MASTERS OF THE UNIVERS: REVELATION (L to R) MARK HAMILL as SKELETOR and CHRIS WOOD as HE-MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERS: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021
Whatever your entertainment needs, we’ve got you (and hopefully your mind) back with Queerty’s weekly ‘Culture Club’ column featuring some of the highlights from new releases, streaming shows, classics to. review and what to drink while you watch.
The Out: Joe Bell
We first fell in love with this family drama at TIFF 2020 where it debuted under a different title. Joe bell tells the true story of the titular father (played by Mark Whalberg) on a crusade to end teen bullying by crossing the United States. His son Jadin (Reid Miller) accompanies him, offering a commentary that is both colorful and combative. Flashbacks reveal why: Joe never quite embraced the idea of a gay son, despite showing support. When tragedy shatters the family, Joe suddenly has to face his own prejudices as a father.
Joe bell succeeds as a drama in large part thanks to the sensitive direction of Renaldo Marcus Green, from a calm screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (adapters of brokeback mountain). Wahlberg delivers a believable performance as an ordinary American man grappling with his own notions of masculinity and culture while Connie Britton succeeds with a touching performance as Joe’s wife, Lola. The real star here, however, is Miller, who gives a nuanced and powerful performance in a difficult role (in fact, one of his scenes had to be cut after TIFF because it was considered too disturbing). Joe bell understands the positions of gay children and their fathers, and advocates for a world where parents can do more than just tolerate them. They can also like them.
In theaters July 23.
Hilarity: Tig Notaro – Drawn
Continuing a triumphant race which saw her conquer both television (in Star Trek: Discovery) and action films (in Army of the dead), lesbian actress Tig Notaro returns to stand up in her most hysterical special yet. Drawn combines excerpts from a catalog of Notaro’s live comedy into one fully-animated special. As directed by Greg Franklin, the show also uses a variety of animation styles (drawn, NickToons, stop motion, Pixar) to tell stories and observations from Notaro’s life. This includes pieces on the Kool-Aid man, road trips, and Eddie Van Halen that got us stitches. As with all of Notaro’s work, a dark current of pain gives birth to a hilarious comedy; not since Richard Pryor had a comedic tragedy so metabolized into nonstop laughter. Our favorite: a true story about the extraction of wisdom teeth that made us laugh therefore hard, we had to rewind it to make sure we caught everything. 2021 just might turn out to be the year of Tig Notaro, and we’re 100% cool with that.
Airs on HBO Max on July 24.
The End of Innocence: Masters of the Universe – Revelation
Ironic gay icon He-Man returns to screens this week in Revelation, a continuation of the original Masters of the Universe cartoon that started in 1983. That said, be forewarned: it’s do not your childhood fantasy.
Revelation picks up shortly after the end of the original series, with the villainous Skeletor (voiced here by Mark Hamill) launching another attack to conquer Castle Grayskull. Prince Adam / He-Man steps in to save the day, although this time he only achieves Pyrrhic victory: Grayskull’s magic is lost, turning the planet Eternia into an apocalyptic wasteland. So begins a quest for He-Man’s friend Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Skeletor’s right-hand man, Evil-Lyn (Lena Heady) to save Eternia before it’s too late.
As produced by professional geek Kevin Smith, Masters of the Universe: Revelation offers a rich and fascinating history, albeit harsh and violent. We mean this as an observation more than a criticism: some fans will undoubtedly like the darker story, while others will wonder how a children’s property got so gloomy. Smith and his writers, especially Tim Sheridan, who contributes to the season’s most sensitive and inspired storyline, don’t hold back when it comes to the characters’ death, dismemberment, or illness. A clean reboot could have made all of that a bit easier to swallow, while still providing more leeway to diversify and reinvent the characters. We also want the show to be inspired by the excellent She-Ra reboot, who did not hesitate to check the story. Those thoughts aside, we have to applaud the audacity of the show, as well as the excellent voice cast, led by gay favorites Gellar & Heady. We still don’t know how to feel Revelation overall, although it impressed us with its history and left us wanting more. It also made us wonder when we can expect Care Bears Combat Methamphetamine Supplement and Rainbow Brite: Pandemic in Rainbowland.
Aired on Netflix July 23.
The quickie: graduation party
This lovely short is airing on PBS, created by lesbian director Luisa Conlon and producer Jessica Chermayeff. Prom follows a group of LGBTQ seniors living in Los Angeles who finally get the chance to attend the ball they never had as openly gay people. The seniors in question recount life in the pre-Stonewall closet, offer their memories of fighting for LGBTQ rights, and offer their perspectives on the state of queer equality today. Most of all, they get the chance to celebrate like themselves, dance with same sex crushes, and enjoy a victory lap for a hard life. It does us good to see these old people living happily and free. They well deserve it.
Broadcast on PBS.com
The 24-hour exclusivity: X. Ari’s Anja
Queer singer X. Ari is releasing her new EP this week: Anja. And, in a delicious twist, we here at Queerty landed the full album on a special exclusive 24 hour stream. Dedicated to hearing the current girlfriend, the album channels the sound of Imagine Dragons, Goldfrapp, The Breeders, Miley Cyrus and P! Nk into radio-ready pop tracks loaded with sensitive, homoerotic lyrics. For X. Ari, the album represents a love letter to his girlfriend as well as to the queer community at large, in which she has always felt at home. It’s also a kind of coming-out story, his first music dealing with his own sexual fluidity. Considering his strong voice and rock star attitude, we’re happy to have him on the team.
Airing exclusively on Queerty on July 22. Full EP available for purchase July 23.
The sip: army of the dead
via Shutterstock
In honor of Ms. Notaro’s winning year and her acclaimed role in Army of the Dead, we’re offering this week’s libation: Army of the Dead. Sweet and salty, we recommend drinking it in moderation – this one is bound to make you feel zombified.
- 1 1/4 oz. whiskey
- 5 oz coconut soda
- lemon wheel and mint sprig
Combine the whiskey and soda in a highball glass over ice. Add lemon and mint for garnish.
