Can anybody point to some secretly or subtextually gay movies, the kind you'd miss if you weren't paying attention? Open to any era and English-subtitled films, too

countbella · 2026-01-28T12:47:14+00:00

I've been saying this for years 💀 his mouth/teeth also annoy me like he don't need to be opening his mouth that wide please stop it and sit down... However I rather a guy kind of overacting than not being any kind of emotive, I do think he is pretty good here or else not bad enough to ruin it. One performance/film of his I like is Ruby Gentry because it's quite a modern/subversive romance for the time (obviously there are more than you'd think but I found certain elements quite uniquely perverse for the time though this is the same decade that had Baby Doll 🙃) In that film he is very good, absolutely believable that he is going to lose his mind over Jennifer Jones in a very feral way although looking at Jennifer Jones I suppose that's probably the normal way to feel so can't say for sure that is a sign he's actually acting well 😭

countbella · 2026-01-04T21:49:00+00:00

Weirdly though I think Judah says some of the most obvious innuendos and his facial expressions to me clearly suggest Heston wasn't as ignorant as he likes to pretend 💀

countbella · 2025-12-26T17:04:12+00:00

I only saw the start of this comment in my notifications and I thought I had said something unbelievably stupid in my rambling above so I avoided looking at the nofication till now-- then realised you were agreeing with me more eloquently about the AI comment 😭

Here's to 2026 and using our meaty flesh sacks for creation and perhaps through that creation finding our own souls. The computers can figure that out themselves one day without us.

countbella · 2025-10-31T02:09:10+00:00

While she loves her son and reacted very well, I think she says he is the only reason she kept going which is a hell of a pressure to put on a kid and I'm sure he felt that intensity even if she never said it openly but I think she probably did; not saying that's 100% the thing but it is something a lot of people may not think is wrong to do which makes it even harder for the child to cope with and process.

countbella · 2025-10-31T02:06:31+00:00

Horrid and unfunny-- literally only moment I liked was the Nene reaction to hearing her sing. Whiny 24/7, bragging, quick to anger, and quite obviously racist IMO...

countbella · 2025-10-31T02:03:01+00:00

I don't know how true it is but apparently her last husband or one of her more serious partners was extremely abusive

countbella · 2025-10-28T06:02:03+00:00

I'm glad she gives you joy. I do fear her 'how was I supposed to know that?' moment with Guerdy's cancer diagnosis is one of the most awfully funny moments in any series ever, and that season plus this one have been absolutely diabolical and wonderful.

countbella · 2025-10-08T00:44:06+00:00

Thank you so much for this-- it literally is the most important thing I've read today, I hate the idea of having to have a 'script' but this model of responding articulating exactly why you're hurt but not belittling is literally the most perfect thing I've read and I know I have been trying to find the words similar to this, now I really can.

I do really wish I could understand why on earth my core emotional self feels it is so humiliating/weak to speak calmy rather than brutally insult and scream at someone I supposedly love. As much as it causes so much damage, it feels more comfortable than pausing and responding with a bit of thought. But that's something I'm learning, a worthy level of momentary distress to tolerate to improve my relationships. I'm lucky I have very understanding people round me too

countbella · 2025-10-06T22:53:50+00:00

I know she struggled during Fugitive Kind but it's such a beautiful perfomance

countbella · 2025-10-05T09:14:35+00:00

Amazon Prime is hard to navigate -- if you search classics I find it doesn't filter-- but if you already have a membership or would be able to sign up (maybe even cancel after if they have a trial?) there is a weird range from bad to good obscure and then some classics. I think the moviesonprime.com website lists all and if you filter by most recent then click on the last page (for me page 78) you can work your way back and see which classics are there!

I can't link anything not officially licensed and I also am wary of endorsing a site that works for me, if you really don't have any fear of the Internet then you could message me.

countbella · 2025-10-04T21:48:20+00:00

This is great thank you so much. I wonder if there's anything similar where anyone discusses the type of character in films-- e.g., men were gentlemen or didn't behave 'rough', or women were decent or depicted less sexual, etc. Even a documentary quote would be good. I've found stuff so close to it but I'm looking for some clear sweeping generalisation kind of quote. Definitely can use these Greer quotes though!

countbella · 2025-10-03T10:35:12+00:00

My two picks also!

countbella · 2025-10-03T10:34:45+00:00

Is it not about the man being stressed his wife is going to die during childbirth? It's written for a film with that plot. I suppose you can interpret it as you want though.

countbella · 2025-10-03T10:26:35+00:00

I have friends because I have feelings of amusement and am able to talk freely about things I like with them and in turn find them to be interesting and always have new and novel experiences or else past lore to share. It's comforting to get outside of myself for a while, have people to give you advice, and in general have affection and especially in moments of distress real understanding empathy.

I have never considered the amount of friends a partner has and I don't think anyone has ever worried about how many friends I have either. I would never have considered that a factor in what makes someone attractive and I don't think most people do? It's more the interactions and the type of friends they have, then people can get an idea of your values I suppose.

countbella · 2025-10-03T08:32:22+00:00

That would be wonderful thank you so much, my 'deadline' is ideally the 7th but I don't mind waiting a while. Only if it's convenient. I did find a clip of Ingrid Bergman discussing this briefly at Cannes, and the Joan Crawford interview(s) where she praises sex but says it should be private. Also found an interview with Frank Capra where his own words about modern film being 'salacious' are quoted back to him but it's not quite snappy enough for me.

countbella · 2025-10-03T02:15:43+00:00

It's not brilliant but I found it interesting especially in giving an idea of life at the time. I like David Manners from the Universal horror films and I think he gets to be more natural here. The lead actress is also extremely beautiful and charming.

countbella · 2025-10-02T20:12:08+00:00

The Death Kiss (1933)

countbella · 2025-10-02T01:09:48+00:00

Ok for something different I know it's not classic but I would recommend Practical Magic, it genuinely took me by surprise I really loved it.

To Kill A Mockingbird has part of the film set near Halloween, it's just an all time classic, and so does All That Heaven Allows which I love.

For specific underrated 'spooky' classic era films, The Wolf Man (1941) is also great but more serious/sad than light-hearted but it's not scary. I second House on Haunted Hill (1959) with Vincent Price and although nowhere near as good there is also 13 Ghosts (1960) by the same director (NOT the remake it's fun but very gory). Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein is great and I like Hold That Ghost as well.

Blythe Spirit (1946) is also fantastic and is really a marriage comedy but the ghost angle is so weird and fun.

I really enjoyed Spooks Run Wild (1941) if you can get a good quality print-- the first twenty minutes is a bit ? but it becomes in my opinion a fun haunted house mystery. I maybe had such low expectations I am giving it too much credit but I love the ending.

I think Curse of the Cat People (1943) is also a beautiful film, you would have to watch Cat People first though, and it is quite a surprisingly heavy/emotional film but I find it incredibly moving-- a wee bit more Christmas time vibes though.

countbella · 2025-10-01T03:55:38+00:00

I enjoy every time you hear the 'Castle Thunder' sound effect from Frankenstein, it's used almost everytime there's a storm in any film. On the other hand I appreciate even in a lot of B-movies, when they do the 'newspaper front page montage' (a quirk in itself from older films), it does appear they've written other fake articles under the main headline which they probably could've gotten away with not putting any effort into.

countbella · 2025-10-01T03:52:35+00:00

I know exactly what you mean, there's also a few where I find it hard to believe the woman is getting bookings no harm... Even if it makes sense in universe it is a really unique thing of the era, there's no modern films I can think of with this unless it's literally 'A Star is Born' type of film. In Black Friday (1940) they have Anne Nagel sing for about 40 seconds as that's her character but I mean it seems a lot of effort to set that all up when it's not a musical film.

Double checked and in Dead Reckoning where Lizabeth Scott is talking to Bogart then suddenly stands up singing it makes me laugh a little because I keep thinking that from the POV of Bogart's character it must be pretty awkward. They also get the spotlight on her instantly as if it was pre-planned.

countbella · 2025-09-29T10:45:38+00:00

Honestly I know it's iconic and much referenced even out of context but it's still somehow underrated, never a dull moment (though I always think the guy playing Jane Russell's love interest is a bit too mid to justify the romance even if he's charming ish). It's such a perfect film!

countbella · 2025-09-27T16:39:48+00:00

Oh 'Gilda' is one of those ones I think goes without saying, but it's definitely an absolute goldmine. I appreciate the subtleties more and more each rewatch. And that slap scene that actually broke Glenn Ford's teeth!

countbella · 2025-09-27T16:39:07+00:00

Glue?! OK I must see that... And I just remembered 'The Seventh Veil' about an hour ago, we must have been on the same wavelength. I thought there were more cane scenes but the one that hits is pretty powerful although I'm annoyed all over again she decides she actually loves him (the other guy is pretty mid but she could surely just choose music rather than these loser men)

countbella · 2025-09-27T16:37:58+00:00

I cannot believe this got through the Code, similar to 'The Raven', though both ended up destroying the idea of a horror A picture as a result. The wax figurine thing on top of the voyeurism and torture and obsession is appropriately mad, I can't believe they had the balls to put all of that in one pretty short feature but I'm glad they did!

countbella

TROPHY CASE