490:, "Gordon realized that the problem of the objectification of women in film has less to do with the display of the body than with who has control of the narrative—of the desire that motors it and of how that desire is resolved, or left as an opening into the unknown. She also understood, psychologically and pragmatically, that for a woman to become a filmmaker or to simply enjoy movies, she had to take pleasure in her own voyeurism."
270:, is concerned and confused about her interest in her new job. At the Variety, Christine meets a rich patron, Louie, with whom she spontaneously decides to go on a date. After he abruptly leaves, she follows him in a cab, watching while he meets a mysterious man. Later, she shares her suspicions with Mark that he is involved in some kind of mafia operation. Increasingly obsessed, she follows Louie to
274:, New Jersey, sneaking into his hotel room, from which she steals a pornographic magazine. Her obsession with Louie and her own awakened sexuality ultimately leads her to call and threaten him unless he meets her. The final, mysterious shot is of an empty intersection at Fulton and South Street, where Christine has told Louie to meet her.
331:
After meeting Kathy Acker, Bette Gordon asked her to collaborate on a screenplay for a new film. Gordon also collaborated with the burgeoning New York film scene: "The film is a sort of Who’s Who of downtown street cred: music by
29:
254:, and Richard M. Davidson. The film follows a young woman who takes a job at a New York City pornographic theater and becomes increasingly obsessed with a wealthy patron who may or may not be involved with the mafia.
482:, then pornographic films have really become "extreme examples of mainstream Hollywood cinema, employ the voyeuristic mode to exploit women as objects of male fantasy and male desire." In 2011,
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The film was released in a particularly important time for feminist filmmakers, and Gordon was both criticized and praised for making a film about pornography. Gordon presented at the watershed
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that the film had a "painfully underwritten screenplay (by Kathy Acker) and a static, uncommunicative directorial style." Critics compared
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266:, is looking for a ticket-taker. Christine takes the job and becomes interested in the movies that are playing. Her boyfriend Mark, an
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Christine, an aspiring author, desperately needs a job. Her friend Nan gives her a tip that the
Variety, a pornographic theater in
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Klady, Leonard (September 21, 1983). "Film
Reviews: Reviewed From Toronto Fest".
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865:(1984). "Variety: The Pleasure in Looking". In Vance, Carol S. (ed.).
414:. It was given a small theatrical release in the US on March 8, 1985.
772:(May 15, 1984). "As Long As She Pleases: Bette Gordon's 'Variety'".
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The film was produced with an initial $ 80,000 budget, provided by
478:, arguing that since cinema itself had recently been theorized as
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movement, also worked on the film as a production assistant.
614:"Why Bette Gordon's Variety Is More Than A Feminist Vertigo"
869:. Boston: Routledge & K. Paul. pp. 189–203.
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s John
Coleman disliked Acker's "dreadful dialogue,"
831:: The Avant-Garde between Pornography and Narrative"
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372:(who also took production stills)." Producer
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733:Martini, Emanuela (July 1984). "Variety".
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752:Coleman, John (May 25, 1984). "Variety".
387:West German Television, Great Britain's
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422:Contemporary reviews were mixed; while
246:from a story by Gordon. The film stars
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791:"SCREEN: 'Variety,' by Bette Gordon"
638:Hulser, Kathleen (August 15, 1982).
472:1982 Barnard Conference on Sexuality
376:, who would become a pioneer in the
1056:English-language independent films
640:"A TV Workshop That Relishes Risk"
510:. The release includes making-of
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666:Dubler, Linda (October 1, 1984).
584:. London: BFI. pp. 232–233.
150:Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
612:Quinn, Brian (October 2, 2020).
789:Maslin, Janet (March 8, 1985).
537:American Indies, 1980-1989|MoMA
1046:Films directed by Bette Gordon
890:Taubin, Amy (April 14, 2011).
581:100 American Independent Films
1:
336:, cinematography by frequent
1041:1980s English-language films
892:"Amy Taubin on Bette Gordon"
555:. April 2009. Archived from
506:restoration on Blu-ray from
316:as Business Manager/Customer
1036:Films shot in New York City
825:Ferguson, Kevin L. (2017).
352:-winning feminist novelist
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1031:Films set in New York City
1021:American independent films
410:and later screened at the
412:1984 Cannes Film Festival
26:
549:"All hail, Bette Gordon"
455:to Hitchcock films like
268:investigative journalist
147:Variety Motion Pictures
1026:Films about pornography
1016:American feminist films
435:championed the film in
322:as Obscene Phone Caller
188:March 8, 1985
1006:1983 independent films
406:premiered at the 1983
393:New York State Council
356:, and roles played by
408:Toronto Film Festival
242:with a screenplay by
1051:1980s American films
1011:1980s feminist films
849:10.1353/cj.2017.0040
578:Wood, Jason (2004).
196: (United States)
92:Richard M. Davidson
37:(Bette Gordon, 1983)
498:In September 2020,
344:, script by former
296:Richard M. Davidson
234:is a 1983 American
173:September 1983
796:The New York Times
705:– via JSTOR.
669:"Reviews: Variety"
645:The New York Times
514:and Gordon’s 1981
448:The New York Times
144:Channel Four Films
33:Box cover art for
16:1983 American film
876:978-0-71-020248-2
775:The Village Voice
591:978-1-84-457005-8
559:on April 30, 2009
438:The Village Voice
368:and photographer
366:Mark Boone Junior
314:Mark Boone Junior
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934:December 23,
932:. Retrieved
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901:. Retrieved
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808:. Retrieved
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699:. Retrieved
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649:. Retrieved
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557:the original
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443:Janet Maslin
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342:Tom de Cillo
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286:as Christine
284:Sandy McLeod
264:Times Square
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248:Sandy McLeod
240:Bette Gordon
238:directed by
231:
230:
205:Running time
85:Sandy McLeod
66:Bette Gordon
47:Bette Gordon
34:
770:Taubin, Amy
618:The Quietus
512:featurettes
508:Kino Lorber
502:received a
480:voyeuristic
458:Rear Window
362:Luis Guzmán
354:Kathy Acker
302:Luis Guzmán
290:Will Patton
272:Asbury Park
252:Will Patton
244:Kathy Acker
209:100 minutes
112:John Foster
109:Tom DiCillo
95:Luis Guzmán
89:Will Patton
71:Produced by
57:Kathy Acker
43:Directed by
996:1983 films
990:Categories
524:References
516:short film
494:Home media
484:Amy Taubin
433:Amy Taubin
391:, and the
370:Nan Goldin
346:sex worker
334:John Lurie
327:Production
308:Nan Goldin
236:drama film
192:1985-03-08
136:Production
129:John Lurie
99:Nan Goldin
923:"Variety"
805:0362-4331
735:Cineforum
563:March 30,
486:wrote in
445:wrote in
418:Reception
389:Channel 4
138:companies
117:Edited by
970:AllMovie
928:Cineaste
897:Artforum
488:Artforum
338:Jarmusch
298:as Louie
222:Language
125:Music by
81:Starring
63:Story by
976:Variety
965:Variety
954:Variety
829:Variety
719:Variety
696:1211864
500:Variety
464:Vertigo
453:Variety
404:Variety
399:Release
304:as Jose
292:as Mark
232:Variety
225:English
214:Country
190: (
177:1983-09
175: (
35:Variety
22:Variety
873:
803:
694:
588:
310:as Nan
181: (
741:(32).
692:JSTOR
474:with
429:'
959:IMDb
936:2022
905:2022
871:ISBN
827:"On
812:2022
801:ISSN
703:2022
653:2022
625:2022
599:2022
586:ISBN
565:2017
461:and
348:and
278:Cast
258:Plot
183:TIFF
979:at
968:at
957:at
845:doi
739:235
684:doi
385:ZDF
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
