Velvet Goldmine: The Bowie "Biopic" That Wasn't

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  • Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
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    'Velvet Goldmine' is Todd Haynes's clumsy, grandiose, and flawed ode to glam rock starring Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Christian Bale. This video explores how this largely forgotten piece of unauthorized Bowie fanfiction was surprisingly forward-thinking in how it placed queer liberation front-and-center, and why it deserves its rightful place in the canon of New Queer Cinema.
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    Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. #pride #bowie #glamrock

КОМЕНТАРІ • 64

  • @MunroPage
    @MunroPage 2 роки тому +64

    So glad you've discovered Velvet Goldmine. It's the first thing ever watched where it actually feels like there are real, genuine bi and pansexual characters. I've never seen anything either that cekebrstes glam rock as well as this.

  • @TacoDiceCosas
    @TacoDiceCosas 2 роки тому +43

    This is one of my favorite movies. Absolute essencial in the discovery of my identity. The scene where Christian Bale points at the TV and says "It's me!" brings me to tears every time. I pointed at the movie as a teenager and said the same.
    I'm new at your channel, I'm a fan now :)

  • @pillmuncher67
    @pillmuncher67 2 роки тому +49

    Gimme Danger performed by Ewan McGregor is priceless.

    • @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents
      @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents  2 роки тому +7

      The BEST! That performance lives rent-free in my head

    • @filmunion8194
      @filmunion8194 Рік тому +1

      @@AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents so at the end did Slade use Plastic surgery to change his face to live a new life? I was a little confused was Tommy stone and Slade the same person?

    • @curtandoscar
      @curtandoscar 10 місяців тому +5

      @@filmunion8194 Yes. Tommy Stone is Brian Slade. He remade himself in the 80s as a right wing conservative. This is a nod to Bowie in the 80s pretending he had never been gay, and both Iggy Pop and Lou Reed turning "straight" and marrying women after all that bisexual 70s stuff. Remember that early 70s Lou Reed openly talked about living with a drag queen named Rachel and even wrote a song about her.

    • @freebee8221
      @freebee8221 16 днів тому +1

      He also does tv eye.

  • @TheseDarkWoods
    @TheseDarkWoods Рік тому +18

    That was great!
    I discovered this film in 2003, when I was 17, and it blew my mind. I remember being mildly attracted to both Jonathan and Ewan, despite identifying myself as straight, and I still do.
    The soundtrack is incredible.
    I recommended this bloody film on my Instagram last month.
    70’s glam rock rules!
    YOU rule!!
    Thanks again...

    • @takeoats
      @takeoats 2 місяці тому

      Ewan just has that effect on people

  • @caranook
    @caranook Рік тому +7

    I found a burned DVD of Velvet Goldmine in the box with another DVD about a year ago, and I had never actually watched it despite obviously downloading it and burning it onto a disc some years ago. I put it on in the background while I worked (during covid lockdowns) and I found myself so distracted from my work, because this movie is great! Visually it’s amazing, with a good cast and fascinating story. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I highly recommend picking it up on dvd or whatever if you can because it’s great!

  • @masodemic4509
    @masodemic4509 9 місяців тому +4

    I think you hit the nail on the head when you described this film as "personal." Because a person's memories of the time when they started to emerge into their identities can be disjointed and fragmented. It's like a collage of random moments, in this case, steered by a figure clad in glitter and rhinestones. As a glam rock fan myself, who also looked to Bowie to see within, I was feeling all kinds of hazy, fuzzy warmth any time "Brian Slade" starts performing, or when Arthur watches a UFO drop specks of light from the sky as he and Curt Wild stand naked on a rooftop. I even had my own "THAT'S ME" moment when Arthur leaves his house wearing a huge coat then dumps that in a bush to confidently walk the street with flare pants and tiny t-shirt full of badges.
    In the past few years Hollywood has been capitalizing so much on bland, boring, impersonal biopics, I'm guessing to appeal to some kind of "nostalgia" while riding the wave of an actor's performance (by that they mean trying to imitate the real person) to Oscar nominations. But Velvet Goldmine is from the heart. It isn't just about Bowie and how he lived. It's about what he means. To a person. To a time.

  • @alexonline2340
    @alexonline2340 Рік тому +9

    this is one of my favourite movies of all time!! its so powerfully queer in a way i’ve never really seen before or since. i knew i was gay before i watched it yet somehow it was also my gay sexual awakening. truly the film of all time

  • @ianroberts2470
    @ianroberts2470 Рік тому +8

    Thank you for a really interesting summary on Velvet Goldmine. I just rewatched it for the first time in decades, and the first time since watching Haynes's earlier films, and it is a world of fun. The thing that struck me was how much the narrative structure was based on Citizen Kane albeit minus a Rosebud moment (as you say, there are so many loose ends). I think you're spot on when you say it was a very autobiographical film for Haynes, this is echoed in how the journalist goes on this deep journey into Slade's past only to rediscover the moments that changed his own life. Wonderful stuff.

  • @brieoshiro
    @brieoshiro Рік тому +6

    This is one of my favorite movies! I haven't watched it in over 20 years but I still love the songs from it. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was my friend and I's favorite back then and we've seen SO many of his films. I still can't believe Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale were in this too!

  • @rini6
    @rini6 2 роки тому +6

    Omg. Velvet Goldmine is that old? I’ve been meaning to watch it for literally decades. This convinced me. Also, in a similar vein, I’m hearing good things about Moonage Daydream. It sounds like a very different film but also, hopefully, worth watching.

  • @thecosmicblueautie
    @thecosmicblueautie 2 роки тому +7

    Velvet Goldmine is one of my Top 5 favorite films (including Shortbus), So the moment I saw this, I HAD to click.

  • @luxcrawford7749
    @luxcrawford7749 2 роки тому +5

    I love this film but it's so hard to find a copy and almost impossible to find streaming online. There's also a tiny reference to Suzi Quatro in the film!

    • @Cazi1111
      @Cazi1111 Рік тому +3

      Hi its on netflix at the mo 😊

  • @safruj5964
    @safruj5964 2 роки тому +2

    Yess I was looking for velvet goldmine videos this weekend! Great timing

  • @curly_wyn
    @curly_wyn 2 роки тому +2

    Great little minivid, Izzy! I hope you can get out this little hole as well! Also, the first person that shows up in the video that gives a 5-star rating and review of your stuff on Apple podcast, LoganGNRlover, is me! ……which is kind of sad, because it gave away my real name (Logan Wynn, don’t @ me lol, the reason I didn’t reveal my first name at least is just because I hate it) and I made the account all the way back in 2016, and I hate GNR now, so it’s really dated, and I need to change it ASAP lmao 🖤

  • @Natalie-nf9vl
    @Natalie-nf9vl 2 роки тому +4

    i LOVE this movie. awesome of u to make a video abt this
    - cherry pit

  • @syntheasya
    @syntheasya Рік тому +1

    I just had to say, right now, cause you might smile at this comment, that I appreciate your creative rants and the way you weave your unique essay voice in with the facts. Discussing the music you like and making a buck or two off your audience, who love this stuff - and you - who appreciate the effort that goes into these projects enough to let you know, with a comment like this, that they are grateful that people pursue their passions despite the world. Who are going to a concert of their favorite band in a week and check out your channel and leave you a like, because you're part of the one percent.
    Love you, grrrl ❤️

  • @jaygent2836
    @jaygent2836 Рік тому +2

    I saw this at the cinema when it came out! :) Fab vid

  • @marco9bar
    @marco9bar Рік тому +3

    The film had a fantastic sound track... Brian Eno & Shudder to Think don't get the love they should for creating soundscapes of the mind

  • @VuotoPneumaNN
    @VuotoPneumaNN 7 місяців тому

    HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I JUST DISCOVERED THIS CHANNEL???? AWESOME WORK!

  • @user-fo5gc8rf9k
    @user-fo5gc8rf9k 2 місяці тому

    Saw it on HBO when I was 17 back in 2014.
    It was so hypnotic and I felt so strange...look, up until that point I had been a regular straight guy my entire life, with no interest in men at all.
    But the movie made me feel so curious and I felt desire to experience men in a sexual way. At some point I had intimacy with a guy, and fuck I ended up hating it lol I've never been with a guy since

  • @JeffMitchell-lv4zx
    @JeffMitchell-lv4zx 5 місяців тому +1

    This movie has an incredible soundtrack!

  • @tljr8927
    @tljr8927 2 роки тому +2

    Velvet Goldmine is one of my favorite movies of all time. That is my comment. Yes!

  • @jacobhartje4975
    @jacobhartje4975 2 роки тому

    I look forward to any of your future work and especially the one mentioned in the opening 40 some seconds. It is a real thing and I'd love your point of view and insight.

  • @scottcoz
    @scottcoz 2 роки тому +2

    Love this movie - great vid on it, though I was a little saddened that in your list of musical contributions, you left out Shudder to Think, just leaving them to the catch-all, "and so many more" - like when The Professor and Mary-Ann were left out and just referred to as, "...and the rest" :(

    • @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents
      @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents  2 роки тому +1

      It was already a pretty long list and I cut it after Mike Watt mostly to save time. That doesn't mean I don't care about Pulp, Teenage Fanclub, Donna Matthews, Grant Lee Buffalo, or Shudder to Think. They're all still on the soundtrack. I didn't just magically wipe them off the face of the earth by not mentioning them by name

    • @scottcoz
      @scottcoz 2 роки тому +1

      @@AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents Haha - I know - I didn't mean to give you a hard time about it :) Like I said, it was a great video! That particular thing just sort of pushed one of my pet peeves, which is that I think Shudder to Think is an amazing band that gets overlooked/underrated a lot. And in this context, they contributed two significant original tracks, whereas many of the musicians you mentioned worked strictly on covers.
      All that said, however - I get it. Most people nowadays have no idea who Shudder to Think is, whereas everyone knows Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Suede, etc - so, naturally, it makes more sense to mention them.
      PS. See - I did the same thing - summed up a bunch of artists with an "etc" - so, no hard feelings! :)

  • @ThePorpoisepower
    @ThePorpoisepower 2 місяці тому

    Also a blink and you miss it Brian Eno reference

  • @Fastnbulbous1969
    @Fastnbulbous1969 2 роки тому +1

    That was brilliant. I haven't seen it since it came out, and now I need to revisit! Are you doing this while working on a Ph.D.? If not, you should get into a program, academia needs more people like you!

  • @jeanmichellelaurent
    @jeanmichellelaurent 4 місяці тому

    I enjoy this movie, Not just for the Bowie and Pop lore, but I feel like this movie speaks to me, and helped me with my own struggles when I was younger

  • @trollzone1
    @trollzone1 2 місяці тому

    Fantastic film. Wish it got a criterion release. The sound track has crazy good covers. Interesting to note this movie literally ruined everyone’s career except for Ewan McGregor who stared in Star Wars episode 1 a year later.

  • @PunkPansy-
    @PunkPansy- Рік тому

    Ong ive never seen anyone cover this movie its my absolute favorite! I have a tattoo of one of the poems i love it so much

  • @chidindu
    @chidindu 2 роки тому +2

    thank you, loved this !

  • @estrellagarciazamora8721
    @estrellagarciazamora8721 2 роки тому +1

    If you've seen Citizen Kane, you will have flashbacks of that movie while watching this one.

    • @curly_wyn
      @curly_wyn 2 роки тому +2

      I got to be honest: I don’t really like Citizen Kane. The visuals are phenomenal and very important, but I just don’t find the story interesting, and I just don’t connect to Kane in anyway. In the story, he’s essentially some rich white asshole (who is supposed to be a take on Randolph Hurst) and he treats everyone around him like shit, so why am I supposed to be feel sorry for him when he brings everything on himself? I just can’t do it lol, sorry. Definitely the most overrated film of all time in my book since everyone has traditionally called it the number one greatest film of all time.

    • @estrellagarciazamora8721
      @estrellagarciazamora8721 2 роки тому

      I don't think you're supposed to relate to him, as he is a larger than life figure, or feel sorry for him. If the narrative is showing you that his actions have the consequence of him dying alone, maybe there is a message there? A lot of the audience would have found it cathartic, I mean WRH is just one inspiration, but back then you couldn't criticise multimillionaires, in fact WRH tried to suppress the film and almost got his way. To me, it's an indictment of this sort of mentality: success=money= happiness... But they show you how he got that way, which is why there is a framing device about his childhood, etc. You're not supposed to like to like Kane as a person, but that's not the only way you can enjoy a story.

    • @estrellagarciazamora8721
      @estrellagarciazamora8721 2 роки тому

      Also, Citizen Kane directly inspired Velvet Goldmine, a movie about some rich white rock star and the people he betrays on his way to fame, so ...

    • @curly_wyn
      @curly_wyn 2 роки тому +1

      @@estrellagarciazamora8721 I mean, I guess that interpretation makes sense, in fact, it makes the most sense out of any other interpretation I’ve seen or heard about the film, to the point where it would definitely be safe to say that it’s what the film is objectively about, but it just doesn’t really blow me away like it has so many other people since, especially being a socialist, I realize that being rich and having power just makes you miserable and abusing it leads to consequences. In addition, on top of that, I also don’t see any real thorough engagement or entertainment value in the film, which is interesting because apparently, when Kane was first released in 1941, it was labeled as a comedy. Idk, for me, it’s just academic experience. I respect it, especially for its impact on films like Velvet Goldmine that I do like, but I just don’t enjoy it.

    • @estrellagarciazamora8721
      @estrellagarciazamora8721 2 роки тому

      Well, maybe it'd be more impactful for people who see Elon Musk as the Messiah. In other words, what the film portrays is still pretty relevant today.

  • @clashcityrockers4448
    @clashcityrockers4448 Рік тому

    i would love to see a review of pistol from you. definitely going to be binging your stuff. cheers x

  • @kimberlymisfit3544.
    @kimberlymisfit3544. 2 роки тому

    So freakin happy I found ur channel. 💛

  • @ricardopitamusic
    @ricardopitamusic 2 роки тому +1

    Does someone know why this soundtrack is not on Spotify?

    • @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents
      @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents  2 роки тому +1

      Most of the soundtrack was covers, so you can still find playlists of all the songs included on Spotify, just not the cover versions

    • @TrulyMadlyShallowly
      @TrulyMadlyShallowly Рік тому +1

      If you find it in physical form, BUY IT. It's astoundingly good.

  • @clairefangloria
    @clairefangloria Рік тому +1

    somewhat related in regards to your comments about queer movies of today, but i think more people need to contextualize the influence and impact of John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus in the New Queer Cinema movement even if it was made a decade after the movement was relevant. without transgressive and revolutionary filmmaking to propel queer audiences and queer culture to the forefront of the zeitgeist of our present time we'll be forced to settle with comfortable and inoffensive attempts at commodifying our culture to appeal to the status quo of the capitalist patriarchy.

  • @mon4577
    @mon4577 8 місяців тому

    does anyone have any idea of where to find the fanfiction article?? i googled it in so many different ways and not a single trace of it pops up for some reason... help lol i wanna read it so bad

  • @Navigatortrue
    @Navigatortrue Рік тому

    I do like this film but i do find it funny when you see Wellesley Road in Croydon being used as a substitute for New York 😄

  • @jmfhsmith4923
    @jmfhsmith4923 2 дні тому

    Carnal Security.

  • @StarlightJosh
    @StarlightJosh 2 роки тому +3

    thankyou!! this was so beautifully made

  • @auroradelaparra6917
    @auroradelaparra6917 Рік тому +2

    Me encanta el estilo y el guión de la película, una hermosa ficción revuelta en situaciones reales. Mil gracias por compartir (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥

  • @nickmoranis2865
    @nickmoranis2865 2 роки тому +2

    Watch the horrendous Sex Pistols ‘drama’ by Danny Boyle. That’ll give you plenty to work with! Spoilers. It’s shite! But hilariously bad it’s funny.

    • @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents
      @AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents  2 роки тому +3

      Oh lord, I've seen ads for that everywhere. I’m having friends over soon, so maybe I’ll force them to hate-watch it with me 😂

    • @nickmoranis2865
      @nickmoranis2865 2 роки тому

      @@AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents
      Seriously ridiculous. Malcolm McLaren is played by a ten year old. He was in Game Of Thrones! Isn’t every actor!

  • @freebee8221
    @freebee8221 7 днів тому

    Youre complaining that the movie doesnt have enough people of color? Why should there be?
    Its a movie about the 70s glamrock scene. In england!

  • @I666U
    @I666U 11 місяців тому

    TY !

  • @Prometheusforliberty
    @Prometheusforliberty Рік тому +1

    Love this film, but I think you just talked me into checking out the director's other works