Im now 22 and for many years I felt very dirty and uncomfortable with the word lesbian. I had this bias an idea of lesbians being ugly, masculine and unappealing from my upbringing. It made it really hard for me to accept my sexuality and I would often avoid using that word to identify myself despite being a lesbian. I had low self esteem like young adults/teenagers do and didn't want to be another stereotypical "ugly" lesbian. I grew up though and worked through many of my biases and social conditionings and eventually accepted myself and my appearance. I'm happy with how I look, I know I'm pretty and let myself be feminine and I'm proud to be a lesbian and use that word. I used to hold myself to this idea of how I should present as a lesbian instead of just being myself. I ironically actually get disheartened when I see other young women avoid that label because I understand the underlying issues and feelings towards that label. I often hope they grow to accept, understand and heal through it. I feel like after overcoming my dislike for the word I feel even more proud of the word lesbian? It was a very important life lesson and realization for me to accept myself and I'm proud for the women who fought for my right to love freely. Also I've never watched a lesbian movie in theaters. I prefer to watch movies at home in private and don't even enjoy watching movies with others
So I'm 32, and also avoided (and still avoid) the word lesbian, but for the opposite reason, which I think is interesting. For me, I associated the word lesbian with the male objectification of wlw, which conjures images totally different to the regular looking, human, diverse women who actually fall under the true meaning of the word. I refer to myself as gay or queer, but I recognize it's my own word association (and I also present more non-binary though I am happily and firmly female, which factors into that being my preferred word). Some people I know hate the word queer because it has associations as a slur. All of this is just to say that I think it's interesting how so many LGBT people have very different experiences and words mean different things to us. And to me one of the important things is that we notice why we have these feelings about these words and try to work through that. Then, whatever word you feel is right for you-let your flag fly, you know!? I do feel sad when people feel trapped by words rather than released by them, so @A C, reading what you shared made me cheer for you (sincerely mean that). Each of us can be so many things at once, and we should do ourselves the favour of letting ourselves be what we are rather than what we think the words we identify with have to mean. (This does, to @Evelyn Dar's point, however, make the marketing of a lesbian movie more difficult! #seo) I also generally watch movies at home, not in theatres, so I've never seen a lesbian movie in theatres.
I'm the same way. It took me so long to come out--I didn't until I was 26--and it took me even longer (like not until my 30s) to get comfortable with the word lesbian. And then like a year after I'd finally gotten comfortable with it...it practically became taboo in the LGBT community. But to me, lesbian is my hard line in the sand. Queer to me is a blanket term that encompasses any sexuality that deviates from heterosexual, whereas lesbian means two very specific things: you are a female who has no sexual attraction for males whatsoever, but you do for women. I refuse to turn the term lesbian over to men and let them have it for their exploitative and grotesque pornography. Lesbian isn't a dirty word, or a porn category, or transphobic, or outdated. It's just an accurate term to describe a very specific sexuality.
I grew up with similar negative perceptions about lesbians. To counter those, I tried to be feminine and “pretty” for years. This was a trap however, as I am more comfortable presenting masculine and being butch. Who cares if I look like a butch stereotype? Also, I like the term “lesbian.” While it is absolutely valid when lesbians want to appear “pretty” and feminine, it is also just as valid to appear masculine and not in the standard definition of “pretty,” which is a narrow box anyway.
Never seen a lesbian film in theatre, I'm a Nigerian 😩 I am as mad as anyone with the axing of wlw content but I have to agree that the blessing of streaming services is accessibility. As someone in a country where it might take another decade before we can see lesbian films mainstream, I would never see certain shows and films if streaming services did not carry them. So, yes, more streaming.
The last three lesbian movies that I saw at the Theater were “The World to Come,” “Ammonite,” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The first two I had to drive to the next town to see them because they had a limited distribution. Totally worth it to support good filmmaking. Evelyn - thanks for sharing your thoughts in this video! Thought provoking and depressing at the same time. 🤔😂😕🌈👍
I can't believe no one has mentioned Desert Hearts. It was both a period piece and an independent production. That was the first lesbian movie I ever saw. It was on cable, and it still remains one of my Top 5 favorites. The last movie I saw in the theater was Carol. I very much agree with your assessment of Hollywood's exasperating checklist of requirements. I agree that streaming will ultimately be the go-to when it comes to quality lesbian content. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
At 72, the earliest lesbian films I remember watching were The Children's Hour and The Fox, which definitely played to the negative tropes. I've seen most lesbian films over the decades when they released in the theater, even if the lesbian content was only peripheral like The Color Purple. I remember being a little nervous when my mom came to see Fried Green Tomatoes with me. I binge watched A League of Their Own in one day on Amazon Prime a week or so ago. Loved the show and that I could turn on the English subtitles when two of the characters spoke Spanish so I could understand what they were saying. My wife and I don't have Netflix, but we do have HBO. We watched Gentleman Jack religiously, but my wife stopped watching when the main character cheated on her wife. I was very disappointed when the show was cancelled after two seasons. I've bought tons of lesbian films on VHS & later DVD over the decades. (Thank you, Wolfe Video.) Back in the mid-90's there was a monthly lesbian film night at one of the Detroit area art theaters. It was so much fun watching in a room full of lesbians, even if the movie sucked (like Even Cowgirls Get the Blues). The yearly 3-day LGBT film festival included lesbian films and evenings with multiple lesbian short films. The last film with lesbian content that I saw in the theater was The Favourite. I am a hardcore lesbian feminist. As far as terminology goes, I prefer lesbian, dyke and Amazon for myself. I think of gay as mainly as male term but will use it in as a collective term such as gay pride. I sometimes use queer as a collective term to describe a group of people whose sexual orientation or gender identity I don't necessarily know (such as chant "We're here, we're queer, get used to it!") but mostly use LGBTQ.
I really dislike that lesbian has become a dirty word due to porn and hatred from homophobes mostly. It has such a cool historical meaning since it means "from lesbos", the island where sappho, a Greek poet who wrote poems about the girls she loved, is from.
My first lesbian film was Desert Hearts, and I was obsessed with it in high school. I rented it from the public library so much, the clerks began to side-eye me 😁
The last (and only) lesbian film I’ve seen in the cinema was Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Also - I totally use the word lesbian to describe my sexuality and I’m actually kinda pissed when I hear that others might treat it as non-inclusive and passé. I noticed that some celebrities started labeling themselves as queer or pan to join the lgbtq community and be cool, even tho they generally act straight. Maybe that’s why there’s some fuss about the labels and certain words. Ps awesome video as always 💗
Evelyn, I can"t remember ever going to a theater to see a Lesbian movie & I suddenly realized why, there were NO lesbian, gay or any queer content type movies shown in our little rural town at the time!!!! And now streaming any type movies on television, computers, lap tops, Ipads & phones is the new trend & I like it!! Also I am a lesbian & have been all my life & love who I am!! I do like the word Lesbian & feel that it identifies me as a woman who loves women!! In my opinion a woman who just wants to be who she is & truly loves women, as they should be loved, is a lesbian !! The rest of you who are into labeling, can call yourself whatever you like & feel comfortable with!! No judgments on my part, after all isn't that what we are supposed to be all about, to live our lives as we want, with no judgements from anyone, specially within our own community!!!???? Anyway, that's what I thought!!! 😍✌🌈
I will support anything with lesbian content, fr. I just think we need to get the viewership up so I'm doing my part to make that happen, lol. I think Carol and The Favorite were the last two I was able to watch on the big screen. I'm a little bit older than some of you all so I am always so happy to see all the choices we have now. Call it Queer or Lesbian I'm here to celebrate and watch wlw anytime 😊💓💖💕!
I saw ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ and ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ in the cinema. But before that, the last lesbian film I saw in a cinema was probably ‘The Hunger’, 30 years ago! Thanks for another interesting and informative video.
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit rarely gets mentioned - it was my first lesbian film I saw and had a profound effect on me - the next was The Hunger and that did the same
When you say 'The Hunger', is it the 1983 one where Bowie plays a vampire ? I've been meaning to watch it for ages, even better if it has some sapphic content !
The first lesbian movie I watched is Fingersmith so maybe it explains why I really really love period lesbian films and I would love to see more of it! And what attracted me to them is the fact that they usually have beautiful cinematograpy and great colors (I know, big budget). Though I think what I didn't like about the trend now on period lesbian films is the lack of happy endings and creating "realistic" endings i.e. suffering. Of all the period movies I watched recently, only Elisa y Marcela delivered. And that was released like 3 years ago. Even Tell it to Bees, that one was a damn shame!
I really liked tell it to the bees the ending wasn't the best, but it reflected the time or was that the point 🤔. Production quality was good n acting spot on
@@ailsawalcott52 The thing is… the book it was based on had a happy ending. The author specifically said that she wanted to write more happy stories for lesbians, even though it may not be “realistic” for the setting. I really like the movie so I bought the original novel. I think they made some good changes; the ending is not one of them.
As a teacher whose students love Jo Jo Siwa, I could never talk her down even if I cared what words she used to identify herself. IMHO, she's free to use whatever words she wants. She is out and proud and that's what counts. On the other hand I think there is and has always been a stigma attached to the word Lesbian that some women can't get past, no matter how many women they f#@&. The first lesbian movie I watched was Desert Hearts and it absolutely changed my life both as a movie and as a book. I still love it, even though the sex scenes are ridiculous. Honestly, I think Film Festivals are the best place for screening Lesbian films. That's where I saw the short film that preceded the feature length film Pariah, which I also saw in theaters, around 10 years ago now. I also saw Disobedience in the theater coincidentally in the same theater I saw Pariah. I can't remember where I saw The Favorite, so it must have been in my house. Same with Portrait of a woman on Fire. I think I saw Carol in the theater too, though can't remember which. I just love Todd Haynes so much. For me academic activities have prevented me getting to theaters as much as I would like, including to LGBTQI Film Festivals, Being in school full time prevents a lot of social events. I think you make a GREAT point about the straight gaze and the power behind funding of queer movies. This is why I think the L Word was a huge boon to Lesbian stories and the Hollywood machine. Thank you to Showtime for seeing that one through to the last episode. And for reviving it. So since that is a "cable" or streamed show (hooray for the end of Cable!) II think it speaks to the shift from film productions. I do think we are moving more toward streaming because of the relative freedom that marginialized groups experience with productions. But I agree wholeheartedly with you about the need for funding and expertise for Lesbian films. But lets continue to tell all the stories, even the historical stories in period costume, especially if they are based on people who lived. We are obligated to reclaim our history as well. And just as many lesbian film makers deserve to be funded and supported as mediochre straight men have been funded and supported by Hollywood. I have no idea if the Lesbian movie is dead, but I sure hope not. I know I'm not done enjoying them and I'll see them in theaters as long as they are released there.
@@EvelynDar I forgot to mention Lianna! Thank you so much for taking time with that film here. That was my favorite Lesbian movie ever for a long time and started a love affair with the films of John Sayles who is NOT a mediocre straight male. He has a singularly sensitive and nuanced appreciation for women's lives and experiences and he remains one of my all-time favorite directors. Lianna as a film has not aged well because it is a document of its time, when gay life was just coming out of mafia controlled bars and underground invite-only clubs. That lesbian dance bar scene is so painful and real and yet no one would believe it today. Thanks again for loving Lianna and sharing it with your audience.
Evelyn I can’t even remember the last one I saw in the movies. Streaming has way more variety, so I agree with that. I love the points about money and people going to see it in theaters. Great vid Evelyn.
The first movie i watched after actively seeking out lesbian movies was "Water Lilies" I just moved to a new highschool and joined a film and tv class. I saw a clip from water lilies on youtube and was instantly intrigued because it had almost every creative and artistic element that i wanted to use in my own film projects. To this day its still one of my favourite movies. The minimal dialogue, less saturated colors, realistic characters, harsh blue and red lighting, the presence of violin and piano in the soundtrack, the swimming pool setting, the awkward cringyness that comes off as extremely wholesome and relatable. To add onto all that, because all of my close female friends were all openly bisexual I've seen them go through these exact experiences, emotions and discoveries throughout my life, it was almost autobiographical in a weird way. And i think because it was french, it gave it an extra foreign allure that was intriguing to me as a 16 year old
100% of what you're saying is true. I believe the theatre industry has been trending in this direction for the past 15+ years. When Disney bought Pixar and then Marvel and then Star Wars, they became a juggernaut that did nothing but pump out huge budget blockbuster movies and every other studio has tried to follow suit. As a result, there are very few $25-$50M theatrical films any more and the $10-$25M studio flick is near extinct (regardless of content). So movies revolving around LGBTQ, racialized or otherwise culturally diverse characters have been pushed even further to the outskirts of theatrical distribution. Luckily, we have streaming to pick up a lot of the slack. So while the box office may not reflect it, I think we're in pretty great shape when it comes to stories that don't revolve around straight white English speaking "Christian" men.
Easily one of favourite channels..So thank you. I’m amazed that the film ‘Snapshots’ isn’t mentioned more often it’s a beautiful film. I get so frustrated here in the U.K. when I see a film on UA-cam and I can’t find it anywhere. I dearly want to watch ‘Season of Love’ but so far no luck. Thanks for your content it just about keeps me sane sometimes.
Great video. I'm not sure the last three lesbian films I saw in theaters. I'm going to count Spencer, and definitely The Favourite, and I can't even recall what would be #3. And I see a lot of movies. But I like you cheer the extreme gayness of streaming. Crush, The Half of It, and so many others. Streaming really has taken over the indie arthouse space in large part, and I'm here for it. Seriously, you think if it came out today that Go Fish wouldn't land on Hulu or HBO Max? No way. It's the new way of the world and I'm here for it. And also here for supporting all manner of queer movie that hits theaters.
All of the lesbian content I've watched in the last 3 years has been online. From youtube, netflix, Amazon Prime Etc movies, series, things like a perfect ending and Venice the series and a bunch of stuff in between. Like carmilla the series, a little Canadian thing lol. Which I love. Kind of kind of housebound so going to theaters has not been my thing for a long long time. But you're right streaming seems to be the way to go. As for labels- that seems to be either a personal or political thing which is fine but not something that I'm willing to get into a barber all about. I don't think so anyway. Anyway love your stuff thank you very much.
Love the video, as always! I can't remember what my first lesbian movie was. I would watch them late at night on Showcase (Canadian channel that showed a lot of indie movies, especially after hours), and would record them on my VCR when I was a young teen (I was born in '82). It was probably Heavenly Creatures, or Sister My Sister (I did not enjoy that one). I use the word lesbian, as does my wife. Honestly, it took me a while to be comfortable with the word "queer". My wife keeps asking me if we're "old gays" at the age of 40. I hate to think that, so I say we're just older.
First Kill got cancelled?! 😱🤬😭 Also, I understand why some people don't like the word lesbian. I used to think it was an ugly sounding word when I was younger lol (it also sounds a bit rougher in my language). Now I'm used to it though
The last and only lesbian films I have seen in a movie theater is Disobedience and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I am a streaming person and can’t remember any other film I seen except those 2 in a real theater. With regard to Jo jo , I have no problem with her feelings and at times use either word as a description for myself. Thought you made some good points .
I saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire in an empty theater the day before lockdown started here and went to see Ammonite at the theater (outdoors) when it first came out.
My first memory of a lesbian character in a film was in Under the Tuscan Sun, which I watched with my mum when I was twelve, but I don't think I watched an actual 'lesbian film' until ten years later when I was going through my big bi crisis and I tracked down a copy of Imagine Me & You. I do think that there are fewer mid-budget lesbian films these days simply because there are fewer mid-budget films in general! It sucks! I know how fortunate I am to be living in a city with arthouse cinemas and regular queer film festivals. I think the last three lesbian films that I watched on the big screen were Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), Summerland, and Happiest Season. I didn't even like any of those three films all that much, but they were still worth it for the experience of sitting in the audience and celebrating lesbian love with a hundred or more other people. Queer film festivals are sacred to me.
"The Favorite" it's, probably, the only lesbian movie I have watched at the cinema. All the others, on the Internet, not always on stream platforms (and I'm not gonna elaborate on that lmao). About the word lesbian, as a bi woman, I do prefer "sapphic" because it includes more women who love women. But, no, the word doesn't bother me at all and it wouldn't (it doesn't) change my mind when I'm searching for a film to watch. Actually, rather the opposite, I tend to search for lesbian movies. And I loved you added "Arcane" to the video. Not a fan of shows, more a movie gal, but holy shit, that show got me on chokehold and I'm not exaggerating. After watching the documentary (which is still ongoing) of how they made it... I'm even more obsessed. I really hope we get more gay shit from Cait and Vi, I'm in love with both of them and their relationship. Thanks for the video!
Had to find a list of LGBT movies by release date to try and remember what I've seen last and I came up with "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", "The Favourite", and "Booksmart".
Lost and Delirious was my first and oh boy, Piper Perabo is in my soul forever. And as a separate PSA: please please please watch A League of Their Own!
The first even tangentially related lesbian film I watched was 1961's the children hour with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. It was a while ago so my memory of it is hazy but I know it ended in tragedy. I was very young at the time myself so I'm not sure how it affected me but very likely it did.
I'm pretty sure that the only Lesbian film that I have watched in the theater is Below her Mouth. It happened to be playing in the Independent film theater which shows like 2 or 3 films. I've mostly had to stream or "rent" them, cuz I be that old.
Being from a non western country, I'm really happy that Fire was the first lesbian movie I watched. I had to tape it on VHS while my family slept 😂 It's still one of my favourites even though I haven't seen it in years
you have every right to feel that way, however the word lesbian is becoming increasingly erased in media and replaced with words terms such as sapphic, wlw etc because people often treat lesbian as a dirty word, even i struggle being comfortable in my identity as a lesbian. (by this i mean people calling lesbians sapphic, not other sapphic identities like bi/pan). sorry for the rant lmao
@@skjjjo2922 I agree. To be honest, I can only point to small bouts of internalized homophobia as the reason why "lesbians" don't want to use the word "lesbian" for themselves. Edit/add: I could only speak for myself though when I said internalized homophobia because I had that when I was deep in the closet. Now, I embrace the word lesbian internally and when people ask about it, I simply tell them the truth.
@@talwyn_cc yes it is definitely internalized homophobia, but i would equate the reason for that because people who are not lesbian using the word as an insult (which i heard growing up a lot) or just avoiding saying the word in general because they think it sounds gross etc. it’s very sad how stigmatized the word lesbian is in todays society, especially due to the p0*n industry :(
@@talwyn_cc and to add how with every new movie/tv show i see with lesbian characters, they never say the word ‘lesbian’, it’s always ‘gay’ i know many lesbians prefer to call themselves gay but i think it would help destigmatize the word if media would use it more yk? sorry for the long sentences haha
I don't mind the labels "Queer" and "Sapphic" when used in a context where one wants to include other women who love women but may also like other genders as well. But when it comes to a group of fully lesbian individuals, a couple or polycule where all of its members are lesbian, or even someone who fits the description but feels uncomfortable with the label, I think we should normalize the word more. It's not dirty or disgusting, it's a word that literally has origins related to one of the most prominent lesbians in history, and the fact people view it with disdain should not make you hate it. It's a word like any other, and it's one of the most beautiful in my opinion. By avoiding the label you're only perpetuating the negative perceptions surrounding it. I am a lesbian and I'm proud. I'll never be ashamed to be who I am.
Thanks for this video it make all of us old gals remember our first girl /girl love story that we watched in a theater.My first was Lianna my second was Desert Hearts in 1985 and the last one was Blue is the Warmest Color in 2013. I watched them all at the York Square Cinema near Yale University . That theater has since closed down. Part of the problem , maybe that there are no more art house cinemas.
Streaming is my 'present', so I'm already in the future because I live in space where the single movie theater is a 40 min drive one way, not open daily, and they rarely show anything I'd want to see. It might even have closed down, I pay zero attention it. I have seen more lesbian films, tv & movie, on Amazon Prime in the past few years than I have in my entire life - and I just entered my 70th year on earth. As a baby-boomer (yes there are millions of lesbian boomers out here - some also, as with the younger set, also hate the words lesbian, queer, lipstick dyke, dyke, BUT who cares about their choice in words). Shut up and watch or don't watch the movie. Movies: Plots please. Excellent Dialog! Teens finding teens wears me out, but I am older, and the younger ones need something to talk about to each other, and to develop their star crushes. I prefer adult women roles, less teen angst: Ammonite, Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Carol, Summerland, Albert Nobbs, The Hours, The World Unseen, Tove, Wild Nights with Emily, The Affair, The Favourite, Bound, Two of Us, The Night Watch, The Girl King, La Luciernaga, Imagine Me & You, Benedetta. I have watched numerous other films that are not money makers or financed that well, some are good, some not so. My list watched is endless. Much to choose from in streaming. It's a lesbian's candy store out there in streamland. Some candy I spit out and wish I never watched, others, enjoyed but won't watch again or recommend. Bottomline, there are many films now for all of our likes. I have a list made of many to still watch. I was totally hooked on the TV series Gentleman Jack, which HBO cut off just when it was soaring with, well, lesbian fans. I also, at my age, liked Batgirl! Lesbians are used to being forgotten, ignored, dropped, and will usually watch whatever is offered because the drought for good lesbians films and shows has been going on for decades. I'll keep hunting, and keep watching, and keep hoping money is offered up for the more sophisticated made films where lesbians (aka women) can shine in excellent roles and scripts. As they say money talks, and women, lesbian or not, their roles and payment-scales have always been less than fair. We need to watch even the less than B movies to support their efforts.
The latest (and only) lesbian film I've seen in theaters was Bodies Bodies Bodies. And I really loved it. I love that it's not a "lesbian film" but instead a film with lesbians. Just having two queer women in leading roles as open lesbians was awesome to see, and didn't feel forced at all. I highly recommend watching it!
I love the term "sapphic movies" because the term broadly encompasses any relationship between people who identify as women who love women. Therefore a relationship between a bisexual woman with a lesbian woman can be call sapphic. A relationship between a pansexual woman who loves a bisexual woman can also be called sapphic and so on. I'm a big ass lesbian (huge fan of your channel btw) but I've been in relationships with bisexual girls that felt "misunderstood" when it comes to labeling a relationship as a "lesbian relationship". I think they must also feel left out when a movie is labeled as "lesbian romcom", "lesbian drama" etc. So I make sure to tell them about the term "sapphic" that is basically an umbrella term for everybody who identifies as woman loving other women.
Hates the word "queer".. It makes me feel like some worm is crawling in my skin... Just hate it.. And we don't even know if sokeone says they are "queer" are they really attractive to same sex or they are just asexual or something but st8. So main thing is i don't like it. Simply if i am lesbian then i am just that.
My first wlw movie, was Bound then When Night is Falling, in the same week. After that I streamed and watch everything wlw I could find, including the most painful cinematic endeavour, which is excruciating for my film nerd self. I regret nuffin'. Streaming might indeed be a saving grace for feature length films, if and only if They give the same energy in term of marketing and appropriate hype, which isn't the case for wlw series for example (cf First Kill and Heartstopper)
I have never seen a lesbian movie in the theater. The first lesbian movie I ever saw was Personal Best on cable, in the 80’s. Was not a fan of the storyline. But let me tell you that lesbian content has gotten way better and more plentiful since then!
As far as I remember the last movies with lesbian characters I watched in theathers were Carol and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Now I watch more films or series on Netflix. By the way there are two new great short web series here on youtube with WLW content: Stupid Wife and Sleep With Me. It would be nice if you could take a look at them. Oh and thanks for the great video as always !
Coup de foudre (1983) - At First Sight aka Entre Nous .... Isabelle Huppert & Miou-Miou .....couldn't believe a lesbian film was being shown in a cinema ... amazing. Still love it.
Hi Evelyn, thank you for your great videos. My first lesbian movie was "When night is falling", which I watched on the sly. For the subject, let's not forget the generation difference. For us millennials, a lesbian movie was a party, an event in front of the few offers. This new generation is awash in series with queer characters. They don't realize how spoiled they are. And I think that's great for them. But, who says more offers says less audience, It is impossible to watch all the series with a lesbian storylines . The cinema is generally dying apart from the very big "Marvel" type franchises and inevitably if the cinema is dying, the independent films will be the first to suffer.
My first lesbian flick was Desert Hearts which not only gives my age away but I highly recommend to young sapphics. The last movie I saw in a theater was Carol. Before that, The Kids Are Alright. I watch much more on streaming services though, like Crush and Disobedience both of which I liked very much for very different reasons. I also like sapphic series like First Kill, Gentleman Jack, Wynonna Earp and A League of Their Own, again for different reasons. I believe I’m like a lot of lesbians that feel the more representation the better. That being said, after all the recent cancellations, I’d like WLW material to appeal to as many people as possible. If that means we change ‘lesbian’ to sapphic, wlw , lez , lesbian or gay I don’t care. I don’t think we should bend over backwards to appease everyone but maybe we could take a vote? 😉 We’ve come such a long way since the days of Desert Hearts -and I’m looking forward to seeing the next 40 years of sapphic, lesbian, homosexual, wlw, gay film/tv content, whether it’s top tier or not. 😎
Growing up I consumed every lesbian movie I came across, no matter how shitty. Now sometimes I just want to watch one, but there’s literally no new ones and it’s so good to see someone talking about the lack of mid tier lesbian movies now
Evelyn, you make many interesting observations, so I have to come back to comment after I think about them. Remembering the last three I saw in the theater is going to take a lot of time. Point taken. Also interesting is people not caring for the word "lesbian." Hmm. What is that? I had to be trained to like it better, and I'm neither young nor identify as anything else.
I don't think I've ever seen a Lesbian film in a movie theater... I'm 22 and TBH I don't love Lesbian period pieces and that's usually the type of Lesbian film that receives a wide cinematic release. I find them very depressing and almost repetitive (though POALOF is a master piece that I adore). With that being said, I love what streaming has done to change the playing field. The first Lesbian movie I watched was Carol and I was like 15 years old. It went over my head at the time. Now though, I actively seek out queer female/afab film/TV content. As a bisexual woman and aspiring filmmaker myself, I'm more interested in seeing the struggles and complexities of queerness in a modern lens than a period piece. More specifically, I am craving and actively trying to write/make female bisexual lead and driven stories. All I want is to see some queer people living their lives, is that too much to ask Hollywood? Probably...
Me and my copilot during the montage of films: What movie is THAT?!? Write that down! Also, I don’t remember the last lesbian film I saw in theaters. But I have seen so many movies and shows on streaming platforms.
I've only watched The portrait of a lady on fire in a movie theater. I was searching for it for a while to watch it on a big screen, and found it in quite small europen-productions oriented place. In Poland, where I live, I don't recall any lesbian movie in typical big movie theaters.
That's one of my favourites. I can't remember which one I watched first, but I do remember the first series I ever watched, Legend of the Seeker, had two women kiss and then I started doubting my sexuality lol. Lesbian movies came after I was watching gay shows. Now I moved on to books
@@godhateseveryonewhodoesntr5977 I've seen that too. I actually liked that series. 😊 My first series that made me realize that I was into women for sure, was Xena the Warrior Princess. Though nothing ever really happen between Xena and Gabrielle, there were definitely signs of something more than friendship. 😏😍
That's a good point. Personally I liked the story, but the movie itself felt partially finished and edited in a way I don't think it was originally meant to be edited. It's such a tonally strange movie.
Evelyn - I had to look up a list of movies that came out during the last three years (COVID) to come up with the last three movies with lesbians that I saw in the theater: Carol, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Interestingly, the last two were at the Virginia Film Festival, otherwise I would have seen them on a streaming service. I had to drive to the next town to see Carol, because it left the theater so fast, I could only find it an hour and a half away from me. I completely agree that the plethora of available content and GOOD content is cooling off the little bit of interest there was to make that same content for theatrical release. I'm good consuming that content either way, in a theater or on a streaming service. The biggest problem with streaming services is that there are too many of them for me to fucking afford. So, I miss stuff because I have to stick with the services that more likely will have this content in the future - Netflix and Amazon Prime. I find out about the stuff I miss by watching UA-cam video influencers, like you, to go out and find the ones I haven't seen even if they are several years old. You are great about telling us where the content is that you are reviewing, when you have that information. And as I've been listening to this offering from you, I'm anticipating your points and I've been right with you the whole what through, at least till you said to find the last three lesbian movies we've seen in the theater...I'm going back now to listen to the rest...I'm pretty good with following directions... 🙂 Di
The first movie I watch with lgbt characters was ,,Brokeback mountain". I was maybe 14 and remember sitting watching a tragic love affair between two men, where they both had wives but somehow their love was stronger. Then I watched CMBYN with increasing interest but felt no so much understanding. In my culture people don't talk about lgbt people, or at least not nicely. A film that ,,opened" my eyes and helped a part of myself was "Love, Simon". Warm movie about a boy who slowly wants to come out of the closet which helped me a lot in my 16. I have not yet had a film with wlw, there are not too many + it is difficult to find something in good quality. Ofc i'm still looking.
Thank you Evelyn for this awesome content. Your voice really gets my attention and I really like your style of commentating and oration. This video introduced me to your Channel and you sold me on subscribing! thanks again!
Thank you for posting this. Speaking as a gay guy here ... One of my favorite movie-going experiences was seeing "Go Fish" at a multiplex in Winston-Salem, NC in the early 90s. That was a time when indie and foreign pictures could turn up in medium-sized towns, just as part of the larger mix of movies they played to appeal to different audiences. Now, with the focus on large budget pictures that have to play on as many screens as possible for a return, movies like "Go Fish" have been pushed to streaming. While it's great the films are finding "at home" audiences, even in small towns or rural areas that would have never shown LGBTQ films at a theater, there is something lost when you don't see a film with an audience and experience the reaction and random conversations that come with that experience.
Three las movies I watched in theaters : Benedetta (shitty, not mto my taste if you prefer), Les amours d'Anaïs (beautiful images, beautiful music, original love story with an age gap), La belle saison (period lesbian film if you consider the 1970's like a distant era). All of whch were french.
Any chance I get to see a lesbian film in a theater, I do so. The last one was Benedetta, but I also saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ammonite and The World to Come. I’ve seen others in theaters as well, because there’s nothing like the theatrical experience. Plus - I know if we don’t support them, they won’t get made. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women was fabulous and I saw it twice in a theater. Disobedience also. Carol. But few people saw them. I’m always sad when the theaters are empty when I go.
As a lesbian from Colombia, the last time I watched a lesbian film on theater was portrait of a on fire on 2021 , but it was thanks to all the notoriety on film festivals that got it to my country, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. the same happened with the favorite. those are the only two films that I've ever seen on theaters, and because it's so rare I made a point to actually go see them. For portrait of a lady on fire it was moderately full and for the favorite it was empty, I was the only one on that theater.
last three lesbian films I saw in theatres: Portrait of a lady on fire, The Favourite, and Wild Nights w Emily - the first and third at a very indie theatre in the bay area
Earliest lesbian film: Picnic At Hanging Rock. “Is all that we see and seem but a dream within a dream?” with Peter Weir’s cinematography & that swooning Australian soundtrack. I love it to this day, like Virgin Suicides & Portrait of a Lady, they have this other-worldly, ethereal, dreamy quality that I adore. “The Female Gaze” indeed.
Love this video, another great one as usual! I honestly hate to say this, but I really dislike period pieces....SO that doesn't leave me with a lot of lesbian movies haha! I love all the streaming and just am glad we are getting some content. I like your point about how there's just such a small amount of lesbian stuff being made, so if there's a 'bad' one, it makes up a higher percentage. I think overall people are a little harsh on stuff and sometimes I think certain people just like to complain. I don't really have a point here but I am excited by the upcoming content, obv The L Word GQ S3, Yellowjackets S2, Station 19, Grey's & all the rest! When it comes to Jo Jo, I sadly think that is just misogyny, lesbian is hurled around as such an insult and why some lesbians won't use it. I used to be a bit like that when I was younger but now I am much more secure. When talking on my channel I do use WLW as I think it is a bit more accurate for people coming to my channel.
Great points Ash, I feel basically the same way. It’s nice to finally have a bit of a choice when watching something sapphic. I watch a bit of syfy, period pieces (A League Of Their Own) and shows that have a slightly younger target audience (I’m in my 50’s). I even watched the Hallmark movie ‘Love Classified’. (It actually was pretty good!). I’m not really into sapphic anime-but it makes me very happy that it’s there for those who it appeals to. Compared to 10 yrs ago, queer content is growing exponentially and I like it! As for the word ‘ Lesbian’ I too am much more comfortable using it but if the masses want to use wlw that’s fine with me. 😌 Btw, love your content!!
'Lesbian', has been a descriptor that's been maligned for literally decades. Now it's for different reasons, but yeah, they can't quite wrap their, hmm, minds around it. The last two films I watched in an actual cinema were 'Atomic Blonde'. 😃 ... I agree that streaming is the way of the future, and as a disabled woman, it couldn't've come soon enough.
You didn't put the Canadian film 'Better Than Chocolate.' My first. Spun my world like a tornado. Now you need a video dedicated to this film. :) I still quote so many lines to explain things in ways I can't.
The last Lesbian movie in a theater would be Portraits of a Lady On Fire. Unless, you consider Parallel Mothers kinda lesbian movie-ish, then that one. First one, wow...lordy, your guess is as good as mine! I've seen most of them. Gen X'er.
As a 40something white cis guy from Europe who has been fascinated by and written extensively on lesbian cinema for twenty years now (is liking, recommending and commenting on lesbian content as an outsider mansplaining or being an ally?), I can remember a time when every new lesbian content was a landmark. As you correctly say, there is an abundance of quality lesbian content out there in the open now. So the question, in my opinion, should not be if "the lesbian film" is dead, but if "the American lesbian mid-tier cinematically released film" is dead. The answer is a clear yes, but I have the suspicion that that the "lesbian" part of that might not be the cause. American mid-tier cinematically released films in general have struggled for funding in the last decade, where cinemas increasingly are the monopolized playground of 100+ mio dollar movies. This is a much-lamented fact, that the traditional 20-30 mio dollar movie is no longer viable in this environment, so indie and arthouse movies (lesbian or otherwise) that were prevalent in the 90s and 00s have just migrated to streaming. And contemporary set dramas and romances have always falle in this category (lesbian or otherwise). So what have the American filmmakers behind those grea lesbian films of the 90s and 00s done since? Worked in TV. And why are all the current lesbian cinematic releases from abroad? Because in Europe and Asia the movie budgets are still in this range and the funding situation is different) so that indie directors can poduce and distribute indie films in cinemas, including lesbian ones.
I am still so sad about First Kill it was my favorite show it will be so long until we another Sapphic supernatural romance like that and it makes me sad because I always felt like aren’t many sapphic stories like that expect for in books.
Thank god I watched Bodies Bodies Bodies (and had a great time), otherwise Carol would have been the last lesbian film I've seen in theaters, all the way back when it first released. I wish there was a way, like a newsletter or something, I could sign up for and get notified of lesbian films that are being released. It's really hard to keep track of these things, I usually hear about new movies and shows from friends or from people talking about it on social media.
The last lesbian movie I saw in cinema, was 'Carol', which I liked for the most part. I missed out on 'Disobedience', but got it on DVD. Same goes for 'The Favorite'. The bad endings of 'The World To Come' and 'Ammonite' kept me away from going to cinema. Why? Like others I'm done with the BYG or related content. Although not a movie, Killing Eve season 4 is a prime example. I want more 'Imagine Me and You', the first and the best one for me.
The last lesbian movie I saw on theater was Carol (2015). Idk if the streamings are much better than hollywood itself. The metrics still are the straight gaze to measure "success". It's like, instead of getting 90-120 min of lesbians on screen, on a cheap movie, now we get a low budget season of 8 epis series made to be canceled? Yeyy(?) I mean, sorry, I'm just bitter bc looks like there's no winning.
Idk... definitely feels like HBO Max/ CW/ WB decided to go kill all of their representation-filled shows (🤞🤞🤞 they leave Harley Quinn alone) I just want my Avalance back 😢
the first lesbian movie I watched was D.E.B.S and I came upon it by accident since a channel on my local cable tv was showing it. And I never went back lol
Me too. I was about 12 years old when I watched it with family, before I even realized I was a lesbian. It was the one with Jordana Brewster. I was so obsessed with it, still kinda am, it's like my comfort lesbian movie 😁.
There is a petition for a second season of Paper Girls on Change if you are interested. A few people mentioned Paper Girls in the comments, so I just wanted to let you know - also in the light of the frequent cancellation of lesbian/bi/queer shows these days after just one season.
Oh my goossssssh Heavenly Creatures was the first lesbian film I saw, Mulholland Drive was somewhere way back when too. But oh my gosh last one I saw in a theatre? Honestly I barely go to the movies...maybeeeeee The Favorite, or the Little Hours- two of my all around favorite films ever as it turns out.
Last one I saw in the theater was Carol, all by myself which was fine cause I could cheer and applaud all I wanted in all the right places. :) First one I ever saw period was Desert Hearts on VIDEO (yeah like some of the commenters, I'm old, too.) :) And I have and always will prefer Lesbian over Queer, no old het slurs, thanks, no matter who's using them now. And you're right, it all comes down to profit and the hets just don't want to see anything that excludes men. I couldn't talk any of my more accepting family members to see Carol with me no matter how hard I tried but they were all for seeing Brokeback Mountain.
Hate to be that viewer. But during the opening clips,The Watermelon Woman was labeled as Go Fish. Great video as always
Yeah, I remember Go Fish as a B/W film, not colored
Damnit! I blame Guinevere Turner for being in everything. Thanks for letting me know!
Ahh the memories…Go Fish premiere at the Castro ‘94.
THANK YOU. I'm not a lesbian film expert but even I know that was *not* GO FISH.
@@Swimdeep I remember that lol. It was kind of a big deal.
I love the word lesbian. I stan Sappho.
Im now 22 and for many years I felt very dirty and uncomfortable with the word lesbian. I had this bias an idea of lesbians being ugly, masculine and unappealing from my upbringing. It made it really hard for me to accept my sexuality and I would often avoid using that word to identify myself despite being a lesbian. I had low self esteem like young adults/teenagers do and didn't want to be another stereotypical "ugly" lesbian.
I grew up though and worked through many of my biases and social conditionings and eventually accepted myself and my appearance. I'm happy with how I look, I know I'm pretty and let myself be feminine and I'm proud to be a lesbian and use that word. I used to hold myself to this idea of how I should present as a lesbian instead of just being myself.
I ironically actually get disheartened when I see other young women avoid that label because I understand the underlying issues and feelings towards that label. I often hope they grow to accept, understand and heal through it. I feel like after overcoming my dislike for the word I feel even more proud of the word lesbian? It was a very important life lesson and realization for me to accept myself and I'm proud for the women who fought for my right to love freely.
Also I've never watched a lesbian movie in theaters. I prefer to watch movies at home in private and don't even enjoy watching movies with others
Well said!!!🥰
So I'm 32, and also avoided (and still avoid) the word lesbian, but for the opposite reason, which I think is interesting. For me, I associated the word lesbian with the male objectification of wlw, which conjures images totally different to the regular looking, human, diverse women who actually fall under the true meaning of the word. I refer to myself as gay or queer, but I recognize it's my own word association (and I also present more non-binary though I am happily and firmly female, which factors into that being my preferred word). Some people I know hate the word queer because it has associations as a slur. All of this is just to say that I think it's interesting how so many LGBT people have very different experiences and words mean different things to us. And to me one of the important things is that we notice why we have these feelings about these words and try to work through that. Then, whatever word you feel is right for you-let your flag fly, you know!? I do feel sad when people feel trapped by words rather than released by them, so @A C, reading what you shared made me cheer for you (sincerely mean that).
Each of us can be so many things at once, and we should do ourselves the favour of letting ourselves be what we are rather than what we think the words we identify with have to mean.
(This does, to @Evelyn Dar's point, however, make the marketing of a lesbian movie more difficult! #seo)
I also generally watch movies at home, not in theatres, so I've never seen a lesbian movie in theatres.
I'm the same way. It took me so long to come out--I didn't until I was 26--and it took me even longer (like not until my 30s) to get comfortable with the word lesbian. And then like a year after I'd finally gotten comfortable with it...it practically became taboo in the LGBT community. But to me, lesbian is my hard line in the sand. Queer to me is a blanket term that encompasses any sexuality that deviates from heterosexual, whereas lesbian means two very specific things: you are a female who has no sexual attraction for males whatsoever, but you do for women. I refuse to turn the term lesbian over to men and let them have it for their exploitative and grotesque pornography. Lesbian isn't a dirty word, or a porn category, or transphobic, or outdated. It's just an accurate term to describe a very specific sexuality.
I grew up with similar negative perceptions about lesbians. To counter those, I tried to be feminine and “pretty” for years. This was a trap however, as I am more comfortable presenting masculine and being butch. Who cares if I look like a butch stereotype? Also, I like the term “lesbian.”
While it is absolutely valid when lesbians want to appear “pretty” and feminine, it is also just as valid to appear masculine and not in the standard definition of “pretty,” which is a narrow box anyway.
I feel u. I’m 21 and saying the word “lesbian” somehow feels reallllly wired .
Never seen a lesbian film in theatre, I'm a Nigerian 😩 I am as mad as anyone with the axing of wlw content but I have to agree that the blessing of streaming services is accessibility. As someone in a country where it might take another decade before we can see lesbian films mainstream, I would never see certain shows and films if streaming services did not carry them. So, yes, more streaming.
The last three lesbian movies that I saw at the Theater were “The World to Come,” “Ammonite,” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The first two I had to drive to the next town to see them because they had a limited distribution. Totally worth it to support good filmmaking. Evelyn - thanks for sharing your thoughts in this video! Thought provoking and depressing at the same time. 🤔😂😕🌈👍
I can't believe no one has mentioned Desert Hearts. It was both a period piece and an independent production. That was the first lesbian movie I ever saw. It was on cable, and it still remains one of my Top 5 favorites. The last movie I saw in the theater was Carol. I very much agree with your assessment of Hollywood's exasperating checklist of requirements. I agree that streaming will ultimately be the go-to when it comes to quality lesbian content. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
At 72, the earliest lesbian films I remember watching were The Children's Hour and The Fox, which definitely played to the negative tropes. I've seen most lesbian films over the decades when they released in the theater, even if the lesbian content was only peripheral like The Color Purple. I remember being a little nervous when my mom came to see Fried Green Tomatoes with me. I binge watched A League of Their Own in one day on Amazon Prime a week or so ago. Loved the show and that I could turn on the English subtitles when two of the characters spoke Spanish so I could understand what they were saying. My wife and I don't have Netflix, but we do have HBO. We watched Gentleman Jack religiously, but my wife stopped watching when the main character cheated on her wife. I was very disappointed when the show was cancelled after two seasons. I've bought tons of lesbian films on VHS & later DVD over the decades. (Thank you, Wolfe Video.) Back in the mid-90's there was a monthly lesbian film night at one of the Detroit area art theaters. It was so much fun watching in a room full of lesbians, even if the movie sucked (like Even Cowgirls Get the Blues). The yearly 3-day LGBT film festival included lesbian films and evenings with multiple lesbian short films. The last film with lesbian content that I saw in the theater was The Favourite. I am a hardcore lesbian feminist. As far as terminology goes, I prefer lesbian, dyke and Amazon for myself. I think of gay as mainly as male term but will use it in as a collective term such as gay pride. I sometimes use queer as a collective term to describe a group of people whose sexual orientation or gender identity I don't necessarily know (such as chant "We're here, we're queer, get used to it!") but mostly use LGBTQ.
I really dislike that lesbian has become a dirty word due to porn and hatred from homophobes mostly.
It has such a cool historical meaning since it means "from lesbos", the island where sappho, a Greek poet who wrote poems about the girls she loved, is from.
My first lesbian film was Desert Hearts, and I was obsessed with it in high school. I rented it from the public library so much, the clerks began to side-eye me 😁
The last (and only) lesbian film I’ve seen in the cinema was Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Also - I totally use the word lesbian to describe my sexuality and I’m actually kinda pissed when I hear that others might treat it as non-inclusive and passé. I noticed that some celebrities started labeling themselves as queer or pan to join the lgbtq community and be cool, even tho they generally act straight. Maybe that’s why there’s some fuss about the labels and certain words.
Ps awesome video as always 💗
Evelyn, I can"t remember ever going to a theater to see a Lesbian movie & I suddenly realized why, there were NO lesbian, gay or any queer content type movies shown in our little rural town at the time!!!!
And now streaming any type movies on television, computers, lap tops, Ipads & phones is the new trend & I like it!!
Also I am a lesbian & have been all my life & love who I am!! I do like the word Lesbian & feel that it identifies me as a woman who loves women!! In my opinion a woman who just wants to be who she is & truly loves women, as they should be loved, is a lesbian !! The rest of you who are into labeling, can call yourself whatever you like & feel comfortable with!!
No judgments on my part, after all isn't that what we are supposed to be all about, to live our lives as we want, with no judgements from anyone, specially within our own community!!!???? Anyway, that's what I thought!!! 😍✌🌈
I will support anything with lesbian content, fr. I just think we need to get the viewership up so I'm doing my part to make that happen, lol. I think Carol and The Favorite were the last two I was able to watch on the big screen. I'm a little bit older than some of you all so I am always so happy to see all the choices we have now. Call it Queer or
Lesbian I'm here to celebrate and watch wlw anytime 😊💓💖💕!
I saw ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ and ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ in the cinema. But before that, the last lesbian film I saw in a cinema was probably ‘The Hunger’, 30 years ago! Thanks for another interesting and informative video.
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit rarely gets mentioned - it was my first lesbian film I saw and had a profound effect on me - the next was The Hunger and that did the same
When you say 'The Hunger', is it the 1983 one where Bowie plays a vampire ? I've been meaning to watch it for ages, even better if it has some sapphic content !
@@Loweene_Ancalimon That is the one - absolutely brilliant film - very artistic -
@@Loweene_Ancalimon yes. Catherine Deneuve is a bisexual vampire and seduces Susan Sarandon. A must-see! 😍
Gia, when night is calling 🌙
and
Lost and delirious
“Or in some cases - lighting” had me 😂😂😂
The first lesbian movie I watched is Fingersmith so maybe it explains why I really really love period lesbian films and I would love to see more of it! And what attracted me to them is the fact that they usually have beautiful cinematograpy and great colors (I know, big budget).
Though I think what I didn't like about the trend now on period lesbian films is the lack of happy endings and creating "realistic" endings i.e. suffering.
Of all the period movies I watched recently, only Elisa y Marcela delivered. And that was released like 3 years ago. Even Tell it to Bees, that one was a damn shame!
I really liked tell it to the bees the ending wasn't the best, but it reflected the time or was that the point 🤔. Production quality was good n acting spot on
@@ailsawalcott52 The thing is… the book it was based on had a happy ending. The author specifically said that she wanted to write more happy stories for lesbians, even though it may not be “realistic” for the setting. I really like the movie so I bought the original novel. I think they made some good changes; the ending is not one of them.
Have you seen The Handmaiden?
It is one of my all-time favorite made-for-TV films as well. God bless the BBC.
@@dannygillespie6614 yep loved it, watched it 3x on cinema. It's gorgeous and all but I liked Fingersmith more because it had more nuance.
As a teacher whose students love Jo Jo Siwa, I could never talk her down even if I cared what words she used to identify herself. IMHO, she's free to use whatever words she wants. She is out and proud and that's what counts. On the other hand I think there is and has always been a stigma attached to the word Lesbian that some women can't get past, no matter how many women they f#@&. The first lesbian movie I watched was Desert Hearts and it absolutely changed my life both as a movie and as a book. I still love it, even though the sex scenes are ridiculous. Honestly, I think Film Festivals are the best place for screening Lesbian films. That's where I saw the short film that preceded the feature length film Pariah, which I also saw in theaters, around 10 years ago now. I also saw Disobedience in the theater coincidentally in the same theater I saw Pariah. I can't remember where I saw The Favorite, so it must have been in my house. Same with Portrait of a woman on Fire. I think I saw Carol in the theater too, though can't remember which. I just love Todd Haynes so much. For me academic activities have prevented me getting to theaters as much as I would like, including to LGBTQI Film Festivals, Being in school full time prevents a lot of social events. I think you make a GREAT point about the straight gaze and the power behind funding of queer movies. This is why I think the L Word was a huge boon to Lesbian stories and the Hollywood machine. Thank you to Showtime for seeing that one through to the last episode. And for reviving it. So since that is a "cable" or streamed show (hooray for the end of Cable!) II think it speaks to the shift from film productions. I do think we are moving more toward streaming because of the relative freedom that marginialized groups experience with productions. But I agree wholeheartedly with you about the need for funding and expertise for Lesbian films. But lets continue to tell all the stories, even the historical stories in period costume, especially if they are based on people who lived. We are obligated to reclaim our history as well. And just as many lesbian film makers deserve to be funded and supported as mediochre straight men have been funded and supported by Hollywood. I have no idea if the Lesbian movie is dead, but I sure hope not. I know I'm not done enjoying them and I'll see them in theaters as long as they are released there.
Thank you for that wonderful reply, I cackled at 'mediocre straight men' because YES lol
@@EvelynDar I forgot to mention Lianna! Thank you so much for taking time with that film here. That was my favorite Lesbian movie ever for a long time and started a love affair with the films of John Sayles who is NOT a mediocre straight male. He has a singularly sensitive and nuanced appreciation for women's lives and experiences and he remains one of my all-time favorite directors. Lianna as a film has not aged well because it is a document of its time, when gay life was just coming out of mafia controlled bars and underground invite-only clubs. That lesbian dance bar scene is so painful and real and yet no one would believe it today. Thanks again for loving Lianna and sharing it with your audience.
Evelyn I can’t even remember the last one I saw in the movies. Streaming has way more variety, so I agree with that. I love the points about money and people going to see it in theaters. Great vid Evelyn.
I played Mary Tilford in 'The Children's Hour' during my senior year of college. Loved seeing it included!
The first movie i watched after actively seeking out lesbian movies was "Water Lilies"
I just moved to a new highschool and joined a film and tv class. I saw a clip from water lilies on youtube and was instantly intrigued because it had almost every creative and artistic element that i wanted to use in my own film projects. To this day its still one of my favourite movies.
The minimal dialogue, less saturated colors, realistic characters, harsh blue and red lighting, the presence of violin and piano in the soundtrack, the swimming pool setting, the awkward cringyness that comes off as extremely wholesome and relatable. To add onto all that, because all of my close female friends were all openly bisexual I've seen them go through these exact experiences, emotions and discoveries throughout my life, it was almost autobiographical in a weird way. And i think because it was french, it gave it an extra foreign allure that was intriguing to me as a 16 year old
I’m actually so glad you made this because it’s so true!!
100% of what you're saying is true. I believe the theatre industry has been trending in this direction for the past 15+ years. When Disney bought Pixar and then Marvel and then Star Wars, they became a juggernaut that did nothing but pump out huge budget blockbuster movies and every other studio has tried to follow suit.
As a result, there are very few $25-$50M theatrical films any more and the $10-$25M studio flick is near extinct (regardless of content). So movies revolving around LGBTQ, racialized or otherwise culturally diverse characters have been pushed even further to the outskirts of theatrical distribution.
Luckily, we have streaming to pick up a lot of the slack. So while the box office may not reflect it, I think we're in pretty great shape when it comes to stories that don't revolve around straight white English speaking "Christian" men.
Easily one of favourite channels..So thank you. I’m amazed that the film ‘Snapshots’ isn’t mentioned more often it’s a beautiful film. I get so frustrated here in the U.K. when I see a film on UA-cam and I can’t find it anywhere. I dearly want to watch ‘Season of Love’ but so far no luck. Thanks for your content it just about keeps me sane sometimes.
How I like my movies:
Straight gaze ❌
Straight to gays ✅
Great video. I'm not sure the last three lesbian films I saw in theaters. I'm going to count Spencer, and definitely The Favourite, and I can't even recall what would be #3. And I see a lot of movies. But I like you cheer the extreme gayness of streaming. Crush, The Half of It, and so many others. Streaming really has taken over the indie arthouse space in large part, and I'm here for it. Seriously, you think if it came out today that Go Fish wouldn't land on Hulu or HBO Max? No way. It's the new way of the world and I'm here for it. And also here for supporting all manner of queer movie that hits theaters.
All of the lesbian content I've watched in the last 3 years has been online. From youtube, netflix, Amazon Prime Etc movies, series, things like a perfect ending and Venice the series and a bunch of stuff in between. Like carmilla the series, a little Canadian thing lol. Which I love. Kind of kind of housebound so going to theaters has not been my thing for a long long time. But you're right streaming seems to be the way to go. As for labels- that seems to be either a personal or political thing which is fine but not something that I'm willing to get into a barber all about. I don't think so anyway. Anyway love your stuff thank you very much.
Love the video, as always!
I can't remember what my first lesbian movie was. I would watch them late at night on Showcase (Canadian channel that showed a lot of indie movies, especially after hours), and would record them on my VCR when I was a young teen (I was born in '82). It was probably Heavenly Creatures, or Sister My Sister (I did not enjoy that one).
I use the word lesbian, as does my wife. Honestly, it took me a while to be comfortable with the word "queer". My wife keeps asking me if we're "old gays" at the age of 40. I hate to think that, so I say we're just older.
Yes my first lesbian movie was Heavenly Creatures too.
First Kill got cancelled?! 😱🤬😭
Also, I understand why some people don't like the word lesbian. I used to think it was an ugly sounding word when I was younger lol (it also sounds a bit rougher in my language). Now I'm used to it though
The last and only lesbian films I have seen in a movie theater is Disobedience and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I am a streaming person and can’t remember any other film I seen except those 2 in a real theater.
With regard to Jo jo , I have no problem with her feelings and at times use either word as a description for myself.
Thought you made some good points .
I saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire in an empty theater the day before lockdown started here and went to see Ammonite at the theater (outdoors) when it first came out.
My first memory of a lesbian character in a film was in Under the Tuscan Sun, which I watched with my mum when I was twelve, but I don't think I watched an actual 'lesbian film' until ten years later when I was going through my big bi crisis and I tracked down a copy of Imagine Me & You. I do think that there are fewer mid-budget lesbian films these days simply because there are fewer mid-budget films in general! It sucks! I know how fortunate I am to be living in a city with arthouse cinemas and regular queer film festivals. I think the last three lesbian films that I watched on the big screen were Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), Summerland, and Happiest Season. I didn't even like any of those three films all that much, but they were still worth it for the experience of sitting in the audience and celebrating lesbian love with a hundred or more other people. Queer film festivals are sacred to me.
Yeah, you're definitely right. Mid-tier film releases seem to be down across the board. Ellie and Abbie...what a strange lil' movie that was lol.
"The Favorite" it's, probably, the only lesbian movie I have watched at the cinema. All the others, on the Internet, not always on stream platforms (and I'm not gonna elaborate on that lmao).
About the word lesbian, as a bi woman, I do prefer "sapphic" because it includes more women who love women. But, no, the word doesn't bother me at all and it wouldn't (it doesn't) change my mind when I'm searching for a film to watch. Actually, rather the opposite, I tend to search for lesbian movies.
And I loved you added "Arcane" to the video. Not a fan of shows, more a movie gal, but holy shit, that show got me on chokehold and I'm not exaggerating. After watching the documentary (which is still ongoing) of how they made it... I'm even more obsessed. I really hope we get more gay shit from Cait and Vi, I'm in love with both of them and their relationship.
Thanks for the video!
Yes! I would not shut up about Arcane for like a month after I watched it lol
Had to find a list of LGBT movies by release date to try and remember what I've seen last and I came up with "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", "The Favourite", and "Booksmart".
Lost and Delirious was my first and oh boy, Piper Perabo is in my soul forever. And as a separate PSA: please please please watch A League of Their Own!
The first even tangentially related lesbian film I watched was 1961's the children hour with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. It was a while ago so my memory of it is hazy but I know it ended in tragedy. I was very young at the time myself so I'm not sure how it affected me but very likely it did.
I'm pretty sure that the only Lesbian film that I have watched in the theater is Below her Mouth. It happened to be playing in the Independent film theater which shows like 2 or 3 films. I've mostly had to stream or "rent" them, cuz I be that old.
Being from a non western country, I'm really happy that Fire was the first lesbian movie I watched. I had to tape it on VHS while my family slept 😂
It's still one of my favourites even though I haven't seen it in years
I really liked that movie!
I personally prefer the word 'sapphic' since it feels more inclusive.
you have every right to feel that way, however the word lesbian is becoming increasingly erased in media and replaced with words terms such as sapphic, wlw etc because people often treat lesbian as a dirty word, even i struggle being comfortable in my identity as a lesbian. (by this i mean people calling lesbians sapphic, not other sapphic identities like bi/pan). sorry for the rant lmao
@@skjjjo2922
I agree.
To be honest, I can only point to small bouts of internalized homophobia as the reason why "lesbians" don't want to use the word "lesbian" for themselves.
Edit/add:
I could only speak for myself though when I said internalized homophobia because I had that when I was deep in the closet.
Now, I embrace the word lesbian internally and when people ask about it, I simply tell them the truth.
@@talwyn_cc yes it is definitely internalized homophobia, but i would equate the reason for that because people who are not lesbian using the word as an insult (which i heard growing up a lot) or just avoiding saying the word in general because they think it sounds gross etc. it’s very sad how stigmatized the word lesbian is in todays society, especially due to the p0*n industry :(
@@talwyn_cc and to add how with every new movie/tv show i see with lesbian characters, they never say the word ‘lesbian’, it’s always ‘gay’ i know many lesbians prefer to call themselves gay but i think it would help destigmatize the word if media would use it more yk? sorry for the long sentences haha
I don't mind the labels "Queer" and "Sapphic" when used in a context where one wants to include other women who love women but may also like other genders as well. But when it comes to a group of fully lesbian individuals, a couple or polycule where all of its members are lesbian, or even someone who fits the description but feels uncomfortable with the label, I think we should normalize the word more. It's not dirty or disgusting, it's a word that literally has origins related to one of the most prominent lesbians in history, and the fact people view it with disdain should not make you hate it. It's a word like any other, and it's one of the most beautiful in my opinion. By avoiding the label you're only perpetuating the negative perceptions surrounding it. I am a lesbian and I'm proud. I'll never be ashamed to be who I am.
Thanks for this video it make all of us old gals remember our first girl /girl love story that we watched in a theater.My first was Lianna my second was Desert Hearts in 1985 and the last one was Blue is the Warmest Color in 2013. I watched them all at the York Square Cinema near Yale University . That theater has since closed down. Part of the problem , maybe that there are no more art house cinemas.
Streaming is my 'present', so I'm already in the future because I live in space where the single movie theater is a 40 min drive one way, not open daily, and they rarely show anything I'd want to see. It might even have closed down, I pay zero attention it. I have seen more lesbian films, tv & movie, on Amazon Prime in the past few years than I have in my entire life - and I just entered my 70th year on earth. As a baby-boomer (yes there are millions of lesbian boomers out here - some also, as with the younger set, also hate the words lesbian, queer, lipstick dyke, dyke, BUT who cares about their choice in words). Shut up and watch or don't watch the movie. Movies: Plots please. Excellent Dialog! Teens finding teens wears me out, but I am older, and the younger ones need something to talk about to each other, and to develop their star crushes. I prefer adult women roles, less teen angst: Ammonite, Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Carol, Summerland, Albert Nobbs, The Hours, The World Unseen, Tove, Wild Nights with Emily, The Affair, The Favourite, Bound, Two of Us, The Night Watch, The Girl King, La Luciernaga, Imagine Me & You, Benedetta. I have watched numerous other films that are not money makers or financed that well, some are good, some not so. My list watched is endless. Much to choose from in streaming. It's a lesbian's candy store out there in streamland. Some candy I spit out and wish I never watched, others, enjoyed but won't watch again or recommend. Bottomline, there are many films now for all of our likes. I have a list made of many to still watch. I was totally hooked on the TV series Gentleman Jack, which HBO cut off just when it was soaring with, well, lesbian fans. I also, at my age, liked Batgirl! Lesbians are used to being forgotten, ignored, dropped, and will usually watch whatever is offered because the drought for good lesbians films and shows has been going on for decades. I'll keep hunting, and keep watching, and keep hoping money is offered up for the more sophisticated made films where lesbians (aka women) can shine in excellent roles and scripts. As they say money talks, and women, lesbian or not, their roles and payment-scales have always been less than fair. We need to watch even the less than B movies to support their efforts.
The latest (and only) lesbian film I've seen in theaters was Bodies Bodies Bodies. And I really loved it. I love that it's not a "lesbian film" but instead a film with lesbians. Just having two queer women in leading roles as open lesbians was awesome to see, and didn't feel forced at all. I highly recommend watching it!
I'm crowd phobic and don't go to theatres.
#EvelynDar
I love the term "sapphic movies" because the term broadly encompasses any relationship between people who identify as women who love women. Therefore a relationship between a bisexual woman with a lesbian woman can be call sapphic. A relationship between a pansexual woman who loves a bisexual woman can also be called sapphic and so on.
I'm a big ass lesbian (huge fan of your channel btw) but I've been in relationships with bisexual girls that felt "misunderstood" when it comes to labeling a relationship as a "lesbian relationship". I think they must also feel left out when a movie is labeled as "lesbian romcom", "lesbian drama" etc. So I make sure to tell them about the term "sapphic" that is basically an umbrella term for everybody who identifies as woman loving other women.
the sad thing is out of all 100 lesbian films I watched, I only got to see Summerland on cinema😢
Hates the word "queer".. It makes me feel like some worm is crawling in my skin... Just hate it.. And we don't even know if sokeone says they are "queer" are they really attractive to same sex or they are just asexual or something but st8. So main thing is i don't like it. Simply if i am lesbian then i am just that.
My first wlw movie, was Bound then When Night is Falling, in the same week.
After that I streamed and watch everything wlw I could find, including the most painful cinematic endeavour, which is excruciating for my film nerd self.
I regret nuffin'.
Streaming might indeed be a saving grace for feature length films, if and only if They give the same energy in term of marketing and appropriate hype, which isn't the case for wlw series for example (cf First Kill and Heartstopper)
I need a new movie with Adele Haenel in it😭
I have never seen a lesbian movie in the theater.
The first lesbian movie I ever saw was Personal Best on cable, in the 80’s. Was not a fan of the storyline. But let me tell you that lesbian content has gotten way better and more plentiful since then!
As far as I remember the last movies with lesbian characters I watched in theathers were Carol and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Now I watch more films or series on Netflix. By the way there are two new great short web series here on youtube with WLW content: Stupid Wife and Sleep With Me. It would be nice if you could take a look at them. Oh and thanks for the great video as always !
Have you checked movie "Love Classified (2022)" ?
It's a sweet and funny wlw movies in my opinion
Finally another Kissing Jessica Stein defender! lol that movie's been one my guilty pleasure watches since I first saw it
Coup de foudre (1983) - At First Sight aka Entre Nous .... Isabelle Huppert & Miou-Miou .....couldn't believe a lesbian film was being shown in a cinema ... amazing. Still love it.
Saw this years ago and would like to see it again.
Hi Evelyn, thank you for your great videos. My first lesbian movie was "When night is falling", which I watched on the sly. For the subject, let's not forget the generation difference. For us millennials, a lesbian movie was a party, an event in front of the few offers. This new generation is awash in series with queer characters. They don't realize how spoiled they are. And I think that's great for them. But, who says more offers says less audience, It is impossible to watch all the series with a lesbian storylines . The cinema is generally dying apart from the very big "Marvel" type franchises and inevitably if the cinema is dying, the independent films will be the first to suffer.
My first lesbian flick was Desert Hearts which not only gives my age away but I highly recommend to young sapphics. The last movie I saw in a theater was Carol. Before that, The Kids Are Alright. I watch much more on streaming services though, like Crush and Disobedience both of which I liked very much for very different reasons. I also like sapphic series like First Kill, Gentleman Jack, Wynonna Earp and A League of Their Own, again for different reasons. I believe I’m like a lot of lesbians that feel the more representation the better.
That being said, after all the recent cancellations, I’d like WLW material to appeal to as many people as possible. If that means we change ‘lesbian’ to sapphic, wlw , lez , lesbian or gay I don’t care. I don’t think we should bend over backwards to appease everyone but maybe we could take a vote? 😉 We’ve come such a long way since the days of Desert Hearts -and I’m looking forward to seeing the next 40 years of sapphic, lesbian, homosexual, wlw, gay film/tv content, whether it’s top tier or not. 😎
Damnit! I blame Guinevere Turner for being in everything. Thanks for letting me know.
@@EvelynDar I’m glad I could clear something up for ya!!! 🤔😉😅
Growing up I consumed every lesbian movie I came across, no matter how shitty. Now sometimes I just want to watch one, but there’s literally no new ones and it’s so good to see someone talking about the lack of mid tier lesbian movies now
Evelyn, you make many interesting observations, so I have to come back to comment after I think about them. Remembering the last three I saw in the theater is going to take a lot of time. Point taken. Also interesting is people not caring for the word "lesbian." Hmm. What is that? I had to be trained to like it better, and I'm neither young nor identify as anything else.
I don't think I've ever seen a Lesbian film in a movie theater...
I'm 22 and TBH I don't love Lesbian period pieces and that's usually the type of Lesbian film that receives a wide cinematic release. I find them very depressing and almost repetitive (though POALOF is a master piece that I adore). With that being said, I love what streaming has done to change the playing field. The first Lesbian movie I watched was Carol and I was like 15 years old. It went over my head at the time. Now though, I actively seek out queer female/afab film/TV content. As a bisexual woman and aspiring filmmaker myself, I'm more interested in seeing the struggles and complexities of queerness in a modern lens than a period piece. More specifically, I am craving and actively trying to write/make female bisexual lead and driven stories. All I want is to see some queer people living their lives, is that too much to ask Hollywood? Probably...
My first lesbian movie was elena undone, and it changed my life completely, payton was my crush.
Me and my copilot during the montage of films: What movie is THAT?!? Write that down!
Also, I don’t remember the last lesbian film I saw in theaters. But I have seen so many movies and shows on streaming platforms.
Are you flying a plane while watching my video? Bro, that seems unsafe 😉
I've only watched The portrait of a lady on fire in a movie theater. I was searching for it for a while to watch it on a big screen, and found it in quite small europen-productions oriented place. In Poland, where I live, I don't recall any lesbian movie in typical big movie theaters.
First lesbian film was The Hunger. Catherine Deneuve destroyed me.
My first lesbian movie was Fucking Åmål. 😅
That's one of my favourites. I can't remember which one I watched first, but I do remember the first series I ever watched, Legend of the Seeker, had two women kiss and then I started doubting my sexuality lol. Lesbian movies came after I was watching gay shows. Now I moved on to books
@@godhateseveryonewhodoesntr5977 I've seen that too. I actually liked that series. 😊 My first series that made me realize that I was into women for sure, was Xena the Warrior Princess. Though nothing ever really happen between Xena and Gabrielle, there were definitely signs of something more than friendship. 😏😍
Maybe there was a good reason that nobody wanted to fund Jenny's Wedding?
That's a good point. Personally I liked the story, but the movie itself felt partially finished and edited in a way I don't think it was originally meant to be edited. It's such a tonally strange movie.
I’ve only ever seen one lesbian movie at the theater 😭 it was portrait of a lady on fire
Last lez films I watched in a theater: Carol, Portrait of a Lady on fire
The favourite, carol , blue is the warmest colour.
Thank you for your work documenting and talking about lesbian movies 💜
Evelyn -
I had to look up a list of movies that came out during the last three years (COVID) to come up with the last three movies with lesbians that I saw in the theater: Carol, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Interestingly, the last two were at the Virginia Film Festival, otherwise I would have seen them on a streaming service. I had to drive to the next town to see Carol, because it left the theater so fast, I could only find it an hour and a half away from me.
I completely agree that the plethora of available content and GOOD content is cooling off the little bit of interest there was to make that same content for theatrical release. I'm good consuming that content either way, in a theater or on a streaming service. The biggest problem with streaming services is that there are too many of them for me to fucking afford. So, I miss stuff because I have to stick with the services that more likely will have this content in the future - Netflix and Amazon Prime.
I find out about the stuff I miss by watching UA-cam video influencers, like you, to go out and find the ones I haven't seen even if they are several years old. You are great about telling us where the content is that you are reviewing, when you have that information.
And as I've been listening to this offering from you, I'm anticipating your points and I've been right with you the whole what through, at least till you said to find the last three lesbian movies we've seen in the theater...I'm going back now to listen to the rest...I'm pretty good with following directions... 🙂
Di
oh wow for sure this vid didn't give me anxiety as a lesbian screenwriting film major...
The first movie I watch with lgbt characters was ,,Brokeback mountain". I was maybe 14 and remember sitting watching a tragic love affair between two men, where they both had wives but somehow their love was stronger. Then I watched CMBYN with increasing interest but felt no so much understanding. In my culture people don't talk about lgbt people, or at least not nicely. A film that ,,opened" my eyes and helped a part of myself was "Love, Simon". Warm movie about a boy who slowly wants to come out of the closet which helped me a lot in my 16. I have not yet had a film with wlw, there are not too many + it is difficult to find something in good quality. Ofc i'm still looking.
Thank you Evelyn for this awesome content. Your voice really gets my attention and I really like your style of commentating and oration. This video introduced me to your Channel and you sold me on subscribing! thanks again!
Thank you for posting this. Speaking as a gay guy here ... One of my favorite movie-going experiences was seeing "Go Fish" at a multiplex in Winston-Salem, NC in the early 90s. That was a time when indie and foreign pictures could turn up in medium-sized towns, just as part of the larger mix of movies they played to appeal to different audiences. Now, with the focus on large budget pictures that have to play on as many screens as possible for a return, movies like "Go Fish" have been pushed to streaming. While it's great the films are finding "at home" audiences, even in small towns or rural areas that would have never shown LGBTQ films at a theater, there is something lost when you don't see a film with an audience and experience the reaction and random conversations that come with that experience.
Three las movies I watched in theaters : Benedetta (shitty, not mto my taste if you prefer), Les amours d'Anaïs (beautiful images, beautiful music, original love story with an age gap), La belle saison (period lesbian film if you consider the 1970's like a distant era). All of whch were french.
Any chance I get to see a lesbian film in a theater, I do so. The last one was Benedetta, but I also saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ammonite and The World to Come. I’ve seen others in theaters as well, because there’s nothing like the theatrical experience. Plus - I know if we don’t support them, they won’t get made. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women was fabulous and I saw it twice in a theater. Disobedience also. Carol. But few people saw them. I’m always sad when the theaters are empty when I go.
disobedience, the favorite and that's all i was able to watch in cinema (except for a documentary about a lesbian magazine at a queer film festival)
my first lesbian film was lost and delirious and like it wasn’t a great first one to watch with how it ended
As a lesbian from Colombia, the last time I watched a lesbian film on theater was portrait of a on fire on 2021 , but it was thanks to all the notoriety on film festivals that got it to my country, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. the same happened with the favorite. those are the only two films that I've ever seen on theaters, and because it's so rare I made a point to actually go see them. For portrait of a lady on fire it was moderately full and for the favorite it was empty, I was the only one on that theater.
last three lesbian films I saw in theatres: Portrait of a lady on fire, The Favourite, and Wild Nights w Emily - the first and third at a very indie theatre in the bay area
Earliest lesbian film: Picnic At Hanging Rock. “Is all that we see and seem but a dream within a dream?” with Peter Weir’s cinematography & that swooning Australian soundtrack. I love it to this day, like Virgin Suicides & Portrait of a Lady, they have this other-worldly, ethereal, dreamy quality that I adore. “The Female Gaze” indeed.
Love this video, another great one as usual! I honestly hate to say this, but I really dislike period pieces....SO that doesn't leave me with a lot of lesbian movies haha! I love all the streaming and just am glad we are getting some content. I like your point about how there's just such a small amount of lesbian stuff being made, so if there's a 'bad' one, it makes up a higher percentage. I think overall people are a little harsh on stuff and sometimes I think certain people just like to complain. I don't really have a point here but I am excited by the upcoming content, obv The L Word GQ S3, Yellowjackets S2, Station 19, Grey's & all the rest! When it comes to Jo Jo, I sadly think that is just misogyny, lesbian is hurled around as such an insult and why some lesbians won't use it. I used to be a bit like that when I was younger but now I am much more secure. When talking on my channel I do use WLW as I think it is a bit more accurate for people coming to my channel.
Great points Ash, I feel basically the same way. It’s nice to finally have a bit of a choice when watching something sapphic. I watch a bit of syfy, period pieces (A League Of Their Own) and shows that have a slightly younger target audience (I’m in my 50’s). I even watched the Hallmark movie ‘Love Classified’. (It actually was pretty good!). I’m not really into sapphic anime-but it makes me very happy that it’s there for those who it appeals to. Compared to 10 yrs ago, queer content is growing exponentially and I like it! As for the word ‘ Lesbian’ I too am much more comfortable using it but if the masses want to use wlw that’s fine with me. 😌 Btw, love your content!!
Great points, Ash... except about not liking period films...they're wearing corsets for goodness sake! What's not to love? 😂
@@EvelynDar I don’t know why, I hate anything period, I prefer modern or future 😂😂
I think the last one I watched was Carol, it was an independent government cinema in my city so I'm not even sure I helped support its box office :(
'Lesbian', has been a descriptor that's been maligned for literally decades. Now it's for different reasons, but yeah, they can't quite wrap their, hmm, minds around it.
The last two films I watched in an actual cinema were 'Atomic Blonde'. 😃 ... I agree that streaming is the way of the future, and as a disabled woman, it couldn't've come soon enough.
Can't believe I was looking forward to hearing the "hey big spender!" For Angel and Citizen Ruth 😂
You didn't put the Canadian film 'Better Than Chocolate.' My first. Spun my world like a tornado. Now you need a video dedicated to this film. :) I still quote so many lines to explain things in ways I can't.
The last Lesbian movie in a theater would be Portraits of a Lady On Fire. Unless, you consider Parallel Mothers kinda lesbian movie-ish, then that one. First one, wow...lordy, your guess is as good as mine! I've seen most of them. Gen X'er.
I’ve watched Carol, The Handmaiden, The Favorite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire at the theatres.
As a 40something white cis guy from Europe who has been fascinated by and written extensively on lesbian cinema for twenty years now (is liking, recommending and commenting on lesbian content as an outsider mansplaining or being an ally?), I can remember a time when every new lesbian content was a landmark. As you correctly say, there is an abundance of quality lesbian content out there in the open now. So the question, in my opinion, should not be if "the lesbian film" is dead, but if "the American lesbian mid-tier cinematically released film" is dead. The answer is a clear yes, but I have the suspicion that that the "lesbian" part of that might not be the cause. American mid-tier cinematically released films in general have struggled for funding in the last decade, where cinemas increasingly are the monopolized playground of 100+ mio dollar movies. This is a much-lamented fact, that the traditional 20-30 mio dollar movie is no longer viable in this environment, so indie and arthouse movies (lesbian or otherwise) that were prevalent in the 90s and 00s have just migrated to streaming. And contemporary set dramas and romances have always falle in this category (lesbian or otherwise). So what have the American filmmakers behind those grea lesbian films of the 90s and 00s done since? Worked in TV. And why are all the current lesbian cinematic releases from abroad? Because in Europe and Asia the movie budgets are still in this range and the funding situation is different) so that indie directors can poduce and distribute indie films in cinemas, including lesbian ones.
I am still so sad about First Kill it was my favorite show it will be so long until we another Sapphic supernatural romance like that and it makes me sad because I always felt like aren’t many sapphic stories like that expect for in books.
Thank god I watched Bodies Bodies Bodies (and had a great time), otherwise Carol would have been the last lesbian film I've seen in theaters, all the way back when it first released.
I wish there was a way, like a newsletter or something, I could sign up for and get notified of lesbian films that are being released. It's really hard to keep track of these things, I usually hear about new movies and shows from friends or from people talking about it on social media.
The last lesbian movie I saw in cinema, was 'Carol', which I liked for the most part. I missed out on 'Disobedience', but got it on DVD. Same goes for 'The Favorite'. The bad endings of 'The World To Come' and 'Ammonite' kept me away from going to cinema. Why? Like others I'm done with the BYG or related content. Although not a movie, Killing Eve season 4 is a prime example. I want more 'Imagine Me and You', the first and the best one for me.
The last lesbian movie I saw on theater was Carol (2015). Idk if the streamings are much better than hollywood itself. The metrics still are the straight gaze to measure "success". It's like, instead of getting 90-120 min of lesbians on screen, on a cheap movie, now we get a low budget season of 8 epis series made to be canceled? Yeyy(?) I mean, sorry, I'm just bitter bc looks like there's no winning.
Idk... definitely feels like HBO Max/ CW/ WB decided to go kill all of their representation-filled shows (🤞🤞🤞 they leave Harley Quinn alone)
I just want my Avalance back 😢
Olivia Newton-John for your shout out? You're killing me!
This is such amazing work. I thoroughly appreciate and honor the work you put in for this community!
the first lesbian movie I watched was D.E.B.S and I came upon it by accident since a channel on my local cable tv was showing it. And I never went back lol
Me too. I was about 12 years old when I watched it with family, before I even realized I was a lesbian. It was the one with Jordana Brewster. I was so obsessed with it, still kinda am, it's like my comfort lesbian movie 😁.
There is a petition for a second season of Paper Girls on Change if you are interested. A few people mentioned Paper Girls in the comments, so I just wanted to let you know - also in the light of the frequent cancellation of lesbian/bi/queer shows these days after just one season.
Oh my goossssssh Heavenly Creatures was the first lesbian film I saw, Mulholland Drive was somewhere way back when too. But oh my gosh last one I saw in a theatre? Honestly I barely go to the movies...maybeeeeee The Favorite, or the Little Hours- two of my all around favorite films ever as it turns out.
Last one I saw in the theater was Carol, all by myself which was fine cause I could cheer and applaud all I wanted in all the right places. :) First one I ever saw period was Desert Hearts on VIDEO (yeah like some of the commenters, I'm old, too.) :) And I have and always will prefer Lesbian over Queer, no old het slurs, thanks, no matter who's using them now. And you're right, it all comes down to profit and the hets just don't want to see anything that excludes men. I couldn't talk any of my more accepting family members to see Carol with me no matter how hard I tried but they were all for seeing Brokeback Mountain.