The View From Here: Conversations with Gay and Lesbian Filmmakers [Paperback]

Matthew Hays (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Blending anecdotal thoughts with analysis, facts and interviews, Matthew Hays’s book is an indispensable guide to the filmmakers who have shaped queer cinema. Essential reading!
―Raymond Murray, author, Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video (Raymond Murray 20070809)

A romp through sixty years of queer film history, respectfully situating trash, indie esoterica, Hollywood compromise, porn, documentary realism, and political activism all within the same rich mosaic. Hays’s interviews are unflinching and upfront but also generous and respectful, bringing out the best in all of his well-chosen subjects, from Almodovar to Waters. This fine book rescues the voice of the filmmaker from the banality of celebrity, rediscovering courage, inspiration, imagination, longing, solidarity―and perversity―as twenty-first-century queer virtues.
―Thomas Waugh, author, Out/Lines, Lust Unearthed, and Hard to Imagine (Thomas Waugh 20070524)

It's one of those book ideas that's so simple, elegant and obvious, it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been written until now. The View from Here is long overdue, and ought to become a staple of any film buff's reference shelf.
―Philip Preville, Toronto Life (Toronto Life review 20070524)

Matthew Hays' new book of interviews, some recorded while he was a writer for the Montreal Mirror, gives voice to underground queer cinema -- the margins of which, in the case of John Waters (the American cult director of the original 1988 version of Hairspray), inform the mainstream.
―Winnipeg Free Press (Winnipeg Free Press 20070731)

Provides a personal glimpse of the creative personae who write, direct or produce gay films.
―Echo (Phoenix, AZ) (Echo (Phoenix) 20070801)

What's not to love about a film book with Divine in a red dress on the cover? [A Different Light bookseller] Jason Galloway points out that profiled filmmakers include John Waters, Gregg Araki, Lea Pool, and Pedro Almodovar.
―The Advocate "Pride Issue" recommendation (The Advocate 20070825)

A highly readable collection of interviews with gay and lesbian filmmakers.... Attractive and well-researched, this is a worthy reference book for queer cinephiles.
―NOW Magazine (Toronto) (NOW Magazine 20080115)

This collection of thoroughly researched, up-to-date and easy-to-read interviews with the most important gay and lesbian filmmakers of the last 30 years is soon to be the next queer film buff’s bible.
―EDGE Boston (EDGE Boston 20080301)

Documents how queer cinema has persevered.
―The Georgia Straight (Georgia Straight 20080901)

A superb collection of interviews with influential gay and lesbian screenwriters, directors, and producers.... Hays' interview technique is deft and masterful, turning what might easily have been a dense sequence of in-crowd conversations ... into a valuable, witty, and often humorous look at where much of mainstream culture comes from, and who's making it.
―Quill & Quire (starred review) (Quill & Quire 20090312)

The View From Here is both entertaining and informative.
―Michael Bronski, The Guide (The Guide )

This book reinforces the point that actual contemporary queer film culture--as opposed to queer film studies--is far more wide ranging and electic than ever before.
―Cineaste (Cineaste )

Whether you are interested in queer history, sociology, the politics of art, or if you just love watching movies, this book belongs on your shelf. From groundbreaking pioneers in queer cinema to young contemporary artists, these filmmakers have made a difference in how others see us and, more importantly, how we see ourselves.
―Wayves (Wayves )

Hays demonstrates a deep appreciation for all types of gay and lesbian films, from the profound to the campy, from documentaries to porn.... This collection of histories, opinions, and stories presents a fascinating view of queer film from the viewpoint of the filmmakers. GLBT Round Table Newsletter (American Library Assocation) (GLBT Round Table Newsletter )

About the Author

Matthew Hays is a Montreal-based journalist and film critic. He is a writer for the Montreal Mirror, and his articles have also appeared in The Globe & Mail, The New York Times, The Toronto Star, CBC ARts Online, and The Advocate. Hays also teaches courses in film studies, journalism, and communication studies at Concordia University in Montreal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press; First edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551522209
• ISBN-13: 978-1551522203
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,861,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining reading, July 25, 2007

By 

J. Ryckborst "-=- Jerome" (North of the 49th parallel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The View From Here: Conversations with Gay and Lesbian Filmmakers (Paperback)

It's impressive how the author seems to know all the right questions to ask -- the ones that elicit the most interesting story from each filmmaker covered in this book. Obviously Hays did his homework before each interview, because he asks about things I never knew I wanted to know.

What a selection of interviews. there are some unusual choices, from mainstream to eccentric to Oh My--! Each interview is preceded by an introduction that provides the context I needed to enjoy each interview regardless of whether I've heard of the subject (or seen the films).

I never knew there was such variety and such accomplishment in North American filmmaking. And, yes, now I have a long list of DVDs to rent.