Film Studies Panel: Interrogating (Through) Reception

‘Perverse Interest': A Reception History of The Boys in the Band Dr. Matt Bell In an otherwise negative review of William Friedkin’s The Boys in the Band (1970), a writer for Variety praised what he described as the film’s inherent “perverse interest.” My paper begins with an examination of the thought so suggestively encrypted in this phrase, a textbook example of projection, through which the reviewer attributed to the film what must in fact have been his own (homo)sexual curiosity. Using this review as the point of entry to a more thorough reception history, my paper discusses three key forums in which the film has been assessed: the mainstream press of 1970, which tended to review The Boys in the Band in the erotically repressed mode of Variety; the emergent gay liberationist discourse of the 1970s and 1980s, typified by the writings of Dennis Altman, Arthur Bell, and Vito Russo, which tended to reject the “negative images” inscribed in it; and popular gay history, including Charles Kaiser’s 2007 book The Gay Metropolis, which has tended to view it as a period piece. Based on these simplifying appraisals of the film, and in response to its rather stunning neglect by scholars, my paper ultimately calls for bold reassessment of the film in light of developments over the past three decades in academic fields including LGBTQ studies, critical race studies, and queer theory. Perception and Reception Talk: Localisms and Working Class Heroisms in the Cultural Work of the Hui Brothers Dr. Sean Allan My presentation looks at the film work of Hong Kong celebrities Michael, Samuel and Ricky Hui. I will focus primarily on the films they made together, but I will also look at each brother separately, with attention to Michael’s directing, Samuel’s singing and acting, and Ricky’s acting. I will situate both their popularity during their active period within the contexts of Hong Kong popular cultural and political history as well as their continuing popularity. I will consider as well the aesthetic components of their abilities to affect an audience. The project looks at reception from a variety of angles. First, it interrogates the limits of how Hong Kong cinema history is conceptualized. Second, it interrogates the way local Hong Kong audiences are conceived by outsiders. Thirdly, it considers the limits of corrective, a consideration of a proper way that an interested figure can recognize both the complexities of localisms and popular cultural rhetorics and the lacunae that result from any sort of critical inquiry. Canadian Popcorn: Representations of Culture in Popular Canadian Film Dr. Eric Weeks My presentation examines the ways in which Canadian films represent Canadian identity and culture. When looking at a snapshot of Canadian films released in more recent years, an increasing number have been made that deal with various aspects of Canadian culture, and achieve as much in popular, accessible ways. What is most appealing about these movies is how they approach their subject matter. Some specific examples of films that evoke this sense of “Canadianness” include a comedy about curling (Men with Brooms, 2002), a hockey-themed musical (Score, 2010), and a buddy-cop action movie that also explores the strained relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada (Bon Cop/Bad Cop, 2006). Far from being a dusty documentary or staid historical drama, many Canadian films that reflect that country’s history and identity could be considered “popcorn” movies, those films that appeal to a broader audience, enjoy a wider theatrical release, and may often be seen as simply entertainment and lacking a deeper message. Instead, however, I contend that films such as these are better able to express elements of Canada’s national identity, particularly when positioned against an overshadowing American film industry.

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