Cruising the Movies

Cruising the Movies
  • 4.8 (68)
  • FILM HISTORY
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Cruising the Movies

Cruising the Movies is a new monthly podcast and screening series at IFC Center in New York from the creators of Ask Any Buddy. In each episode, Elizabeth Purchell and KJ Shepherd take a look at a different film from the fringes of queer cinema history. Through interviews, archival sources, and conversations with filmmakers, critics, and historians, this podcast and screening series will uncover how cinema is inextricable from queer history at large.

  1. OCT 7

    Episode 7: William Castle's HOMICIDAL + Mark Oates and Tom Rubnitz's PSYKHO III: THE MUSICAL

    This month on CRUISING THE MOVIES, Liz and KJ take a look at two very different—but similar!—riffs on Alfred Hitchcock's analyzed-to-death PSYCHO: William Castle's 1961 film HOMICIDAL and Mark Oates and Tom Rubnitz's 1985 video short, PSYKHO III: THE MUSICAL. In HOMICIDAL, the kind-hearted Miriam Webster is framed for the cold-blooded murder of a justice of the peace just as her absent brother Warren returns home from a long trip to Denmark after the death of their father. As tensions begin to flare over who will inherit the sizable fortune, Warren’s mysterious new wife will stop at nothing to make sure it doesn’t go to his sister. With its insanely twisted take on gender and winkingly campy tone (not to mention the "Fright Break"—one of filmmaker William Castle's signature gimmicks), HOMICIDAL plays like something of a drag parody of Hitchcock's original film. Meanwhile, PSYKHO III: THE MUSICAL actually is a drag parody: a videotaped version of Mark Oates' musical adaptation of the Hitchcock film originally staged at the legendary Pyramid Club.

    43 min

  2. SEP 23

    Episode 6: Rosa von Praunheim's ARMY OF LOVERS OR REVOLT OF THE PERVERTS (1979)

    On this episode of CRUISING THE MOVIES, Liz and KJ discuss what they consider one of the best documentaries of all time, regardless of topic: Rosa Von Praunheim's ARMY OF LOVERS OR REVOLT OF THE PERVERTS. Made by the prodigious German filmmaker in the aftermath of his groundbreaking and controversial IT IS NOT THE HOMOSEXUAL WHO IS PERVERSE BUT THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE LIVES—and at the same time as several other of his New York-based features—ARMY OF LOVERS documents the peaks and valleys of gay liberation in the US during the 1970s. Along the way, Praunheim meets both the historical catalysts of gay liberation as well as a cavalcade of characters, including Rev. Troy Perry, sex god Fred Halsted, and more than one person on the fringes of acceptability. Tune in as we talk about Rosa's longstanding fascination and celebration of the United States, warts and all, his distinctive storytelling style, and this documentary still feels provocative and salient five decades later.

    55 min

  3. AUG 19

    Episode 5: Edward D. Wood, Jr.'s GLEN OR GLENDA (1953)

    On this episode of CRUISING THE MOVIES, our hosts dive into another queer film classic: Edward D. Wood, Jr..’s GLEN OR GLENDA. Calling anything Ed Wood made a genuine “classic” is a relatively new phenomenon in many film circles. Ed Wood used to be the laughingstock of lazy (and bigoted) critics—his name being shorthand for poorly done and confusing work. Now, amid what would’ve been the filmmaker’s 100th birthday, many more people are seeing his films as fascinating looks at gender, desire, and dreamlike feelings that can’t even be put into words. At once earnest and surreal, we make the case that GLEN OR GLENDA should be seen as a foundational trans film—and how Wood’s personal life shaped some of the storylines you see onscreen. We then continue this conversation with Willow Catelyn McClay, co-author of CORPSES, FOOLS, AND MONSTERS: THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF TRANSNESS IN CINEMA. Liz, KJ, and Willow all discuss how you don’t get to David Lynch without Ed Wood, why domesticity is a recurring tension in trans film images, and where trans cinema may (hopefully) go next.  You can watch a rare 35mm print (!) of GLEN OR GLENDA with us at the IFC Center on Tuesday, August 20 at 7PM. We are pairing it with the short VALERIE, which is a gem of a short about a Black trans woman in 1970s Ohio. CORPSES, FOOLS, AND MONSTERS is  available wherever you do reputable book business.

    1h 17m
  4. Episode 4: Fatale Video's SUBURBAN DYKES (1991) and SAFE IS DESIRE (1993)

    JUL 21

    Episode 4: Fatale Video's SUBURBAN DYKES (1991) and SAFE IS DESIRE (1993)

    On this episode of Cruising the Movies, Liz and KJ discuss two classic dyke porn shorts: Fatale Video's SAFE IS DESIRE and SUBURBAN DYKES. Born from the same minds who created On Our Backs magazine, Fatale was the first adult film studio dedicated to making movies by and for lesbians, showcasing lesbian sex and sexuality in a way rarely seen in movies before: diverse, kinky, funny, and above all hot. Our hosts explain how Fatale brought the spirit of On Our Backs into film, why they successfully merged heavy kink and safe sex in SAFE IS DESIRE, and how they took on the myth of lesbian bed death in SUBURBAN DYKES. And if that isn't enough, Liz then interviews the producer of both videos, Nan Kinney!  You can catch both films—and Nan!—at our monthly screening series at the IFC Center, on Monday July 22nd at 7 pm.

    1h 30m

  5. JUN 9

    Episode 3: Frank Ripploh's TAXI ZUM KLO (1980)

    On this episode, Liz and KJ are excited to discuss one of their all-time favorites: Frank Ripploh's 1980 debut, TAXI ZUM KLO. Still more thrilling and funny than most of the films that have taken inspiration from it over the past four decades, TAXI ZUM KLO continues to spark conversations about community, identity, and commitment that still feel relevant.  We talk about the film’s thin (and sometimes invisible) line between truth and fiction, the bigger tensions in West German gay liberation, the recurring theme of gay teachers in queer Western films in the 70s and 80s, and the very real reason why this film actually may hit you differently depending on when and where you see it. Speaking of: if you’re in the New York City area, make sure to catch our screening of TAXI ZUM KLO at the IFC Center on Tuesday, June 11 at 7:00PM. We’re screening an all-new restoration—and it’s the first time the film has played in the city in five years! See you there!

    54 min
  6. Episode 2: Bob Clark's SHE-MAN: A STORY OF FIXATION (1967) and QUEENS AT HEART

    MAY 10

    Episode 2: Bob Clark's SHE-MAN: A STORY OF FIXATION (1967) and QUEENS AT HEART

    This month on CRUISING THE MOVIES, Liz and KJ take you into the twilight world of men turned into women with BLACK CHRISTMAS filmmaker Bob Clark’s feature debut, SHE-MAN: A STORY OF FIXATION. Made in Florida with a cast largely drawn from the stage of New York’s legendary 82 Club, SHE-MAN tells the story of Lt. Albert Rose, a macho soldier who finds himself forced to take estrogen as part of a blackmail scheme led by the mysterious Dominita. The shocking part? He likes it. THEN, KJ speaks with Caden Mark Gardner, co-author of the upcoming book "Corpses, Fools, and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema." SHE-MAN will return to New York for the first time in decades for a rare 35mm screening with its original co-feature, the trans documentary short QUEENS AT HEART, at IFC Center on Monday, May 13th at 7pm.

    1h 43m
  7. Episode 1: Bruce LaBruce's NO SKIN OFF MY ASS (1991)

    APR 26

    Episode 1: Bruce LaBruce's NO SKIN OFF MY ASS (1991)

    In this inaugural episode of CRUISING THE MOVIES, Liz and KJ take a look at the controversial (and oft-censored) debut feature from one of queer cinema's great provocateurs: Bruce LaBruce. A loose remake of Robert Altman's THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK, LaBruce's NO SKIN OFF MY ASS tells the story of the strange love affair between a swishy gay hairdresser and a skinhead. Then, Liz and KJ speak with filmmaker Henry Hanson, whose recent short BROS BEFORE was heavily inspired by LaBruce's early work. Both NO SKIN OFF MY ASS and BROS BEFORE play at IFC Center in New York on Monday, April 29th at 7pm.

    1h 35m
  8. Episode 44: A New Chapter...

    APR 19

    Episode 44: A New Chapter...

    We know it's been a while since you last heard from us, so we wanted to let you know about our new project. It's a spiritual successor to ASK ANY BUDDY called Cruising the Movies: a monthly podcast and film screening series at IFC Center in New York City exploring the fringes of queer cinema history. As with ASK ANY BUDDY, each episode will provide a deeper dive into the history, production, and impact of these films and feature interviews, archival sources, and conversations with filmmakers, critics, and historians. Our first episode and screening will feature Bruce LaBruce's NO SKIN OFF MY ASS and Henry Hanson's BROS BEFORE. The episode will be on this same feed next week, with the screening occuring Monday, April 29th at 7pm. Tickets now on sale at ifccenter.com.

    15 min
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4.8
out of 5
68 Ratings

About

Cruising the Movies is a new monthly podcast and screening series at IFC Center in New York from the creators of Ask Any Buddy. In each episode, Elizabeth Purchell and KJ Shepherd take a look at a different film from the fringes of queer cinema history. Through interviews, archival sources, and conversations with filmmakers, critics, and historians, this podcast and screening series will uncover how cinema is inextricable from queer history at large.

Information

  • Creator
    Cruising the Movies
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Cruising the Movies

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