HANGING OUT AT THE QUEER CINEMA (LIKE
PEE WEE HERMAN WITHOUT THE HETEROSEXUAL CODING…)
THIS IS THE SALIVATION ARMY
, written and directed by Scott Treleaven (22 minutes, colour, 2002, Canada; with Kevin Drew, Michael Barker, Simone Moir & Scott Treleaven (and Big Ethel (R.I.P.) and Batgirl); music by kc accidental and the Electric Newspaper (Psychic TV); rental/preview inquiries at www.vtape.org; purchase inquiries at www.satanmacnuggit.com)Scott first was intercepted in my crosshairs (that sounds wrong, doesn't it?) with his film Queercore, which showed at the first Queer film festival in my town (which was the LAST one with punk content).
That was a nice documentary, on the linear tip, historical, sentimental and sad (water under the cruising bridge and all...).
This is different. This is Issue 9 of This Is The Salivation Army, a queer/punk/pagan 'zine that Scott and friends did between 1996 and 1999, except this edition is only in video form. It was made in response to controversy and regret, in which the individualistic, ritual aspects of their work were taken too literally by some folks, or, rather, taken for the surface level instead of the underlying message and implications, resulting in disturbing incidents documented within. Most terrifyingly, a soft drink company (bright blue can) tried to get involved, the MOST Satanic element of the equation.
Like a 'zine, it is cut-and-paste, rapid-edit, personal, ironic stuff. Stylistically, it has the feel of Derek Jarman doing The Blair Witch Project - lots of cuts; violence; spookiness; beauty; grainy pornography; and, heart-tuggingly for me and at least one other viewer, shots of Big Ethel and Batgirl, beautiful bull mastiffs, at romping play and close up.
The whole thing is sexy, sullen, literate, camp and provocative, but has to be experienced to be grasped. When the 22 minutes end, you'll want more!
LIFETIME GUARANTEE: PHRANC'S ADVENTURES IN PLASTIC
, directed by Lisa Udelson (58 minutes, colour, 2001, USA; www.pholksinger.com)Phranc is simply a goddess to me, and I will not feign objectivity. Even her selling Tupperware©, a product that freaked me out as a child (I've gotten over it, thanks to shock therapy involving gradual desensitization to the whispering ware...), did not sour me on her. There's something about 'a very, very, very butch lesbian' selling a product traditionally hawked by Stepford Wives that appeals to my warped sensibilities.
This documentary is stuffed with her tunes, which is always a good thing, and also follows her around in her life, both as a saleswoman and in a private minute or two (not many of those, and not much back story before 1991 or so, but, then, it is centered around her current career, so that is understandable...).
Speaking from selfishness, it was nice to see, among her clientele, a few gentlemen to whom 'woof' is not an insult or something a dog says, since Phranc will only hold parties for women or gay men (though one wonders how that can be tested, and I think some breeder boys slipped in (darn them!)).
The scenes at the Tupperware© convention are telling, if sad and overdone (I can see how you could be miffed they did not show your Donny and Marie clip, given what a successful saleswoman you were and the national exposure of the program, but it went on a bit long...). I still think it's freaky that there is a Tupperwareland© at corporate headquarters!
Nevertheless, an entertaining and informative take on her life...