Few classics of the Hollywood Golden Age have stood the test of time with as much stamina as Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard.” 

Released on Aug. 10, 1950, it became a near-instant classic, earning rave reviews for its savage portrayal of the very industry that produced it and the fearlessly intense performance of former silent screen goddess Gloria Swanson as tragically deranged Norma Desmond, whose fictional history mirrored her own more than enough to make the casting provocative. It was one of the year’s biggest “award season favorites,” a creative triumph for the director/screenwriter team of Wilder and Charles Brackett, and it quickly gained a reputation — one that it largely still holds — as the best film Hollywood has ever made about itself. It would go on to become a frequently cited example of the film noir genre at its finest, a near-legendary insider’s tale of the movie industry, a meditation on the dangers of ego, the fickleness of fame, and a damning indictment of callousness within a system that exploits its best and brightest and casts them aside when they cease to be profitable. 

It’s inarguably a great movie, fully worth the reverence with which it is held in the “cinephile” community — but while that’s more than enough reason to observe and celebrate its 75th anniversary, what makes the occasion noteworthy for us here at the Blade is its status as one of the most beloved “gay” film faves of all time.

Not that there’s anything explicitly “gay” about it, at least on the surface. Indeed, if you watch it at face value, it adheres more or less to conventional heterosexual “normalcy” in the specifics of its story. Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) is the image of mid-century American masculinity: worldly, handsome without being “pretty” and oozing with an almost smug virility; it’s enough to make a movie star — albeit a faded one — want to make him into her own private rent boy, especially when he has talents that might help her accomplish her delusional dream of a return to stardom. Considering how he looks in those mid-century sim trunks, we can’t say we blame her.

Then there’s Norma. To say she’s larger than life is an understatement; exuding a persona that speaks of a need to be seen and acknowledged, she’s made a place for herself by commanding every room with her sheer presence. It’s an identity built on artifice, on the carefully mastered tricks of her trade — the elevated vocal expression, the broad gestures and glamorous presentation that establish her as… well, a queen. Yet she’s been rejected, cast aside in a world that no longer recognizes her glory, which worships youth and beauty and views those who are older as unwanted and irrelevant; how many queer men, especially in the repressive days of “Sunset Boulevard,” can relate?

Naturally, there’s a certain amount of camp to be found here, too, which in itself could explain the queer fascination with the movie.  The exaggerated acting style of the silent screen — embodied so menacingly in Swanson’s iconic performance — adds a certain air of the ridiculous, yet somehow (like all good camp) invites our empathy, too. 

That, of course, is why “Sunset Boulevard” speaks to us still after three quarters of a century: no matter how flawed, how unlikable, how misguided or how self-serving its characters might be, they are so recognizably human that we cannot help but be moved by them. Yes, it’s ultimately a black comedy, a pitch-black commentary on vanity, amorality, and self-delusion, but it’s impossible to watch without feeling a tinge of sympathy for Joe Gillis — dead in a swimming pool before he even gets to tell his own story and not even a good enough opportunist to avoid feeling sorry for the woman who will eventually put him there. It’s impossible to consider the fate of Norma Desmond — all the years of loneliness, of living in memories, of finding connection only through the fawning servitude of her ex-husband-turned-loyal manservant (Erich Von Stroheim), and of finding companionship only through the proxy of a pet monkey — without becoming aware of the profound sadness of her existence. Wilder and Brackett may have been renowned for their cynicism, but they never failed to touch you with their deep sense of humanity, either.  And when Joe Gillis, watching the grim nocturnal funeral for that aforementioned monkey from his window, voices his opinion that “it was all very queer,” you can be sure they chose that word on purpose.

Of course, for many queer audiences, understanding “why” they like it is not really necessary — after all, it’s an entertaining enough movie, with a wickedly transgressive attitude about social norms and constructs (the reversed gender dynamics between its two “romantic”” leads add an overall sense of discomfort for anyone who might feel vaguely threatened  by such things), and if you’re a fan of old Hollywood, it offers a host of pleasures in its incorporation of real-life personalities (filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille and Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper make appearances as themselves, as do several silent stars (including Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Million, and H.B.Warner) as Norma’s “bridge circle.”

Ultimately, though, what matters most of all is that it is a film with universal appeal — a timeless story, despite its aging stylistic and technical contributions. The fact that it remains so after 75 years is testament of the universal power of cinema to speak to us regardless of when it was made.

Suzie Toot tapped her way into America’s hearts and international drag stardom during her epic run on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17. The 25-year-old triple threat came in fifth place that year, after winning the talent show, the SNL challenge, and the Lip Sync Lalaparuza Smackdown.

Now that she’s conquered the small screen, Suzie Toot (aka Benjamin Shaevitz) is ready for her close-up. Suzie stars as Mimi Bouvèé-Truvé in Erynn Dalton’s horror comedy Big Easy Queens. The camp thriller follows rival mob bosses set on revenge, and Suzie plays the estranged sister of HBIC, Minnie Bouvèé (played by Eric Swanson). 

The LA Blade caught up with Suzie at home in Brooklyn to discuss creating the project, her love of Rocky Horror, and the highs and lows of life after Drag Race.

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment since Drag Race aired and the world learned your name?

There are so many! There’s something to me about just seeing GIFs of myself and our season in reaction images and in the world. That really does get me. 

I feel like everyone shared your winning tap dancing talent video when that happened. That must have been surreal.

It was really, really cool. I forget sometimes, because that moment was tied together with the whole rest of everything starting to come out – I mean, 7 million views on Instagram. Oh, that’s major. That one’s a hard one to comprehend, for sure.

@rupaulsdragrace tappin' and tootin'  @suzietoot #dragrace #suzietoot #talent #tapdance #dancer #drag #dragqueen ♬ original sound  – RuPaul’s Drag Race

Who’s been the biggest celeb that slid into your DMS to say they were a fan?

Oh my gosh. I know that it seems obvious that Ru girls would swing by, but the first time, Jinkx Monsoon messaged me, I freaked. I cried. I was in the airport having a very bad day, and I was fully crying. Because beyond the RuPaul’s Drag Race of it, Jinkx’s documentary Drag Becomes Him was one of my favorite watches in high school. I’ve watched it 10-plus times. The journey, and the following a dream that is so specific to such a height. It really inspired me so, so, so much.

Big Easy Queens is set in New Orleans but was filmed in Florida. You’re from the oft-dissed state of Florida.  Right now, what do you love about the state?

Wow. Okay, because I, too, am one of the haters. However, I’m from Florida, so I have the right to hate. But Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors totally opened my mind when I first got there. I went to college in Boca, and I went down for an audition. It felt like bizarro land. From discovering my sexuality and discovering a queer community, mostly online, to suddenly being thrust into it. I started Suzie Toot right out of high school, and my first three years of doing drag were in Fort Lauderdale. So she is a Fort Lauderdale-grown diva. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places to just exist because of the people.

I love the way you’re styled in this film. Did you have a hand in Mimi’s look? 

Yeah, even back then, even when I looked a fucking mess, I was very protective of the Suzie Toot character. So Dan Gagnon was the costumer, and he built a lot of dresses, but did not have the faculty to build the entire wardrobe. So he and I did work on some stuff that I pulled from my closet that ended up in the movie that I was so excited about.

How did filming with the blood work? Did you have to be one-take wonders, because there’s no coming back after blood meets drag? 

Exactly, 100%. They built a thing that they called a Blood Sucker in order to fire the blood. They tested it, but we also didn’t have the budget for elaborate testing. And the funniest part, and you can see it in the film, is where the first patch of blood hits not me, but the back of my wig from the side, and fully ejects it from my head. Then they called cut, and everybody involved was on the other side of the camera – people that I had never met before were on the other side to watch the blood thing happen. And then people came up and we all did pictures covered in blood, because it was this big moment. Then, I turn around and I see my wig on the floor, and I did not know that my wig was off during all those pictures. I didn’t notice because I was preoccupied with the blood that was all over. But cover me in blood any day of the week. I loved it. Loved it!

Who’s your favorite scream queen?

Oh, you can’t do this to me! I’m a huge Scream fan. So, Drew [Barrymore]. It’s so good. I love when drag queens do that audio. Drew is so magnetic. And in the only five minutes she has in that series, it’s so incredible! 

Back to Drag Race for a moment. Having watched your season play out, if you could go back and redo one moment, what would you like to redo?

Oh my god, before the Lalaparuza ever happened, this question would haunt me forever. And the thing is, we didn’t know that that’s how [the season] was gonna end. We didn’t film [the Lalaparuza] til much later. So for the longest time, I was settled on the fact that I had a really great start and a kind of poor ending, and that’s okay. So the Lalaparuza kind of answered that question of, “what could I have done better?” 

What is the best advice you’ve received from another Drag Race girl about life after the show?

Oh, that’s a really good question. My number one, ever, ever, ever, is Kylie Sonique Love. The icon, legend, and All Stars winner told me to always have one outfit in your carry-on. You carry one wig, one outfit, and your makeup with you, and your wig on your person on the plane, so that, God forbid, anything happens to the checked luggage, you have one outfit. It’s already saved my life when I went to London. God bless Kylie Sonique Love; she knew what she was talking about.

Final question today. What’s your favorite drag movie? It can be a movie about drag, like The Birdcage, or a movie starring queens, like Big Easy Queens and Girls Will Be Girls.

My number one of all time always will be Rocky Horror Picture Show. That movie is so important to me. Seeing it was so important to my queer and political awakening. That is the blueprint that is the always and forever. Cult classics and cult followings are my special interests, my favorite thing; I’m fascinated by them. It’s the blueprint. Girls Will Be Girls and To Wong Foo are my other answers, but Rocky Horror is number one. 

Stream Big Easy Queens on Hulu, and follow all things Suzie Toot.

From the streets of the Boston projects to fabulous West Hollywood, Michael-Shaun Hennessey’s story is anything but ordinary. He is a man of many markers: a longtime AIDS survivor, mystery show entrepreneur, and former Power Rangers writer, Hennessey is now touring the world with an unlikely performance. Searching for Robert Hennessey is an autobiographical story chronicling his decades-long search for his father.

The show begins its world tour August 9th & 10th at Culver City’s Fanatic Salon Theater. It has already drawn praise from critics for its emotional depth, charismatic storytelling, and a final act twist that critics say feels “scripted by fate.”

“I had been working on the show off and on for the last three years,” Hennessey says, “and then in March, I was getting inspired by many of my friends who were writing and performing their own one-person shows so I decided to just go for it!” Hennessey details the process taking a whole month of nonstop effort where he made it “just in time” for the Hollywood Fringe Festival deadline.

Hennessey’s story is full of laughter, sorrow, and everything in between: escaping a cult, living with AIDS, and yes, kissing John Stamos. The show is not a typical autobiography – it is a full display of integral moments in Hennessey’s life. “I actually wanted to be sure I didn’t put any emotional guardrails up and this allows me to be as raw and connected to my story as possible,” he explains. “And it’s definitely paid off. People have said they’ve never seen a show where someone was so connected – mission accomplished.”

When watching the show, a central question emerges: was Hennessey’s story one of fate? “If I didn’t believe in fate,” Hennessey explains, “I absolutely do now after all the twists, turns, and the perfect people coming onto my pathway at the exact moment they were meant to.”

The mix of openness and drive has defined Hennessey’s creative life. Amidst everything, he founded a “mystery company” for children and hosted “mystery events” where children looked for clues to solve various mysteries. Looking back, he finds something deeper at play. “I absolutely believe that I created my mystery company subconscious because I had a mystery to solve of my own,” he says. “All of the children have absolutely inspired me to find my father because I would see them with their fathers and it would awaken my need to connect with my own.”

But it would be incorrect to say Searching for Robert Hennessey is solely about bloodlines; it is about finding one’s true self. “I believe that we each need to find what works and what doesn’t work for our own journey in our search for meaning and connection,” Hennessey reflects. “The main thing we all need to embrace is [something] we have within ourselves already.”

Hennessey finds these connections with various, seemingly random things. Numerical synchronicities and psychic signs weave throughout the performance. “When I first moved to Los Angeles from Boston, my mentor Dee Wallace recommended all of her students meet with her Reiki Master,” Hennessey tells the Blade,  “I was extremely resistant because I thought it was some kind of witchcraft and as a Born Again Christian queer man, it bothered me.” However, he overcame his previous fears and biases and attributes Reiki as playing a large role in overcoming AIDS. “I became a Reiki Master soon after and have felt beautifully connected ever since,” Hennessey proclaims.

As the show embarks on a world tour – culminating in a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Hennessey hopes queer audiences see themselves in the performance. “I truly hope my beautiful queer tribe will realize that they have the power within to make anything happen,” Hennessey succinctly states, “It is my hope that NAYsayers will become YAYsayers when they find that hope within themselves or within the circle of people around them. We are never alone.”

Next steps for Hennessey include Off-Broadway, a potential music version, and possibly a streaming series. In fact, there is even talk of a Grammy as the show could possibly qualify for a spoken word album. In the meantime, however, Hennessey has a goal: “We are seeking out LBTQAI+ theaters around the country that would welcome my story in the coming year.”

Hennessey leaves the readers with a simple, yet profound message: “Don’t stop believing and never ever give up!”

Searching for Robert Hennessey is not a show to miss. You can find tickets here.

Hello, my lovies! Happy August! We find ourselves 8 months into the year, with spooky season budding delightfully early and halfway through the current Mercury Retrograde. While some of us are in the throes of shopping for Halloween tricks and treats and indulging in spooky events like Midsummer Scream, others are just trying to get through the chaotic energy of a summertime retrograde. What end of the spectrum are you landing on this month? Let’s ask the cards and find out. 

August brings in changes and forces us to look outside of the box to find our new paths. For some of you this is happening in a more internal way, challenging your beliefs and the structure that has long been in place in your life. It’s so hard when we have to look at the things that have been presented to us as truth and realize that they are in fact not true, or that the people you have looked up to have flaws and are more fallible than you originally knew. You might have Mercury Retrograde to thank for that. Most often people just blame this retrograde for technology mishaps and miscommunication, but we must remember that one of the deeper things this time does is bring the truth to light.

For those of you facing new truths and trying to reshape relationships through them or embrace new routines because of them, I want to remind you that change is uncomfortable, but it inevitably leads us to a better plan, higher understanding, and a more spacious comfort zone. Kambaba Jasper could be a helpful stone for you at this time. It is known to help soothe us through its nurturing and grounding properties. Hold a piece in your hand, take a deep breath in, hold it to your heart, breathe out. You got this, Boo.

As rocky as communication can be during a retrograde, I see relationships actually thriving right now. The energy is set up for people to have deep, vulnerable conversations with their partners and in turn fall deeper into harmony, love, and a tangle of sheets. The opportunities for these conversations encourage us to embrace and grow our inner wisdom and empathy. Even if you don’t want to share whatever event in your life that has brought you to the place of understanding that you are currently at, you can still hold space and set the example that people around you deeply need.

Remember that strength doesn’t always arrive in the form of the Divine Masculine, bulging muscles and brute force; sometimes it shows up in the aspect of the Divine Feminine, gentle, graceful, and flexible. When this kind of strength is called into action, I always think of a Willow Tree. In a storm, a Willow survives the night not by being rigid but by knowing how to bend but never break. 

The second half of the month brings promise of fun and feelings of success. With Mercury going direct on August 11th, we will all start to feel a bit more at ease as we get closer to the 14th. The chaos in our personal lives begins to turn itself down a couple notches and we will find ourselves seeking ways to embrace some balance and light hearted pleasure. There are some big wins and personal triumphs this month and it’s important that we see ourselves for the glorious, victorious creatures that we are. After all, we have managed to still be here striving and thriving even in the dumpster fire of 2025. If you ask me, that in itself is a win. Vacations and sensuous temptations are calling to us, asking us to hang up the hustle for a minute and let our hair down. This is your reminder to make good life choices but still have fun doing so!

There seems to be energy here that is leaning towards awareness of health and wellness. A hike at Runyon Canyon or Malibu Springs might be a new part of your weekly routine and that satisfies this craving. For others, the wellness aspect of community might be what your spirit is calling for. Commit to dinner plans with your chosen family, paint night with your coven, or simply a cup of tea (literally and metaphorically,) with your bestie and watch how at peace your spirit will feel.  The month of August is telling us to replenish our souls and we should listen to the instruction.

Shana is an initiated priestess, paranormal investigator, author, and host of the podcast Queer from the Other Side. Follow Shana on IG.

‘Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM’
By Scott Brogan
c.2025, Lyons Press
$65/405 pages

The monkeys used to scare you a lot.

The Wicked Witch was one thing but those flying simians with their booming voices? Ugh, they gave you nightmares for weeks. And despite that you knew how things would end – you’d seen the movie annually, for heaven’s sake – let’s just say you spent a lot of time covering your eyes. So now be like a Lion. Get uncowardly and find “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” by Scott Brogan.

When most people think about Judy Garland, two images come to mind: the teenager in pigtails or “The one-dimensional image of an always suffering and always tragic Garland.” Neither one, says Brogan, is totally correct. In reality, Garland was “positive, joyful, and funny.”

Her parents, Ethel and Frank Gumm, were performers who moved their little family around Michigan and Wisconsin before landing in Grand Rapids, Minn., where their youngest child, Frances, was born in 1922. An adorable baby, little Frances loved an audience almost from the time she could walk; her parents happily added her to the family troupe.

In 1926, the Gumms performed their way across the country to Los Angeles, where Frances and her sisters appeared in many shows, but critics were not entirely impressed. Still, Ethel pushed and the girls toured with Paramount Circuit in the northwest, and then in Chicago in 1934 where Frances had “one of [her] biggest career milestones.”

By 1935, she was formally using the name “Judy Garland” onstage and she’d secured informal representation. That same year, she signed a contract with MGM, a studio that took a near-total control it “would exert over Garland’s personal life” and her schedule, denying her wish to be with her father at the end of his life and dictating what she ate or didn’t eat.

Still, says Brogan, their methods worked: by the time Garland was 20 years old, her “career seemed to know no limits.”

Page through “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” and you’ll instantly know that you’re in for a treat: this book is loaded with photos, stills, publicity shots, and newspaper recreations. There’s a lot to look at here, but what there is to read is better.

Author Scott Brogan makes Judy Garland his raison d’ȇtre in this book, but it’s not entirely all about her. Brogan shares an overview of the movie studio that made her famous, including what is arguably her most top-of-mind film, the gossip that surrounded it then, and the mythology that still lives on. There’s a comprehensive list of World War II-era appearances that Garland made, and what happened at each one. If you’re expecting dirt-dishing, you’ll read about her father’s secret, her marriages, and her addictions, but not in an over-the-top scandalous way. Brogan is factual, inclusive, and respectful, just as you’d want.

If you’re planning on having guests soon, put “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” away or your guests will want to read, rather than mingle. It’s the kind of coffee-table book that, for fans, will make you Get Happy.

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When Charles Galin King made his big debut on the world’s first drag competition show, King of Drag, you knew you were taking in a star. He introduced himself as “a Mexican-American Indigenous Wixárika with Ch’ol blood person,” and you couldn’t help but take notice.

His cultural influences are apparent in his drag, serving distinct and memorable looks. He won fans over with his fabulous impression of Nosferatu on The Dong Show and connected with them through his honesty about his mental health struggles. After bringing the black plague to the prom, his time on the Revry series came to an end.

We caught up with Charles Galin King to talk about his experience on King of Drag, what he hopes to see in future seasons, and advice for new drag kings.

Tell us about your first time in drag. 

Back in high school senior year, I decided to wear one of my dad’s black button-up short-sleeved shirts and made a beard and mustache on my face, and wore a fedora hat.  I went out with one of my best friends to this day, Ruben, and we went to Hollywood and went to Jack and the Box. I needed the restroom and went to the women’s, and a guy coming out of the men’s said, “Not that one, this one.” And I felt validated in drag cause I was that convincing of a “man,” jajaaaja. 

What made you decide to be a part of the inaugural season of King of Drag? 

I wanted to try it cause I was looking at the application out of curiosity, and upon reading started feeling fear and nervousness. And said, “I should apply,” to my mother.  Also, l will die one day, might as well go for it and see how it is. I knew I would be a part of the first trial and error cause it’s a first of its kind, so we all learned together what this show is and will be. 

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What do you hope to see differently in future seasons?

More kings on the King’s Court, and more BIPOC judges, and more lip sync songs.

What surprised you most about your experience on King of Drag?

I gained 9 new siblings and felt a beautiful connection to myself in wanting to be a part of this community even more because of them. And due to being a beautifully diverse experience.

What do you cherish most about your filming experience?

I showed what drag means to me and what my drag is. And being able to say thank you to the cast, crew, tech, and owners of the studio where filming was at.

If you could do one thing over on King of Drag, knowing what you know now, what would it be?

Have more money and be able to show my true fear of cutting out a fetus from me and showing myself dying.

Have you had any especially memorable fan interactions since the show began? 

Yes, when people and fans would say thank you for sharing your story about accepting death and suicide.  And them asking me what surprised me most about being on the show.

Do you hear from other kings about the representation the show offers?

Yes, very much. They feel seen and have been wanting this for such a long time, and it’s a breath of fresh air seeing us all work together.. We still feel the hate from those who don’t understand our existence, though I have learned from my kings on the show that with every hate comment, there are ten love comments from the fans.

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What do you want aspiring kings to know about the working life of a king?

Be prepared to be looked at by certain audiences with stares of confusion, and being on their phone when performing or being compared to other kings. Also, since we are still climbing to be accepted in this world, the majority of Drag Race fans still see us as non-existent and trash. Always focus on our drag king audience, for they understand us the most. Always have fun, for if I have fun, then the audience will have fun alongside me. SO many queens support us, and there are still queens who look down on us. Accept that and focus on your music, routines, lyrics, and feeling the vibes of what character you will put on stage.

If you can ask a co-star or Murray Hill one question at a season 1 reunion, what would it be?

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream if you eat ice cream? And when can we hang out and look out to the sunset and high-five when it’s time to go home?

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Stream the entire season of King of Drag now on Revry.com and follow Charles Galin King on social.

Members of the journalism industry gathered together this last weekend to celebrate the nominees and winners for three inaugural journalism awards for Southern California journalists and newsrooms who championed LGBTQ+ stories in 2024. The Los Angeles Chapter of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists presented this Press Pride Prom inaugural event.

Over 200 attendees gathered in Glendale at the historic Grand Central Air Terminal to celebrate. The evening was presented by ABC7 and hosted by award-winning journalist Tracy Gilchrist. The ceremony also included a moving performance by the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and a hilarious appearance by drag king Charles Galin King.

The Los Angeles Blade took home the first award of the evening, the Excellence in LGBTQ+ Reporting Newsroom Award. The award recognizes a news outlet whose coverage of the queer and trans community is well-informed, complex, varied, and intersectional, with a track record of promoting The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ mission to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. The other nominees were LAist and Variety. Team members of the Blade took to the stage, including publisher Alexander Rodriguez, writers Rose Montoya, Rob Salerno, and Joel Medina, and former editor Gisselle Palomera to accept the award.

The evening also included the presentation of the Queer Beat Award for Excellence in LGBTQ+ Reporting, honoring a single story or series that demonstrates care, skill, and a commitment to fair and accurate reporting of LGBTQ+ themes, issues, and people. This year’s winner was “She Was Supposed to Be at Pulse Nightclub — And Club Q. Now She’s Fighting To Keep LGBTQ+ People Safe” by Lil Kalish for HuffPost.

Another special moment for the Blade took place in the presentation of The Troy Masters Legacy Award for Visionaries in Media, presented in collaboration with the Blade and LA NLGJA, honoring a journalist or news media professional whose work reflects a dedication to the craft of journalism and a commitment to setting the stage for the next generation of LGBTQ+ industry leaders. The award is named in honor of Troy Masters, veteran queer journalist and former publisher of the Los Angeles Blade, who passed away last year.
This year’s winner was John Griffiths, founder of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ
Entertainment Critics and Dorian Awards.

The final presentation was presented by the office of State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, for District 51. Joshua Marin-Mora gave a moving speech and delivered proclamations to each of the winners.

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We are honored by our win and extend our congratulations to the LA NLGJA for a successful and important evening. A big thank you to our readers, who continue to support our efforts.

When “Taxi zum Klo” was released 45 years ago, it’s doubtful that anyone realized the extent to which the time and place in history it was capturing would someday be iconic — but watching it today, in a new 4K restoration which begins a multi-city “roadshow” tour in New York City this weekend, the world and the lifestyle it shows us feel not only familiar, but woven inextricably into the DNA of gay culture as we know it.

An underground sensation in West Germany upon its initial release, it made its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1981, and was given a theatrical release in America that same year. It quickly achieved cult status, becoming a hit with queer audiences even as it became a flashpoint of controversy and a target of censorship in the repressive sociopolitical atmosphere of the Reagan era. Poised between the heady “golden years” between the rise of Gay Liberation and the nightmare of the AIDS epidemic, it offered a then-shockingly explicit, inherently transgressive inside look at the “secret” world of gay Berlin, in all its promiscuous, leather-clad, gender-bent, unapologetic glory.

Produced on a shoestring budget, with Ripploh and his cast of non-professional actors playing characters who share their real names and a cinematic style that seems equal part social documentary and absurd comedy of manners, “Taxi zum Klo” feels thrillingly authentic to anyone who has ever participated in gay “hook-up” culture — though the lifestyle it presents might also feel like a far cry from its modern equivalent, in which “dating” apps like Grindr and Sniffies have largely replaced the non-virtual sex clubs and porno theatres of a grungier and less impersonal time. There’s no exchange of “dick pics” here, no convenient listing of stats, likes, preferences or pronouns — just the unpredictable and potentially risky rituals of in-person connection. For those too young to remember when such things were the way of the gay world, the behavior of Frank and his various fellow “sex-plorers” might well seem just as scandalous as it would have been to the homophobic prudes of its day.

Produced on a shoestring budget, with Ripploh and his cast of non-professional actors playing characters who share their real names and a cinematic style that seems equal part candid documentary and absurd comedy of manners, “Taxi zum Klo” feels thrillingly authentic to anyone who has ever participated in gay “hook-up” culture — though the lifestyle it presents might also feel like a far cry from its modern equivalent, in which “dating” apps like Grindr and Sniffies have largely replaced the non-virtual sex clubs and porno theatres of a grungier and less impersonal time. There’s no exchange of “dick pics” here, no convenient listing of stats, likes, preferences or pronouns — just the unpredictable and potentially risky rituals of in-person connection. For those too young to remember when such things were the way of the gay world, the behavior of Frank and his various fellow “sex-plorers” might well seem just as scandalous as it would have been to the homophobic prudes of its day.

Likewise, there’s something about the film’s unabashed graphic nudity and sexual content that seems more “obscene” than the raunchiest OnlyFans content; Ripploh’s fearless choice to show male nudity, complete with erect penises and un-simulated sex, brings a visceral (and vaguely unsanitary) reaction that’s as inflammatory as it is erotic.

Still, Ripploh’s movie cannot help but arouse us; its raw and un-romanticized prurience makes it somehow easier for us to imagine ourselves as a participant despite (or perhaps because of) the voyeurism it evokes, and the effect is both lascivious and liberating, inviting us to embrace our sexuality as a visceral part of our queer identity — a concrete and gloriously queer touchstone of natural human experience that feels validated by the instinctual response it evokes in our physical being, defying any construct of “appropriate” behavior through its undeniable ability to turn us on.

Ripploh, who passed away from cancer in 2002, was in real life both an actual secondary school teacher and a popular drag performance artist known as Peggy von Schnottgenberg; he made “Taxi zum Klo” while on probation from his job, a disciplinary action imposed by school authorities after coming out as gay in a 1978 cover story for Stern Magazine. In a later interview, he said of the film: “I was not pursuing any political goals, but rather realizing purely private interests: my career as a teacher was ruined. And the film fulfilled a very simple desire for revenge, along the lines of ‘I’ll get back at you’.”

He also claimed it was not intended as a “gay movie” at all. Rather, he described it as “a sad film that expresses the longing for a relationship and its impossibility, despite all the humor… I definitely wanted to confront two dead ends: a bourgeois dead end where someone suffocates in pillows, coffee and cake, and a dead end of pseudo-free gay sexuality where you use drugs to blur boundaries but not eliminate them.”

Although his film was made decades ago, it’s those same conflicts, as much as any “shock value” or sex-positive embrace of our libido, that resonate with us now. While we may thrill at recognizing ourselves in its seminal portrait of liberated gay sexuality, it’s the still-potent longing to reconcile our conflicted impulses that speaks to us most urgently.

In a time when we face a struggle to keep ourselves from being shoved back into the shadows, it offers a powerful — yet still defiantly joyful — reminder that our real human struggle toward happiness on our own terms transcends all the irrelevant differences of sexual identity for which we have been continually persecuted, and inspires us to say, yet again, “we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.”

‘Passionate Outlier: Gay Writers and Allies on Their Work’
By Frank Pizzoli
c.2025, Rebel Satori Press
$18.95/246 pages

“Passionate Outlier” is a collection of 20 interviews and book reviews by freelance journalist Frank Pizzoli, covering gay authors, with one lesbian and one ally. Ranging from 2007 to 2019, Pizzoli talks with authors like Edmund White, John Rechy, Daniel Mendelsohn, and Salman Rushdie, and covers books about Gore Vidal and Christopher Isherwood. He captures great writers speaking about literature, politics, and gay life, while providing all necessary background on them.

Sadly, two of Pizzoli’s subjects, Edmund White and Felice Picano, have passed away since the book’s publication. Both writers were part of the “Violet Quill” a group of New York gay authors that met in the early ‘80s. Pizzoli interviews the then three surviving members, White, Picano, and Andrew Holleran. They speak at length about the history of the group and its myth. They only met eight times from 1980 to 1981, divvying up subject matter among them, and as they mention, writing is mainly a solitary activity. Yet the idea of the group endures as helping shape gay literature as a serious genre, not just “pornography” as it was previously considered. They also discuss White’s passionate argument with a critic over the very idea of gay literature; White believed in it, while the critic fiercely thought it was impossible. White also mentions that the harshest reviews of his work came from other gay men. Indeed, he responds to criticism from other authors included in this book, such as Daniel Mendelsohn and Christopher Bram. This back and forth throughout makes the book feel like an extended conversation between several writers.

Gore Vidal also serves as a connecting thread. Although he died before Pizzoli could interview him, his presence is greatly felt in many pieces. A review of Michael Mewshaw’s memoir of his friendship with Vidal, and an interview with Vidal’s official biographer Jay Parini show Vidal’s “thin skin,” drunken conversations, and litigiousness; he threatened to sue White over a play that imagined conversations between a Vidal-like figure and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Christopher Bram, author of “Eminent Outlaws,” a history of gay writers, discusses Vidal’s intense rivalry with Truman Capote. Vidal’s works were deeply researched, but Capote was the more natural writer. Others talk about how his longtime partner Howard Austen was the only one who could get him to “shut up” when he was misbehaving.

Pizzoli allows the authors to reveal themselves in conversation. John Rechy, famous for his debut novel about male hustlers, “City of Night,” was Mexican-American but light-skinned enough to pass; a teacher changed his name from Jose to John. “City of Night” came from letters he wrote friends, which he sent to a magazine as the beginning of a novel, which forced him to write. He felt like writing the novel was betraying the secrets of the hustlers, prostitutes, and customers he knew so well.

Scholar, playwright, and novelist Martin Duberman discusses the political history of the gay rights movement and its connections with similar struggles, arguing that the Black Movement’s embrace of their difference helped gay people accept that they were not “inferior” to straight people. He wonders if marriage equality will lead to gays accepting government wrongdoing, because protesting would show “ingratitude.”

A surprising interview is Salman Rushdie, whose novel “The Golden House” has a character struggling with gender identity. He carefully researched the subject and spoke with friends to get it right. With thoughtful questions and reflective responses, “Passionate Outlier” shows the talent, diversity, and interconnectedness among gay authors.

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As the recent conservative blowback over “Superman” has clearly illustrated, many American moviegoers like to complain that movies have become too political.

The arguments vary; some claim that an overemphasis on social issues has made going to the movies feel like attending a lecture, or that cultural agendas have infiltrated a popular art form that is “supposed” to provide escapist entertainment. Others see it as a deliberate effort to “brainwash” audiences into acceptance of certain political ideals, depending on which side of the fence they may be on.

If you can relate, we understand your feelings, and we sympathize – but, and we hate to break this to you, every movie is inherently political. 

For a film to avoid politics is, in itself, a political choice; no matter the intention of the people behind it, every film that is now or ever has been made will always have a political aspect, and to deny that it is there is to be ignorant of the very power that makes cinema perhaps the most influential art form ever created for mainstream consumption – though it’s fair to say that some movies wield it with a more scrupulous sense of neutrality than others.

Such a movie is Ari Aster’s new neo-Western “Eddington,” which opened in wide release on July 18 after a (mostly) critically acclaimed debut at Cannes in May. Top-heavy with an A-list cast of principals and seemingly timed by fate to emerge in the midst of our nation’s most critical test of sanity to date, it’s the kind of microcosmic allegory that translates sweeping and near-abstract principles of political partisanship into the interpersonal dynamics of its characters, while also taking pains to invest us in their intimate concerns – something that always, inevitably, drives our actions around any given issue that affects us personally.

Set in the early days of the COVID pandemic, it centers on Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), the sheriff of the small (and fictional) New Mexico town of its title. An old-school lawman who sees himself as a protector of decency and freedom, he finds himself at odds with the new mask mandate from the town’s progressive mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) – perhaps more aggressively so due to the latter’s alleged former history with his own wife, Lou (Emma Stone), a “mentally unstable” victim of trauma sparked by sexual abuse as a teen. Leveraging his popularity with the townspeople, he decides to run against Garcia in the town’s upcoming mayoral election; but what begins as a straightforward competition centered around “common sense” arguments about public safety versus freedom of choice soon turns to wider conflict when national protest over the death of George Floyd spreads into the streets of Eddington.

Chafed by accusations of racism within his own police force – despite the inclusion of Black officer Michael Cole (Micheal Ward), whose father was Cross’s own predecessor as sheriff – and suspicious of Garcia’s involvement with a shadowy corporate backer whose effort to build a mysterious AI-training plant in the town has become a divisive issue among the locals, the sheriff tries to diffuse the tension with a level-headed “business as usual” approach which prioritizes public peace over the ethical concerns of the town’s newly-”woke” youth population; meanwhile, his marriage is starting to unravel as Lou – coaxed by a youthful online guru (Austin Butler) and in defiance of her conspiracy-theorist mother (Diedre O’Connell) – becomes more determined to break free from the accepted story of her past, throwing his personal rivalry with Garcia into an uncomfortably uncertain new light. Faced with the prospect of a humiliating loss and the disintegration of his “happy” home, he decides to take a more aggressive approach to his campaign, sparking a chain of shocking and violent developments that rapidly turn both his town and his home life into a powderkeg, as his efforts to avoid its consequences become ever more desperate and irrational.

With a stellar cast of better-and-lesser-known talents performing at their best, and the picturesque New Mexico location lending a distinctly surreal air of grandeur, it’s a deliberate thrill ride of a movie, grounded in the contrast between everyday banality and the raging turmoil of inner life; it hinges on false narratives, whether taught us by others or conjured by ourselves, and the dangers, both personal and public, of embracing them; and though it sometimes feels over-long and occasionally relies on contrivances that feel too convenient to be believed, its writer/director crafts it with enough clarity of vision – not to mention self-assurance – to make it all work.

Aster – whose two breakthrough films (“Hereditary” and “Midsommar”) turned him into one of Hollywood’s “young directors to watch” toward the end of the last decade – rose to A-lister prominence as a maker of “elevated” horror, and while “Eddington” furthers the departure that began with his last movie (the acclaimed-but-little-seen “Beau is Afraid,” also starring Phoenix), it is nevertheless driven with the kind of mounting slow-burn suspense – as well as the devious twists, turns, and sudden shocks – that draws a clear lineage from the genre which inspired him to become a filmmaker in the first place. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these tactics serve him well, ramping up the underlying tension until viewers are mentally begging for it to explode; and, truth be told, it might easily be argued – from a certain point of view, at least – that “Eddington,” despite its self-identification as a “satirical black comedy” and a narrative that reads more like an action-driven crime thriller than a movie about arcane evil or otherworldly threats, is very much its own kind of horror film, depicting a real-life terror that feels particularly ominous in the “cultural moment” we currently live in.

Swirling with the absurdities of American public opinion, pointedly and painfully magnified by its small town setting, Aster’s ambitious opus hinges on all the paradoxical logic of our time; from the murky behind-the-scenes manipulations of big-money tech interests and the insecurity of white male “incels,” to the paranoid and half-baked misinformation of online influencers and the blatantly self-serving lies of our public officials, “Eddington” makes sure to touch on all the existential crises which haunt our collective lives in the here and now and undermine our understanding of “truth” itself. Yes, it draws ludicrous caricatures of current events, and it roots itself in a filmmaking trope (think “The Godfather”) that symbolically links American identity with a tendency toward the violence, corruption, and amorality of criminal behavior, with side servings of toxic masculinity and colonialism; but just because it plays those things for laughs (albeit mostly the wry, inner variety) doesn’t mean they aren’t terrifyingly relevant to our real world existence.

Indeed, in the end, Aster’s movie is chillingly unsettling, leading us through a labyrinth of cause-and-effect inevitabilities and delivering us, finally, to a place that feels both disconcertingly unresolved and alarmingly familiar; to say more would be a spoiler, but we’ll venture to add that, whichever side of the political fence you’re on, it’s a film that will challenge your thinking and disrupt your comfort.

In 2025, what better recommendation could we give for a film than that?