Actors Alan Cumming and Lea DeLaria along with Drag Queen Charles Busch discuss cross-dressing in cinema and classic lesbian films in specially produced mini documentaries. This series is found ONLY on FilmStruck. As are many of the films they discuss.
FilmStruck will once again celebrate Pride month this June with five curated collections dedicated to exploring LGBTQ themes and artists in cinema. Actor and cultural icon Alan Cumming and well-known drag queen Charles Busch will offer first-hand and heartwarming accounts of cross-dressing as an artistic expression, while Orange is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria provides insightful and comedic commentary celebrating classic lesbian cinema. These specially produced mini documentaries feature more than 30 quintessential classic and modern films addressing LGBTQ issues, ranging from A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013). FilmStruck’s Pride month showcase offers an extensive examination of how far Hollywood and global cinema have come in portraying same-sex love on screen.
“FilmStruck will explore LGBTQ themes in cinema and celebrate gay and lesbian filmmakers who have played such an important role in film history. As part of the celebration we will discuss the ways in which cultural and societal institutions have often suppressed sexual orientation over the course of history, including in film,” said Charles Tabesh, senior vice president of programming & production for TCM and FilmStruck. "Our lineup of curated film collections for Pride month will celebrate movies that have reached new audiences with sympathetic and inclusive storytelling.” FilmStruck’s curated lineup of LGBTQ films will feature movies that have had an impact in cinematic history with special themes including Dressing the Part, streaming June 1st. Cumming and Busch offer their experiences and thoughts on this cinematic look at cross-dressing as an art form with films ranging from 1959’s Some Like It Hot to 2001’s Hedwig & The Angry Inch. Star of the week, Liza Minnelli's films Cabaret (1972) and Tell Me You Love Me, Junie Moon (1972) stream June 8. Named as one of Out Magazine's "12 Greatest Female Gay Icons of All Time," Minnelli shines in these films, performing at the peak of her career. Written by Tennessee Williams, also streams June 8. This group of classics features films based on the iconic playwright’s works like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Classics of Lesbian Cinema, streaming June 22 has Lea DeLaria examining seven Sapphic films including the first feature film directed by a black lesbian, The Watermelon Woman (1996), and an adaptation of Jane Rule’s novel, Desert Hearts (1985).
There's much more to the offerings on FilmStruck during Pride month as well as the rest of the year. Be sure to take this opportunity to explore the service and see how much it has to offer to the online classic movie fan.