalistic gore and disembowelment, and girls who have moxie but still scream a lot, this isn’t really a bad flick at all.

Pandora's Box
00:59 Jul 21 2006
Times Read: 536

“Pandora’s Box” (G W Pabst, 1928) is one of the classic Vamp flicks – that is “Vamp” in the sense of a femme fatale. Louise Brooks illuminates the screen as Lulu, a thoughtless, childishly selfish, but beautifully sensuous woman who is the utter destruction of all who love her. This silent film, readily available on DVD and VHS, shows off Pabst’s sophisticated use of German expressionist style, and the high contrast of backgrounds plays up Brooks’ beautiful pale complexion framed by her short, black hair. Captivatingly beautiful at any rate, Louise Brooks is captured in some scenes as being irresistibly beautiful. Brooks’ acting is so subtle by the standards of silent film that at the time it came out critics thought she was not quite all there. Now her complexity is more apparent, and one can get lost in the layers of her performance as her seduction of those around her also draw in the viewer. Pabst’s direction and Brooks’ performance contain such depth and subtlety that one can watch this over and over again always seeing something new.



For young Americans who think of older films as being sanitized and prudish the frank sexuality and in particular the overt lesbianism may be a revelation. (Film prudery is really an anomaly of America from 1934-1958 under the censorship of the Hays office.) For viewers of all ages, and even those who have already seen it, this film is always a revelation. This is not just a classic that must be seen by anyone who cares seriously about cinema. This is a legendary performance in one of the greatest films ever made.