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Hold on to your hat, honey: The Miami
Gay & Lesbian Film Fest debuts another great new
British TV series. CLOSER talks to "Metrosexuality"
writer/director Rikki Beadle-Blair
By Cubby
April
26th marks the start of the fourth year for The Miami
Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, ten days of screenings,
panel discussions, and parties. The festival line-up
of 33 films includes feature films and shorts-dramatic,
comedic,
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documentary,
and experimental- from all over the world. And, of course, all the
films are by, about and/or of interest to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals
and transgender people. Among this year's films is the U.S. premiere
of Spain's "I Love You Bay," the U.S. premiere of "The
Trip" (a love story set in the '70s from a gay perspective starring
Alexis Arquette and Jill St. John), and the East Coast premiere of
"The Cockettes," the legendary gender-bending theater company
featuring icons such as Dine, John Waters and Holly Woodlawn.
A couple of years ago the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival introduced
us to a English television series with a predominant gay theme, "Queer
as Folk," that made quite a splash; later HBO made it a weekly
series. This year the festival (April 26-May 5) introduces us to yet
another English series that also flaunts that gay theme, "Metrosexuality."
Despite the fact that the weekly series features gay characters, the
comparison to "Queer as Folk" stops there. "Metrosexuality"
is a fast-moving, funky, streetwise comedy drama series set in Notting
Hill. Where "Queer as Folk" is a boy meets boy (then repeat)
series focusing on gay situations, "Metrosexuality" focuses
on a even more exotic couplings: boy meets girl, boy meets boy, girl
meets girl and every combination in between, all set in the high-speed
world of contemporary London life.
Rikki Beadle-Blair, who wrote "Metrosexuality," also directs,
composes and acts in the series; he comes to Miami for the South Florida
premiere of the show. CLOSER interviewed Beadle-Blair before his Miami
appearance. Beadle-Blair plays Max, a gay dad who tries to be superdad
and supermum all rolled into one, as well as "the original bitch
on wheels who is trying to stay young." All that to the dismay
of Kwane, his handsome, seventeen-year-old, terminally straight son.
Is this a weekly series like "Queer As Folk"? It was a weekly
series of six half-hour episodes ala AbFab ["Absolutely Fabulous"]
- so we're showing the entire first season! Cool!
How long has "Metrosexuality" been running? It was on last
summer and it was big ol' hit! Controversial blah blah, but a hit
all the same.
Is any of the show autobiographical? All of it-I am all the characters!
How so? My character Max is a funky dad who acts too young for his
17-year-old son's tastes. He drives a zebra-striped jeep upholstered
with pink fun-fur-he is divorced from his sexy boyfriend and his son
is desperately trying to get them back together-But Max is too busy
mothering everyone around him- and changing outfits-to deal with romance.
Not a bit like me! (ahem!)
Are you a gay father in reality? I'm working on it-I was raised by
a lesbian mom though, and I'm basically playing her.
Many are comparing "Metrosexuality" to "Queer As Folk"
because both contain gay content and were successful series. How do
you feel about the comparison? QAF was a landmark piece of entertainment-I
am honored to be compared. This show is totally different-it's a celebration
of diversity-and alternative family and it has black people in it
and Asian , Hispanic, Indian....
The English audiences seem to enjoy more ribald and risquŽ humor.
Would the series play well in America, or would it have to be Americanized?
I'm looking forward to finding out. What we're doing is not typical
of TV in any country, though-we don't have any of the gay stereotypes
or typical gay music or anything like that. I like to think that the
Americans will respond well to the positive vibe of the show-its freshness,
its sexiness and my cute cast! We are gonna do a US version though-with
a vibe all its own....
Is this your first opportunity to direct, compose and act all at once?
No, I was born in a trunk darling. Actually I went to an experimental
school where I could study any subject I wanted, and I put on shows
all the time from the age of ten. So the real answer is...No, I was
born in a trunk darling!
Have English audiences always been so open and accepting of gay topics?
Was "Benny Hill" a joke for the gay community or a pioneer
in gay humor? "Benny Hill?" Well, Benny's overdue for reclamation.
No, the English are no less homophobic than our American cousins.
Our TV is a lot more liberal though-you can say almost anything on
mainstream TV after nine pm. And you have a great tradition of gay
movies in indie cinema. Ours is considerably less distinguished. I
guess the grass is always greener.
How would you place Metrosexuality in the category of English television?
What makes it unique or is it typical English television fare? What
makes it unique-is that is made by an alternative family for alternative
families everywhere-it does not follow fashion-it creates it-it does
not give you the same old music, it gives you brand new song. It was
made to inspire and challenge and turn you on and it was made without
fear of failure and with Soul & Love-You may love it or hate-
but it loves you anyway.
What are some of your expectations from putting "Metrosexuality"
on the Film Fest circuit? (Besides sharing your product with a new
audience?) It's the same as Miss World's-to travel the world and meet
people. To get hugs and kisses and phone numbers. Also I want to work
in other countries and make films and TV internationally and the travelling
helps that quite a bit. Also with film and TV you don't get to see
an audiences reaction first hand too often-and I LOVE doing Q&A's-there
almost more fun than making the project. I find Q&A's extremely
sexy. And they help me pick the audience for more ideas.
Rikki Beadle-Blair will host a panel discussion at The Miami Gay &
Lesbian Film Festival, which will also screen the entire first season
of "Metrosexuality." For more information check their website:
www.Miamigaylesbianfilm.com
or call 305/534-9924 |
