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  1. #31

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Great article! We've talked about this issue in meetings of our Bi discussion group. Someone mentioned that there aren't enough depictions of bi men--I agree. (Got to admit it's self-interest on my part: seeing two men touching and kissing turns me on.)

    Making Love has some great love scenes between Harry Hamlin & Michael Ontkean (yum). Another one is My Own Private Idaho, where Keanu Reeves is very, very sexy. And, of course, The Opposite of Sex (not as sexy, but quite funny and human).

    And now, my favorites portraying bisexuality in women: Henry and June (Uma Thurman made it impossible to ignore my desire for women!). Another good one is Head in the Clouds with Charlize Theron as the lover of Penelope Cruz and Stuart Townsend! A complex character in a movie about teen bisexuality sexuality (or should we say "questioning"?) is Ellen in All Over Me.

    Here's a prediction: the next 10 years will see an increase in the number of bi's portrayed in a sympathetic way on TV and in movies. I think that some people are beginning to move on from a binary view of sexuality to something a little more complex. At least, I hope so!

  2. #32

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Quote Originally Posted by bi_femme
    Here's a prediction: the next 10 years will see an increase in the number of bi's portrayed in a sympathetic way on TV and in movies. I think that some people are beginning to move on from a binary view of sexuality to something a little more complex. At least, I hope so!
    I think you will prove to be right.

  3. #33

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    O.K., folks...I just saw Three of Hearts. Very interesting documentary about a poly family of three adults (two men and a woman) and their kids. (SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND WANT TO PRESERVE SUSPENSE ABOUT HOW THINGS END, READ NO FURTHER.)

    Some of it conformed to my expectations, including some parts about how other people reacted to them and how they dealt with friends and family.

    But by the time it was over, I found myself scratching my head about the sexual identity of the two men. They began as Steven and Sam, a gay couple, then Sam decided that he wanted to "add a woman to their relationship." They met Samantha, she became their friend, then developed romantic and sexual relationships with both of them. They slept in the same bed together every night. Their triad lasted for 13 years, and produced 2 kids (each of them fathered by one of the guys). Sadly, after all of this, one of the men (Steven) decided that he "was more comfortable with the homosexual part of me," and he left them to pursue life as a single gay man. Sam and Samantha stayed together, but later in the film said that their romantic partnership was "dead." He, too, began to identify as entirely gay. They were still best friends, living together for their children's sake. Samantha said the 13 years she'd spent with them were good and she didn't regret them; but she said she was looking forward to dating (she wanted a monogamous relationship with a straight man).

    I guess I see both the men as examples of some people for whom bisexuality is actually a transitional stage (as opposed to people like me, for whom it's permanent). At the end of the film, Sam talked about his new view of his relationship with Samantha as being motivated by his need to be "normal" and have social approval (although, it seemed to me there were easier ways to get it than forming a triad with two lovers).

    But as a bisexual, it's hard for me to see why it would be so easy for someone to turn their back on what must have been a fairly important part of their sexual identity (after all, it seemed they all desired each other very much...and wouldn't they have had to, to stay together that long?) I've been in love with both men and women, and all but the most recent two of my relationships have been monogamous. But I've never been able to redefine myself as either straight or a lesbian (despite being aware that it would have made life a lot easier).

    I'm hoping that someone will have something meaningful to say about this.

  4. #34

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    My opinion is that bisexuality isn't seen as an option and too often it's seen as being what your doing now, to be dropped when your relationship changes. I think this is a facet of the invisibility of bisexuality. Not only are we not seen, we do not even exist, not even as a category or as a sustainable long term identity. I think people may have bisexual feelings that never go away, but because thier relationship or feelings change, the drop the identity. It's not for me to say to people that they are or aren't bisexual, I just think that if the option of bisexuality were less invisible more people would chose it.

  5. #35

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Get a life outside your closet dude-

  6. #36

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Quote Originally Posted by NightCrawler
    Get a life outside your closet dude-
    What do you mean by that and to whom are you addressing it?

  7. #37

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Quote Originally Posted by grizzle45
    What do you mean by that and to whom are you addressing it?
    I was wondering the same thing.

    - Drew

  8. #38

    Cool Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Just a quick note to say I saw (what I considered to be) an excellent and sexy bi film on TV last week - called Grande Ecole (made in 2004). I don't know if it's available outside Europe?? If you do get a copy, and if you don't speak French, make sure the copy you watch has subtitles! To get more of an idea what it's about, see http://www.pyramidefilms.com/grande-...nde_ecole.htm#
    Enjoy.

  9. #39

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    I'm really disappointed with the 2nd series of Sugar Rush. More ammo for the "bi's can't be faithful" lot

  10. #40

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    It is nothing more than a silly comedy with an even sillier title, but I enjoyed,"The Sex Monster" with Mike Binder and Margaux Hemingway. I am lucky I guess, several adult book stores in my town have large bi-sections.

  11. #41

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    "Bedrooms and hallways" has male bisexual charecters, though they are not described as such. Excellent comedy film.

  12. #42

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    So true...

    All I could find is Rent...Maureen is KINDA bi, right? :p

  13. #43

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    The new Dr Who spinoff, "Torchwood" has Captain Jack, who is bisexual. I like that this is basically uncommented on, just as other sexuality is uncommented on. It's presented as normal. As it should be.

  14. #44

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Best movie to rent would be Imagine Me and You. Its a great movie about a woman that gets married but meets another woman that she starts having feelings for, shows the struggle she goes through to comprehend her feelings and finnaly comming out that she loves a woman. I highly recomend it.

  15. #45

    Re: THE BI CANON (or What I Learned from My Trip to the Video Store)

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew View Post
    By Michael Vokins

    “Hi, i’m looking for a bisexual movie”
    “The porn’s right over there”
    “No, i mean a film that has bisexual characters in it”
    “Oh. like Basic Instinct?”
    “No...I mean something more realistic”
    “How ‘bout Lesbian Vampires?”
    “No.”
    “Threesome?”
    “No. Don’t you have anything that deals with bisexuality more realistically?”
    [pause]
    “The porn’s right over there”


    THE HUNGER
    It should all be so simple. With the millions of movies that are out there, you’d think that there would be at least a few good films about bi people. Unfortunately, these movies are as rare as a deep thought from Paris Hilton.

    I became a man with a mission. I bugged my friends, checked out queer festivals and harassed the counter staff at my local video stores . Where were the movies that highlighted bi characters? And were there any that portrayed more honest depictions of bisexuality?

    My first obstacle was figuring out what makes a “bi movie. Upon asking my friends their favourite bi flicks I got a number of surprising responses. Personal Best? Farewell My Concubine? Hedwig? Films that people suggested I never thought of as bisexual. Similarly, ones I thought of as bisexual others didn’t feel represented a “true” bi experience (“Chasing Amy? Kissing Jessica Stein? Ugh!”)

    Furthermore, it’s hard to classify a character’s sexuality when they don’t classify themselves. In most movies up until the 1970s, there was only one dominant sexuality. Everything else was a glimmer of a different life, something quintessentially queer—a gay subtext could just as easily be interpreted as a bi subtext. So I looked for films that had characters who identified as “bisexual” or films that alluded to characters being involved with both men and women.

    While there has been a proliferation of bisexual characters in the past decade, let’s face it—a lot of these films suck (and not in a good way). Bi characters are often small roles and fall prey to a lot of common stereotypes and clichés. Let’s have a look at what most films teach us about bisexuality, shall we?:

    RULES OF ATTRACTION
    1. Bisexuals are women, never men.
    It appears that only women like being bisexual, particularly when they are about to have a threesome with a straight man. This is usually accompanied by lots of naked woman-on-woman action and—if you’re lucky—a good “catfight” to boot. Movies like Two Girls and a Guy or Spike Lee’s She Hate Me highlight the industry is still run by straight men and their fantasies of lesbian sex.

    2. Bisexuals are evil nymphos.
    Due to their love for more than one gender, bi people also have an innate desire to sleep with everything they see. They especially love sex where they break up an innocent couple or ruin families—that’s the best. (Example: When Will I Be Loved, Basic Instinct, Love in Thoughts)

    3. Bisexuals are murderous criminals.
    Apparently it’s not enough that bisexuals want to sleep with everyone, they also want to kill them as well. Whether it’s petty theft, rape or an old-fashioned murder with an ice pick, bisexuals love to wreak havoc on anyone who doesn’t let them get their sexual way. (Basic Instinct, Wild Things, Femme Fatale)

    4. Bisexuals are vampires.
    Yes, the thirst for blood and bi sex go hand in hand. These evil creatures prey on innocent straight victims and, of course, must be killed in the end. (Lesbian Vampyres, The Hunger, Interview with the Vampire)

    5. Bisexuality = polyamory
    The majority of bisexuals will never be able to hold down any relationship due to their uncontainable loins. Never mind the fact that infidelity runs rampant amongst their straight and gay counterparts—bisexuals are not to be trusted. (When Will I Be Loved, Dodgeball or most other frat boy movies)

    The more and more I watched depictions like these, I became hungry for more honest or challenging depictions of bisexuality. Where are the characters who aren’t hung up on their sexuality? Where are the roles that challenge our worldviews or misconceptions?

    Finally, I did find some movies that stand out. While they still conform to some of the above stereotypes, I think the characters are more identifiable (or at least not as silly or fucked up) and point to some hope for bi roles in the future.

    THE OPPOSITE OF SEX
    My first bi movie memory was with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We see one scene where Tim Curry’s character seduces Janet at night in her bedroom. Shortly thereafter, he goes to Brad’s bedroom and does exactly the same thing. I remember there wasn’t anything creepy about it—one was supposed to delight in his sexual indiscrimination.

    We’ve come a long way. There are several films that foreground characters who end up having no bones about their sexuality. The best one for me was Kali’s Vibe (2002), an independent American film from the festival circuit (and soon out on DVD I believe). Kali is an African-American bisexual woman in a lesbian relationship that’s going downhill. Enter Rees, a straight womanizer who ends up being an unexpected match for Kali. Their relationship causes clamour amongst their straight and gay friends but their delightful romance lets Kali finds balance with her sexuality. The film takes its lead from one of its character’s refreshing thoughts, “sometimes paths change.”

    Prey For Rock n Roll (2003) has another main character, Jacki (Gina Gershon) that is comfortable in her bisexual skin. An aging band singer, Jacki takes jibes from her band mates about liking boys and girls—yet she is unphased and dishes it back to them. Her real struggle is not her sexuality, but rather keeping the band together and figuring out her future. Although the music is pretty cheesy and the plot a little outlandish, Gershon’s character remains a sexy breath of fresh air in the movie.

    In Sunday, Bloody, Sunday (1971), Daniel (Peter Finch) and Alex (Glenda Jackson) are both dating Bob (Murry Head) at the same time. Bob is quite sure of his need for both relationships and it’s the other characters who struggle to keep things working.

    Laurel Canyon (2002, from High Art director Lisa Cholodenko) depicts hippy record producer Jane (Frances McDormand) who is visited by her conservative son Sam (Christian Bale) and his new wife, Alex (Kate Beckinsale). Alex is drawn to Jane’s world and eventually has sex with her and her boyfriend. However, the affair doesn’t make out Jane to be a shallow character. She exhibits regret not over her sexuality but more about her family relationships and subsequently makes amends.

    In When Night Is Falling (1995), Camille is a Christian academic in a lacklustre relationship. Enter Petra, a lesbian circus performer who shatters Camille’s worldview. Torn between her stable life with her male partner and the enticing world of Petra, Camille makes some bold decisions to change her life and never looks back.

    Goldfish Memory (2003) is a light-hearted romantic comedy from where straight, gay and bi singles date openly and unabashedly in Ireland. While I found it a little sappy, I must admit the bi characters in this movie go through the same ups and downs as the other characters and receive a much-deserved ending of being happy and well-adjusted. (hooray!)

    Other movies of note that present fuller depictions of bi people are Henry and June, Gia, Frida and Y Tu Mama Tambien.

    CONFUSION DES GENRES
    While a threesome is a trope that is definitely overused in bi films, more recent films are reinventing this relationship with a positive spin.

    In A Home at End of the World (2004, based on the Michael Cunningham novel), Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) and Bobby (Colin Farrell) share a funny and touching teenage relationship. Years later, the two are reunited in New York, where Jonathan is an out gay man living with a straight female roommate, Clare (Robin Wright Penn). When Clare and Bobby begin a relationship, Jonathan struggles but the three eventually come together and create a complex and caring family unit.

    A unique Korean film, Bizarre Love Triangle (2003), shows a threesome that overcomes obstacles to create something far from “bizarre.” Doo-chan’s life as a stand-up comedian is upended when he discovers his wife, Eun-hee, having an affair with another woman. When whiny Eun-hee gets pregnant, the three eventually work out an arrangement that is amenable to all.

    There are also a couple of comedies that, while being humourous, also challenge mainstream notions of bisexuality.

    Director Spike Jonez’s hysterical Being John Malkovich (2000) finds Maxine (Catherine Keener) in love with both Craig (John Cusack) and Lottie (Cameron Diaz) through the body of actor John Malkovich. Her realization of her love for Lottie offers an insightful hint of love transcending gender.

    Another film that provides comic food for thought is Robert Altman’s Beyond Therapy (1987). A send-up of psychiatry and the French Farce, Jeff Goldbulm plays a bisexual man who falls for a woman much to the chagrin of his gay boyfriend (Christopher Guest).

    Other more “arthouse” films break from traditional narrative forms in their depiction of bisexual relationships. Water Drops On Burning Rocks (2000, director Francois Ozon) and Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kent (1972) both present highly stylized and offbeat worlds of its bi characters to indicate the absurdity of traditional sexuality.

    Two documentaries that offer a more rounded depiction of bi people are Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family (2004), a movie about a threesome failing to survive as a family unit, and Pick Up the Mic (2005), a documentary about queer rap artists.

    SPLENDOR
    See? It’s not that bad after all. I share the hopes of crtic Shauna Swartz: “films that only exploit bisexuality for cheap thrills will hopefully become just another shrugged-off relic of the last century.” It’s only a matter of time before bi characters in films reach their true complexity and humanity.

    =====
    LINKS:
    http://www.afterellen.com/Movies/2005/10/bisexual.html
    http://www.queerhorror.com/Qvamp/movies.html
    =====

    (c) Copryight 2006 Michael Vokins

    Mike Vokins is a writer and videomaker by night, film
    and tv pee-on by day. He writes for Xtra!, Trade,
    hipstatic and resides in Toronto.
    Try some of these I think you'll like them. Bi and Bi, put out by four house. BISEX Mania,and you might also try Bi atholon movies have fun and enjoy.

 

 

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