Sex and Various Degrees of Societal Acceptance and Rock and Roll

[zustifer]

The Nomi Song (2004), Andrew Horn. April 26, 8pm. View count: One.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), John Cameron Mitchell. April 27, 8:30pm. View count: Two.

The Nomi Song was a documentary-style thing about how Klaus Nomi was, although an impressive performer, too weird for the scene at the time, and therefore died alone of AIDS. The detail and color from the period that was imparted by people who were involved with his act in some way or another were interesting, but I feel like I spent the last fifteen minutes of the movie thinking 'But... this is terrible! This poor lonely man died at like 35, and none of these fuckers would even go to see him!' None of them even really knew him; this came across clearly between the lines. The movie didn't quite acknowledge the seriousness of this. Some interesting footage, and great costumes, but sad in a sort of insidious way.

Hedwig. I last saw it when it came out in Seattle, alone, because no one wanted to see it with me (maybe people were just busy). I've only ever seen one other movie (Ghost World, about a month later) alone in the theatre. Anyway, it held up just fine; the animations (which I enjoyed the concept behind, but not the actual style itself) were not as pervasive as I remembered, which is just as well. The songs, which I remember being apprehensive about initially, still got the job done without being amazingly wonderful. I think that this is one of those movies where I appreciate all the little touches; all the personal and cultural iconography, all the characters carefully costumed and placed. It's a brightly-colored movie, without a lot of complex concepts, but it seems so lovingly created.

Comments

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Yikes, you saw Ghost World alone? Man, i saw that with the missus and i started crying after we left the theater.

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

I was definitely kind of in a daze afterward. It had also hit home in a few very specific ways, given what my situation was like at the time.
Man, I hate seeing movies by myself. It's not even not being able to talk about it afterward, there's something sad about sitting there alone.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

The only movie i can recall seeing alone was Spike Lee's "X", and i think it was for a class assignment or something. Powerful stuff.

[poupou.livejournal.com]

Um, are you sure we didn't see this together?

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure, although my diaryland archives from the time are not in front of me. I think you saw it shortly thereafter, although I don't know who you saw it with. I think I had a ticket for some random showing, and yours was different? Heck, I don't know.

[graydon.livejournal.com]

Nomi is a sad story, it's true. A poorly-appreciated but essentially awesome dude.

[unpleasant.livejournal.com]

In regards to The Nomi Song: We all had the same feelings when the movie drifted into Nomi's last days. All these people quietly excusing themselves for allowing Nomi to die alone. Strange and sad.

[pentomino.livejournal.com]

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a symbol of hope for me.

Until I saw Hedwig.