Glitter & Doom

I know nothing of The Indigo Girls and haven't heard of almost anyone involved in this movie. I usually avoid gay themed films as they tend to be depressing with a bleak outlook on life. Glitter and Doom is just the opposite. There is almost nothing to complain about here. It's a wonderful, uplifting, romantic film with fine performances. The 2 leads have real chemistry and are fine actors while the songs are well done with a few dance numbers thrown in. I was afraid it was going to be all music, but there is a story here and some well done dramatic scenes although nothing to bring the movie down. Like all musicals this isn't anything realistic but it is well filmed and a real feast for the eyes, wonderful scenery and sets. If there was any negative it was Alan Cammish's thick accent that made many of his lines difficult to understand. He made up for it by having real star quality on screen. Wonderful film.

As an Indigo Girls fan, I was concerned and skeptical about how some of my favorite Indigo Girls songs would be used in this film.

Prior to attending this showing, I knew that the movie had received favorable reviews from fans. So I was excited about seeing how Indigo Girls' songs had been repurposed for this gay romance. I saw some of the previews from the movie, specifically the "World Falls" video, and I was impressed.

The plot has been discussed in other reviews, so I won't repeat those details. Apart from the "boy meets boy" premise, it's a fairly predictable storyline. But it keeps the viewers interested with the setting (circus, camping, scenery) and the well-developed characters. And, of course, the music!

The lead actors were perfect for their roles and the supporting cast was AMAZING! Thanks to the trailers and music video clips, I knew about Lea DeLaria, Ming-Na Wen and Kate Pierson but there were also some familiar faces I did NOT expect and LOVED seeing (no spoilers here but I was excited to see a favorite comedian and celebrity chef)!

Tom and Cory, director and writer, exceeded ALL my expectations when they selected Indigo Girls songs for this film. I was AMAZED. And I do not use that word often. The songs they used worked perfectly within the film: the dialog, the plot, the setting, the characters, the entire storyline. The filmmakers had a difficult task because Indigo Girls have released 24 studio albums! I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the film didn't just feature the well-known songs AND they even included songs from Amy's and Emily's solo projects.

This was a truly exciting movie for me. I know I've forgotten to mention some of the details because I saw it more than five weeks ago. There were a lot of subtle references in this film: "Easter Eggs" including props, humor, dialogue, background, etc. I look forward to seeing the film again because I know I missed some of the hidden treasures.

As someone who watches movies in 15-minute increments due to mental and physical distractions, the fact that this movie kept me focused and entertained speaks volumes. I had no intrusive, or even mundane, thoughts and I never once wondered what time it was. THAT alone gives it 10/10 stars for me!

I saw Glitter + Doom (pronounced Glitter AND Doom, not Glitter PLUS Doom?) at the OUTNorthLA Film Festival in Shreveport, Louisiana, on September 10, 2023.

This movie had its share of enjoyable moments, but overall, the plot felt stale. The visuals were really cool but the performances of the lead actors left much to be desired, with their delivery coming across as wooden and lacking depth. Moreover, the excessive use of autotune during the musical numbers was a distraction rather than an enhancement. They performed "Closer to Fine" really well though! And who knew that Ming-Na Wen could sing!

More humor would have gone a long way, as the existing comedic elements fell flat (other than some awesome and unexpected cameos). Furthermore, the musical numbers felt quite disjointed. Clearly a lot of love went into the production though, the sets and choreography are generally really vibrant and fun.

While not a complete disappointment, this one fails to leave a lasting impression.

Glitter comes from a rich family, but wants to be a circus clown. Doom is a singer-songwriter from poor surroundings, trying to break into the local club scene. While Glitter has an over-abundance of self-confidence, Doom has self-doubts. They meet, and have under a month to fall in love, before Glitter leaves for clown school in Paris. Meanwhile, Doom needs to produce a promotional music track to confirm his breakout club gig.

The music is from the Indigo Girls, repurposed, rearranged, and sometimes mashed up. The songs are sung by the two principals, with a small ensemble doing some dancing around them at times. The entire combination has a magical effect.

I saw this at its world premiere at the Inside Out 2SLGBT+ Toronto Film Festival, with a fair number of the talent present. The queer filmmakers were Indigo Girls fans, and mildly surprised that Indigo Girls gave them permission to use their catalog of 300+ songs. That, in turn, helped them secure financing. Still, they shot in Mexico for budgetary reasons, while organically assembling a team that was much drawn from the queer community. Being done during the covid era, they did find a geographically diverse cast.

This was the Closing Night Gala of the festival, and I think it did a good job of leaving a good final impression on the audience.

The music is definitely the major part of this little indie film. It is very well acted. The leads are impressive. All their scenes felt real and sensitive.

Alex Diaz and Alan Cammish sounded great together. Missi Pyle was wonderful and sounded amazing. Ming-Na Wen is always great.

The supporting actors and dancers added to the operatic storytelling.

The Indigo Girls wrote wonderfully emotional songs and the director and screenwriter did a fine jobs blending a story and music into a thoughtful, not always straight plot or theme, but gets you to the end that they strive for.

I know the rating is not as high as my rating because I want to see a vision that is creative, fun, sweet, kind, and special and this movie is that . . . Different and cool.