Walkin' on the Wild Side: 'Velvet Goldmine' (1998) and 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' (2001)

Madeline, Julian, and Emilio continue their cycle of Offbeat Musicals with a "Two-Shot" on a pair of turn-of-the-millennium glam-rock extravaganzas: Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine" (1998) and John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (2001). Marking their fifth - yes, fifth - discussion on a Todd Haynes film, the trio begin by unpacking "Velvet Goldmine" and its refraction of the legacies of 1970s glam-rock icons such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, T. Rex, and Roxy Music. Presented in "Citizen Kane"-like fashion, the film conveys a distinct impression of a well-known popular music era without ever mentioning any of the aforementioned artists by name, and wandering in and out of the realms that often classify a musical. Premiering around the same time off-Broadway was the show that would then be adapted into the second film of focus, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," unambiguously a musical, but one for people who may less typically gravitate to the genre. Drawing from many of the same influences in music, "Hedwig" portrays the unique story of the titular performer, from her fraught upbringing in East Berlin to her stateside music career with backing band the Angry Inch, and the numerous experiences that fan her rock-and-roll flames along the way.

Listen to Dougie's Glam-a-Rama here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOjsoFA6he4_bWfjlCtNFoPf9Xr2cOofn&si=Vth2DPJed7RKNa7x

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