IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube to keep your IP secure. Honestly, use a VPN anywhere on the internet because other sites may have similar issues. More on security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

This week Hairy Harmonies looks at real life trans stories turned into made-for-TV Emmy-bait. There is a lot to criticize here, from lack of cinematic style, through self-praise for making 'important' content, to simplified stories made for wide distribution, but on the positive side, at least these stories DID get wide distribution. So let's see how the mainstream tries to be accepting. First, from Showtime, is Soldier's Girl (2003), and then Carlotta (2014) from Australia's ABC. Yes, there's singing.

Soldier's Girl (2003)

1h 52min 1sec, English with optional English subtitles
Director: Frank Pierson

Synopsis: Within the on-base army culture of toxic masculinity and shaming everyone for anything all the time, one soldier becomes attracted to night club personality.

2004 Winner AFI Award TV Program of the Year

Carlotta (2014)

1h 31min 3sec, English with hard coded in English subtitles
Director: Samantha Lang

Synopsis: Jessica Marais, stars as Carlotta in this TV movie based on the extraordinary life of the iconic Les Girls headliner and Australian transgender pioneer (yes, they cast a cis woman for the lead trans role).

Won 3 2015 AACTA Awards (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts):
Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama: Eamon Farren
Best Production Design in Television: Murray Picknett
Best Costume Design in Television: Jenny Miles

p.s. The real Carlotta was born in 1943 and is still active at age 82.

Content Warnings:

Soldier's Girl: U.S. Rated R for sexual content, a scene of strong violence and language
Sex & Nudity: Mild
Violence & Gore: Moderate
Profanity: Severe
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Severe
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Moderate
hidden spoilers from https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/215695

37 spoilers that won't ruin the movie

someone leaves without saying goodbye
someone watched without knowing
someone becomes unconscious
alcohol abuse
blood/gore
hands damaged
teeth damaged
head squashed
dislocations
someone beaten up by a bully
someone dies
LGBT person dies
vomit
someone says "I'll kill myself"
someone has a mental illness
someone has a meltdown
mentally ill person violent
incarceration
body dysmorphia
screaming
obscene language/gestures
hate speech
homophobic slurs
transphobic slurs
someone misgendered
"Man in a dress" jokes
jokes about sexual assault on men
male character ridiculed for crying
r*pe mentioned
babies or unborn children
sexual content
nude scenes
someone sexually objectified
someone sexually assaulted onscreen
someone sexually assaulted (aggressive fondling)
car honk or tires screech
gun violence

2 spoilers that might ruin the movie

major character dies
sad ending

Carlotta: Australia DVD rating: M (there's no graphic violence)
no ratings nor warnings on imdb nor on https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/335852 BUT there were things I noticed so I made my own list for us:

9 spoilers that won't ruin the movie

The film is set in the 1960s/70s and deals with gender and gender reassignment through that lens
abusive parents
domestic abuse
homophobic slurs
onscreen sexual assault (brief)
hospital scene
someone commits suicide
someone dies
LGBTQ person dies

Blorping begins @ 4:00pm EDT/20:00 UTC
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine
Remember: everyone should use a VPN for blorptube and any peertube.

letterboxd

https://letterboxd.com/film/soldiers-girl/
https://letterboxd.com/film/carlotta/

movie links:

• 4pm EDT / 20:00 UTC - Soldier's Girl: https://tankie.tube/w/iNVJCvYL5SiTHURw3cqR8D
• 6pm EDT / 22:00 UTC - Carlotta: https://tankie.tube/w/3gaXVg9TScay9MBeUdxd8f

Matrices for blorptube: https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube to keep your IP secure. Honestly, use a VPN anywhere on the internet because other sites may have similar issues. More on security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

Today Hairy Harmonies looks at films where the main guys -- the lead protagonists -- appreciate art so they... kinda fake it. Each film also displays the particular subculture of the would-be artists with a mix of humor and authenticity.

Blorping begins @ 4:00pm EDT/20:00 UTC https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

A Bucket Of Blood (1959)

1h 5min 31sec, English with optional English subtitles
Director: Roger Corman

A dimwitted busboy at a beatnik cafe passes off a cat he accidentally killed and covered in plaster as a sculpture, prompting a demand for more art that compels him to commit murders.

side note: if you don't know Roger Corman, there will be a pre-show documentary about his film making.

Song Sung Blue (2025)

2h 11min 48sec, English with hardcoded English subtitles
Director: Craig Brewer

~~Wolverine and his girl~~ Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson start a Neil Diamond tribute act and experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together.

Content Warnings:

A Bucket of Blood U.S. rated TV-PG
Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild
from https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/8500

35 warnings that won't spoil the film -- note this got a TV-PG because it is more silly than horrific

animal dies
dead animal
pet dies
cat dies
sad animal
someone leave without saying goodbye
woman brutalized for spectacle
drugs
drug use
addiction?
someone restrained
someone's mouth covered?
decapitation
hanging
shaving/cutting
stabbing
choking
asphyxiation
someone struggles to breathe
someone becomes unconscious
someone dies
major character dies
audio gore?
copaganda?
someone attempts suicide
suicide
reality unstable or unhinged?
someone has a mental illness
mentally ill person violent
someone has a meltdown
screaming
someone watched without knowing
someone sexually objectified
sad ending?
blood/gore

Song Sung Blue Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some strong language, some sexual material and brief drug use.
Sex & Nudity: Mild
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Moderate
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild
https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/1322504

45 warnings that won't spoil the film (more realistic, but not a horror film)

alcohol abuse
addiction (alcohol)
someone uses drugs
razors
shaving/cutting
car crash
someone hit by a car
blood/gore
finger/toe mutilation
Achilles Tendon injury
broken bones
amputation (act of surgery not shown)
someone disabled played by able-bodied
someone struggles to breathe
someone becomes unconscious
heart attacks
someone dies
family member dies
parent dies
major character dies
shower scene
mental institution scene
hospital scene
PTSD
someone has a mental illness
someone has a meltdown
anxiety attacks
someone says "I'll kill myself"
reality unstable or unhinged
body dysmorphia
body dysphoria
dissociation, depersonalization, or derealization
audio gore
sudden loud noises
car honk / tires screech
baby cry
screaming
obscene language/gestures
sexual content (mild)
someone sexually objectified
childbirth
babies or unborn children
spit
shakey cam
flashing lights or images

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/roger-corman-the-pope-of-pop-cinema/
https://letterboxd.com/film/a-bucket-of-blood/
https://letterboxd.com/film/song-sung-blue-2025/

movie links:

Remember: everyone should use a VPN for blorptube and any peertube.

• 3pm EDT/19:00 UTC: preshow - intro: https://tankie.tube/w/pTf3K3ZtsDJf64JNXfwrR9
• preshow - Roger Corman: The Pope of Pop Cinema: https://tankie.tube/w/sL5NiThiY1J5Luf3uGvwbe
• Bucket of Blood intro: https://tankie.tube/w/mh3jMxCEhNaFGqSiSXRsCK
• 4pm EDT/20:00 UTC: Bucket of Blood - https://tankie.tube/w/h5rchow37MHbRXLaZ7yDpU
• break videos
• 5:30pm EDT/21:30 UTC: Song Sung Blue - https://tankie.tube/w/hLa18xGmp519vNvQ9Zii6G

Matrices for blorptube: https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Last note: I'm personally having technical issues with playback today, so I'm warning viewers now and will update/edit this note if I see a change.

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube because your IP may be viewed without such protection. Honestly, use a VPN anywhere on the internet because other sites may have similar issues. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

This week Hairy Harmonies is looking at two B&W Turkish films with somewhat existentialist themes.

Thou Gild'st the Even (2013) Sen Aydinlatirsin Geceyi

1h 43m, Turkish with hard coded English subtitles
written/directed by Onur Ünlü

This is VERY much 'Arthouse Cinema' with many surreal bits. Since I can't find a hi-def version, we have to settle for a DVD rip. Pay serious attention to its content warnings, with the worst of it being protracted and disturbing domestic abuse.

Synopsis: Cemal is an assistant referee in football matches, Yasemin raises poultry, Defne is a street vendor who sells books, Doctor Irfan is occupied with his patients... In this town with two suns and three full moons in the sky, Cemal -who can see through the walls- has no expectation out of life and looks for a way out with Yasemin -who can move objects with her fingers- as he was trying to deal with the distress that fell on his. However, Defne, who can freeze time will muddle things up; Yasemin’s immortal boss’ actions will contradict the invisible elementary school teacher’s advices who is trying to eliminate the worries of Cemal.

Time to Love (1965) Sevmek Zamani

1h 31m, Turkish with hard coded English subtitles
directed by Metin Erksan, cinematography by Mengü Yegin

Synopsis/Review: Ostensibly, this is a love story between a withdrawn bachelor who falls in love with the picture of a woman while at work in one of the massive villas on Istanbul's Princes' Islands. When he meets the actual woman, he fears a relationship with the real-life person could never match his dreams. That's a great premise, but without more exposition portions may feel like oh so much melodrama! Perhaps the protagonists are meant to be deep and brooding, but what we hear is not deep enough to legitimize the pathos. Despite that minor complaint, the film is so beautifully shot that it is a real treat to watch.

P.S. This film has nothing to do with the more recent TV series of the same name.

Content Warnings:

Thou Gild'st the Even/Sen Aydinlatirsin Geceyi
Turkey rating: 15+ / domestic violence (severe), warnings from ME via https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/69962 under spoiler tags:

23 warnings that won't spoil the film

domestic violence (severe)
woman slapped
reality unstable or unhinged
dissociation, depersonalization, or derealization
animal dies
dead animal
someone uses drugs
self-harm
someone attempts suicide
someone watched without knowing
obscene language/gestures
homophobic slurs
existentialism debated
car crash
gun violence
razors
shaving/cutting
amputation (surreal)
vomit
someone wet/soil themselves
defecation
minor sexualized
physical assault that MIGHT be interpreted to represent r*pe

0 warnings that WILL spoil the film

all known warnings are listed in the previous category

Time to Love/Sevmek Zamani
Norway Streaming rating: 15 / warnings from ME via https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/1672546 under spoiler tags

5 warnings that won't spoil the film

gun violence
natural bodies of water
someone leaves without saying goodbye
someone watched without knowing
someone dies

2 warnings that WILL spoil the film

major character dies
sad ending

Note: I was the only person to rate either of these movies (I didn't bother with IMDB, which lists nothing, but did make the sole ratings thus far on 'dogdies'), so I encourage viewers to add to the ratings.

We'll be blorping at 4pm EDT/20:00 UTC right here:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

Remember: everyone should use a VPN for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/thou-gildst-the-even/
https://letterboxd.com/film/time-to-love/

movie links:

• 4:00pm EDT/20:00 UTC -- Thou Gild'st the Even: https://tankie.tube/w/r74qzWUpKrNXswFoUi48hE
• 6:00pm EDT/22:00 UTC -- Time to Love: https://tankie.tube/w/kAP3k3PtoAwif48bVLf3oE

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube because your IP will be viewable without such protection. Honestly, use a VPN anywhere on the internet because other sites may have similar issues. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

This week's Hairy Harmonies side with the anti-fascist Republicans fighting against Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The movies are fictional, but represent historical events. For example, ¡Ay, Carmela! truly was a Republican anthem and Mujeres Libres (English: Free Women) was the anarchist women's organisation that existed in Spain from 1936 to 1939. Prior to 1936, women in Spain were markedly unequal to men.

¡Ay, Carmela! (1990)

1h 43min Spanish with hard coded English subtitles
Directed by Carlos Saura

Synopsis: During the Spanish Civil War, a group of comics lightens the days of the Republican troops. Tired of life in the front lines, they make their way to Valencia, accidentally entering enemy land and falling prisoner. The film is based on the play of the same name by the Valencian dramatist, José Sanchís Sinisterra.

Libertarias (1996) aka Freedomfighters

2h 1min 20sec Spanish with optional English subtitles (and others)
Directed by Vicente Aranda

Synopsis: At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the nun Maria is forced to flee her convent. She takes refuge in a brothel, until it is liberated by a woman's anarchist group. Maria joins the group and eventually goes to the front. The women's group faces the problems of fighting not only the nationalists, but also factions on the left seeking to impose a more traditional military structure.

We'll be blorping at 4:00pm EST/9:00pm UTC right here:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

Remember: everyone should use a VPN for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings:

¡Ay, Carmela! (U.S. rated PG-13)
Sex & Nudity: Mild
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Moderate
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild
listed but not rated: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/117641
from memory:
hate speech/slurs
derogatory gay impersonation
gun violence
someone dies

Libertarias (Canada rated 18A)
Sex & Nudity: Moderate
Violence & Gore: Severe
Profanity: Severe
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Moderate
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Severe
https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/18111
animal abused
animal dies
someone dies
family member dies
parent dies
major character dies
sexual content
nude scenes
r*pe mentioned
sexual objectification
sexual assault
sexual assault onscreen
woman brutalized for spectacle
restraints
incarceration
someone loses their virginity
babies or unborn children
hospital scene
attempt suicide
someone die by suicide
hanging
throat mutilation
struggle to breathe
shaving/cutting
sudden loud noises
screaming
someone possessed
large age gap
obscene language/gestures
hate speech
religion discussed
spitting
blood/gore
gun violence
stabbing
torture

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/ay-carmela/
https://letterboxd.com/film/freedomfighters/

movie links:

song w/ translated lyrics: https://tankie.tube/w/g5W4zSSX4fiX7GiFVWqkTa
21:00 UTC (4pm EST) ¡Ay, Carmela!: https://tankie.tube/w/j9vxHboCZjui5uk3KDufsa
22:45 UTC (5:45 EST) Libertarias: https://tankie.tube/w/iBsm6vz3hvQijudY5GtKNH

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy.

Sambizanga

Domingos is a member of an African liberation movement, arrested by the Portuguese secret police, after the Feb 4 barracks attack in Angola, 1961. His wife goes from a prison station to another, trying in vain to find out where he is.

directed by Sarah Maldoror and written by Maldoror, Mário Pinto de Andrade, and Maurice Pons, based on the 1961 novella The Real Life of Domingos Xavier by working class sympathetic settler José Luandino Vieira.

Sambizanga was the first feature film produced in Angola and by any Lusophone African country. Maldoror was the first woman to make a feature film in Africa.[1]

This hits a lot of firsts, but for me, mainly, I’m surprised we didn’t show an Angolan film here

Les Orphelins De Sankara

Thomas Sankara came to power in Burkina Faso in 1983, with the promise of a revolutionary government that would transform the West African country. To help build the revolution, he sent 600 children — many orphans from rural areas — to be educated in Cuba. But after Sankara’s assassination, the children were stranded. The last would only return to Burkina Faso in 2005. SANKARA’S ORPHANS tells their stories through interviews with some of the 600, along with archival footage of their lives on Cuba’s Isle of Youth — where both Sankara and Fidel Castro came to visit. Along with their education, the children worked in the fields and received weapons training. This, combined with their idealism, frightened the new Burkina Faso regime, which worried they might return and take up arms

We’ll start at 4:30 PM EST on Blorptube, right here:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine
Be there, comrades!

Letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/sambizanga/
https://letterboxd.com/film/sankaras-orphans/

Doesthedogdie.com links:

https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/265848

CWs for the films (excluding spoilers?)

https://www.unconsentingmedia.org/
https://www.imdb.com/

Sambizanga:

Sex Et Nudity: ?

none listed

Violence Et Gore: Moderate

Colonial Police Brutality and Torture There are multiple scenes late in the film in which a man is brutally assaulted by police during an interrogation. He is slapped, kicked, and a drinking glass is broken in his face. Such brutality would lead people like him to death

Profanity: ?

none listed

Substance Abuse: ?

none listed

Frightening Et Intense Scenes: Intense

Colonial Police Brutality and Torture A man is forcibly taken from his home by police officers, and hit with batons as his wife cries for the officers to stop. He is physically assaulted further in the back of the police vehicle.

Les Orphelins De Sankara

???? (nothing listed)

Sources for movies:

Sambizanga: https://tankie.tube/w/jnfYP8oCjW91k53xpY4aYL
Sankara’s Orphans: https://tankie.tube/w/ixBa3q7FaAwKGesfcm2yRV

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

Today we'll have two films where the classic dumb blonde must do as her man says. Feel free to get annoyed both about the premise and the way the films resolve, but come see two of the keystone films that cemented the 'dumb blonde bombshell' into pop culture.

Pre-show: John Waters reminisces about why he loves 'The Girl Can't Help It' (20 minute youtube short)

The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

1:37:36 - English with hard-coded English subtitles

Jayne Mansfield, 'the smartest dumb blonde in Hollywood', is the eye candy in this story of a gangster who wants his moll to be a singer. Uhg! Fortunately, there are lots of actual singers and musicians to entertain despite the premise.

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayne_Mansfield

Mansfield undertook her first starring film role as Jerri Jordan in Frank Tashlin's The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Originally titled Do-Re-Mi, it featured a high-profile cast of contemporary rock and roll and R&B artists, including Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Fats Domino, The Platters, and Little Richard. Released in December 1956, The Girl Can't Help It became one of the year's biggest successes, both critically and financially, earning more than Gentlemen Prefer Blondes had three years before.

Note director Frank Tashlin's other work, including Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.

Born Yesterday (1950)

1:42:17 - English with hard-coded English subtitles

Winner for Best Actress in both The Academy Awards and Golden Globe, Judy Holliday plays Billie, girlfriend to corrupt junk mogul Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) who comes to Washington, D.C., to "buy" a congressman. When his girl embarrasses him socially, Harry hires journalist Paul Verrall (William Holden) to educate her.

Note director George Cukor's other work including The Philadelphia Story and My Fair Lady.

We'll be blorping at 4:00pm EST/9:00pm UTC right here:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

Remember: everyone should use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings:

The Girl Can't Help It
Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: None
Listed but not rated on 'dogdies': https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/33534

Born Yesterday
Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: None

from: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/78622
domestic violence
woman slapped
drinking
smoking

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/born-yesterday/
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-girl-cant-help-it/

movie links:

• 4:00pm EST/9:00pm UTC: Pre-show short: https://tankie.tube/w/oh7wVZLj2fRgDxLpsNngpN
• 4:20pm EST/9:20pm UTC: The Girl Can't Help It @ 4:20: https://tankie.tube/w/pEuRbpWj2X9PuVzkk38UNB
• 6:00pm EST/11:00pm UTC: Born Yesterday: https://tankie.tube/w/jwfcB78V4HnfRgMF2xp15z

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

Since we recently watched a film where people talked about 'The King & I', we kinda need to see what all the fuss is about, so for today's Hairy Harmonies we have TWO films about Thailand (then Siam) around the reign of Mongkut, the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868 at age 63.

The Siam Renaissance/Tawipop/ ทวิภพ (2004)

2h 23min 17sec
Thai/French/English with hardcoded English subtitles EXCEPT for the English dialog.

This movie was the 2nd adaptation of the 1986 source novel, Thawiphop. While not a commercial success (perhaps it'd have done better if they'd cut out 1/2 hour of lingering on the star), it is noted for sparking modern interest in discussing Thai idedity. Synopsis: Maneechan, a diplomat investigating recently uncovered documents in France concerning ancient Thailand, learns the story behind them first-hand as she travels back in time through a mirror.

The King and I (1956)

2h 13min 14sec
English with English subtitles

The 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon was based on memoirs written by Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. Leonowens' stories were autobiographical, although various elements of them have been called into question. From this, we get a Rogers and Hammerstein musical! Plus, there's Deborah Kerr, Rita Moreno, and Yul Brynner! Wow!

Because these flicks are sooo long, we will be using Blorptube at 3:00pm EST/8:00pm UTC:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

... but if you skip the first 1/2 hour of Tawipop, we can sum up the start for late-comers very quickly.

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings:

The Siam Renaissance
Listed but not reviewed on IMDB nor 'dogdies': https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/196838

From memory, it has:
unhinged reality
someone watched without knowing
restraint? (made to be a 'guest')
natural bodies of water

The King and I
Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild
from: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/24048
someone dies
major character dies
family member dies
parent dies
someone restrained
someone 'kidnapped' (concubines -- not willing?)
anxiety attack

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/the-siam-renaissance/
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-king-and-i/

movie links:

3pm EST/8pm UTC: The Siam Renaissance: https://tankie.tube/w/uwza1PJFXAEtVTZar5LFP2
5:30 EST/10:30 UTC: The King and I: https://tankie.tube/w/ts17i8rDNPz5CC5A9MUSGi

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120

To end the year, we have two tales of a planet wrecked by humans, and the astronauts (comsmonauts) trying to do damage control.

Silent Running

(1972) English with English subtitles: 1h 26min 29sec

Bruce Dern is an astronaut on a greenhouse spaceship carrying the last of Earth's plant samples.
side note: Director Douglas Trumbull previously worked with Kubrick on special effects for 2001.

U Are the Universe / Ти – Космос

(2024) Ukranian with English subtitles: 1h 41min 48sec

Ukrainian space trucker Andriy is hauling radioactive waste off-planet when the world suddenly and unexpectedly ends.

We will be using Blorptube at 4:30pm EST/9:30pm UTC:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings:

Silent Running (Rated G)

Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Mild
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: None
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild

'dogdies' does not mention it, but one could reasonably say that several major characters die
Explosions
(Nuclear?) Explosions
Animals kinda die
Kinda hopsital-ish scene
Blood
Suicide
Car-ish crash hits character

U Are the Universe (Ukranian)

Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Moderate
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild

from 'dogdies':
someone dies by suicide (off screen, kinda)
shaving/cutting (safe, normal shaving with electric razor)
non-human character 'dies' (robot turned off)
someone asphyxiates (off screen)
someone dies
family member dies
parent dies
major character dies
someone sacrifices themselves
screaming
shower scene
nuclear explosion
someone has a meltdown
someone becomes unconscious
someone leaves without saying goodbye

letterboxd:

• https://letterboxd.com/film/silent-running/
• https://letterboxd.com/film/u-are-the-universe/

movie links:

• 4:30pm EST/9:30pm UTC: Silent Running: https://tankie.tube/w/rtr9pSCNEBzQvgVFjFjYJa
• 6:00pm EST/11:00pm UTC: U Are the Universe: https://tankie.tube/w/aTmz5oxqk1aaamqEn1LJwt

Extra note: On Wednesday, New Year's Eve, the early show will include a handcrafted short from @Erika3sis@hexbear.net explicitly for us on the occasion of the end of 2025. For us and by us, you'll want to tune in Wednesday. See also the details for the early Wednesday movie, Kill Buljo, and the Sámi culture/people over here: https://hexbear.net/post/7187097

[I don't see any announcement for anything before the late show, so if we don't get a lemmy movie, we'lldo community choice! As a backup, we might watch the highest grossing Russian language kids flick of all time:

https://letterboxd.com/film/youth-2017-1/

Youth 2017 芳华

Directed by Feng Xiaogang

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120?scrollToComments=false

We will be using Blorptube at 5:00pm EST/10:00pm UTC:

https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube. ](https://letterboxd.com/film/youth-2017-1/)

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120?scrollToComments=false

For this week's Hairy Harmonies, we're looking at two views of what happens when the U.S. military comes to your town. We have:

On the Town (1949) 1h 37min 46sec
A piece of U.S. propogranda where sailors on leave look for girls and belittle natives without even noticing.

For contrast, there is director Seijun Suzuki's:

Gate of Flesh / 肉体の門 (1964) 1h 30min 20sec
While mostly about the girls, the reason they're there is because of the U.S. military. Bombed-out hovels of post–World War II Tokyo house a tough band of prostitutes in the shadow of a U.S. base. "Director Seijun Suzuki delivers a whirlwind of social critique and pulp drama, shot through with brilliant colors and raw emotions." WARNING: This was rated in Japan for adults-only, and tries to be as salcious as possible despite limits on how much nudity was alllowed, so it has highly triggering scenes, such as a woman being tied up and whipped.

To keep from going straight from exploitation to anime, we'll end with a 22 minute cinematographer/director commentary on Gate of Flesh.

We will be using Blorptube at 4:00pm EST/9:00pm UTC sharp:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings

On the Town (1949)

Sex & Nudity: Mild
Violence & Gore: None
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: None

U.S./Military Propaganda
Racism/Hate speech (imitating Native Americans)
Car horn
Jump scare (kinda -- from horn)
Sexually assaulted (agressive pursuit/molesting of a sailor)
Misgendered (female with covered head initially presumed male)

Gate of Flesh / 肉体の門 (1964)

Sex & Nudity: Moderate
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Mild
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Moderate
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild

animal abuse
animals harmed in the making
animal death
dead animal
woman brutalized for spectacle
woman slapped
someone sexually assaulted
someone restrained
excessive gore
choking
torture
death
razors
shower scene
spitting
attempted suicide
suicide
PTSD
unhinged person
sudden loud noises
screaming
relgious triggers
nudity
sex
blood/gore
gun violence

Letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/on-the-town/
https://letterboxd.com/film/gate-of-flesh/

Links to films:

• On the Town: https://tankie.tube/w/qL1euVngbfP5QdDEdvWmhe
• Gate of Flesh: https://tankie.tube/w/rpkym5nhRGm3f9EhUQVAjZ
• Gate of Flesh commentary: https://tankie.tube/w/1QvaUgBJV1tUYFN7zKGXR6

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120?scrollToComments=false

For this week's Hairy Harmonies, we have two films with flawed portrayals of African Americans in the United States: Native Son (1951), written by a blacklisted commie who was also 'guilty' of being Arfican American, and -- the movie Disney wants you to forget -- Song of the South (1946) a musical written by and for white people about black people. You may start cringing now.

We will be using Blorptube at 4:30pm EST/9:30pm UTC sharp:
https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:
https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Details

Native Son (1951) 1h 48min
English language noir murder story made in Argentina and based on Richard Wright's novel. Wright was blacklisted in Hollywood at the time for being a member of the communist party. Further, the film's initial release was about 30 minutes shorter than this version with censors removing 'objectionable' bits. Supposedly it had been a pain point to find a white actress who was willing to risk her career by touching a black man on-screen, and one can expect that was the sort of thing likely cut. So: while this restored version is a more-accurate-than-average portrayal, there are problems with this film. First, this is from an era when 'the law must prevail' for any film shown to the general public. Next, it is saddled by use of the author as the star (a change made because the intended star could not get a passport). Lastly, it would have been a more powerful story if our lead character had a different opening or at least included the book's trial ending.

Song of the South (1946) 1h 35min
Disney finally closed Splash Mountain, so little remains to remind people that the studio made this musical, which is reason enough to see it. Background: In 1880, Joel Chandler Harris wrote his first book, "Uncle Remus: His Songs And Sayings" and was immediately acclaimed as one of the era's best writers, ranking with Mark Twain, Whitcomb Riley and George Washington Cable..

Disney hired African-American performer and writer Clarence Muse to be consulted on the screenplay, but Muse quit when Reymond (another writer) ignored Muse's suggestions to portray African-American characters in a way that would be perceived as being dignified and more than Southern stereotypes. Muse subsequently wrote letters to the editors of black publications to criticize the depiction of African-Americans in Reymond's script. Disney claimed that Muse attacked the film because Disney did not choose Muse to play the part of Uncle Remus, which Muse had lobbied for.

The Disney Company has stated that, like Harris's book, the film takes place after the American Civil War and that all the African American characters in the movie are no longer slaves. The Hays Office had asked Disney to "be certain that the frontispiece of the book mentioned establishes the date in the 1870s"; however, the final film carried no such statement.

Content Warnings

Native Son

Sex & Nudity: Mild
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: Severe
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Severe
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Moderate

N-WORD
Hate Speech removed mentioned
Dead Animal/Animal Dies
Gun violence
Choking
Covered Mouth
Childbirth
Character dies
Car noise (honk/screech)

Song of the South

Sex & Nudity: None
Violence & Gore: Mild
Profanity: None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: None
Frightening & Intense Scenes: Mild

RACISM
Child abuse (off screen, but a switch is shown in hand)
Sad animal
Bugs (animated)
Minority misrepresented

Letterboxd:

Native Son: https://letterboxd.com/film/native-son-1951/
Song of the South: https://letterboxd.com/film/song-of-the-south/

Links to films:

Native Son: https://tankie.tube/w/sQ2MJMqki1sn44jToSPxfH
Song of the South: https://tankie.tube/w/vWy3xgmJU3KmmJCMkqsvj7

IMPORTANT NOTE: please use a VPN whenever visiting Blorptube, or anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. Protect your privacy. You can read more about Peertube and potential security concerns here: https://hexbear.net/post/3471120?scrollToComments=false

For this week's Hairy Harmonies, both films are musical (mostly the first, as it is a concert documentary), and hairy in that neither are fantastic films on their own, but both are interesting for historical reasons. They show a particular subset of adult and youth culture a few short months after Woodstock, so they are extremely dated, but in a good way. I'd initially planned something else, but watching Cassavetes's Faces with y'all spurred me towards social commentary.

We will be using Blorptube at 5pm EST/10pm UTC sharp: https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube: https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Details

Celebration at Big Sur THIS HAS NO SUBTITLES
Featuring Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, John Sebastian, Dorothy Combs Morrison and The Combs Sisters, Mimi Fariña, Carol Ann Cisneros, Julie Payne, Chris Ethridge and The Struggle Mountain Resistance Band.

Celebration was held on the weekend of September 13–14, 1969, only one month after the famous and considerably larger Woodstock Music & Art Fair, which is referred to repeatedly. Celebration at Big Sur did not receive the same critical acclaim as the 1970 Woodstock film.

Co-Director/Cinematographer Wenzell Baird Bryant was well known in documentary circles for his hand-held ability to almost instantaneously capture live action as it was happening. Hired as the cameraman on Gimme Shelter, the Albert and David Maysles film of The Rolling Stones 1969 American Tour, Baird caught on camera the fatal stabbing of concertgoer Meredith Hunter by Hells Angels member Alan Passaro at the Altamont Free Concert in December 1969.

Co-Director Johanna Demetrakas followed this film up with Womanhouse, a documentary about the feminist art installation at Cal Arts. She went on direct several more films with the most recent being Feminists: What Were They Thinking? as well as working as a film editor.

Taking Off
Taking Off shared the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury ex aequo with Johnny Got His Gun at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Howard Jacobson of The Guardian more recently enthused about loving it for 45 years as "a good film that waits for you to grow up emotionally", showing not only "the older generation’s anger and confusion" but also "the sweet cruelty of being young". It includes two future artists in brief appearances: Kathy Bates (listed as Bobo Bates in the credits) and Carly Simon, both as auditioning singers (note that Bates had already appeared in a soap opera, and Simon was singing professionally with various groups at this point, but had yet to get her own recording contract at the time of filming). Also look for Vincent Schiavelli, Ultra Violet, and Paul Benedict (Jeffersons, Seasame Street).

Content Warnings:

Celebration at Big Sur:
(listed but not reviewed for content on both imdb and dogdies):
from memory: cops and nude hippies

Taking Off:
Sex & Nudity: Moderate
Violence & Gore: None
Profanity: Moderate
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Severe (?)
Frightening & Intense Scenes: None
(listed but not reviewed for content on dogdies).

Track listings for each film:

Celebration at Big Sur

• "I Shall Be Released" – Joan Baez
• "Mobile Line" – John Sebastian with Stephen Stills
  • offstage
• "Song for David" – Joan Baez
  • shown rehearsing offstage, with stage performance of same song cut in
• "All of God's Children Got Soul" – Dorothy Combs Morrison and the Combs Sisters
• "Sea of Madness" – CSNY
• "4 + 20" – Stephen Stills solo performance
  • Stephen Stills introduces this number discussing his interaction with a heckler in the previous scene
• "Get Together" – Joni Mitchell with Crosby, Stills & Nash and John Sebastian
• "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" – Dorothy Combs Morrison and the Combs Sisters
  • incomplete: non-musical footage of nude sauna, audience happenings
• "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" – various (offstage, incomplete)
• "Rainbows All Over Yours Blues" – John Sebastian
• "Woodstock" – Joni Mitchell (playing piano)
  • non-musical footage of self-identified "freak" with Woodstock-themed bus
• "Red-Eye Express" – John Sebastian with Stephen Stills
• "Changes" – Mimi Fariña and Julie Payne with Stephen Stills (incomplete)
• "Malagueña Salerosa" – Carol Ann Cisneros
• "Rise, Shine, and Give God the Glory" – The Struggle Mountain Resistance Band (incomplete)
• "Down By the River" – CSNY
  • incomplete, over 7 minutes
  • folk musician improvising outside the festival
• "Sweet Sir Galahad" – Joan Baez
• "Oh Happy Day" – Dorothy Combs Morrison and the Combs Sisters with Joan Baez
  • opens with Joan Baez rehearsing same number with Dorothy Combs Morrison

Taking Off (listing from movie's soundtrack):

• "Taking off (I Believe in Love)" (Nina Hart) – 2:17
• "Fields of Green and Gold" – 1:40
• "Let's Get a Little Sentimental/Sosaloosa" (Mike Leander/Eddie Seago) – 2:22
• "And Even the Horses Had Wings" (Kathy "Bobo" Bates) – 3:39
• "Long Term Physical Effects" (Carly Simon/ Tim Sauders) – 1:54
• "Ode to a Screw" sung by Mary(Jenifer)Mitchell (Tom Eyen/ Peter Cornell) – 1:35
• "Stabat Mater Opus 58" – 2:54
• "Lessons in Love" (Catherine Heriza) – 2:35
• "Nocturne" – 2:38
• "Goodbye, So Long" (Tina Turner/Ike Turner) – 3:07
• "Air" (Performed by The Incredible String Band, Composed by Mike Heron) – 3:10
• "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" – 1:50
• "Stranger in Paradise" – :49
• "Feeling Sort of Nice" (Shellen Lubin) – 1:59

Letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/celebration-at-big-sur/ https://letterboxd.com/film/taking-off/

Links to films:

Celebration at Big Sur (1969) 1:22:29
https://tankie.tube/w/cNssMypSGHQDNYjBnWCDEd
lower def version with auto-genertated subs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STJdwZ5H3Yg

Einheitsfrontlied (1934) 0:03:26
https://tankie.tube/w/12rwbz9coPzPkWG5DoSQWJ

Taking Off (1971) 1:32:30
https://tankie.tube/w/gSeoNFzi3y7Xsn9ye8Jb7j