‘THE BRUTAL RULE OF THE BOXING RING SET AGAINST RISING FEMININITY'

BoXi clever

Beautiful Boxer

Showcasing fifteen queer flicks, this year’s Glasgay! cinema programme is

curiously strong on hand to hand combat.

lasilayl bucks the trend ol flawless and sell—

sacrificing queers with two of its top films

sticking to the facts. one presenting the real— lilc story of a male-to—l‘emale transgendcr kickboxcr. and the other documenting a lettiale—to-tnale 'tranniboy going through hormone treattnent.

Winner of eleyen film awards. Beautiful Ifntr'l'

l”. l is the story ol .\'ong loom. one of"l'hailand's most famous kickbosers. 'l'hough a formidable lighter before her sex change. .\'ong 'l‘oom is tnore notorious for wearing women‘s make-up in the ring than her devastating uppcrcuts and lethal kicks. It's this sense of unfairness. and the mounting lt'caksliow hype. that the biopic tackles with luscious 'l‘hai countryside backdrops and beautil‘ully—accomplishcd lighting from its star. kickboxing champ ;\sance Suwan.

The lights are \iolent btit not gratuitous. and the showdown with a ittntbo-si/cd .lapancsc laytlcc w restlcr edges towards the fairytale rather than the action genre. Although the true—life schtick

occasionally gushes sentimentality. the paradox ol the masculine and brutal rule of

.\'ong 'l‘oom herself the boxing ring set against a rising femininity is

portrayed with surprising sensitiyity. limuli/ir/ It’mv'r

runs a little ttncycn for too long. but its ambitiousncss and sweet touches are admirable.

'l’t'ayis Recycs‘ [Virility Kim/u (My (000 l follows Scottish singer-simgwriter Sitnon de \f'oil from first hormone injection to recording his last album before his lcnlttlc \‘oicc bt‘okc. RL‘cycs. lcltlztlc-lo-tnalc transgendered himself. films his friend sympathetically. and occasionally breaks the

lsla Leaver—Yap looks at the highlights

bottndaries between obseryer and participant. On one occasion dc Voil‘s yoicc fails to hit a note at a gig. and Rccxes chimes in. It‘s a contentious decision to make. and perhaps he doesn‘t push the more awkward

questions far enough. bttt there is a strong sense of

compassion towards a witty and clcycr gtty struggling to come to terms with his own budding masculinity. Ree\es himself says of the film. ‘.\laybe another

liltnmakcr would haye just let him struggle in front ol

cycry body. and capture the dramatic impact. but I couldn't. I was determined to avoid the clinical. tnedical Viewpoint on the subject that TV always seems to take. and show the human side ol the transgendcr c\pcricnce.~ I‘ll/my Kim/r1 (lily scores by simply telling it straight.

One of the few films touting le//er action is l’ml I’m/'11 [.m't'. featuring the infamous American ex-porn star~ctun~performance artist Annie Sprinkle and her bcdl‘cllow lili/abcth Stephens. l)el\'ing into sex. death and gay marriage. there's a post—film ‘group cuddle' for an c\tra £2; their loyc don‘t come for free. you know. Best go for low and hugs rather than dubious l'S import Hie /) llim/ to. ) however. Lacking the wit ol the original. it‘s an indigent spool. ol. lL‘lL‘\ l\l()ll‘\ -/'/l(’ I. llill‘tl.

Swapping coasts. The I) llim/ finds l)im. Dina. hot and l)ani huddled together in New York (‘ity. Nobody is bold. brayc or beautiful here. and despite poking a finger at its lorebeat”s f'law s. the lilm’s parodic twirls and twisted inxectiyc rely solely on the plot and characters ol its 'I‘V counterpart. Lets hope it's the only dud in the (ilasgay? moyic line-up.

THE BEST OF GLASGAY!

=1: Carol Laula Sensitive singer- songwriter showcases her new album Kitchen Stories, written at home on Lewis, before its release. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 72 Nov; Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sun 73 Nov. 3'2; The History Boys Alan Bennett‘s fine play explores the teacher-pupil relationship set against the quest for personal and academic development. The National Theatre produces this Scottish premiere. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 75 —Sat 79 Nov. Kiss of the Spiderwoman Manuel Puig's story of gay window dresser Molina. straight radical Marxist Valentin. and their confining prison cell. Their shared experience brings them closer, as they reconcile each others' lives and find intimacy. Citizens. Glasgow. Tue 7—Sat 72 Nov.

=3»? One in Ten Bores should keep off the dancefloor as Andrew Back and Niall Connolly make gay clubbing fun again. Underground disco. electro-funk, 80s boogie, ltalo. Chicago house and Hi-NRG feature. Brunswick Hotel. Glasgow, Thu 3 Nov.

12: Post Porn Love Glasgay! favourite and ex-porn star Annie Sprinkle explores her marriage to sexy dyke playboy Professor Beth Stevens on celluloid. Punters can cuddle the pair (pictured) after the screening. CCA, Glasgow. Tue 8—Thu 70 Nov.

=i: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? A chamber musical reworking of the 1962 Hollywood film noir that starred Bette Davis as faded child star Baby Jane, and Joan Crawford as her successful but now crippled sister Blanche. Their sibling rivalry takes a dark turn. Citizens, Glasgow, Thu 20 Oct— Sat 72 Nov.

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