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Warner Bros. cancels Batgirl, along with first trans character

Regardless of movie quality, the cancellation of Batgirl causes an irreversible loss of a rare LGBTQ+ character.

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Warner Bros. on Tuesday canceled the “Batgirl” film, both in theaters and on HBO Max, marking the erasure of the first trans character in the cinematic universe, Batgirlā€™s best friend Alysia Yeo played by Ivory Aquino.Ā 

The cancellation of “Batgirl” marks the loss of a rare LGBTQ character. According to Variety, the role is groundbreaking since “this is the first time a live-action feature film adaptation of a DC Comics title will feature an openly trans character played by a trans actor.”

Known for work in “Lingua Franca,” “When We Rise,” and “Tales of the City,” Aquino had officially headed into the DC universe but now her performance will likely never come to light.Ā 

The change of leadership at Warner seems to be the main drive behind the cancellation. After the project was approved in 2021, David Zaslav took over as the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO. Instead of focusing on streaming projects as previous CEO Jason Killar did, Zaslav shifted emphasis to cost-cutting measures and theatrical productions.

On the other hand, the budget of “Batgirl” increased to $90 million because of COVID-19 protocols, $10 million above the initial estimate. Warner also shelved “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt,” with a budget of about $40 million.

ā€œThe decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadershipā€™s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,ā€ said a Warner Bros. spokesperson in a statement. ā€œWe are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.ā€

Despite Warner clarifying that the cancellation was not due to its poor quality, New York Post reported that the moviegoer feedback in the screening tests was so bad that “Batgirl,” if released, would be ā€œa DC disaster.ā€Ā 

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Television

Lesbian road movie returns with campy ā€˜Dollsā€™

A retro-inspired, neon-lit road trip/neo-noir thriller

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Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley, and Beanie Feldstein in ā€˜Drive-Away Dolls.ā€™ (Photo courtesy of Focus Features)

Letā€™s admit it: by the time Hollywoodā€™s awards season draws to a close, most of us are more than ready for a good mindless ā€œB movieā€ to cleanse our palettes. After the glut of ā€œseriousā€ and ā€œimportantā€ films dominating the public conversation, itā€™s just incredibly freeing to watch something that feels ā€” at some level, at least ā€” more like entertainment than it does like doing homework.

Thatā€™s one of the biggest reasons why the timing of ā€œDrive-Away Dolls,ā€ which hit screens on Feb. 23, feels like a really savvy move, especially since it comes from a major Hollywood studio and boasts a multi-Oscar-winning director ā€“ Ethan Coen, who alongside brother Joel is half of one of Hollywoodā€™s most prodigious filmmaking teams ā€“ at its helm. A retro-inspired and neon-lit road trip/chick flick/neo-noir thriller featuring lesbian leading characters and leaning hard into the visual palette of the ā€˜70s-era exploitation drive-in movie fodder it aims to both emulate and reinvent, it lays no claim to lofty purpose or intellectual conceit; instead, it takes its audience on an unabashedly raunchy 1999-set wild ride in which a pair of mismatched adventurers find themselves unwittingly entangled in a caper involving a mysterious briefcase and the eccentric trio of thugs tasked with tracking it down. It tells the kind of story we expect to be able to check our brains at the door for, and just sit back to enjoy the mindless thrills.

In this case, that story centers on two young queer Philadelphia women ā€“ free-spirited sexual adventurer Jamie (Margaret Qualley), whose infidelity has tanked her relationship with girlfriend Suki (Beanie Feldstein), and square peg Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), whose discomfort with the hedonistic social scene of big city lesbian life has her longing for the simpler pleasures of her childhood home in Tallahassee ā€“ who embark on a road trip together to Florida in search of new beginnings. Itā€™s clear from the start that theyā€™re at cross purposes; Jamie sees the trip as an opportunity to ā€œloosen upā€ her uptight friend, while Marian just wants to get back to where she once belonged. Unbeknownst to either, however, a shady cadre of operatives (Colman Domingo, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson) is on their trail, thanks to something hidden in the trunk of their rental car, and their journey is about to take a detour into unexpectedly dangerous territory.

As a premise, itā€™s not hard to see close parallels to many of the themes one often finds running throughout the Coen Brothersā€™ films; the quirky trappings of its crime story plot, the granular focus on the behavioral oddities of its characters, the whimsical (if often pointed) irony it deploys for narrative effect ā€“ all these and more give Ethanā€™s first ā€œsolo flightā€ without collaboration from his brother the kind of familiarity for audiences one can only get from four decades of previous exposure. Yet while ā€œDrive-Away Dollsā€ might bear a lot of the trademark Coen touches, itā€™s also distinctively its own creature, with a more radical stylistic approach that one might glimpse in more flamboyant outliers to their joint filmography like ā€œThe Hudsucker Proxyā€ or cult-favorite ā€œThe Big Lebowski,ā€ but which here brings its heightened sense of absurdity to the forefront in service of a story which is about, as much as it is anything, the role of causality in determining the circumstances and outcomes of our lives. In other words, itā€™s a movie which drives home (no pun intended) the point that ā€“ at least sometimes ā€“ our paths are determined by fate, no matter how much control we think we exert.

If youā€™re thinking that all this analysis doesnā€™t quite fit for a movie that presents itself as a madcap escapist romp, youā€™re not wrong; in spite of its ostensible B movie appeal, Coenā€™s movie ā€“ co-written with his wife, Tricia Cook ā€“ evokes some pretty weighty reflections, and while that might lend a more elevated layer to the filmā€™s proceedings than we expect, itā€™s not necessarily a bad thing. We can be entertained and enlightened at the same time, after all.

Perhaps more detrimental to the movieā€™s effect, unfortunately, is its intricately-conceived plotting. Weaving together seemingly coincidental or irrelevant details into a chain of events that propels the story at every juncture, Coen and Cookeā€™s screenplay feels more devoted to cleverness than authenticity; outlandish plot twists pile up, under the guise of some esoteric cosmic significance, until they threaten to collapse in on themselves; in the end, for many viewers, it might all seem just a little too forced to be believable.

Fortunately, there are things to counterbalance that sense of overthinking that seems to permeate the script, most vital of which is the movieā€™s unambivalent embrace of its queer narrative. While it may borrow the familiar lesbians-on-the-run road tropes queer audiences have known for decades, it presents them in a story refreshingly devoid of shame or stigma; the sexuality of its heroines is something to be explored with nuance rather than subjected to the fetishized bias of the so-called ā€œmale gaze,ā€ and it succeeds in giving us ā€œtastefullyā€ explicit scenes of same sex love that celebrate the joy of human connection rather than turning it into a voyeuristic spectacle. Even more important, perhaps, ā€œDrive-Away Dollsā€ omits one particularly toxic clichĆ© of queer stories on film by refuising to make its queer heroines into victims; theyā€™re way too smart for that, and it makes us like them all the more, even if we donā€™t quite find ourselves absorbed in their story.

For this, full credit must go to Qualley and Viswanathan, who individually build fully relatable and multi-dimensional characters while also finding a sweet and believable chemistry within the awkwardness of finding a romantic love story between two friends ā€“ a complex species of relationship that surely deserves a more extensive and nuanced treatment than it gets space for in Coenā€™s film. As good as they are, though, itā€™s Feldsteinā€™s relatively small supporting turn that steals the movie, with an unflinching-yet-hilarious tough-as-nails performance as Qualleyā€™s ex that both acknowledges and undercuts the stereotype of the ā€œangry lesbianā€ while striking an immensely satisfying blow for queer female empowerment. The always-stellar Domingo underplays his way through an effectively civilized supporting performance as the chief ā€œheavyā€, and Matt Damon makes a sly cameo as a conservative politician, while daddy-of-the-decade Pedro Pascal shows up for a brief but key role that gives winking service to fans who remember him from his ā€œGame of Thronesā€ days ā€“ though to say more about any of those appearances would constitute a spoiler.

ā€œDrive-Away Dollsā€ has been met with mixed reviews, and this one is no exception. Thereā€™s an unmistakable good intention behind it, and much to be appreciated in its sex-positive outlook and commitment to an unapologetically queer story and characters, but while its stylistic embellishments provide for campy enjoyment, itā€™s ultimately diffused by its own cleverness. Still, the queer joy that frequently peeks through it is more than enough reason to say that itā€™s a good choice for a fun date night at the movies.

At the end of the day, what more can you ask?

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Watch ā€˜Feud,ā€™ if you like glam and wit doused with betrayal and regret

New series focuses on Truman Capote and NYC socialites

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ā€˜Feudā€™ features NYC socialites known as the ā€˜swansā€™ and airs on F/X and Hulu through March 13. (Photo courtesy of FX)

Nothing is more of a pick-me-up in the doldrums of winter than a fabulously acted, incredibly stylish feud. Complete with Champagne flutes and a splendiferous mid-century ball at New York Cityā€™s Plaza Hotel. Especially, when itā€™s part of the ouevre of queer TV producer and creator Ryan Murphy, whose beloved shows include  ā€œAmerican Horror Story,ā€ ā€œGleeā€ and the anthology series ā€œFeud.ā€

Season 2 of Feud, ā€œFeud: Capote vs. The Swans,ā€ which premiered on Jan. 31, will air weekly on FX through March 13. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.

ā€œFeudā€™sā€ powerhouse cast, which delivers stellar performances, includes: Tom Hollander as Truman Capote along with Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny and Calista Flockhart as Capoteā€™s swans.

Demi Moore plays Ann Woodward, a socialite who Capote falsely said intended to murder her husband. Molly Ringwald portrays Joanne Carson who befriended Capote when nearly no one  would take him in. The role of CBS chairman Bill Paley fits the late Treat Williams like a glove.

Hollander makes Capote seem like a brilliant, flawed, cruel, sometimes kind, human being, rather than a ā€œfairyā€ caricature. 

Jessica Lang does a star turn as the ghost of Capoteā€™s mother. Gus Van Sant directs most of the episodes of ā€œFeud.ā€

ā€œFeudā€ is based on Laurence Leamerā€™s book  ā€œCapoteā€™s Women.ā€ Playwright and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz adapted Leamerā€™s book into the miniseries ā€œFeud.ā€

ā€œFeudā€ is the story of how acclaimed queer author Capote, after becoming their best friend betrayed his ā€œswans.ā€

ā€œThe swans,ā€ were the rich, beautiful, New York society women who confided their secrets (from their insecurities about their looks to their husbandsā€™ infidelities) to Capote. 

These ā€œswans,ā€ who took Capote into their inner circle, were: Babe Paley (wife of CBS chairman Bill Paley), Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedyā€™s sister), socialite Slim Keith (ex-wife of Howard Hawks and Leland Hayward) and socialite C.Z. Guest.

ā€œYou canā€™t blame a writer for what the characters say,ā€ Capote, once said.

His swans didnā€™t agree with Capoteā€™s dictum.

Capoteā€™s betrayal of the swans occurred in 1975. That year, ā€œEsquireā€ published ā€œLa Cote Basque, 1965,ā€ a chapter from Capoteā€™s much anticipated novel ā€œAnswered Prayers.ā€

(Capote never completed the novel. An unfinished version was published after his death.)

The ā€œEsquireā€ story, set in the restaurant where Capote often lunched with his ā€œswans,ā€ hurt and infuriated ā€œthe ladies who lunched.ā€ The details revealed in the ā€œEsquireā€ story were so personal and thinly veiled that the ā€œswansā€ felt readers would easily identify them.

ā€œFeudā€ depicts the bonds of friendship that frequently exist between hetero women and queer men. Capote gave his ā€œswansā€ the love and attention their spouses failed to provide. Babe Paley called Capote her ā€œsecond husband.ā€

For Capote, an outsider because he was gay, ā€œthe swansā€ provided acceptance, association with high society (which he both loved and despised) and material for his writing.

Capote became estranged from the ā€œswansā€ right after the ā€œEsquireā€ story was published.

ā€œFeudā€ goes back and forth in time. At first, this is a bit disconcerting. But, soon, it keeps things moving, and provides fascinating glimpses into Capote and the ā€œswans.ā€

Bill and Babe Paley think Capote is the ā€œother Trumanā€ (Harry Truman) when they meet him in the 1950s.

In the 1970s, after the ā€œswansā€ have shunned him, Capote is a washed-up, alcoholic, drug-addicted has-been. (Capote died in 1984 at age 59 of liver disease.)

The third episode is the stand-out of ā€œFeud.ā€ In 1966, Capote was at the height of his power after ā€œIn Cold Blood, his ā€œnon-fictionā€ novel, had been published to much acclaim and commercial success. To celebrate, Capote threw a Black and White masquerade ball. The ball, to which Capote invited 540 guests, was the most famous party of the 20th century. Katherine Graham of The Washington Post was the guest of honor.

The episode is shot as a (fictional) documentary of the ball. Shot in black and white, itā€™s visually stunning. We see interviews with some of the ā€œswans,ā€ who are ticked off, but trying not to show it, because Capote had led them to believe they would be the guest of honor.

Watch ā€œFeud,ā€ if you like glam, hats, white gloves, cocktails and wit doused with betrayal and regret.

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Rough and sexy ā€˜Open To Itā€™ explores lighter side of polyamory

Take a break from prestige cinema and enjoy this new TV series

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Tim Wardell and Frank Arthur Smith explore polyamory. (Photo courtesy of OutTV)

With Hollywoodā€™s big awards season launching into full swing, January tends to be a month all about the movies ā€“ especially for people whose job it is to see them all and write about them. Itā€™s a pleasure, of course, if you love cinema; but letā€™s face it, most of the award-hopeful films getting the spotlight as the new year turns tend to be pretty serious stuff. Everybody needs a break from that, once in a while.

Thatā€™s why weā€™re happy to take a brief pause from the whirlwind of ā€œprestige cinemaā€ to take a look at something that doesnā€™t feel quite so heavy, and the fact that itā€™s available in small doses on your screen-of-choice at home ā€“ via queer streaming service OutTV ā€“ makes it even more appealing. Oh, and itā€™s also sexy, which doesnā€™t hurt.

Cut from a similar cloth as some of the edgier ā€œwacky sitcomsā€ enjoyed by Gen X-ers and Millennials in their younger years ā€“ but with a spicier, more diverse flavor to bridge the three-decade gap in our cultural evolution and infuse things with a more Gen-Z-friendly perspective ā€“ and assembled as a long-form narrative told in short (about 10 minutes) installments, ā€œOpen To Itā€ is the creation of writer/actor/director Frank Arthur Smith. He stars as Greg, a previously repressed gay man now living the dream in West Hollywood as half of a loving, committed relationship with his partner, Cam (Tim Wardell). Though Cam (a self-proclaimed ā€œformer slutā€) is happy to have settled into comfortable monogamy, Greg is curious to explore the more free-wheeling sexual lifestyle he denied himself in the past. The solution, of course, is for the couple to experiment with the possibility of opening up their relationship, which is where we meet them as the first episode starts: anxiously awaiting the arrival of Princeton (Jason Caceres), a sexy twink they met on Grindr and invited to join them for their first-ever threesome.

Since we already mentioned the word ā€œwacky,ā€ itā€™s probably not too hard to guess that things donā€™t go quite as smoothly as planned. Instead of a hot, steamy evening of pushing their sexual boundaries, the two experience a farcical disaster that, for most of us, might be considered a worst-case scenario. That, of course, establishes a formula that more or less repeats in each successive episode, as the showā€™s plucky lead couple determinedly keeps trying to expand into the brave new world of polyamory despite one hilariously awkward sexual debacle after another, complicated even further by the persistent Princeton, who wants more in spite of the less-than-ideal circumstances of their first encounter, and the well-meaning but intrusive couple next door (Elsa Aranda and Reggie Thomas as, respectively, a bisexual wild-child and her prudish lesbian partner), whose efforts to be supportive somehow all seem to have the opposite result. Add to this mix Camā€™s overprotective Drag Mother (Laganja Estranja), and you have a recipe for queer comedy of the most chaotic kind.

Beginning its life on the film festival circuit, where the first few episodes made the rounds and became an audience favorite, ā€œOpen To Itā€ racked up millions of online views, prompting OutTV to pick it up as a series ā€” and affording Smith and his crew the budget to complete the rest of the season. With that in mind, itā€™s not a surprise that the opening handful of episodes are a little rough around the edges, though it doesnā€™t take long before you see the actors gaining confidence and relaxing into a natural rhythm. Even in their clunkiest moments, though, these early chapters manage to convey the blend of over-the-top (and definitely NSFW) absurd humor and cheerfully unfettered sex-positivity the show is going for with its comedy-of-errors storyline, which is enough to make us want more, and watching both the players and the characters they portray develop helps the second half of the season blossom further into itself.

In the showā€™s press material, Smith says his idea for the series came from his weariness over shows about queer life with ā€œself-sabotaging protagonistsā€ and ā€œa downtrodden tone,ā€ which often tended to take something of a judgmental tone about ā€œpolyamorous or otherwise non-monogamous relationships.ā€

ā€œI wanted to make a sex- and relationship-positive show that normalized gay JOY,ā€ he says. ā€œSexy swingers, monogamous married couples, people having a ā€˜50 Shades of Greyā€™ tie-up night ā€” all are welcome and celebrated in the world of ā€˜Open To It.ā€™ā€

Whether or not the series succeeds in ā€œnormalizingā€ anything, it certainly makes a determined effort to depict it. Itā€™s a show about sex, centering on characters exploring their sex lives, and itā€™s not afraid to take us as far as broadcast standards will allow. That boils down to LOTS of sex scenes, some of them looking almost as if they could be judiciously-cropped excerpts from somebodyā€™s OnlyFans content, which might seem more gratuitous than they are if everything else in the show felt like an excuse to show lots of sex ā€“ but, perhaps surprisingly, it doesnā€™t.

While the show (and its main characters, for the most part) may seem fixated on sex, its progression leads inevitably to an exploration not just of the mores and manners of a polyamorous world, but of navigating a relationship through it. And while things may seem drawn in broad, cartoonish strokes in the first episodes which have dropped since the showā€™s OutTV premiere on January 2, developments as the season progresses turn characters that might seem at first like stereotyped caricatures into more complex, unexpected, and refreshingly open-minded individuals, all learning – or maybe, making up – the rules as they go along.

Itā€™s that willingness to go deeper ā€” all while keeping things light and as near to ridiculous as possible without becoming pure anarchy ā€” that ultimately helps ā€œOpen To Itā€ pay off. To be sure, the writing, especially early on, sometimes borders on the clumsy and contrived, more nervous exposition than tone-setting introduction, and the tropes it embraces (more in fun than as reinforcement) about queer ā€œtypesā€ and relationships might occasionally be off-putting to viewers looking for a more nuanced approach. Yet in the end, and in surprising ways, the show finds a way forward that promises to expand each of its queer ā€œstockā€ characters ā€” the repressed gay child acting out sexually as an adult, the too-good-to-be-true sexy-but-smart boyfriend, the tough-loving and ā€œteaā€-spilling drag queen, the opposites-attract clichĆ© of the lesbian couple next door ā€” into more fully fleshed-out, complex individuals.

With three more episodes in post-production, and ā€œmuch more to come,ā€ according to Smith, it appears weā€™ll have a chance to watch that process continue. And while it may not be the kind of slick-and-polished fare that bigger-budget streaming services use to attract queer viewers, thereā€™s something about its raw-and-unvarnished quality that makes it feel a lot more sincere than most of them ā€” even if it doesnā€™t make the cut when the next ā€œawards seasonā€ rolls around.

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