After compiling a list of the most essential LGBT movies, The Advocate is pitting the top 32 entries against one another in a series of one-on-one face-offs. In this Sweet 16 round, Bound, the neo-noir lesbian thriller, is up against The Wizard of Oz, the timeless fantasy starring Judy Garland. Which film is more essential? Vote below, and check out our full list of the top 175 most essential LGBT movies at Advocate.com/top175.
Bound, 1996 (7 seed)
This neo-noir thriller marked the directorial debut of the Wachowski siblings, and though it was long before Lana Wachowski was an out trans woman, we can't help but think it helped influence this superb bisexual/lesbian classic in which Violet (femme and alluring Jennifer Tilly), a moll owned by her Mafia boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano) but looking for escape, has an affair with butch neighbor Corky (Gina Gershon in the hottest lesbian film role ever). The two women hatch a scheme to steal millions from the mob, and the usual noir tropes (just who is betraying who?) work to great success, albeit with a hefty dose of violence (this is a rare film where there are empowered women and violence and the latter isn't directed at the former). The reason queer girls loved it? The sex was genuine and hot, thanks in large part to Susie Bright, who served as the resident lesbian sexpert to help the auteurs get it right. (She has a cameo too.) --Diane Anderson-Minshall
The Wizard Of Oz, 1939 (23 seed)
It's no wonder that gay men have referred to one another as "Friends of Dorothy" for three quarters of a century. From the moment Judy Garland sings "Over the Rainbow" on a gray Kansas tractor, LGBTs found a heroine, one who so beautifully articulates an anthem for those yearning for "a place where there isn't any trouble." Her journey into the Technicolor Land of Oz, which so thrilled audiences in 1939, still continues to enchant both young and old. And while her friends the Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow may look like a motley crew, their quest for intelligence, courage, heart, and home is one that continues to resonate with and inspire the LGBT rights movement. --Daniel Reynolds
Vote here on Facebook or Twitter by Sunday, July 12, and check in every day for more Clash of The Classics.
