QAF Marathon 101-102
My bitches, firehead30 and zaipixie decided that we really needed to marathon Queer As Folk, sine it had been so long since we'd watched. Funnily enough, it coincided with the show streaming on Netflix.
Which, considering they've changed all the music, makes me glad that a)I'm not streaming and b)have all 5 seasons on dvd. Music intact.
On to the show! Oh, and stop by Pixie's LJ and check out her post. Or just go say hi!
Oh, my god. The acting. The ACTING. I cringe at how bad it was. And then, 'Sandstorm' by Darude starts, and I don't care, because Brian sees Justin for the first time. And then, both Justin and I go "OH" when Brian unsnaps his 501's. I remember playing the 'is he gay, is HE gay, what about him' game back then. And to this day, I hold firm that Gale Harold is a bendy fucker. There's acting, there's putting it out there for a role, and then there's the face-eating that Gale gave Randy. Go back and look at it. Just...look. The only time Gale is comfortable onscreen in those first episodes is when he's naked and kissing/simulating sex with Randy.
My favorite Brian/Michael scene remains the hospital roof. The acting is even more cringe-worthy, but...BUT. That one shot, of Brian reaching his hand out to Michael while 'Proud' by Heather Small is playing, it still brings a tear to my eye. It is one of the most beautiful moments in the entire series. There's another moment, one of Gale/Brian that I love as well. It's the smile on his face when he turns to Michael after Michael takes the picture of Brian and Gus.
Gale is a pretty motherfucker in S1.
The scene of Michael and the 'Parts Department' guy is still funny as hell. Another lighthearted moment is the boys running down the hospital corridor, a scene that is echoed tragically in 122.
Brian driving Justin to school is also funny as hell. He's playing Death Race 2000, sending teens diving out of the way, until he pulls a doughnut and we are confronted for the first time what people think or say when the word gay is mentioned: FAGGOT. In bright neon pink, spray-painted down the side of Brian's Jeep (I love that fucking Jeep, WHY did he trade it in for that piece of shit Vette? Yeah, I said it.) This is a precursor to everything that happens later.
One other thing: while Thea and Michelle's acting was as bad as the others, I can honestly day that Michelle is hot as fuck in S1. Just saying.
In 102, there's an interesting dichotomy between Brian and Justin. Justin is waxing poetic to Daphne about his night with Brian, while Brian is pitching a sales ad using sex. He seems to contradict everything that Justin says. To Brian, it's all about sex. For Justin, it's all about love. And he learns, as we do, that Brian doesn't do love.
But can I just mention that, on first viewing, I was in agreement with Justin when he said that George Goodfuck was ugly? I am SO SORRY.
Mr George Goodfuck is HOT AS FUCK.
And the look he gives Brian, that chastising 'go on, say you're sorry' cock of the head and raising of the eyebrow was classic.
There was a scene between Jennifer and Justin that bugged me. She says to him, 'I don't know why you spend all your time with Daphne' and 'You were just there last night'...okay, her son's best friend is a girl, and you fully suspect that he might not be as straight as you'd like. Isn't giving him shit about hanging out with a girl kind of defeating the purpose? Just saying.
On the other hand, Debbie's almost fanatical acceptance of her son's sexuality is refreshing, especially at the time the show aired. She told us that being gay was like having brown eyes or curly hair or being left-handed. It's just who you were, but not all that you were. It was okay.
These episodes were almost word for word replicas of the UK show. I hadn't (still haven't) seen that one, so I only have this one to go by. But one of the things I loved about the show was that in every episode, the same type of situation is shown in different ways by different characters. Justin getting dressed to go to Liberty Ave, as Michael's getting dressed to go to Shoeless Joe's to meet his co-workers. The scene I mentioned where Brian's pitching beer as Justin's pitching...Brian.
Time has done its job, and I don't see some things the way I used to. But one thing is certain. I still love this show.