Writing While Nonbinary

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I first discovered the term "nonbinary" and realized that I wasn't alone, but it was around fifteen years ago. Since then, I've watched awareness and visibility increase far more than I could have imagined back then. However, after those early days of relief and validation, I've …

Horror, Tone, and Emotional Payoff

By coincidence, I happened to watch two different horror movies recently that center on characters named Grace attempting to bond with new relatives with disastrous results: Ready or Not (2019) and The Lodge (2019). I enjoyed both movies a lot, and it was interesting to compare the different reasons I enjoyed them. I hesitate to …

Challenges of Memoir Writing

I've always been a fiction writer first and foremost. I've been making up characters and stories for almost as long as I could talk. But sometimes I like the idea of telling my own stories. Being a writer, perhaps it comes naturally to me to process my experiences and feelings through language, if only in …

Pride 2017: But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

In the late 90s and early '00s, Natasha Lyonne starred in several offbeat or irreverent films. While I'm partial to the 1998 coming-of-age movie Slums of Beverly Hills, one of her most iconic performances is definitely the lead role of Megan in 1999's But I'm a Cheerleader (dir. Jamie Babbit). Source: IMDb Megan, a cheerleader …

Pride 2017: Tangerine (2015)

When Tangerine was released, one of the main things that garnered attention was that it was filmed entirely on the iPhone 5s. As someone who is a sucker for creative, low-budget cinematography, Tangerine is worth watching for this factor alone. Director Sean Baker succeeds in making great use of the technology to capture some creative …

Pride 2017: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

I'm wrapping up reviews today, starting with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (dir. Stephan Elliott). Source: IMDb Priscilla stars Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, and Terence Stamp as two drag queens and a transgender woman who go on a road trip across the Australian desert to perform a drag show in a remote resort town. Traveling …

Pride 2017: Milk (2008)

I'm going to be honest: the hardest part of this review series was when I decided to try to review Milk. Source: IMDb Here's the thing: Milk is a very well-made movie. Gus Van Sant is perhaps one of my favorite directors. Dustin Lance Black's script is very good. The cinematography and production design do …

Pride 2017: Bound (1996)

While LGBTQ representation in film has improved greatly over the past couple decades, there's still a dearth of genre films about LGBTQ characters. So 1996's Bound, written and directed by the Wachowskis very early in their careers, is particularly significant. It would be hyperbolic to call it a perfect movie, because it's not, but it …

Pride 2017: Saving Face (2004)

As I finish up this review series, I'd like to review one of my all-time favorite LGBTQ-themed films: Saving Face (2004, dir. Alice Wu) Source: IMDb Michelle Krusiec stars as Wil, a successful New York surgeon. Having grown up in a traditional Chinese-American community, Wil is fiercely closeted about being a lesbian and tolerates her mother's matchmaking …

Pride 2017: The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Note: This review will contain some major spoilers, as I don't think I can do it justice without addressing them. But it's a seven-year-old movie, so.... You've been warned. Source: IMDb Critically-praised movies about LGBTQ characters starring A-list actors are something of a rarity, so Lisa Cholodenko's 2010 film The Kids Are All Right is promising …