People who say bi erasure doesn’t happen need to realize Freddie Mercury is known as the most famous homosexual man when he identified himself as bisexual. If that’s not bi erasure I don’t even know.
Also PoC erasure, most people don’t know he was 100% Indian
Specifically he was Parsi. Also raised Zeroastrian.
And I was put in the seat instantly, of course. I said, “your honor, I can’t be a juror on a two week trial, I have opera rehearsal.” And she said, “opera huh, well, sing something for us.”
And I did. In a federal court of law, in front of the judge, 75 jurors, the lawyers and the fucking DEFENDANT, I sang o mio babbino caro.
YO I DIDNT EMBARRASS MYSELF IN FEDERAL COURT SO YALL CAN DOUBT ME.
I know a lot of opera singers, and singing a full-on aria in a court room with only a hint of provocation is EXACTLY what they would do.
I know a lot of judges, and demanding an impromptu opera solo on a whim is also something they would do.
(And also one of the main reasons you can be excused from jury duty is economic hardship–basically, it would cause you unreasonable financial damage. If you’re a professional singer, a two week gap in your rehearsal schedule could do that for sure.)
As a muso, I absolutely believe this. I’ve got my accordion out of my carry-on and played a tune when airport security couldn’t recognise its weird mass of levers. Singers and musicians are just Like That.
I’m still feeling a lot but I’ll do my best at sharing my thoughts.
SPOILERS AHEAD SO DO NOT READ AFTER THIS.
– I was so happy that it started with “Somebody to Love”. I had no shame in singing along.
– I need to know if Rami actually sang at the beginning of the film after Roger made a joke about his teeth (which by the way, shame on you Roger. I love you though).
– I don’t understand why people were upset. Everything he was, was acknowledged. His ethnicity, his heritage, his sexuality. All of it. They respected him. I loved that.
– I love that they acknowledge what they all did before they became Queen. My boys are smart & educated.
– I love that they still kept the secret that is the meaning of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. They could’ve easily revealed it in the movie but they respected Freddie by not saying anything. Also Rami did amazing in the scene where Freddie’s writing it.
– The “I’m In Love With My Car” shaming was fucking hilarious.
– GWILYM LEE AS BRIAN MAY THOUGH. He is literally Brian.
– The live performance scenes were fucking delightful. So realistic. It made me feel like I was there. Since I’ll never get that experience, I’m glad they did that.
– Bisexual was said in a movie, which is awesome.
– THE CATS
– I actually liked that they made it a point that Mary Austin was a big part of Freddie’s life.
– Mike Myers’ cameo was so fucking great. As a fan of Wayne’s World & Queen, it made me so happy. The reference was everything.
– It was interesting the way they introduced Jim Hutton. I thought they’d stay true to what actually happened but I still liked it. Grateful that they acknowledged Jim at all.
– I DIED WHEN THEY RECREATED A BIT OF “I WANT TO BREAK FREE” IT’S MY FAVORITE SONG/VIDEO
– I’m glad that they showed the not so happy things about Freddie. Because no one is perfect & I’m glad that they didn’t gloss over it.
– FREDDIE SAID MY FAVORITE QUOTE OF ALL TIME IN THE FILM & I DIED
– I loved the chemistry between the guys. You could tell they had gotten close, like Queen did.
– RAMI MALEK. Wow. He went all in on this role. So honest & respectful. Just excellent.
– All The guys did excellent. I saw my boys & forgot at times they were actors.
– The “Another One Bites The Dust” scene was intense & then really funny. John’s just chilling with his bass while there’s a fight happening. I loved that scene so much.
– Hell, I loved all the scenes between the band. They were so good.
– LIVE AID. I’m so happy that they started & ended with it.
– I sang along to everything during the whole movie & I gave no fucks because you can’t help but sing these songs. Especially during the Live Aid scene. Freddie always has his power to control a crowd.
– For the first time ever, “We Are the Champions” made me cry. I was sobbing. And when “Don’t Stop Me Now” started, I sobbed harder.
– I stayed through the credits because I was a wreck & also “The Show Must Go On”.
This movie to me, was everything I hoped it would be. It was honest, respectful & just fun. I give it 100%. Fuck reviews. If you love Queen, you’ll love it. If you’re not a Queen fan, you’ll have a great time.
I love how loyal Brian, Roger and John are to Freddie.
Roger and Brian appeared on TV to defend him against the vitriol of the press (some people even wrote that he deserved to die because he had a promiscuous lifestyle) eight days after his death. You can see in their faces the fresh grief and shock, but they still went because they were not going to let those bastards get away with talking shit about Fred.
They went on to create the Mercury Phoenix Trust to fight AIDS worldwide in his memory.
The documentary Days of Our Lives is particularly heartbreaking to watch. Among other things, Brian talks about how they knew but didn’t know; they kind of refused to know that Freddie was dying. They were like “No, it can’t happen to him” and until the last moment they kept thinking there had to be a way out.
They praise his gentleness, his courage in facing his illness and his dedication to music.
Roger remembers how he was on his way to see him when Peter Freestone (Freddie’s assistant) called him to say “Don’t bother coming, cause he’s gone”. And even after 20 years, he has to hold back tears.
John retired after Freddie’s death. We don’t know if that’s the sole reason because he’s a very private man, but the facts are there. He only returned to the band to finish their last album, shoot the video of Only the Good Die Young (another tearjerker) and then stepped out of the limelight.
Their last album was called Made in Heaven, and the cover was a photo of Brian, Roger and John next to Freddie’s statue in Montreaux (Switzerland).
Brian wrote said statue’s inscription: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs.
They worked for almost ten years on Bohemian Rhapsody, because they wanted to get the right people on board (and after watching the film, I can tell you they did) and not because they wanted to milk Freddie, as it has been said. Roger said on the premiere that Sacha Baron Cohen wouldn’t have taken Freddie seriously. They answered the actors’ endless questions and even visited the set. That’s how much they care about protecting him and his legacy.
Roger regularly posts old photos of Freddie (check out his Instagram @rogertaylorofficial and weep).
So if you want to talk shit about any of them, you’ll have to fight me first. And I know I’ll fucking destroy you.
Musical prodigy Alma Deutscher aged 11 (seen here with younger sister Helen), is staging her first full-length opera, Cinderella.
Composer, pianist, violinist… Alma learned to read music before she could read words. She began playing the piano aged two and at four years old she was composing her own music.
Steel Phoenix Studios 