Gay Fandom and Crossover Stardom: James Dean, Mel Gibson, and Keanu Reeves

Book Description

Why and how does the appeal of certain male Hollywood stars cross over from straight to gay audiences? Do stars lose their cachet with straight audiences when they cross over? In Gay Fandom and Crossover Stardom Michael DeAngelis responds to these questions with a provocative analysis of three famous actors—James Dean, Mel Gibson, and Keanu Reeves. In the process, he traces a fifty-year history of audience reception that moves gay male fandom far beyond the realm of “camp” to places where culturally unauthorized fantasies are nurtured, developed, and shared.
DeAngelis examines a variety of cultural documents, including studio publicity and promotional campaigns, star biographies, scandal magazines, and film reviews, as well as gay political and fan literature that ranges from the closeted pages of One and Mattachine Review in the 1950s to the very “out” dish columns, listserv postings, and on-line star fantasy narratives of the past decade. At the heart of this close historical study are treatments of particular film narratives, including East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, The Road Warrior, Lethal Weapon, My Own Private Idaho, and Speed. Using theories of fantasy and melodrama, Gay Fandom and Crossover Stardom demonstrates how studios, agents, and even stars themselves often actively facilitate an audience’s strategic blurring of the already tenuous distinction between the heterosexual mainstream and the gay margins of American popular culture.
In addition to fans of James Dean, Mel Gibson, and Keanu Reeves, those interested in film history, cultural studies, popular culture, queer theory, gender studies, sociology, psychoanalytic theory, melodrama, fantasy, and fandom will enjoy this book.

Journey to the Source: Decoding Matrix Trilogy

Average customer rating:

Nobel Prize Winner Fails to Use Spell-Check
A great interpretation
Excellent Book
Journeys about halfway to the source, but then we run out fuel
Well esearched & Written- journey to the Source

Journey to the Source: Decoding Matrix Trilogy
Pradheep Challiyil
Manufacturer: Sakthi Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback
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ASIN: 0975258605

Product Description

A scene by scene commentary on all three Matrix Movies based on spiritual and scientific interpretations. Do you know why the black cat comes twice in the movies (in Matrix as de Javu and in the end of Matrix revolutions with Sati, the Indian girl). Why does the Morpheus crew use phone (land line) to get in and out of matrix but use cell phone inside the matrix?. Of course you are curious to know why Persephone asked for a kiss and how Trinitys kiss brought Neos life back, about Merovingian, twin guards and the Keymaker. Do you know why the Architect tells Neo that he is an anomaly of an unbalanced equation, Neo stopping sentinels and falling unconsciousness, Oracle bakes cookies and offer candy to Neo. More interesting is to read in the book about the Trainman and about Sati creating a Sun for Neo and ending of the movie. Discover more of these hidden secrets of the movies. You would simply love reading about the hidden meaning of the sentinels and how switching on the EMP makes them powerless and how they become peaceful when Neo reaches the source. Sentinels are thoughts in our brain and brain consumes 50% of bodys energy while thinking. So our thoughts use our body as an energy source like machines using human bodies in Matrix (Morpheus shows Neo a battery to convey this message). The book has fascinated many readers and all of them have watched the movies over again with lots of fun knowing the hidden meanings. Don Davis, the music composer of the Matrix Movies has given for the foreword for the book. He has commented As Morpheus told Neo that he can only show the door but Neo is the one who has to walk through it, this book - Journey To The Source holds the door open and illuminates our path. Disclaimer: However this book is not licensed or promoted by the Wachowski brothers or the Aol time Warner company. This is the author's own interpretation of the movies.

Customer Reviews:

Nobel Prize Winner Fails to Use Spell-Check.......2006-12-22

shocking but true. i'm a die-hard matrix fan who has read every book written on the movies. journey did have its merit -- being the only matrix book to take on the symbolic significance of explaining why the humans can talk on cell phones, but need a hard line to exit the matrix. nevertheless, something remains missing from this book: the author's pride.

dr challiyil isnt taking any profit from this book, deflecting all funds to his charitable foundation. good for him. but that is no excuse for such a piss-poor presentation as rampant misspellings, irregularities in the spacing and several contradictions of the plot.

it is as if he said: i'm a nobel winner. there's a big matrix audience. if i spend all of two weeks writing a pseudo book i'll make some money for my cause and do some good. who cares if it's accurate or presentable? i'll have fun and that's that.

the book reads like a long blog.

welcome to the desert of the spell-check.

A great interpretation.......2006-12-03

I saw the first Matrix movie before I started my spiritual quest. I did not understand anything about the movie. Many friends tried explaining it to me but their explanations did not make any sense. A few years later when I was deep in my Spiritual study, I had an oppurtunity to watch the first Matrix movie again. At that time, I noticed that there is something extraordinary about this movie. After seeing the other two parts, my understanding was getting clearer and clearer but still I couldn't grasp everything from the Movie.

I searched the internet to look for any good interpretation of the Matrix trilogy. I found some and borrowed them from a local library. But the interpretation did not really satisfy me. They were very dry. Then suddenly this book appeared in my search and I was immediately attracted to it after seeing the cover page. I did not hesitate to buy this book.

I was really amazed by Dr Pradheep Challiyil's interpretation of the Matrix Trilogy using Hindu mythology. It made a lot of sense to me. It also confirmed my understanding of the trilogy. The author has done an excellent job in providing these details supplemented by his own knowledge in Spirituality. After reading this book, I saw the Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions once again and they were no longer sci-fi movies with hi-fi graphic stunt for me :)

In a nutshell, this is the book I was waiting for.

Note: I'm eager to know what the Wachowski brothers have to talk about the mythology in the Matrix trilogy. But unfortunately, they have remained silent all these years. Not sure why.

Excellent Book.......2006-05-22

I really enjoyed reading this book. Interesting comparison between a modern movie and age-old scriptures. It helped futher substantiate the truths from the scriptures with it's simple, easy to understand explanations. It has beautiful quoutes from the scriptures and great masters that fit the chapters in the book. Definitely motivating and enlightening.

Journeys about halfway to the source, but then we run out fuel.......2006-02-06

Don't get me wrong. This is a great piece of work and a lot of effort has been put into it. But there are some serious flaws in the points the author tries to very hard to make and the chronology of his examples in the film. For example, at one point he refers to Neo throwing up immediately after he is extracted from the power plant in the first Matrix (a specific action he uses to support his point) when really this was several scenes later, after he was revived, perhaps weeks after his initial rescue. So the point he makes about Neo "purging the illusory world of the Matrix" immediately after he is rescued, resolves as a bit of a stretch. The book is riddled with these types of errors, as well as several misquotes of the films' characters, which if they were quoted correctly would falsify the claims the author tries to make.

While it is easy to see how Vedic literature undoubtedly plays a significant role in the events of Revolutions, the author applies Hindu philosophy to every section of EACH of the three films, which after awhile gets very monotonous, and seems like an extended paper from a C+ philosophy student than a Doctor. The philosophy present throughout the Matrix Trilogy is clearly a mix of so many religious symbols and ideologies, it devalues them as a body of work to say that just one set religious ideals defined the entire philosophical undercurrent of the films, whether its Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Gnosticism, Mysticism, etc.

However, while it is a predominantly narrow view of the religious influences of the Matrix Trilogy, it's an EXCELLENT introduction to Vedic Literature and The Upanishads, which I have delved into since, and find to be an INCREDIBLY interesting body of work. So I'd say that the book was worth reading for that introduction alone.

Overall, if you are interested in an analysis of the Matrix Trilogy from a strict perspective of Hinduism, look no further. If you are looking for a somewhat broader perspective, check out some of the other "Matrix and Philosophy" books that are avaiable. There are a TON.

Also, I have to say that this book could use a second edition after it fixes its plethora of spelling and grammar mistakes. They are hard to ignore.

Well esearched & Written- journey to the Source.......2005-04-19

I just got the book a couple of weeks back and read it from cover to cover.I then watched the trilogy again and it became so much clearer and more enjoyable.
The author has done a good job of researching and providing explanations scene by scene. This way the reader can go to any scene and read the deeper philosophical meaning.
The illustrations also aid in understanding the .
This book is well worth the price. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Amazing!
An excellent book indeed.

Keanu
Sheila Johnston
Manufacturer: Trans-Atlantic Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Keanu Reeves: An Excellent Adventure

ASIN: 0283063017

Customer Reviews:

Amazing!.......2000-06-11

If you are a Keanu fan or if you just want to read something interesting, this is the book for you. This book gives a lot of information about Keanu. I definately recomend it. It gets into his life and career and makes you understand what he was going through, it almost made me cry! I love this book and I hope you love it too.

An excellent book indeed........1999-05-04

It's a great book for Keanu fans. It dwells into the unknown realms of this secluded star. I would suggest it to anyone whether you like Keanu or not.

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive book about the enigmatic Keanu
Great book ~ even if Keanu hasn't contributed to it!
a good bio
An Excellent Dudestud!

Keanu Reeves: An Excellent Adventure
Brian J. Robb
Manufacturer: Plexus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0859653137

Book Description

Keanu Reeves' combination of authority, forthrightness, and sexy good looks has made him one of the most popular and bankable modern stars. In this revised and updated biography, Brian J. Robb explores Reeves on- and offscreen, including his rock 'n roll career with the band Dog Star, and the twin tragedies that took the lives of his unborn daughter and his former partner Jennifer Syme. This new edition contains 130 photographs and a 48-page coverage of The Matrix and its sequel including location reports, plot previews, and a glimpse of the trilogy’s breathtaking climax.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive book about the enigmatic Keanu.......2005-10-06

All one ever needs or wants to know about Keanu Reeves, one of Hollywood's most intriguing actors, can be found in this book by Brian J. Robb. Originally published in 1997, it was updated two years ago and contains a section on "The Matrix" as well as entailing his (then) upcoming movies such as "Thumbsucker", a newly-released film I saw recently.

Keanu is "sui generis". There is no other actor quite like him and I mean that in a good way. Like other actors he's had his moments of triumph and suffered from films that didn't do well, but Keanu seems to emerge from all of this stronger and with a larger range of roles each time. There have always been critics who find Keanu less than convincing as an actor, but in the many films in which I've seen him, Keanu is always compelling and often displays real talent. (If I had to pick a favorite, I most liked Keanu in "Speed")

It's hard to imagine a biography about someone who is just in his early forties, but author Robb has combed his subject's life and found much to relate. Besides the complete list of Keanu's films, about which Robb goes into great detail, the actor's life apart from the screen is covered as well. It is a good thing to know that most of the actors and actresses who have worked with Keanu find him to be a very nice guy who tends to prefer a quieter life off-camera...that is, when he's not bike riding or performing with his band, Dogstar.

This book is replete with photographs which make a wonderful addition. The writing is crisp and although Robb's book is largely informational, he steers clear of a "kiss and tell" biography. For those of us who enjoy Keanu Reeves, I highly recommend this book.

Great book ~ even if Keanu hasn't contributed to it!.......2000-11-13

What can you say about a man who is so enigmatic and shuns any attempts to have his private live revealed...

Well, Mr Robb does a good job of revealing the Reevester as best he can, but asking those around him...

I like this book ~ it's accurate [yeah, what do I know about Keanu ~ A LOT!!] and shows him in a favourable light.

Us fans ain't got a lot to go on and I am pleased that someone has made an effort to get to know The One.

It is up to date as well, with revisions made to co-incide with Keanu's up and coming movies.

AND HAS LOTS AND LOTS OF DROOL WORTHY PIX OF KEANU so it's a must for the fans...

And....

If ya want to get a sense of what Keanu is all about ~ BUY THIS BOOK!!

a good bio.......2000-06-11

This book is well researched and considering the enigmatic subject, has quite a lot of information. It will take you from childhood to 1997 and "The Devil's Advocate", and it has many wonderful photos. It also has a very detailed filmography which I have found useful, and for Keanu fans, the face on the cover will be reason enough to own this book !

An Excellent Dudestud!.......1999-11-23

Brian Robb's fan-oriented book, "Keanu Reeves: An Excellent Adventure", admirably fulfills its purpose. It supplies Keanu's numerous fans with his life's story, and pics galore. There is a pic of this excellent dudestud in black leather pants and boots which will take your breath away, whether you're gay or straight!

Customer Reviews:

he is great all the way around.......2005-03-13

hes fabulous in everything, I think he is the best in every thing he does and a very intriguing person as private as he is, you can see right through him,through his eyes, they say it all without a word!.I have most of his movies Im now starting on his books. I saw him at Janice Landing in St.Petersburg,fl.It was great !!!!!!!!! The best night of my life.

Nickson has opened the door on the ethereal Keanu Reeves.......1997-03-21

The actor's life and talent are covered from his theatrical beginnings in Toronto to his present leading man status in Hollywood. The reluctant, press shy star with nomadic tendencies, a love of life ,and millions of adoring fans, comes into focus by Nickson's talent. This book is as easy on the eyes as the man is

Livewire Real Lives Keanu Reeves (Livewires)

Average customer rating:

Livewire Real Lives Keanu Reeves (Livewires)
Julia Holt
Manufacturer: Hodder
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0340848812

Book Description

Keanu Reeves by Julia Holt. The Real Lives books are about famous people from the worlds of: Sport; Film and Music; Politics and History. This book tells the story of Keanu Reeves, the famous film star. It has photographs from his life and films, including shots from Point Break, Speed and Chain Reaction.

The Keanu Matrix: Unraveling the Puzzle of Hollywood's Reluctant Superstar

Average customer rating:

A reach....

The Keanu Matrix: Unraveling the Puzzle of Hollywood's Reluctant Superstar
J. J. Goodrich
Manufacturer: AMI Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932270183

Customer Reviews:

A reach...........2004-01-14

With this type of actor, or with almost any type of actor, it's better to view the material as opposed to reading it. That's why I'd have to endorse another Keanu Reeves bio, but on DVD- KEANU REEVES: JOURNEY TO SUCCESS. For a couple bucks more, you can receive all the info in this book upon your TV screen, with footage, film clips and movie premieres. I know what I'm talking about, I'm Fortunato Plethora.

Average customer rating:

Keanu Reeves (Die Lupe S.)
Gwen Berwick , and Sydney Thorne
Manufacturer: Hodder Murray
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Average customer rating:

VERY POOR QUALITY
Keanuette
a little Keanu is better than no Keanu
Any book featuring Keanu Reeves is a must read!
NOT THE BEST OF KEANU

Keanu Reeves (Superstars of Film)
York Membery
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 079104646X

Customer Reviews:

VERY POOR QUALITY.......2003-06-10

I am a Keanu Fan, but this book is a VERY POOR, and I do mean POOR QUALITY book. It looks like someone XEROXED the book 100 times and decided to sell it for [$$]. It is not worth that much money - maybe [$]. If you are a big fan of Keanu, there are better quality and better books out there. BUY at your own risk - it costs a lot to return the item!

Keanuette.......2000-08-26

Oh, my this book was great. Always rememeber that Keanu is a very secret man and very fine. I now have pictures of keanu Reeves that his girlfriend probably doesn't even have. He look so good and has a good family and life. I have seen almost every movie that Keanu has been in and he is a very simple guy and VERY FINE GUY. I want to read all of Keanu's books. From this book I learned alot about his family, his films, and him. I loved the book. THE BOOK ARE GREAT HE IS FINE One day i hope to met him.

a little Keanu is better than no Keanu.......2000-08-07

This is mostly about the early career of this terrific actor, and it's fairly well written and researched (though there are some errors) , with a total of 12 photos of him from his films...this small volume isn't exactly Dostoevsky, but it contains over 40 pages of Keanu, so how can you not love it ! York Membery closes the book by saying "of course, nothing is certain in the fickle world of the movies. But whatever happens, it seems likely that Keanu Reeves will be around for a long time". A very long time...he's the stuff legends are made of !

Any book featuring Keanu Reeves is a must read!.......2000-07-26

So, it's not the best book in the world, who cares! It's about Keanu and although there is little out there on this beloved man (he is a very private person), anything we can get our hands on is a bonus......

I've had a little version of this book (published in UK) for a while. I bought the US version as it has bigger (maybe not better, but BIGGER!) pictures.

It is Keanu's bio in a nutshell. Could do with revision, but what the hey!

Lots of pix of The Reevester. Good or any fan!

Go and buy this...!

NOT THE BEST OF KEANU.......2000-02-23

SPOTTY DETAILS, SOME INFORMATION ON FAMILY HISTORY INCORRECT, ROBERT MILLER KATINA MILLERS'S FATHER NOT SAM REEVES, NOT THE BEST READING I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO ABOUT KEANU AND I'VE READ A LOT.

Book Description

An inside view of American hustler culture from the 1600s to today. Male and transgendered hustlers have been a mostly -invisible part of American life for more than 400 years. Their invisibility leaves these men unprotected, victimized and at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, assault and murder. Strapped for Cash is a critical examination of sex work that serves as both a cultural analysis and a guide for those who conduct HIV/AIDS and other interventions among male and transgendered sex workers. Mack Friedman brings to this work an unusual perspective informed by both his former life as a hustler and his current work as a case manager targeting prostituted youth. Drawn from many sources, including 50 oral histories from current and former male and transgendered sex workers, details of the work of anti-vice committees, academic research and uncovered materials from archives around the country, Strapped for Cash presents the first complete picture of the evolution of hustler culture. Friedman reaches back to European hustler history to find the influences that informed male-male sex trade in the New World and carries this research forward to examine media representations, the development of male pornography and the larger social implications of male sex work. Frank and unapologetic, Strapped for Cash is a powerfully provocative study of this marginalized world.

Features more than 70 black-and-white photographs.

Mack Friedman is an HIV testing and prevention supervisor for the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. Formerly a youth advocate for Women Hurt in Systems of Prostitution -Engaged in Revolt (WHISPER), and the former vice president of Youth Services of Pittsburgh, he currently serves on the boards of both the Southwestern Pennsylvania AIDS Planning Coalition and Standing Against Global Exploitation (SAGE). A native of Chicago and a 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota, he currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews:

Too much like a textbook.......2005-09-25

I was really excited to get this book and very disappointed with it when it arrived. It is very dry, and presented like a textbook. For such a subject, the author takes things way too seriously, and could of had a lot more fun with this, as opposed to just presenting a dry textbook style report. Good pictures though

Fascinating, But Meant for Academia !.......2004-11-27

Scholarly?...yes. Fascinating?...yes? Intellectually challenging?....yes Authoratiative?...yes? Well researched?...yes. All in all, a very subtantial piece of academic work, but MOST ASSUREDLY NOT FOR THE CASUAL READER. The title is perhaps a bit misleading if you are looking for a night-stand book. If you want a good socio-economic-historic look at the topic...THIS IS YOUR BOOK.

An Important Document, A Very Interesting Read.......2003-08-15

Mack Friedman has done his research very well indeed and has the ability to write historical data accurately and with style. STRAPPED FOR CASH: A History of American Hustler Culture is not the usual titillating gossip book that the unfortunate choice of cover and format might suggest. Friedman has studied the history of sex workers from the 1600s to the present. His emphasis is on male and transgender sex workers which he reports to be as old an industry as the 'world's oldest business - prostitution'. He very smoothly and with considerable style writes about centuries of documents which reveal the fact that male sex workers (now known as hustlers) have been active throughout the world in the major cities. His resources include many papers form the Kinsey Report and he follows the lives and reportings of a number of Kinsey's informants, pages of interesting and illuminating facts. Friedman also devotes an entire chapter to the history of male nude photography, at times accompanying the photographs with notes about the models and the photographers. He addresses the changes in the sex worker culture that accompanied the Industrial Revolution and both World Wars, the influence of the military on the sex market, the introduction of drugs as an accompaniment to the field, the use of the media ads including the Internet as a replacement for the brothels and street corners, and then adds the impact of AIDS and the gentrification or urban development in the major cities on the lives of those sex workers dependent on the streets for their livelihood.

Friedman closes his book with a chapter on first hand oral histories, sensitive interviews with all types of male sex workers. He has the ability to reveal facts in a scientific way while making the reader understand the plight of the sex worker. He does this in such a way that he is not disregarding the dangers of the occupation both to the workers and to the clients; Friedman is able to demonstrate, through his careful historical evidence, that sex work is here to stay and pleads a powerful case for the sociological plight and for the care of those young men who enter this trade. It is a quiet but plangent plea presentd in a way that causes thoughtful concern for the reader.

The book is well illustrated with both old and new photographs and each chapter is extensively footnoted with references. It is an excellent contribution to gender studies. And though the cover and format are likely to enhance sales of the book (for many of the wrong reasons), I think this tome deserves more dignity in presentation.

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