Alfred Hitchcock
Did you know that the majority of Americans don’t have a passport? According to recent statistics issued by the State Department in January of 2014, only 46% of U.S. citizens have valid passports. But 50 years ago, having one was an absolute must for any worldly well-known person. And even in their passport photos, they look pretty flawless –but most are shot in black and white which IS always very flattering. Hey, wouldn’t a passport filter be great on Instagram?
Le Delaria as Big Boo in Orange Is the New Black; Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca
If I had known about it ahead of time, I would have invited you, really. My old pal, James Lecesne had an extra ticket and it was being shown as part of a Queer Art Mentorship program James is involved with – more on that in another post. Anyway, last night Orange Is the New Black‘s Lea Delaria presented Hitchcock’s Rebecca at the IFC Center in New York. Queer/Art/Film asks artists to screen a movie that was influential to them. Lea’s mother screened the film for her when she was just 10 saying, “You’re going to LOVE this movie!” – and she did. If you are familiar with the film, the goth presence, with SERIOUS lesbian undertones (and overtones), Mrs. Danvers is one of cinemas most indelible villains. At the Q & A afterward with Lea along with Aaron Rosen and filmmaker Ira Sachs (who made Leave the Light On, and is debuting his new film at Sundance this weekend, Love Is Strange) discussed the film why it was so influential, among other things. Watch the clip below of the famous bedroom scene and you may see why it’s still being talked about 70 years later at a queer film series. Check out their upcoming film series here and you can see Lea as Big Boo on Netflix, anytime.
Ira Sachs, Lea Delaria and Aaron Rosen discuss Rebecca for Queer/Art/Film at IFC in New York City
