September 11, 2024

Hollywood’s rainbow: Hollywood Pride author Alonso Duralde

Hollywood has long been a place of glamour and storytelling, but its history with LGBTQ+ representation is complex and ever-evolving. Film critic Alonso Duralde dives deep into this fascinating world in his new book, Hollywood Pride: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Representation and Perseverance in Film.

Hollywood Pride is a history of queer Hollywood in chronological order, starting from the very beginnings of cinema in 1895 and journeying all the way to 2022. It’s not just about the movies themselves; Alonso delves into the lives of the artists – actors, directors, writers, and more – who have shaped Hollywood, both on and off screen. “The book is a look at how queer history evolved over those decades, off the screen and in society,” Alonso explains. “And then how that was reflected in the movies.”

Each chapter focuses on a specific period, highlighting the key LGBTQ+ figures and films of that era. It explores not only positive portrayals but also the coded messages and subtext that emerged during times of censorship, like the Hays Code era. Alonso argues that even negative portrayals hold certain significance. “Even negative inclusion is at least visibility and a reminder that we exist,” he says. “It’s not the greatest reminder, but it’s better than nothing.”

The book examines Alfred Hitchcock’s films, some of which are very homophobic, but still offer a glimpse of LGBTQ+ characters.There are also unexpected gems celebrated in the book, such as 1999’s The Mummy, a film that has resonated with the bisexual community. By the 1970’s, Dog Day Afternoon and Midnight Cowboy could more openly deal with gay characters, if not in the best light.

Alonso especially enjoyed writing about Salome, Caged, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Ed Wood’s Glen or Glenda, and by the 1990’s, the era of the New Queer Cinema movement. While celebrating the strides made in LGBTQ+ representation, Alonso acknowledges there are still many stories waiting to be told. “It feels like I was skimming the surface of a very deep topic,” he says. But even a glimpse into this rich history is a valuable step forward, offering a deeper understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences in cinema and beyond.

You can find Hollywood Pride as a book, ebook, or audiobook wherever books are sold.

**WIN A COPY OF HOLLYWOOD PRIDE! Like, Follow and Comment on our post for this week’s episode on Instagram, Facebook or Threads and we will pick a winner**
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Find Alonso Duralde: Instagram: @alonso.duralde

Listen to our previous interview with Alonso Duralde about his Christmas film book, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas. https://www.camnoir.com/holiday2018/

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March 23, 2022

Jenelle Riley, Variety’s Deputy Awards and Features Editor, discusses the 2022 Academy Awards nominations

Long-time friend and colleague Jenelle Riley of Variety magazine chats with Ben and Illya for our third annual Oscar nominations special. They discuss what they liked, what will win, what should win, and their favorite movies of the year that may not have been recognized.

Here’s a rundown of some of the nominations discussed in this episode, as well as great films that were not nominated this awards season. Listen to our interviews with some of the nominated DPs and other noteable films of the year!

Annette
The Sparks Brothers
The Power of the Dog, Ari Wegner
Jane Campion
Zola
Dune, Greig Fraser
Denis Villeneuve
Nightmare Alley, Dan Laustsen
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bruno Delbonnel
Westside Story, Janusz Kominski
Steven Spielberg
King Richard, Robert Elswit
Cyrano, Seamus McGarvey
Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson
Belfast, Haris Zambarloukos

Find Jenelle Riley on Instagram and Twitter: @jenelleriley and Variety: https://variety.com/

Find out even more about this episode, with extensive show notes and links: https://camnoir.com/oscars2022/

Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Twitter: @ShortEndz

December 15, 2021

Oscar winning cinematographer Robert Elswit, ASC on King Richard, Nightcrawler, Boogie Nights and Magnolia

Legendary cinematographer Robert Elswit has shot a wide range of movies, including Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood- which won him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography- Magnolia, Good Night and Good Luck, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Bourne Legacy, two Mission Impossible movies, and of course Return of the Living Dead Part 2.

Robert’s latest film is King Richard, a biopic that tells the story of how Richard Williams, the father of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, was determined to shape his daughters into champions. From the beginning, Robert and director Reinaldo Marcus Green wanted the tennis to be realistic. They watched many other tennis movies and didn’t find the speed and athleticism of the actors to be believable. They knew it was going to be tricky dealing with actors pretending to be tennis players. Fortunately, the story was about Venus and Serena developing and honing their tennis skills, so the playing didn’t have to look perfect. The matches were carefully designed around scripted beats that moved the story forward. Robert and Green decided to show only specific moments of the matches, including how Venus and Serena interacted with other players, how the parents interacted with their kids, and how Richard interacted with the coaches and his kids. They were careful in thinking about how to shoot the match, keeping it as interesting and as believable as it could be in terms of speed and athleticism but also making sure that the audience understands what is happening emotionally with the characters. For the look of King Richard, Robert chose several different types of filters and diffusion to represent the light in Compton, but didn’t use as many for Florida, so that the sun could feel more bright and harsh.

Robert’s throughline for Los Angeles for the film Nightcrawler was shooting the ribbons of freeways that run through the Valley, as the main character Louis Bloom drives around LA looking for crime as a news stringer. It was impossible to fake it with a green screen. Robert, the cast and crew had to literally drive around and shoot Los Angeles at night. They had no time or budget to light things, so they scouted locations that were already lit. He took advantage of the street lights and the ambient light from billboards and stores. This approach gave the movie its distinctly seedy look, and Robert felt it was clearly the only approach that fit the script.

You can see King Richard on HBO Max.

Find out even more about this episode, with extensive show notes and links: https://camnoir.com//ep151/

Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com

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The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Twitter: @ShortEndz