The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Liberace "Behind the Candelabra"
brianr:
I have just returned from watching this movie and have very confused feelings.
It was hardly discussed in the movie thread. Apparently it was only on TV in the USA because it was considered "too gay" As someone said on IMDB "This is after Brokeback??"
My 60 + movie group goes to a movie on the 2nd Sunday of the month. I am glad I did not see it with them. However the audience was similar - Elderly ladies and one or 2 older men like me (except they were accompanied by ladies and I was alone).
I never liked Liberace much, thankfully my music tastes are better and he made me squirm as he was so much a queen.
Towards the end of the movie I was loathing him completely and although I felt a bit sorry for him dying of AIDS (I did not know that before) I still think he was completely repugnant and not a person I would like my friends to see as typically gay.
My sister told me today that her best friend wanted to see the movie but it has apparently finished screening in Australia. Thank God. Her friend is 79. like my sister but, unlike my sister who has watched her young brother deal with being gay, is completely homophobic and I watch what I say in her presence.
This movie would hardly improve her views.
While my life has been no stranger to back room bars I was a little embarrassed at them being depicted in front of that audience. However in his late 50's Liberace picked up a (16 - 18 it seems to vary) boy, Scott, from a broken home, lavishes him with gifts and sex and even arranges for him to have a completely unnecessary facelift then throws him over when a younger trick meets his eye. And apparently there were several such victims, only Scott has written about it.
Much is made of the fact that Scott is now a drug addict and has been in jail. Can anyone be surprised?
Both Matt Damon and Michael Douglas give good performances so that made seeing the movie worthwhile, although I could have wished the face surgery was not depicted in such detail. However I felt sick that straight people my age should be viewing such a seedy side of gay life.
Monika:
--- Quote from: brian on September 28, 2013, 11:47:21 pm ---I have just returned from watching this movie and have very confused feelings.
It was hardly discussed in the movie thread. Apparently it was only on TV in the USA because it was considered "too gay" As someone said on IMDB "This is after Brokeback??"
My 60 + movie group goes to a movie on the 2nd Sunday of the month. I am glad I did not see it with them. However the audience was similar - Elderly ladies and one or 2 older men like me (except they were accompanied by ladies and I was alone).
I never liked Liberace much, thankfully my music tastes are better and he made me squirm as he was so much a queen.
Towards the end of the movie I was loathing him completely and although I felt a bit sorry for him dying of AIDS (I did not know that before) I still think he was completely repugnant and not a person I would like my friends to see as typically gay.
My sister told me today that her best friend wanted to see the movie but it has apparently finished screening in Australia. Thank God. Her friend is 79. like my sister but, unlike my sister who has watched her young brother deal with being gay, is completely homophobic and I watch what I say in her presence.
This movie would hardly improve her views.
While my life has been no stranger to back room bars I was a little embarrassed at them being depicted in front of that audience. However in his late 50's Liberace picked up a (16 - 18 it seems to vary) boy, Scott, from a broken home, lavishes him with gifts and sex and even arranges for him to have a completely unnecessary facelift then throws him over when a younger trick meets his eye. And apparently there were several such victims, only Scott has written about it.
Much is made of the fact that Scott is now a drug addict and has been in jail. Can anyone be surprised?
Both Matt Damon and Michael Douglas give good performances so that made seeing the movie worthwhile, although I could have wished the face surgery was not depicted in such detail. However I felt sick that straight people my age should be viewing such a seedy side of gay life.
--- End quote ---
Well, at least you can take comfort in the fact that there are plenty of movies out there depicting the seedy life of heterosexuals as well.
brianr:
--- Quote from: Monika on September 29, 2013, 04:07:31 pm ---Well, at least you can take comfort in the fact that there are plenty of movies out there depicting the seedy life of heterosexuals as well.
--- End quote ---
Yes but unfortunately people do not always see that. My sister's girlfriend is so bitter about gay men because her other best friend was married to a gay man. The eventual happened and they divorced leaving her to bring up a daughter in poverty while he was a successful medical practitioner. Of course this all happened long ago as they are all now in their late 70's and was before the laws were changed which would now make him pay support.
Now we know that sort of thing happens all the time with heterosexuals but for my sister's friend it damns all gay men.
Sophia:
--- Quote from: brian on September 28, 2013, 11:47:21 pm ---I have just returned from watching this movie and have very confused feelings.
It was hardly discussed in the movie thread. Apparently it was only on TV in the USA because it was considered "too gay" As someone said on IMDB "This is after Brokeback??"
My 60 + movie group goes to a movie on the 2nd Sunday of the month. I am glad I did not see it with them. However the audience was similar - Elderly ladies and one or 2 older men like me (except they were accompanied by ladies and I was alone).
I never liked Liberace much, thankfully my music tastes are better and he made me squirm as he was so much a queen.
Towards the end of the movie I was loathing him completely and although I felt a bit sorry for him dying of AIDS (I did not know that before) I still think he was completely repugnant and not a person I would like my friends to see as typically gay.
My sister told me today that her best friend wanted to see the movie but it has apparently finished screening in Australia. Thank God. Her friend is 79. like my sister but, unlike my sister who has watched her young brother deal with being gay, is completely homophobic and I watch what I say in her presence.
This movie would hardly improve her views.
While my life has been no stranger to back room bars I was a little embarrassed at them being depicted in front of that audience. However in his late 50's Liberace picked up a (16 - 18 it seems to vary) boy, Scott, from a broken home, lavishes him with gifts and sex and even arranges for him to have a completely unnecessary facelift then throws him over when a younger trick meets his eye. And apparently there were several such victims, only Scott has written about it.
Much is made of the fact that Scott is now a drug addict and has been in jail. Can anyone be surprised?
Both Matt Damon and Michael Douglas give good performances so that made seeing the movie worthwhile, although I could have wished the face surgery was not depicted in such detail. However I felt sick that straight people my age should be viewing such a seedy side of gay life.
--- End quote ---
I saw Liberace "behind the candelabra" a few weeks ago as well, and I must say it made me confused too...a lot of wondering questions were raist in my head..... I think I can answer one of your questions thou...why Scott is the only one, who have written about it, according to Scott, he is the only one alive. He says, he knows about 4 boys who died from AIDS after having relationship with Liberace. (one of the boys who died, is portraited in the movie, as Liberace new love interest.)
brianr:
--- Quote from: sophytofu on September 29, 2013, 05:13:41 pm --- I think I can answer one of your questions thou...why Scott is the only one, who have written about it, according to Scott, he is the only one alive. He says, he knows about 4 boys who died from AIDS after having relationship with Liberace. (one of the boys who died, is portraited in the movie, as Liberace new love interest.)
--- End quote ---
Thanks, that explains a lot. I tend to forget now, after over 20 years, that so many died at that time. It was such a horrible time that one tends to suppress the memories.
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