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Five Fabulon Faves

(34) Comments

Here on Fabulon, the only way to judge a film---or anything else, for that matter---is by how fabulous it is. Below are a handful that absolutely MUST be seen by anyone aspiring to embrace their inner Fabulonian.


A cinematic celebration of fabulosity, this explosion of sound and vision is silly, fun, and operatic in scope. Wonderful performances by the lovely leads take Baz Luhrman's whimsy straight to the heart.


Divine decadence shaped into a flawless, adult musical by the great Bob Fosse. Every detail is perfect, as is the casting. And yes, this is why Liza Minnelli was born. She's been playing Sally Bowles ever since.


If you see only one film by Federico Fellini, make it Juliet of the Spirits. Truly an excercise in unbridled fabulosity. A meditation on the feminine mystique, and hats.


A homoerotic fever dream, Fassbinder's final film stars the beautiful Brad Davis as Jean Genet's anti-hero. Glittering and bizarre and unlike anything else.


Neely O'Hara! Helen Lawson! Dolls! Need we say more?


There are so many great films out there (anything by Busby Berkeley; Diva; Hedwig & the Angry Inch) that choosing a few is no easy task. What movies do you think are Fabulon-worthy? Name five---but only five, bitches!---that are mandatory viewing for everyone here. We look forward to seeing them all!




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34 Responses to "Five Fabulon Faves"

sarahcis said :
July 3, 2008 3:48 AM
Priscilla Queen of the Desert (the costumes !)
The Bird Cage (I just love Nathan Lane in this)
The Village People movie (the songs!)
Sex in the City (it made me laugh and cry almost at the same time)
Himalaya (just for the cinematography alone)
TJB said :
July 3, 2008 4:00 AM
1) Pillow Talk

2) The Gang's All Here

3) Suddenly, Last Summer

4) The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield

5) The 10th Victim
JohnK said :
July 3, 2008 4:59 AM
Since I don't want to duplicate the Fabulon lists ahead of me.

1. Sunset Boulevard
2. Fellini's Satyricon
3. Sebastiane
4. Cleopatra (1963)
5. Gold Diggers of 1933 (er'eway in the oneymay")
Birds of a Feather said :
July 3, 2008 5:05 AM
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Ziegfeld Girls

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

The Women

Butterfield 8

(It was tough, as Suddenly Last Summer, Querelle, Cabaret, and - of course - Valley of the Dolls have already been mentioned!)

Tristan
Karmander said :
July 3, 2008 5:10 AM
1. Prick Up Your Ears
2. Velvet Goldmine
3. Some Like it Hot
4. Strictly Ballroom
5. Sweeney Todd

I would add Batman Returns because Catwoman is faaaabulous...but I'm relegated to 5.
Birds of a Feather said :
July 3, 2008 6:07 AM
OMG

how could I have left out Grey Gardens and Umbrellas of Cherbourg and???

Tristan
Paul said :
July 3, 2008 7:34 AM
1. Salome's Last Dance (directed by Ken Burns. Actually, almost anything by Ken Burns is something to see).

2. All About Eve

3. Auntie Mame

4. Stage Door with Katherine Hepburn

5. Rebecca (1940) with Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier
thombeau said :
July 3, 2008 7:55 AM
Paul, silly rabbit, of course you mean Ken RUSSELL!!! He is, of course, a Fabulon Fave, and Salome's Last Dance is my number three favorite film of all time. (I just posted some of the more obvious ones.)

Here are Five Ken Russell Faves:

1. Salome's Last Dance

2. The Devils

3. The Music Lovers

4. The Boyfriend

5. Crimes of Passion

But yes, ALL Ken Russell films are Fabulon-worthy!!!
JuliannK said :
July 3, 2008 8:07 AM
1. The Wizard of Oz
2. West Side Story
3. The Turning Point
4. Cabin in the Sky
5. An American in Paris
Birds of a Feather said :
July 3, 2008 8:12 AM
ah, Thombeau - I'll bring a bottle of Moet and we can have a Russell fest together! The Devils and The Music Lovers are among my favorite all time films - and the others are fab! Also, Lair of the White Worm and Women in Love and Whore!!!

love, Love, LOVE Ken!

(also Ken Burns is very good - but in a whole other way LOL)

Tristan
Paul said :
July 3, 2008 8:13 AM
oh DUH!!!!!! Of course I mean Ken Russell! School is out and I no longer need to think so much, so my brain is on vacation, too! Thanks for the correction! LOL!
thombeau said :
July 3, 2008 8:17 AM
Paul---the thought of Ken Burns directing "Tommy" boggles the mind!

These lists are great! Sooner or later each of these films will be covered on Fabulon.
Paul said :
July 3, 2008 8:22 AM
OMG! Ken Burns should absolutely direct "Tommy". The ratings for PBS would go through the roof!!!! To have Tommy narrated instead of sung would be an interesting thing....
Muscato said :
July 3, 2008 8:28 AM
How about five silent treats? We mustn't neglect the distant past, after all!

1. The Scarlet Letter - ONLY the Gish version will do!

2. Alla Nazimova's Salome - Aubrey Beardsley meets Norma Desmond...

3. Clara Bow in It - Elinor Glyn! Antonio Moreno! A Gary Cooper cameo! And Bow, Bow, Bow.

4. Intolerance. It gets a little preachy, but the Babylon scenes are to die...

5. Pandora's Box. Louise Brooks; nothing more need be said.

And TJB - THANK YOU for mentioning that most OTT of all Berkley pictures - The Gang's All Here! For years I made guests at New Year's watch highlights as part of the festivities...
mrpeenee said :
July 3, 2008 9:25 AM
Brazilian Butt Bangers Four

The Other Side of Aspen

Revenge of the Bi-Dolls

In the Driver's Seat

Jake Cruise Persuades Dopey, Possibly Straight Boys to Take Off Their CLothes and Do the Nasty (Director's Cut)

Miss Potter
Emma P. said :
July 3, 2008 10:06 AM
1. All That Jazz (the dancing alone is unbelievable; then add the subtext, the dialog & Roy Scheider)
2. Women In Love (Bates + Reed + naked wrestling = best. movie. ever.)
3. Some Like It Hot
(I have a great Tony Curtis encounter I'll tell 1 day)
4. Lair Of The White Worm (Ken Russell! The Last Auteur)
5. Tie: L'Eternel retour/La Belle et le bete (Jean Marais- Yum!)
TigerYogiji said :
July 3, 2008 1:48 PM
1) Auntie Mame (Roz!)

2) The Women (Roz again!)

3) Grand Hotel (Garbo!)

4) Camille (Garbo again!)

5) Xanadu (Oh admit it! The dance numbers are faaaabulous!)
TJB said :
July 3, 2008 2:09 PM
Muscato -- I had been longing to see "The Gang's All Here" for YEARS, when it played at the Film Forum. Lemme tell ya, Carmen Miranda + Undulating Bananas + A Theater Full of Gay Men = One Hell of a Way to Spend a Sunday Afternoon.

Can my "runners-up" list also include:

1) Leave Her to Heaven

2) Imitation of Life ('59)

3) Mahogany

4) Purple Noon

5) How to Marry a Millionaire
Wesley Darling said :
July 3, 2008 6:59 PM
Peenee- Wasn't 'The Other Side of Aspen' great? Did you see 'Spring Break?'

My list would be...

1. Girls Will Be Girls (Come on people, what would Fabulon be without a few bitchy trannies?)

2. The Boyfriend (A Ken Russell kaleidoscope of stiff, hackneyed acting...plus Twiggy!)

3. Mildred Pierce and All About Eve (Ok...these two are tied...the one liners alone will kill you.)

4. Female Trouble (The more depraved the crime, the more ravishing the person comitting it becomes!)

5. The Thin Man (Nick and Nora Charles. Role models for us all.)
feuilleton said :
July 3, 2008 7:07 PM
Muscato: I love silent movies and that's a great list! I made a lengthy blog post about Salome a while back. The original Thief of Bagdad is a big favourite of mine. So is the Michael Powell remake for that matter...

Five more:

1) Pink Narcissus (Bobby's buns!)

2) Black Narcissus (Battling nuns!)

3) The Red Shoes (Give me art or give me death!)

4) Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (Guy Maddin! Shelley Duvall! Alice Krige! Frank Gorshin!)

5) Barbarella!
Marcus said :
July 3, 2008 8:51 PM
Some of mine were already taken but here goes:

1.) Girls will be Girls

2.) Short Bus

3.) Sordid Lives

4.) Wizard of Oz

5.) Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
ayem8y said :
July 3, 2008 9:02 PM
Is it sad or fabulous that I have seen 99% of the movies listed above? I say fabulous.

My required viewing:

The Forbidden Zone

Blow Up

Emmanuelle

The Last Romantic Lover

Roller Boogie
Donna Lethal said :
July 3, 2008 9:14 PM
Oh my god, if I start reading the comments before forcing myself to choose only five, I'll never get them done! Well, you already put VOD, so I don't have to. Here goes:

Sunset Boulevard
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
The Wild Wild World of Jayne Mansfield
Grey Gardens
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
marisha said :
July 3, 2008 10:32 PM
funny face
hairspray
all of the harry potter movies (or any movie about a boy with a magical wand)
the shining
carrie
brandy101 said :
July 3, 2008 10:48 PM
A Bout de Souffle (breathless w. Belmondo)

Liquid Sky (too kooky, over-the-top 80's)

Midnight Lace (Doris day looks AMAZING in everything she wears in this and Rex Harrison is such a scoundrel!)

Gone With The Wind (Oh Ashley!)

Desperately Seeking Susan (more 80's iconography!)
tula said :
July 4, 2008 1:26 AM
1). what a way to go

2). beyond the valley of the dolls

3). faster pussycat kill! kill!

4). hedwig and the angry inch

5). the women
Hos said :
July 4, 2008 7:39 AM
1) Come back to the five&dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
2) Gloria (1980)
3) Todo Sobre Mi Madre
4) Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain
5) Shirley Valentine
Thank you.
Birds of a Feather said :
July 4, 2008 8:20 AM
Is it pathetic that I know every one of these movies?

I think not.

Speaking of silents ... as somebody above was ... we just watched "Camille" with Nazimova. Clarence Williams III would have killed for her 'fro! Amazing and bizarre set and costume design. Must watch it four or five more times to catch everything.

Tristan
Bittergreen said :
July 4, 2008 8:24 AM
These are all so marvelous, even this lurker is tempted to join. Some that haven't been mentioned yet:

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's - of course, despite that nasty racist bit.

2. Rear Window - well, really, all the Hitchcock films of that era.

3. Cleopatra Jones - every new shot, a new FAB outfit! Plus uber-villain Shelley Winters.

4. The Philadelphia Story - Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and half a grapefruit!

5. The Haunting (1963?) with Claire Bloom - classic English country-house scary. Russ Tamblyn too!
Cannibal Adderley said :
July 4, 2008 3:08 PM
Oh Lord. I got here way too late. So much has been covered already, but here are a few odds 'n ends that worth mentioning (and watching):

1. Victor Victoria (Julie Andrews as a hot drag king!)

And on the darker, weirder side:

2. Derek Jarman's version of The Tempest (cocks)

3. Genet's only film, Un Chant D'Amour (more cocks)

In place of 3 & 4, the show Six Feet Under. All of it.
Birds of a Feather said :
July 4, 2008 7:20 PM
Cannibal - thank you for the head's up about "Un Chant D'Amour." I was completely unfamiliar with this...and after directing two Genet plays, I thought I knew all his work from the background work!

Anybody else interested - it's fab! It's only 25 minutes long, and you can see it for free on google video. Check it out!!!

Tristan
Cannibal Adderley said :
July 5, 2008 12:54 AM
yes it's silent and very short!

I only know about it because of the scholar Edmund White (who wrote "A Boy's Own Story" & a Genet bio) & I am obliged to know about Genet because we share a birthday (along with the super-fabulous Edith Piaf!)
Skinterpol said :
July 5, 2008 11:15 AM
Oh, so, so many to choose from, but my recent (often repeated) viewings of late are:

1. Desperate Living (just purely fabulous even with no Divine in sight)
2. Abigail's Party (Ok, it was originally a [Mike Leigh] stage play, but still my all time fave for one-liners)
3. The Wicca Man (Christopher Lee's barnet never looked so scary)
4. Personal Services (because Julie Walters IS faaaabulous)
5. Midnight Express (Brad Davis....say no more)
Skinterpol said :
July 5, 2008 11:21 AM
P.S - Re: Abigails Party. Damn, I forgot to mention the room decor! Silly me.
:-)

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