Welcome back, y’all!
THE QUEEREST THING I WATCHED THIS WEEK
It was the Drag Race finale! So definitely that.
FILM
DID NOT FINISH
Drive Away Dolls (available on Peacock)
This category returns earlier than expected. I got about 2/3 of the way through this film and honestly, I’m amazed I stuck it out that long. It looked like it would be a fun lesbian road trip/crime comedy, but it was not fun, it was not funny, it was bizarre, it made no sense, every choice in every aspect was wrong, and I hated it so much. 1/10. Queer Factor: 6/7.
REWATCH
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (available on Amazon Prime)
I hadn’t seen this in ages, and it was almost as good as I remembered it. It is a satire of the 1930s propaganda film claiming that a single puff of pot will turn your children into degenerates. This was adapted into a stage musical that then was turned into this film. It’s incredibly funny, with some amazing talent like Kristen Bell, Ana Gasteyer, Neve Campbell, and Alan Cumming. There are a few negatives: some stereotyping of minorities, a very bad choice in an animated sequence, and domestic abuse as comedy (though the abused woman definitely gets her revenge). But, overall, it’s entertaining, and I’d love to see them remake it today without those elements. 6/10. Queer Factor: 2/7.
Lady and the Tramp (available on Disney+)
This is one of my favorite Disney animated films, despite its very obvious flaws. Tune in to the next episode of Agree to Disagree to hear more. 8/10. Queer Factor: 0/7.
NEW TO ME
Lisa Frankenstein (available on Peacock)
This was cute! The script is by Diablo Cody (Juno), and has that quirky sense of humor that she does so well. The director, Zelda Williams, has been around for a bit but this is her first major feature, and it does show. Her influences are on full display, so it doesn’t feel like she has her own point of view on the material. But the actors are great, and it is 80s on crack, so it’s a good time even though it’s not as good as it could have been. 6/10. Queer Factor: 0/7.
TELEVISION
COMPLETE SEASONS
The Girl from Plainville (Hulu)
This series dramatizes the real life case of Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning), who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for convincing her boyfriend, Conrad Roy (Colton Ryan), to kill himself. It has a really strong start but as the season goes on, the story gets a bit messy as they transition into showing their text exchanges as face to face conversations. It’s a narrative choice that I understand, but it starts to make things unclear. We bounce back and forth between two timelines, and those timelines start to blur in the second half as well. The performances by the two leads are exceptionally good, as well as Chloë Sevigny as Conrad’s mother, Lynn. But you might be better served from just reading about the case. 5/10. Queer Factor: 1/7.
CONTINUING SEASONS
Palm Royale (Apple TV+), Season 1, Episode 7
House of Laughs (WoW Presents+), Season 1, Episode 3
Shogun (FX on Hulu), Season 1, Episode 9
X-Men ‘97 (Disney+), Season 1, Episode 6
Weakest Link (NBC on Peacock), Season 6, Episode 14
Password (NBC on Peacock), Season 2, Episode 6
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 1, Episodes 12-13
Top Chef (Bravo on Peacock), Season 21, Episode 5
Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen (available on Peacock), Season 21, Episodes 4-5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (available on Paramount+), Season 3, Episode 20-21
Sugar (Apple TV+), Season 1, Episode 2-4
CONCLUDED SEASONS
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 16, Episode 16
We have a new reigning queen! All I’ll really say is that it’s not who I expected, but I’m not disappointed. The winner is well deserved. As for the season, this was a lot more drama than some other recent seasons, which made for some good television. There were a number of standout queens this season, so I’ll expect to see several of them on All Stars in the next couple of years. 8/10. Queer Factor: 7/7.
Angel (available on Hulu), Season 5, Episodes 15-22
This is the 4th or 5th time I’ve watched this show through, and it is sadly tinged with the knowledge that Charisma Carpenter was written out because she got pregnant. I skipped a bunch of episodes in a couple of seasons, and for the first time have more of an appreciation for Season 5. It’s not perfect, and it’s not as good as Buffy, but there are some great episodes that will look forward to visiting again. 7/10. Queer Factor: 2/7.
That’s it for this week! Grand total: 33 episodes, 3.66 films
Thanks for reading! Until next time, stay queer out there!