h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

and some too.

Last evening I went to see Brokeback Mountain. I've been a fan of Westerns (mostly reading rather than films) since I was a wee girl. More recently, having become involved in online fandom for Stargate and then Stargate Atlantis, I have been introduced to and become involved in slash fiction.

Which isn't, as I thought when I first heard about it, horribly gory stuff. Well, not (for some) in the sense of people being slashed up with chainsaws.

Oh no.

It turned out to be gay fiction. Some more pornographic than erotic, and some more friendship based.

Which I found strangely compelling and (when well written) extremely erotic. So it was only a matter of time, being a fic writer, that I too turned my hand to it. As it were.

So it was inevitable that I would want to see Brokeback Mountain. refused point blank to come with me, so I went with one of my workmates.

We both ended up but what a brilliant film! The scenery was wonderful, but it was the relationship between Ennis and Jack which really made it. From their first meeting to the final scene the film managed to convey their feelings wonderfully.

Anyway, I'm not actually talking about the film. I don't want to spoil it.

But now, maybe, there really will be room for some more of this type of thing, not as the main part of the film,but maybe some main characters can be gay without being over the top at the campness. Amusing as that can be to watch.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll really get that novel (with my gay pilot) finished and published. Without worrying that it doesn't appeal because of him.

Can I be the first to read it even tho Slash isn't my thing

Noggin and I went to see Brokeback Mountain a couple of weeks ago - we were both very impressed. Exceptional acting by the two leads and really, a love story told without being overly sentimental.

For me the film really encaptured the feel of '60s small town' environs and did a very good job at showing how people felt and also looked at that time.

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Yes, and I think the outdoor mountain scenes were filmed in Alberta, Canada (or so the credits said).

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Most of my male gay friends are not particularly 'camp' and they go through all the same ups & downs within relationships that I do.

Yes, I agree that it would be a good thing to show homosexual love relationships more often - in a real and natural way - just like us hetties experience love, etc. I've never personally seen any difference, but perhaps I'm not 'normal'?

Keep going, Sho. I'd love to see some of what you have written so far. Well, you have my email address.


az

My gay friends are ready to elevate Ang Lee and the two actors (can't spell Jacke Gorgeous-eyes name, so they have to remain "the actors" for me) to god-hood for the way they did this film.

They are people just like everyone else, and the sooner everyone gets their heads round this, the sooner everyone will be happier.

I have to admit that the ending came as a bit of a shocker to me - once I cottoned on to what was happening. The Ennis character had me in tears almost from the get-go he was just so full of anxieties about how thing looked to the outside world.

as for the scenery, I just love mountains - I am only truly happy in that sort of landscape. Which is why I have to constantly have to ask myself why the heck I live in a place which is flat as a pancake as far as the eye can see, and below sea level! (probably because on some subconscious level I realise that mountains mean holiday - since that's what we do, head for the hills with a tent)

How did Noggin get on with all that snogging? I have to say that the guy behind me admitted afterwards to having felt quite uncomfortable (he is straght). Whereas it got me frisky enough to put a on 's face when I got home

As to my writing... well, I have stuff out there on the net, which deals with two men together, some of it better written than others. I tried it as a writing exercise more than anything, to see if I could do it. Sex is something that I can't do, altgough I have done a couple of NC-17 (one is based on LOTR characters, for which I shall probably roast in hell) but I'm quite proud of it.

er... ok,here's the link to the index, you can read if you want ...

http://www.geocities.com/clanger_major/index.html

read the warnings if you don't want to be totally shocked!

This one is gentle guy stuff with nothing more than a kiss and a bit of confusion.

http://www.geocities.com/clanger_major/CampWg.html

my novel, btw, is also based on the military, and the pilot is only a minor character.

if it ever sees the light of day!

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Not a problem. Don't really see why it should be, unless you've been so protected that the whole idea comes as a big shock .

And the film was about a lot more than that - the social attitudes of the time and place and the way they distorted the lives of the central characters and those around them. Not to mention the lovely scenery. Very memorable.

Noggin

I just wondered, because even who knows all the same gay guys I do, and has no problem if they occasionally have a quick kiss when he's around, just felt plain uncomfortable going to see this.

Although I have to say that he really only enjoys films where the story isn't sometimes not actually told in words, if you see what I mean?

I'm beginning to wonder though, most of the women I work with are between 23 and 35. One went to see it and hated it - because of the lip action (she's 24, and very very conservative, comes from the American South). One came with me and loved it (not conservative, also comes from the American South). The others all looked aghast when I very slightly hinted that I might possibly find two guys together more than a little bit erotic.

But then, sigh, they think that the "war" of sexual equality is won and done and dusted too.

I'm sorely tempted to go & watch it again on Monday. But that's because I'm a perv

So pleased you loved it Sho (knew you would)

If that kiss between Ennis and Jack doesn't win an MTV award for Best Kiss there's something wrong!

Phwoar indeed!!

but which one - actually each time they did the lip-lock I was in a puddle of

deff outed myself to my workmates as a "perv"

I must be a perv too, cause I really liked Brokeback a lot! Jack and Ennis had great CHEMISTRY.

I see their kiss has been voted 2nd sexiest scene in a film in some poll (I think I saw it in the Times today)

Funnily enough, Jake G-jobbie's sister was in the sexiest scene (a spanking thing with James Spader, but I can't remember the film title, The Secretary or something)

Most Slash is awful.

By that I mean it's just badly written. The subject matter doesn't have to appeal for something to be good, but most slash is awful.

Sho's slash, however, is very good. Especially the Lord of the Rings piece. Sho's writing in general is very good and it is my considered opinion that she needs a year off to do a JK Rowling and produce something a bit special, which will then go on to make her an insane amount of money.

Why? Well...why not, eh? Purple Docs don't grow on trees and the Gruesomes have developed a ballet habit. These things don't come cheap. So please read and support Sho's writing, and pester her to do more. It would be a shame to see a talent like hers allowed to tinker away with fan-fiction when she could have a much wider audience.

As for BBM - want to see it, might have to do as alone as Mrs G isn't interested (doesn't like the director, doesn't like Jake Gyllenhaal and none of my raving about this great combination will budge her on the matter).

Did anyone see Fantabulosa, about Kenneth Williams. There was a bit about his friendship with Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell, but Orton especially, that was really well portrayed which made me wonder if there was anything between them or weather it was just a 'Could have been' never the less it was really sensitivly done. The whole thing was good, you felt really sorry for Kenneth Williams at the end

No - when was it on (I was in England until yesterday afternoon and I saw it was on in the RT)

And I still think (until I've seen BM) the sexiest screen kiss is in The Jackal where Bruce Willis acts being a homo to get into some important office in Washington by seducing a fairly important official there. He picks him up in this gay bar and really comes on to him. I've probably about that before.

And you can't get much straighter than me. But I can't say I've ever found any hetero in any film as mind-blowing as that one.

It was on BBC Digital last night TC at 9.00, then they showed him reading Dribblesome Teapots on Jackanory

Personally I think it's more erotic to tease the veiwer, one of the best I can think of is in the second series of Babylon 5 where they showed the telepath Talia Winters and second in command Susan Ivanova getting very close indeed, it took the whole series to come to a head and even at the end you still didn't know whether they had become lovers or not, It was really good stuff

Many attempts to do this on purpose just never come off. Or am I the only one who never saw any chemistry between Mulder and Scully?

I agree, that kind of thing is done deliberatly to keep the viewers hooked, it started with Maddie and David in Moonlighting and it's now 'The Thing' in most shows, Daphne and Niles in Frasier, Jack and Sam in SG-1, Dr Ross and Nurse Hathaway in ER and so on, and so on, and so on, this was different the Talia and Ivanova thing was part of the bigger story arc

Thanks Gradient. I have retired from fic writing and am still slogging away at my novel. One of them, the other is poop. But I'm thinking that short stories would be better for me. Actually, I did write one which Mr.P has seen but it's too bloomin' depressing.

But thanks for the compliment. It is nice to hear!

As for teasing -yep, I much prefer a bit of flirting, maybe a bit of snogging and fumbling and then fade to black. I'm not really ashamed to say that was the welcome recipient of what BBM did to me

But I have also to admit that I really like the angst potential of two straight guys realising that there is more to their relationship than just buddy stuff. But now I know that my perverse desire to write the "gay" stuff has an audience, I'm reluctant to "jump on the bandwagon"

ho hum... what to do?

Still, Mr. G, I read your post this morning a w**k and have been grinning all day - without being able to tell anyone why!!

You should leap on the bandwagon, scurry over the other passengers, clock the driver on the back of the bonce with a golfclub and take the reigns.

Here's for why: there are probably...no, make that MUST BE, guys who have spent an evening with a close male buddy and come -| |- that close to hugging or snogging. And it's ferdandshure that they've thought about it, without necessarily going the whole box of kleenex fantasy route.

So I'm willing to be that something with that kind of undercurrent would find an audience.

See also Russell T Davies, my current favorite writer/director/producer chap.

It's also nice to know I raised a smile. Mission accomplished. Now...back to the wordface, Sho! Write!