Tag: bisexuality

(l to r) John Deacon, Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

If you haven’t already seen “Bohemian Rhapsody” yet, this is my film recommendation for the Holidays.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” captures the heart of Freddie Mercury’s (Rami Malek) artistic challenge as an artist, as a son, as a man and as a singing frontman of a band. Below, I’ve included the full Live Aid Concert, which was his crowning achievement.

One of many poignant parts of this film, was his relationship with his father, Bomi Rustomji Bulsara (Ace Bhatti).

Mercury felt that he could never be the son that he thought his father wanted, so he made the drastic decision to legally change his name, so he would not reflect negatively upon his father or his heritage.

The film suggests that he may have been ashamed of his heritage, but after studying his family dynamics, I feel that it had more to do with expressing himself independently from what his family expected of him.

If Mercury was ashamed of anything, it was the overlap of his teeth, and then, his growing awareness of his gay, bisexual identity, at a time when being a gay minority was cruelly punished and conformity was the norm.

At an early age, before his jaw could catch up to his extra teeth, he was sent to an Indian boarding school, where he took advantage of the freedom to pursue his own interests, like learning to play the piano, singing and creating a band.

He was summoned back to Zanzibar at age 16, when his father made the equally drastic decision to flee to Great Britain during the Indian revolution.

It was only late in the film that Mercury begins to appreciate the choices that his father made, and this realization is heart wrenching.

The other looming character in Mercury’s life was Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). Mercury lived with Austin for about seven years, when he was a starving artist, trying to create a professional band. She loved him unconditionally, and remained a lifelong friend, making him a godfather of her first son, before Mercury died of AIDS.

There was evidence of stress and a self-destructive tendency in Mercury. If you look at any of his few interviews, he appears to be a chain smoker. He has a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other. He discovers too late, who his real friends were, and did not have a strong spiritual practice, although he was raised as a Zoroastrian.

Mercury was a cat lover, which provided him with the unconditional love that was low-maintenance. He would have loved to have had children with Austin, but his career was too demanding in the early days, and they barely had enough to eat themselves.

Had Mercury received voice training and early support for his aspirations, he might even have become an operatic singer. In fact, his last live concert is with Montserrat Caballe, who invited him to write songs and to create a concert with her (see Barcelona concert below). Mercury rose to the occasion, and appears to be surrounded by a healing light.

Interestingly, the film’s title is “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was Mercury’s attempt at creating an operatic song, which was six minutes long.

When Mercury died of AIDS, he shook up the world from the ignorant realization that AIDS is not a gay disease, but can be acquired in heterosexual relationships, as well as by blood transfusions.

Director Bryan Singer almost completed this film, before he was replaced at the very end, for being unreliable. In my research, I discovered that Singer is also bisexual, like Mercury. Turns out, he was busy trying, at the time, to become a father himself. His son is now about three years old.

Farrokh Bulsara (5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991), known professionally as Freddie Mercury, died in 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS.

On 27 November, Mercury’s funeral service at West London Crematorium was conducted by a Zoroastrian priest. In attendance at Mercury’s service were his family and 35 of his close friends, including the remaining members of Queen and Elton John.

In his will, Mercury left the vast majority of his wealth, including his home and recording royalties, to Mary Austin and the remainder to his parents and sister.

Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin.

Full Live Aid Concert:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/video/queen-full-live-aid-performance/

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé – Barcelona Concert (Live at La Nit, 1988):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkskujG0UYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWZrCj1Ts5g

QUEEN – Freddie Mercury & The Royal Ballet 1979-10-07:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh71Cn8ZEzE

Freddie Mercury: All Hail the Queen:

https://www.facebook.com/LifeStories.Goalcast/videos/2202162050049241/UzpfSTEwMDAwMTc4MzEyODY5NjoxODQ0NTY2MTc4OTQ2MTM1/

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY All Clips & Trailers (2018):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAO_ZJhi8B0

Freddies Millions I & II:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctZJ7q59qmw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEKkssnmF00

Is this the real life NL version Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pz2eLE9dXg

Queen BBC documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoM0vd4cWiY

The Story of Queen: Mercury Rising (FULL DOCUMENTARY):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OWPADFASFM

Freddie Mercury: Documentary – 2017:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_34hw39yYA

Freddie Mercury Interviewed by Molly Meldrum from Australian TV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xLvYQMHmwk

Queen Interview in Leiden 1984, early years of band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA-leRQp5nk

Freddie Mercury’s struggle with AIDS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnYMBmiiJI

Real vs Reel:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/bohemian-rhapsody/

Life of Freddie Mercury:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury

https://www.parentztalk.com/view/the-life-of-freddie-mercury-pt/?page=26&wzna=1

http://www.travelfuntu.com/stories/look-life-freddie-mercury/19/

Freddie Murcury’s father, Bomi Rustomji Bulsara:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186919416/bomi-rustomji-bulsara

Mary Austin:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1313226/bio

Brian May:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May

Roger Taylor:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Taylor_(Queen_drummer)

John Deacon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Deacon

Freddie’s friends and family:

https://freddiemercury.weebly.com/freddies-friends-and-familly.html

Actor Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rami_Malek

Actress Lucy Boynton (Mary Austin):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Boynton

Actor Gwilym Lee (Brian May):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwilym_Lee

Actor Ben Handy (Roger Taylor):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hardy_(actor)

Actor Joseph Mazzello (John Deacon):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mazzello

Director Bryan Singer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Singer

Screenwriter Anthony McCarten:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McCarten

https://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writer/mccarten-anthony/

Zoroastrianism (Mercury and his family practiced the Zoroastrian religion):

htt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisexuality ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism

Bisexuality (Mercury’s sexual orientation):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisexuality

Freddy Mercury Psychic Reading:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b9pT7aJk3w

Wiki of film:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Rhapsody_(film)

Freddie Mercury in concert with Montserrat Caballe (1988).

12/3/2018 # Bohemian Rhapsody

Monterrat Caballé (April 12, 1933 – October 6, 2018)

Girls Trip (top) versus Rough Night (bottom).

Guess who wins boob exposure contest?

GIRLS TRIP Versus ROUGH NIGHT

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I thought it might be interesting to compare the black and white versions of college girl reunions in “Girls Trip” with “Rough Night.”

I was struck by how much more conservative “Girls Trip” was in comparison.

The black girls, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith talk about showing some skin, but they only show so much at their ten year reunion in New Orleans.

Even the bad girl, Deborah Ayorinde as Simone, seems tame compared to the white girls in “Rough Night.”

The black girls want a proposal, not a boyfriend in “Girls Trip.”

The white girls in “Rough Night,” Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), and Blair (Zoë Kravitz), don’t seem to care about that marriage proposal. They are more up for male castration, bisexuality, male strippers, and vibrators at their ten year reunion in Miami.

Demi Moore is very daring as a female sex addict in “Rough Night.”

The black girls in “Girls Trip” are still looking for a man to provide protection, partnership and motherhood. But, somehow, betrayal is what they get from their men, who walk all over them.

There is one male in “Girls Trip,” Larenz Tate as Julian, a musician, who gives up his apartment for the women and who makes sure that they are safe, is appreciated, but does not appear to be a serious relationship option. He does not have the financial resources or the macho image.

What occurs in both films is the dynamic of women being pitted against each other.

In “Rough Night,” the school teacher, who does not have a mate, is placed at the bottom of pecking order, being replaced and left out of invites. She is seriously pitied, but if you wait to the end of the credits at the end of the film, she does get her revenge.

And, in “Girls Trip,” all the women at one point turn on each other, but at the last minute, realize that they are the ones who can be counted on to accept each other unconditionally.

The white girls in “Girls Trip” are not let into the black circle, but are allowed to be helpful in promoting their careers. They are not seen as the competition.

Each film has so-called successful females. In “Girls Trip,” Regina Hall as Ryan Pierce, is a successful self-help writer and lecturer. And in “Rough Night,” Scarlett Johansson as Jessica “Jess” Thayer, is running for political office.

Ryan’s male partner is cheating on her, and Jessica looks like she may lose the election, because she does not look like she will put out. The male factor sabotages their efforts.

What about money? The white girls in “Rough Night” clearly have no worries financially, but the black girls in “Girls Trip” do not have such financial privilege.

I know that this is a comedy, and things are taken to the extreme, but it does expose our culture for what it is. Americans are seriously messed up when it comes to male/female relationships, marriage, career, money, identity and sex.

Ideally, men should be able to be men and women should be able to be women, no matter what color their skin is. Just because you are smart does not mean you have to be a cad, unless, of course, you are exploiting someone else. That goes for both men and women, black or white.

These days, gender identity is an added factor, which is slightly mentioned in “Girls Trip,” but it is front and center in “Rough Night.”

So, it appears that each person is an individual with an individual identity. Maybe Americans are starting to get something right, after all. We are starting to see the individual, rather than just their color, gender or wallet.

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8/4/2017 # Girls Trip/ Rough Night