and another thing

ICYMI: Amiami has the exclusive sale rights (in Japan) to the Hanekawa Tsubasa scale figure by quesQ, which is now out for pre-order (Photos via Amiami Reports)

Tokyo Otaku Mode is also selling the figure (outside of Japan), so if you're not interested in Amiami that might be a better option, though I'll say I personally ordered on Amiami

HOW ABOUT THAT NEW TRAILER HUH AAGHH

Kōno Michisei - Self-Portrait (1917)

This movie got made because Robin Williams said yes to it (and it's important that Gene Hackman did as well). Williams in the 90s was a mega-star of a type that's not present in the current media environment (maybe Tom Cruise, but I personally think that's echo from his salad days). Even his flops made money on the back end in the video rental market, which also doesn't exist anymore (streaming is different). Hackman was on the other side of his A-list career but still Hollywood nobility if not full royalty.

Playing gay was considered career suicide in the 90s. There had been a number of actors who put lie to that belief stretching back decades, but this was Williams and Hackman (yes, being on screen next to a gay character was enough to get you blacklisted) saying "screw that" and doing it anyway.

Being gay and out was career suicide in the 90s.

Nathan Lane had a really nice gig going for himself. The Lion King put him into the Disney rep company with people like Williams, Bette Midler, and Whoopie Goldberg (check their IMBD list from the 90s--they were making bank at Disney).

Lane didn't come out until several years later (nice summary: https://deadline.com/2024/06/nathan-lane-robin-williams-advice-coming-out-birdcage-1235975010/).

I don't want to imply that this was a Sorkinized moment where everything changed because of one thing, but this was a very important movie that caused real movement in the needle on queer acceptance.

There's a great story about Williams covering for Lane in a Oprah interview.

Lane, who wasn't a well known face because he was known for his work on the Lion King, was working on another production and The Birdcage team asked for the play to be postponed so Lane could perform in the movie. Which helped convince a very hesitant Lane.

It was kinda Mike Nichols' comeback film after he made Day of the Dolphin in 1973. If you're not familiar with this spectacular flop: a man accidentally teaches a dolphin to kill the american president.

A co-author of the original French farce had the life goal of becoming a clown.