021 - Zero Patience

We're back after a brief hiatus with a doozie of a movie to talk about! Zero Patience is an original musical dramedy directed and written by John Greyson and released in 1993. This film follows, seriously, an immortal British explorer-sexologist-turned-museum-taxidermist Sir Richard "Dick" Burton (actor John Robinson) and the earth-walking spirit of Zero, the gay man accused of originating the HIV-AIDS epidemic in North America (actor Normand Fauteux). With the help of Zero, Dick uncovers the truth behind the AIDS epidemic. Already a shocking premise, this movie exemplifies the daringness of the New Queer Cinema era, and it doubles down by including some hilarious and outlandish musical numbers, including a barbershop quartet on sauna etiquette and a duet between buttholes. Underneath it all, the movie has a solid emotional message at its core as it humanizes "Patient Zero" of the AIDS epidemic and left Jake and Kevin with lots to uncover! How has this not been made into an off-Broadway production yet? Does this film have more staying power than Philadelphia, released the same year? Is Randy Shilts being unfairly spoofed? This and more on this week's Cinema Very Gay! The next dastardly queer-coded Disney villain we visit is none other than Professor Ratigan (but don't call him a rat) from the movie The Great Mouse Detective from 1986. Voiced by the noted bisexual master of horror, Vincent Price, Ratigan brings a new level of danger to the queer villain role as he is matched against the protagonist, Basil of Baker Street. He has the usual flamboyance we have come to expect from a Disney villain, but brings on the murderousness even more than we have seen! Talk about a jealous ex-boyfriend.