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I suppose it is worth saying that it is likely there will be
some people who will simply refuse to watch The Celluloid Closet,
or mistakenly think it doesn't apply to them. Too bad. I hate
to say it because it sounds so cheesy, but whether you're gay
or not, The Celluloid Closet should probably be required viewing,
film buff or not. As critic Janet Maslin proclaims on the blurb
on the front of the box (perhaps to help assuage the fears of
potential renters?), its "An indispensable addition to the
history of Hollywood, with the popular appeal of That's Entertainment!"
it is arguable that up until the mid-to-late 90's, the "gay
or lesbian" character in film was pretty much a joke, a punchline
- think anything with Dom DeLuise, James Coco, or C-3PO - and
that is what makes The Celluloid Closet still so fun, vital and
important. Based on the highly influential book of the same name
by the late author Vito Russo, filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey
Freidman, with the help of "Is she or isn't she out?"
narrator Lily Tomlin and over 120 film clips, have picked up the
torch and take us on a highly amusing, and often sad, tour of
Hollywood (mis)representation over the past 100 years.
In addition to Tomlin, Epstein and Friedman have also attracted
an impressive array of talent, both gay and straight, to comment
on their own industry's rampant homophobia and growth pains. But
while very well edited - there's nary a dull moment throughout
its breezy 100 runtime - it is easy to nitpick. Many seemingly
significant films are dropped - hello, Midnight Cowboy, Rocky
Horror, Outrageous, Can't Stop The Music? - but 100 years in 100
minutes ain't bad. And, alas, like even the best documentaries,
once it's done it's dated, so the film ends just when things are
getting interesting for gay and lesbian cinema, namely the successful
release of the icky mainstream pabulum Philadelphia.
But you know what's the most fun about The Celluloid Closet?
Comparing notes with the participants to see whom you agree with
and who you think is full of crap. One of the best aspects of
Vito Russo's original book was realizing how often he was full
of hot air, and often overestimated or underestimated the importance
of one film or another. When you think about it, The Celluloid
Closet is really a video commentary on the films, and as such
is all opinion anyway. But the fact that filmmakers Rob Epstein
and Jeffrey Friedman were able to attract such an eclectic, respected,
and impressive cast of commentators is what continues to make
The Celluloid Closet so fascinating, important, and essential.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
As one would expect with any compendium, quality of this transfer
is only as good as the source material. Presented in 1.33:1 full
frame only and "formatted to fit this screen," alas
all the new interview footage was not shot with a theatrical or
HDTV ratio in mind, but no matter. The quality is fairly good
- robust colors, nice detail, and aside from the occasional soft
filter, sharp. However, the interview footage is a bit grainy
with slightly aged, soft feel. The film clips are, of course,
a mixed bag, and largely presented in full frame only with a few
non-anamorphic widescreen bits thrown in just to tease us. Hardly
reference quality, but this transfer is sure to please.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Just like the video, the audio is a mixed bag. Presented in English
2.0 Dolby Digital surround only, there is much going on sonically
here. The interview footage was all recorded impeccably, and the
subtle score is well balanced and never intrusive. The film clips
often sound flat and undistinguished by comparison, though easily
understandable. Despite being a surround mix, the rears are infrequently
used and rather pointless. Low end is also adequate at best, but
as this is really just talking heads, this isn't about an audio
assault anyway. A perfectly fine audio presentation.
No alternate language options are included, only English subtitles
and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Columbia TriStar and the team at Automat Pictures have put together
a surprisingly strong set of supplements to go along with The
Celluloid Closet, which go a long way to adding depth and insight
to an already fine documentary.
The highlight for me was the generous selection of deleted scenes
Rescued From The Closet - divided into 21 sections and
running a little less than 60 minutes. These extras are almost
a documentary in and of themselves, featuring more comments from
the participants and some who didn't even make the final cut -
Whoopi Goldberg, Gore Vidal, Tom Hanks, Mariel Hemingway, Robert
Towne, Charles Busch, and Harvey Fierstein, amongst others. These
clips look just about as good as the main feature (though the
AVID timecode on some clips is distracting) and wouldn't it of
been cool had they reintegrated these into a longer version of
the doc? Ah, well, here they are, and are just as worthwhile viewing
as the main feature itself.
Up next is a screen-specific audio commentary with filmmakers
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and narrator Lily Tomlin. I wasn't
sure what to expect from a commentary on a documentary - very
postmodern, eh? - but this was a lot of fun. A bit slow at first,
the trio get their groove going, and some of the most fun bits
come right at the beginning - who knew that Cher was supposed
to show up for her interview but bailed? See if I ever buy a Cher
record or pay to see one of her dumb movies again!
But wait, there's more. A second audio commentary is included
with the late Vito Russo. Actually, this is a live discussion
with Russo recorded back in 1990, as Vito long since passed before
the film was released. Running about 15 minutes shorter than the
full feature, this is highly informative if a bit sad, and makes
a great companion to Russo's original book itself. Russo was anything
if not impassioned, and you can't say he pulled his punches. And
in some ways, this lecture actually lessened my appreciation for
the film, as the level of detail, the history, and the areas Russo
explores makes the film pale in comparison, even with its endless
parade of stars. For a visual reminder of Russo, watch the 8-minute
Interview With Vito Russo, originally produced by Janet
Cole. A bit on the fuzzy side, this doesn't really add much considering
the depth of the audio commentary, but is a nice reminder.
Also included is a highly amusing production notes featuring
a much-discussed open letter by Gore Vidal to the Los Angeles
Times, and Charlton Heston's rebuttal. Priceless! Rounding out
the set are some brief talent files on Epstein, Friedman
and Tomlin, and some bonus theatrical trailers.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop
the disc in your PC?
Aside from a couple of weblinks, but since we don't really
count those as true extras, there's no real ROM content here at
all, which is a shame, as it would be nice to have some sort of
dedicated Celluloid Closet website that is updated regularly with
the latest in gay and lesbian cinema...
Parting Thoughts
Pretty much overlooked this past year in the wake of so
many high-profile special editions, Columbia has put together
a nice package for The Celluloid Closet that is worth seeking
out. An easy recommendation for fans of the film, this is also
a highly entertaining and informative rental for all.
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