Memorable gay charactor in films

Kiss of the Spider Women impressed me back in the day (1985). It seemed to me that William Hurt did a great job as Luis Molina, the gay imprisoned for "immoral behaviour".

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Originally Posted by JohnMichael

If the title had been Comedies with memorable gay characters I would have thought nothing of the first group of movies. The title "Memorable gay character in films" made me think here is a thread I might enjoy.

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I bet you end up liking it in the end.
I sure have missed a lot of movies. BlockBuster must have let me down.

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Originally Posted by GMichael

I bet you end up liking it in the end..

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There you go stereotyping again. LOL

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Originally Posted by JohnMichael

There you go stereotyping again. LOL

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That's not what I meant when I first typed it, but when I read it back........:sosp:

I am enjoying the thread. I have learned about and been reminded of movies I really want to see.

The movies with gay characters I thoroughly enjoyed are "Tu Wong Foo, Thank you for everything Julie Newmar", and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", I thought both were very entertaining.

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Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible

The movies with gay characters I thoroughly enjoyed are "Tu Wong Foo, Thank you for everything Julie Newmar", and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", I thought both were very entertaining.

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Those two never made it to town.

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Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible

The movies with gay characters I thoroughly enjoyed are "Tu Wong Foo, Thank you for everything Julie Newmar", and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", I thought both were very entertaining.

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But aren't those transgender or crossdressing themes, not necessarily gay?

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Originally Posted by 3LB

But aren't those transgender or crossdressing themes, not necessarily gay?

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Transgender people feel their bodies do not match how they feel inside. During the gestation period and delivery of hormones a body can masculinize while the brain may feminize. A person may feel like a woman but she is sporting things in her pants that she does not want. She wants to look like a woman because that is how her brain thinks and feels.

When gay men dress up as women it is more for theatrics than for any type of arousal. While straight men dress as women they report sexual arousal and sometimes release from dressing as a woman. Gay men who dress up call themselves drag queens and straight men are referred to as cross dressers.

I find it funny that nobodies mentioned any FEMALE characters. "Boy's Don't Cry" was earth shattering to me. I also love Thelma and Louise. My most memorable Gay Male character was Massala from the film "Ben Hur". When I watched "The Celluloid Closet" many years ago Gore Vidal I believe discussed in detail how he felt the character of Heston's main villain should be played. He suggested that Massala be played as a gay male who'd had a crush on Ben Hur all his life.

A crush that turns deadly when Heston spurns his love/request for aid. They said that that's how it was played as well but they kept it secret from Heston (for obvious reasons). I thought this was tripe until I watched the film again with that slant in mind. If you re-view the film again watch the adoring looks Massala gives Hur when they meet in his office. Massala is never seen with any woman, only his blond second in command. The same blond that runs to his crushed and broken body at the end. No wife, no lover no girlfriend.

In my view I believe Vidal is telling the truth. And as such I consider him my most memorable gay character.

Worf

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Originally Posted by Worf101

I find it funny that nobodies mentioned any FEMALE characters. "Boy's Don't Cry" was earth shattering to me. I also love Thelma and Louise. My most memorable Gay Male character was Massala from the film "Ben Hur". When I watched "The Celluloid Closet" many years ago Gore Vidal I believe discussed in detail how he felt the character of Heston's main villain should be played. He suggested that Massala be played as a gay male who'd had a crush on Ben Hur all his life.

A crush that turns deadly when Heston spurns his love/request for aid. They said that that's how it was played as well but they kept it secret from Heston (for obvious reasons). I thought this was tripe until I watched the film again with that slant in mind. If you re-view the film again watch the adoring looks Massala gives Hur when they meet in his office. Massala is never seen with any woman, only his blond second in command. The same blond that runs to his crushed and broken body at the end. No wife, no lover no girlfriend.

In my view I believe Vidal is telling the truth. And as such I consider him my most memorable gay character.

Worf

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Gads! I haven't watch Ben Hur since back in the day; I'll have to watch it again some time. As a youngster I guess I was a tad naive.

Speaking of Gore Vidal, (tangentially), I've read only three of his books:

• - Messiah
• - Julian
• - Creation

I enjoyed all of these, especially Creation which I've read a number of times -- great historical fiction. I'm try to get to Burr.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...x-Creation.JPG

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Originally Posted by Worf101

I find it funny that nobodies mentioned any FEMALE characters. "Boy's Don't Cry" was earth shattering to me. I also love Thelma and Louise. My most memorable Gay Male character was Massala from the film "Ben Hur". When I watched "The Celluloid Closet" many years ago Gore Vidal I believe discussed in detail how he felt the character of Heston's main villain should be played. He suggested that Massala be played as a gay male who'd had a crush on Ben Hur all his life.

A crush that turns deadly when Heston spurns his love/request for aid. They said that that's how it was played as well but they kept it secret from Heston (for obvious reasons). I thought this was tripe until I watched the film again with that slant in mind. If you re-view the film again watch the adoring looks Massala gives Hur when they meet in his office. Massala is never seen with any woman, only his blond second in command. The same blond that runs to his crushed and broken body at the end. No wife, no lover no girlfriend.

In my view I believe Vidal is telling the truth. And as such I consider him my most memorable gay character.

Worf

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Maybe Massala was a Greek :D

Have Ben Hur on DVD and watched it recently, and there is no indications that Massala might [or have tendency to] be gay. That is first time heard of such a thing. Don't know, but I'm not buying it.

Btw, how did Thelma and Louise end up in this thread. I though they were just best friends :sosp:

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Originally Posted by Smokey

Maybe Massala was a Greek :D

Have Ben Hur on DVD and watched it recently, and there is no indications that Massala might [or have tendency to] be gay. That is first time heard of such a thing. Don't know, but I'm not buying it.

Btw, how did Thelma and Louise end up in this thread. I though they were just best friends :sosp:

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Reminds me of times when people are surprised I am gay. If you do not want to see it you do not see it.

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Originally Posted by JohnMichael

Reminds me of times when people are surprised I am gay. If you do not want to see it you do not see it.

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You're gay? You never said anything during our sleepover.

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Originally Posted by Smokey

Maybe Massala was a Greek :D

Have Ben Hur on DVD and watched it recently, and there is no indications that Massala might [or have tendency to] be gay. That is first time heard of such a thing. Don't know, but I'm not buying it.

Btw, how did Thelma and Louise end up in this thread. I though they were just best friends :sosp:

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Yeah well, I'd have no reason to make something like that up. It's too far fetched to NOT be true.

Worf

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Originally Posted by GMichael

You're gay? You never said anything during our sleepover.

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Those weren't pillows!

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Originally Posted by gmichael

you're gay? You never said anything during our sleepover.

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lololol!!!!

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Originally Posted by Smokey

Maybe Massala was a Greek :D

Have Ben Hur on DVD and watched it recently, and there is no indications that Massala might [or have tendency to] be gay. That is first time heard of such a thing. Don't know, but I'm not buying it.

Btw, how did Thelma and Louise end up in this thread. I though they were just best friends :sosp:

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You should watch The Celluloid Closet. Charleton Heston didn't think so which made it a pretty good inside joke. The Susan Sarandon interview segments are good, too. This thread has made me want to watch it again. I couldn't find it on NetFlix, so I guess I'll have to whip out the ol' vhs copy - oh, the horror.

You can go as far back as Marlene Deitrich in a top hat and tails kissing another chick to find a wink and a nod to the gay community. It hasn't always been obvious because of the old Code developed in the 30s, the Board of Decency that tried to control content up until '68, and attitudes in Hollywood. Subtlety was the name of the game in the old days.

My favorite character (admittedly for prurient reasons) is the female/lesbian vampire. Reading Vampires and Violets gave me a new and different perspective on this character. She had to die in the male-dominated stories of the natural vs. unnatural (e.g., many of the Hammer films), but her role was vastly different and often heroic or at the very least sympathetic in Dracula's Daughter, Daughters of Darkness and others.

I'm feeling a little rejected. Am I not cute enough?:cryin:

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Originally Posted by GMichael

I'm feeling a little rejected. Am I not cute enough?:cryin:

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You'll do just fine though I understand that polar bears are kind of a niche community...

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Originally Posted by GMichael

I'm feeling a little rejected. Am I not cute enough?:cryin:

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I sent you some greenie lovin'.

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Originally Posted by dean_martin

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My favorite character (admittedly for prurient reasons) is the female/lesbian vampire. Reading Vampires and Violets gave me a new and different perspective on this character. She had to die in the male-dominated stories of the natural vs. unnatural (e.g., many of the Hammer films), but her role was vastly different and often heroic or at the very least sympathetic in Dracula's Daughter, Daughters of Darkness and others.

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Speaking of lesbian characters and prurience, I was hot for Sandahl Bergman as Queen Gedren who hits pretty hard on the title character in Red Sonja, (the otherwise exceedingly crappy Schwarzenegger flick).

http://moonwolves.files.wordpress.co.../redsonja1.jpg

Admittedly I found her just as hot in her straight role as Valeria in Conan the Barbarian (1982).

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Originally Posted by JohnMichael

I sent you some greenie lovin'.

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That doesn't sound as good as it really is.:yikes:

Thanks for the luv.:thumbsup:

Let us not forget "Fried Green Tomatoes" and the characters of Ruth and Idgie. Now that was a movie.

Two very good films curiously missing from this thread are "The 24th Hour," and "Latter Days."

The former stars Scott Speedman and James Marcus. Speedman believes Marcus infected him with HIV, and is responsible for Speedman's wife's death. Marcus is duped by Speedman believing a "tryst" is forthcoming, only to be tied up and held in Speedman's apartment, awaiting a blood test. It's pretty intense, has a shocker of an ending, and is well worth watching.

The latter is about a closeted gay man, who also is a Mormon Missionary, and a flamboyant gay slut and their obvious attraction to one another. There are very strong statements made in the film about the Mormon church's intensely homophobic views. Whether anyone feels a sexual relationship between two men is right or wrong, it's hard not to feel that reactions towards such a relationship from certain members of society are pretty awful and just plain wrong. Also worth watching.