A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL (2018)

TRIVIA: On the advice of the director, Stephen Frears, Ben Whishaw met with the real Norman Scott during the course of the production to hear his account of the events.

This is the third time Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw worked together. Their first was Cloud Atlas (2012) and the second was Paddington 2 (2017).

BOOK 160: GIOVANNI'S ROOM: JAMES BALDWIN

The book focuses on the events in the life of an American man living in Paris and his feelings and frustrations with his relationships with other men in his life, particularly an Italian bartender named Giovanni whom he meets at a Parisian gay bar.

Giovanni's Room is noteworthy for bringing complex representations of homosexuality and bisexuality to a reading public with empathy and artistry, thereby fostering a broader public discourse of issues regarding same-sex desire.

Baldwin admitted that his publisher first told him to "burn" the book because the theme of homosexuality would alienate him from his readership among black people. However, upon publication critics tended not to be so harsh thanks to Baldwin's standing as a writer. Giovanni's Room was ranked number 2 on a list of the best 100 gay and lesbian novels compiled by The Publishing Triangle in 1999.

(Information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni's_Room)

FILM 1493: VALENTINE ROAD

On February 12, 2008, in Oxnard, California, eighth-grade student Brandon McInerney shot his classmate Larry King twice in the back of the head during first period. When Larry died two days later, his murder shocked the nation. Was this a hate crime, one perpetrated by a budding neo-Nazi whose masculinity was threatened by an effeminate gay kid who may have had a crush on him? Or was there even more to it? Looking beyond all the copious news coverage of this tragic event, Valentine Road tells the story of two victims: the deceased and the murderer. With keen insight, the film connects the human wreckage of Larry's and Brandon's troubled lives-both physically abused, both from broken homes, and both searching for a sense of belonging.

FILM 1375: REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG

REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation. The documentary explores Sontag's life through archival materials, accounts from friends, family, colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson. From her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her early marriage to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today. Written by Question Why Films

FILM 1196: DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

TRIVIA: The budget was also so low for this film that only two-hundred and fifty dollars ($250) was allotted to the Makeup department. Amazingly, the film's artists were able to work within that figure, and the film's Makeup and Hairstyling won an Oscar.

Matthew McConaughey lost 47 pounds in assuming his role as an AIDS patient. Newspapers reported his new looks as "terribly gaunt" and "wasting away to skin and bones".

Jared Leto lost 30 pounds for his role.

Leto's and Garner's characters didn't exist in real life.

The movie went through various stages before finally being financed with the help of Matthew McConaughey. The first director/actor duo who tried to get the movie made were Brad Pitt and Marc Forster and also Ryan Gosling and Craig Gillespie. Woody Harrelson was also involved with the project at one point.

This is the fifth movie to win best actor & best supporting actor Oscars (for Matthew McConaughey & Jared Leto), Going My Way (1944),The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Ben-Hur (1959) & Mystic River (2003) being the others.