Brightest Young Things

Cesar, this week, despite promises to keep the movies with singing/religious references/New York at bay (you can take a boy out a Catholic upbringing but you can't take the Catholic upbringing out of a boy) writes a column about presumably Bowie but really about: singing in movies, art in NY and some more Jesus. And we love him all the more for it

Take it away Cesar

Those who know me well are aware that I go absolutely batty for anything Bowie. Just ask me how many Bowie songs I have on my Ipod. So while listening to one of my favorite albums last week, 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, I decided to pay homage to a musical hero by highlighting some of his best screen work.

This week in my queue, one mega cultural pop icon portrays another, Bowie sends Christ to the cross, and Jareth the Goblin King does the "Magic Dance".

Basquiat (USA, 1996). The bright and shining star of this film is Jeffrey Wright, who portrays the It Boy of the early 1980’s New York art scene. Jean-Michel Basquiat was a street artist, a shy, unaffected, intense graffiti writer, who caught the attention of Andy Warhol and his Factory, sparking an artistic and intimate friendship that would propel the 19-year-old to the forefront of art fame and perhaps eventually lead to his end. Bowie plays Warhol with the charm, wit, loucheness and serious control that accordingly made Warhol the pop icon he became. The amazing thing about Bowie’s ridic performance is that it takes but only his first lines to completely forget that the actor you are watching is one of music’s greatest icons. Instead he brings you an intimate portrayal of the enigmatic Art deity. Still, I have to give the highest regard to Wright’s untouchable performance. An added bonus to this under-the-radar bioflick is the wonderful actors who round out the cast, including Parker Posey, Christopher Walken, Benicio del Torro, Gary Oldman and Dennis Hopper. It’s like a friggin’ fringe f*cking actor parade!

IQG, I want to see more amazing actors portray amazing artists with a cast of amazing people! Try, Factory Girl (USA, 2006), Frida (2002, USA/Canada/Mexico), and Pollock (USA, 2000).

The Last Temptation of Christ (USA, 1984). Is it possible for Martin Scorsese to make a Hollywood film that would be so hated by public interest groups that it would spark protests, incite riots, and be banned internationally? YES! If you ask me, this film is THE CONTROVERSIAL CHRIST FILM to top all controversial Christ films! Gibson has nothing over Scorsese’s work depicting Christ as a man with fears, wants, hopes, and needs. Enter Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ. That in itself is controversial. And David Bowie plays Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea who became famous as the man who sent Christ to the cross. Sure the film looks a bit dated, and the soundtrack is by Peter Gabriel (Oscar-nominated song), but Dafoe, Bowie, Harvey Keitel (weird in this role), Barbara Hershey and the rest of this cast make this Hollywood Christravaganza worth queueing.

IQG, I have a thing for edgy Jesus Christ films. Try, The Passion of the Christ (USA, 2004), Jesus of Montreal (Canada/France, 1989) and Jesus of Nazareth (Italy/UK, 1977).

Labyrinth (UK, USA 1986). Come on guys! Did you really for shizzle doubt that I would talk about Bowie films without mentioning his most popular and adored screen work? Seriously & as if! I don’t think I’ve met anybody born between 1975 and 1982 who doesn’t love something about Labyrinth. My reason for being such a huge fan of this amazing, musical, hilarious, creepy and entertaining Jim Henson creation is that I get to see Bowie as I had always imagined him to be: freakish! I mean, his character wears male-camel-toe forming pants, dances like a girl, and is called Jareth. This movie is awesomely 80’s, down to the ends of Bowie’s frosted hair-band wig. Pedophiles and Jennifer Connelly fans out there will appreciate the actress’s performance as the Goblin King’s ultimate rival, Sarah, who must brave the dangers of the labyrinth to save her half-brother Toby. But overall, this is a highlight of Jim Henson’s career, who weaves music, amazing puppetry, humor, and an incredibly inventive story to create one of the most entertaining films ever.

IQG, you KNOW what I am thinking. Yes I do! Try, Fraggle Rock (USA, TV, 1983), The Dark Crystal (USA, 1982), The Muppet Movie (USA, 1979).

PHEW! Next week I will attempt to write about 3 more films that I absolutely love without mentioning the words friggin’, fringe, or f*ckin!