Gay Best Friend: Artie in "Cruella" (2021) and All The Other 'First Gay Disney Characters'

a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope

How many Arties are we going to see at Halloween this year?The “Gay Best Friend” in romantic comedies used to be the de facto example of empty virtue signaling. However, like most things in the film world, Disney has decided to do it bigger and... better? This weekend, Craig Gillespie’s Cruella has touted that it features “Disney’s first openly gay character.” All gays stand on the shoulders of their forefathers, and Artie (played by John McCrea) is no exception. In fact, his claim to the title is laughable not just because of how sanitized his character is, but also because Disney has declared having their “first openly gay character” more times than the boy who cried wolf.

So how does Artie compare to the other “first openly gay characters” in the Disney universe?

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New to Netflix: Magic Mike, Woman in Gold, Babe and More...

Today on Netflix a new series debuts starring the long lost Drew Barrymore called Santa Clarita Diet but it's apparently a gore-fest so perhaps skippable? Those of you with a high tolerance for such things can let us know. But there are several enticing options that have just made available for streaming. As is our habit, we've freeze framed a handful plus of new selections at random places and are sharing anything that came up.

This is my idol, Paulina. Someday I hope to be up there with her.

Paris is Burning (1990)
The best documentary of all time? Well, one of 'em at least. And 100% the most quotable as you hear lines from it practically every day still thanks to drag going more mainstream.

Seven more after the jump including Magic Mike...

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The Latest Trend Sweeping the Cinema is Tentacles

Chris here with something you may not be noticing at the movies lately. Whether they freak you out or make you giggle (or even a little of both), tentacles are so in right now. With the growing presence of squirmy appendages in world cinema and blockbusters, you'd think we'd get a Cthulhu franchise by now. Let's take a look at some of the examples:

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Oscar Chart Updates: Visuals, Sound, Animation & Documentary

Mos of the Oscar charts are now updated but for foreign film and the acting categories. We'll get to them soon enough but otherwise we've finished the July shifts. 

Things to wonder about right at this moment... (discuss in the comments, plz)

• If The Legend of Tarzan can make any headway towards a Costume Design consideration for Ruth Myers since there's so few "showy" period or fantasy costume films this year outside of the many competing works of Colleen Atwood?
• When we will get our first look at images or footage from the WW II drama Allied (with Brad Pitt) or the sci-fi drama Arrival (with Amy Adams)?
• If Florence Foster Jenkins has any strength in it beyond Meryl? (Costumes? Hair and Makeup? Score?)
• If Marvel Studios will finally break through in tech categories (like Batman films sometimes do) or if they'll continue to snag just one or MAX two nominations for their most popular films like Civil War?
• If Fences, The Founder, and Loving, which all take place across roughly the same time period will be too "muted" in terms of visuals to snag craft nominations or if Oscar will love their possibly modest naturalism?
• Why we've heard so little about How to Talk to Girls at Parties release strategy? Is it going to be pushed back?
• Will Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton goodwill get him an Oscar for Moana despite what sounds like strong competition in the song category? 
• If Finding Dory's massive box office haul we'll be enough to edge smaller originals out of the animation race even though they're sometimes stingy with sequels?

NEW CHARTS
INDEX | PICTURE | DIRECTOR | SCREENPLAYS |
VISUALS | AURALS | ANIMATION & DOCUMENTARY 

Box Office: Dory Keeps Swimming as Other Pets Rise.

This weekend Dory swam easily past Captain America to become the biggest grossing US hero of the year. (Captain America still leads internationally by a lot, which is funny if you think about it). That's quite impressive for a forgetful blue tang who could have gone 'straight to video' -- Wait, are we still saying that? If not, what's the new phrase. I'm scared of what this means for the future with all those cheapie animated sequels but it is what happened. The current top ten of 2016 includes only two originals (Zootopia & Central Intelligence) but otherwise it's all brand extensions / revisions. It didn't use to be this way but it's been a slow erosion. Consider by comparison: 2006's top ten had 5 originals; 1996 had 6; 1986 had 7. Since we get less original hits every year how soon until we have none?

It should be noted that an original won the weekend but since The Secret Life of Pets famously steals so shamelessly from the Toy Story template, and since it's been promoting itself for what seems like YEARS already it feels like it's a sequel to itself so should it count? Animated films continue to be the safest box office bets.

Mike and Dave performed fairly well in its opening weekend and The Legend of Tarzan had a strong second weekend. In platform release Captain Fantastic had a decent debut with a teensy tiny theater count: not terrible, not great. Will it win strong word of mouth? We deserve more Viggo in our lives but if we don't support his movie we won't get it.

TOP WIDE
800+ screens. arrows indicate gaining or losing screens
🔺01 Secret Life of Pets $103.1 NEW 
🔻02 The Legend of Tarzan $20.6 (cum. $81.4) Review 
🔺03 Finding Dory $20.3 (cum. $422.5) Review
🔺04 Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates $16.6 NEW 
🔺05 The Purge: Election Year $11.7 (cum. $58.1) 
🔺06 Central Intelligence $8.1 (cum. $108.3)
🔻07 Independence Day: Resurgence $7.7 (cum. $91.4)
🔻08 The BFG $7.6 (cum. $38.7)  Review
🔻09 The Shallows $4.8 (cum. $45.8) Costume Honors
🔻10 The Conjuring 2 $1.7 (cum. $99.3) Heroes and Villains
🔻11 Now You See Me 2 $1.3 (cum. $62.2)
🔻12 Free State of Jones $1.3 (cum. $19.2)

TOP LIMITED
Less than 800 screens. Excluding previously wide. 
🔺01 Sultan $2.2 (cum. $3.2) NEW
🔺02 Our Kind of Traitor $731K ($2.2)
🔻03 Swiss Army Man $690K ($3.1) Best Actor
🔺04 Hunt for the Wilderpeople $413K (cum. $754K)  Review 
🔻05 Love & Friendship $326K (cum. $12.9) Review, Podcast, Best Picture  
🔻06 The Lobster $309K (cum. $8) Reviewish, Podcast 
🔻07 Maggie's Plan $180K (cum. $2.9) Review
🔺08 Cold War 2 $165K NEW
🔺09 The Music of Strangers $144K (cum. $566K)
🔺10 Weiner-Dog $105K (cum. $288K)
🔺11 Captain Fantastic $98K NEW Review
🔻12 Genius $80K (cum. $1.2) Review

What movies did you catch this week? Remember to watch Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on Netflix for Tuesday night's "Best Shot" party.