Damn That Television #106 – Better Than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
On this episode Jon reviews Tomb Raider, we discuss the finale of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Matt reviews a book on the rise of NWA, we go over the usual rounds and more! | 25 March 2018
Tag: april 2018
Darren Criss on how homophobia was a catalyst for Gianni Versace’s murder
The current series of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story has not only had audiences gripped, but contextualised the circumstances surrounding one of the fashion world’s most infamous murders.
American actor Darren Criss plays serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the anthology series, giving a scene-stealing performance as the young gay man who went on a murderous rampage across the US back in 1997.
His victims included Gianni Versace, as well as Chicago tycoon Lee Miglin, and former US Navy officer Jeffrey Trail.
While Cunanan’s horrific actions are unjustifiable, Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story shines a spotlight on the rife homophobia that existed in America during that period, which would have had an impact on the killer and his mental health.
During his cover interview with Gay Times this month, Ricky Martin – who plays Gianni’s lover Antonio D’Amico – suggested that it was homophobia that actually killed Versace.
“It’s not the way he died, it’s the way it was allowed to happen,” Ricky told us. “Back in the 90s – and we have to be careful because history tends to repeat itself – Gianni Versace was killed by a man that was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
“This man was living in Miami but because he was a gay man killing other gay men, everybody turned the other way. That’s what infuriates me.”
When Darren Criss came to London recently, Gay Times sat down with him to ask him if he, like Ricky Martin, felt that it was homophobia that killed Versace.
“I think there’s a lot to that,” Darren told us. “It’s not just homophobia, but that’s not an off-base or incorrect statement at all. It’s a huge part of it – from the way homophobia played out during the investigation.
“When we use the word homophobia I don’t think it necessarily involves the extreme end of what that means. People tend to think of it in terms of hate crimes and violence, but homophobia exists in much smaller systemic ways. It operates institutionally between fear and misunderstanding.
“A lot of the investigative bodies not necessarily wanting to go into gay clubs to post flyers, not because they didn’t like gay people, but because they weren’t sure if that was something they could do. Maybe they were scared they’d be perceived as homophobic.
“There’s a general sort of disconnect between asking questions and being involved that could be put under the category of homophobia. That’s certainly what allowed Andrew to get away with this for so long.”
Darren added: “The media exposure on Andrew Cunanan in general before Versace was killed had a lot to do with the media’s fear of exposing gay murders. Especially after AIDS was a very hot button topic. That’s also another form of homophobia.
“Andrew’s own fear of himself and not wanting to be this thing in certain circles… It manifested itself in so many ways and different bodies that the amalgam of that probably did kill Versace. It’s a very complex thing.
“Andrew’s history of mental health in his family, and his own socio-economic situation was nothing to do with his sexual identity, but his identity as a person socially. He wanted to be wealthier than he was.
“There was this cocktail of really unhealthy things that were already in place, so homophobia being present in the world around him was just the right/wrong catalyst to make it all blow up.”
Elsewhere, Darren Criss told us what playing gay roles on two major US television shows has, as a heterosexual actor, taught him about the gay experience.
Darren Criss on how homophobia was a catalyst for Gianni Versace’s murder
Daniel Minahan (‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’): ‘I felt so strongly about this material’
Daniel Minahan (‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’) director/producer chats with Gold Derby’s Riley Chow: ‘I felt so strongly about this material.’ The 1990s-set second season of the true crime anthology series “American Crime Story” on FX is from Ryan Murphy. Originally subtitled “Versace/Cunanan,” the ultimate subtitle “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” eschews explicit reference to its main character, a serial killer played by “Glee” actor Darren Criss. | 23 April 2018
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Spoiler Alert: The Assassination of Gianni Versace Series Review You’ve Been Waiting For
The morning of July 15, 1997 fashion icon Gianni Versace was shot and killed outside of his Miami Beach, Florida mansion. The culprit, Andrew Cunanan, whom is responsible for four previous murders that grabbed national attention.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is not solely about Versace. The show navigates you through the present life and flashbacks of Versace and his murderer, Cunanan. Cunanan (played by Darren Criss) becomes vulnerable to the viewer as we see his earlier life as an escort, troubled child, drug addict.
As Versace’s loved ones are forced to start a new life without him. We watch as Donatella Versace (played by Penelope Cruz) and his hubby Antonio D’Amico bump heads constantly. Each of them trying to fight for what is right in this messy situation and while Versace is alive.
There is a scene where the director of the show recreated Versace’s bedroom. His bed is positioned in the middle of his large bedroom. The sheets are black and gold print Versace sheets. Not to mention, the two undressed men going at it on his bed while he stayed completely captivated by his own creations.
The creators of the anthology series are Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, and Tom Rob Smith. There are moments where you know that they could expand on Versace’s love life or relationship with his sister but instead, they put the focus on him being a lover of fashion and design. Something that Versace and Cunanan have in common.
As the show escalates, we take a seat while Cunanan’s character arch begins to reveal its’ ugly head. It is obvious that he is insecure about being homosexual, which explains his desire to mimic the characteristics of heterosexual people. Cunanan’s story progressively becomes odd as his disgust for rich gay men turns into cruel and humiliating murders.
In fact, Cunanan gains more confidence after killing one of the world’s most-famous idols. During his journey, Cunanan befriends a man who goes by the name Ronnie who is gay. Ronnie is a special character because he managed to stay alive while cohabitating with Cunanan so that allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of Cunanan.
The moment that the police brought Ronnie in for questioning the show reached a turning point as Ronnie highlighted the perspective of the gay community during the 90’s. He says, “We all imagined what it would be like to be so rich and so powerful that it doesn’t matter that you’re gay.”
Ronnie really gets deep as he continues to talk about Cunanan. “You’re so used to us lurking in the shadows and, you know, most of us, we oblige,” he continued to say, “People like me, we just drift away. We get sick? Nobody cares.”
As Detective Lori Wieder (played by Dascha Polanco) sat there, listening closely her face read “Shook” in big bold letters. Although, Ronnie knew Cunanan for a short period he learned enough about him. He says, “Andrew was vain. He wanted you to know about his pain. He wanted you to hear. He wanted you to know about being born a lie. Andrew is not hiding. He’s trying to be seen.”
Yes, he was definitely trying to be seen until he got the never-ending national exposure. Cunanan knew that he was the most wanted man in Florida so he decides to hide out in a boathouse. The finale ends with two suicides, tears, and a few solved murders. So you’ll just have to wait to see how this crime anthology unfolds.
The bar was set high for the Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which is the latest installment of the FX’s award-winning limited series, American Crime Story. You may remember their first installment The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which won nine Emmy Awards and 22 nominations. Well, it looks like ACS has done it again!
Spoiler Alert: The Assassination of Gianni Versace Series Review You’ve Been Waiting For
Gay men can be just as misogynistic as straight guys – Independent.ie
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is part of a highly addictive dramatised mini-series that, as the title suggests, re-enacts gripping crime stories from recent history. Netflix hit Queer Eye is a spin-off of the 2003 series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a reality show that sent five fabulous gay men to revamp the life of a hopeless straight man, with plenty of ‘lol’ moments in between.
Despite being vastly different programmes, the one commonality between the two is the accurate, and often touching, portrayal of gay men.
It was with relief that I watched American Crime Story and didn’t come across the tropes that usually accompany any type of ‘queer’ male character on mainstream television (I’m looking at you, Will).Sure, the titular character is a male fashion designer but the campest character was actually Donatella Versace. Played by Penelope Cruz, she flounced around their decadent villa, chain-smoking and giving Ricky Martin side eye while not bothering to replace her native Spanish accent with an Italian one.
Queer Eye has backed away from the ‘outrageous’ gags that made it famous and instead captures poignant encounters between humans from very different walks of life. It is refreshing to watch mainstream productions featuring gay characters that stay well away from tired cliches. Not only are these stereotypes potentially damaging, they also give nasty gay men a hall pass. When gay men make an abhorrent remark about women, they are not being misogynistic but simply playing into the accepted narrative that to be camp is to be cruel.
In reality, gay men are perfectly capable of being just as misogynistic as their hetero counterparts and those that are, often get away with it because quite simply, they are gay.
Take, for instance, Karl Lagerfeld. Karl Lagerfeld’s storied career in fashion is matched by his long history of making derogatory remarks about women. In 2012, he commented that singer Adele was “a little too fat”, despite her “beautiful face”. Back in 2009, he took on the persona of Coco Chanel for an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in which he insisted: “I was never a feminist because I was never ugly enough for that”. In the spirit of fairness, Lagerfeld also insults men with vigour.
Despite his noxious remarks, women continue to fawn over him, and he was lauded by many for his 2014 fashion show in which he sent models down the runway holding placards with feminist slogans. Somewhere along the line, it must have dawned on him that feminism needn’t be ugly so long as you have Cara Delevingne on your catwalk.
While there are plenty of men – I believe the majority of them – who have respect and admiration for women, there are plenty who bury their disregard for women behind a facade.
Heterosexual rugby players who demean women with sexually explicit text messages put this down to laddish locker room talk, while gay men who make vulgar remarks about women are simply being outrageously camp. By endorsing these tired stereotypes, we allow sexism to flourish unchecked.
In 2014, Rose McGowan prompted op-eds everywhere from the Gay Times to The Guardian for talking about ‘gay misogyny’ during a podcast with author Bret Easton Ellis, in which she claimed it is a “huge problem” among gay men.
A lot of her comments were deeply misconstrued, like her claim that “I have heard nobody in the gay community, no gay males, standing up for women on any level.”
If that really is the case, she may want to get herself some new gay friends. I count myself lucky to have many gay men as dear friends. These men are kind, loyal and wickedly funny. However, within the gay community, there are men who make degrading remarks about a woman’s appearance under the guise of camp hilarity, or because they have moulded themselves as a caustic queen. In the gay clubbing scene, it is hardly uncommon for women to face extreme hostility for entering what are perceived to be ‘male only’ spaces.
We castrate heterosexual men for glorifying just one type of beauty, but gay men are just as guilty when they celebrate only the fiercest, most feminine women. The truth is some gay men objectify females just as much as straight men do, forcing women to contend with the (other) male gaze.
Gay men can be just as misogynistic as straight guys – Independent.ie
Max Greenfield preps for life after ‘New Girl’
[…] Just before the final season started airing, Greenfield had a featured role in “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” That got his creative juices moving and his interest piqued in what kind of dramatic parts he might be able to accept.
Despite the limited series’ dark subject matter, Ryan Murphy, the executive producer, was open to casting someone who had made a name for himself in comedy.
“I had done ‘Horror Story’ with Ryan and we talked about (the miniseries),” Greenfield says. “I was like, ‘Let me put myself on tape for you.’ I sent it over and a week later, I was in Miami.”
Cast as a gay man who encounters Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer who murdered Versace, Greenfield wanted to show how he was able to stretch. “There was a description in the script that was far away from who I was. So, I did some research about that period and talked about the hair and the look he had.”
Murphy, he says, “lets you explore in all the different departments” of a production. Greenfield decided the character would have an earring and a buzz cut, “a homeless haircut and a mustache, but a crooked one. Nothing really was put together on this guy, but he was trying.”
The result: The kind of raves Greenfield hadn’t seen since the premiere of “New Girl.” Then, his quirky Schmidt was hailed as one of the breakout characters of the television season. He nabbed a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination and became the go-to guy for offbeat humor.
How I won the role of Versace’s killer Andrew Cunanan
Darren Criss, previously best known for his role as clean-cut Blaine Anderson in Glee, said he told executive producer Ryan Murphy: “I don’t want to flatter myself but if you can find someone else my age who looks like him and is half-Filipino like he was, then sign them up.”
Cunanan preyed on rich, gay men and was obsessed with Gianni Versace. He murdered at least five people culminating with the shooting of the designer himself in 1997.
Criss’s portrayal has won plaudits from audiences and critics alike and on a whistle-stop visit to London to promote the show and perform a concert, Criss says how little was known about Cunanan’s killing spree before the show was aired.
“Unless you happened to be living in Miami, certain gay communities in San Diego or worked in real estate in Chicago, these were localised things you just wouldn’t have known about,” he explains.
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story reaches its finale on Wednesday and hints at the homophobia that may have been behind the FBI’s reluctance to investigate the killings.
In one scene some leaflets about Cunanan’s activities are shown still stored in the car boot of a police car.
This, combined with the reluctance of many gay men to speak up – some had survived the Aids scare – allowed the outwardly charming and apparently wealthy Cunanan to stay at large.
“He was not like Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles Manson, whose behavioural patterns all pointed to their eventual homicidal behaviour,” explains Criss, 31, who says of those who knew Cunanan during his teenage years very few had anything negative to say about him.
“One woman, in particular, said to me, ‘I just remember Andrew being so much fun. He was so good to me, he was so sweet. He was just someone you could count on’.”
What curdled Californian-born Cunanan’s character above all, the actor suggests, was that his beloved father, a broker, turned out to be an embezzler who fled to Manilla having sold the family’s house out from under them. The series also hints he sexually abused his son.
“His father was his hero but when your hero does that you can do one of two things. You can either change your way of thinking and shift your adolescence or you can just cover up the stench with more perfume.”
Cunanan chose the latter. He lied to friends and employers that his father was a rich man who owned pineapple plantations in Manilla. Eventually he began lying about himself, enriching his own career and experiences to ensnare and live off the money of wealthy men.
“One day he’d be a rich Israeli, next he was a French diplomat or the designer of the sets for Titanic. It was all delusional.”
The TV series was structured to play the events in reverse order, from the Versace killing to both the victim and killer’s early lives. “It’s almost willing the audience, who already know what he did, to try and find some redemptive qualities in him,” says Criss. Whether they do or not, he says, is up to them.
“Obviously what he did was deplorable and unforgiveable, and nothing positive about him exonerates that. But [his story] questions the complexity of the human experience. We are all as capable of murder just as we are all as capable of having a wonderful night out with friends.”
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American Crime Story
9pm, BBC Two
It’s the final part of what will undoubtedly be one of the year’s best series, and, after rigorously following a backwards-running structure since episode one, the story suddenly slams forward again, to throw us back down to Miami in the immediate aftermath of Gianni Versace’s murder. As the media goes into a frenzy, Andrew Cunanan (an astonishing Darren Criss) remains at large, but the city is in lockdown and before long he’s holed up alone, hiding out on an empty holiday houseboat.
Surviving on dwindling supplies and dying fantasies, he watches the consequences of his crimes play out on national television, while the net gradually draws tighter around him. As with the first American Crime Story, on the OJ Simpson trial, the series has made what seemed a familiar story strange, rich and relevant, yet the tone has been markedly different.
The OJ story had the deceptive outline of a frantic pantomime, but, shining so much spotlight on Cunanan’s non-celebrity victims and his dismal and deluded life, this has been horrendously, hypnotically bleak.
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ACS news 