The forefathers of schlock, the Kuchar brothers

The formula is simple and logical.

You discover something that you enjoy, that speaks to you, and you need to find out more and more about it. It could be a CD. You enjoy the songs, you enjoy the sound, so you find more by the artist. Then you notice the producer. Or the session musicians. Or even the label. And then you find yourself in a whirlpool of genres, sounds, information.

It’s like an itch you can’t stop scratching.

The same thing can be said for film. For me, it all started with John Waters. I watched his films and then I read his books and read interviews and listened to his director’s commentary (yes, I do that) and you keep on hearing names. One name that stuck in my mind was Kuchar.

The Kuchar brothers.

These two weirdo, campy, brothers produced some insane films that challenged, titillated and even occasionally bored cinema-goers for the last 50 years or so.

Mike Kuchar is also known for his visual art, a mishmash born somewhere between R Crumb and Heavy Metal.

A collection of his work is currently being shown in San Francisco at Magnet. It’s a rare glimpse into the mind of a man who has influenced generations of queer filmmakers (and non-queer filmmakers) with the images that have sprung forth from his mind.

Journalist, writer, blogger, producer.

Keep Reading

A still image of Anne, played by Amybeth McNulty, in braids and a coat, looking at another child in Anne with an E.

Why the adaptation ‘Anne with an E’ speaks to queers and misfits of all kinds

The modern interpretation of Anne of Green Gables reflected queer and gender-diverse people’s lives back at them 
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Perez in Emilia Perez. Gascón wears black with colourful embroidery, has long hair, and a brown purse and delicate chain.

Trans cartel musical ‘Emilia Pérez’ takes maximalist aesthetic to the extreme

REVIEW: The film’s existence raises intriguing questions about appropriate subjects for the playful machinations of French auteurs
Dorothy Allison sits behind a microphone. She has long, light-coloured hair and wears glasses and a patterned button-up shirt.

5 things to know about Dorothy Allison

The lesbian feminist writer passed on Nov. 6

‘Solemates’ is a barefoot stroll through the history of our fetish for feet

Queer historian Adam Zmith’s newest book allows us to dip our toes into the past of a common, yet stigmatized, kink