Openly trans actor wants more portrayals
LOS ANGELES — The first openly transgender actor in the Marvel Universe says there needs to be more representation of his experience.
Zach Barack plays a classmate of Peter Parker’s in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” His gender identity is not addressed in the brief role.
Barack said that to him, superhero movies “always felt like a trans story because it’s talking about identity.”
“It’s about separating what people know about you and what they don’t,” Barack said at last week’s premiere of the film. “And I think that’s something I
In theaters this week
“Stuber”: Former (and future) Guardian of the Galaxy Dave Bautista plays a cop who’s lost his driver’s license and hires a meek Uber driver (Kumail Nanjiani) to help him pursue a killer. Comic mayhem ensues.
“Crawl”: During a nasty hurricane, a woman and her father are trapped in a flooded-out house by rising waters — and, because that’s not bad enough, very big and very, very mean alligators, in a horror movie that’s part “Jaws” and part Weather Channel storm chasers.
“Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable”: At 13, Bethany Hamilton lost an arm when she was attacked by a shark while surfing. Her inspirational story of returning to competition has spawned a couple of movies already, and in this follow-up documentary, she is back in pursuit of a big wave, while facing a bigger challenge – being a parent to a toddler.
Best off-the-grid picks
“Sunset Boulevard”: “I am big — it’s the pictures that got small.” It’s been forever that we’ve had a chance to see Billy kind of live with every day. And on top of that, I don’t see a lot of trans-masculine people on television or trans men specifically, and getting to be part of that is beyond unreal.”
The 23-year-old Chicago-area native, who also appeared in the TV series “L.A.’s Finest,” said there need to be more roles for trans people in all sorts of movies.
“The truth is you have to put out there what people want to see and what people need to see,” he said. “And as a young person who is trans, I didn’t see a trans man on TV ever, ever, really, until I was like, 17. So having a fun movie about a class going on a trip together, and I get to be part of that, I can’t even ... ” Wilder’s 1950 dark drama on the big screen, with Gloria Swanson as a faded movie star and William Holden as an ambitious screenwriter caught in her web. (It also co-stars Milwaukee native Nancy Olson, who like Holden and Swanson was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.) 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. $5. Info: avalon mke.com.
“Easy Rider”: Fifty years ago, a pair of Hollywood stoners got on their Harleys and changed Hollywood forever, and you get another chance to see it on the big screen. 4 p.m. Sunday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic and South Shore cinemas. $13. Info: marcustheatres. com.
“Fight Club”: The first rule about this 1999 movie is you don’t talk about it unless you’re seeing it on the big screen. 11 p.m. Friday at the Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave. $11, $9 for seniors and Milwaukee Film members. Info: mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre.
“That Night in Rio”: This 1941 mistaken-identity musical stars Don Ameche, Alice Faye and the improbable Carmen Miranda. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Charles Allis Art Museum, 1801 N. Prospect Ave.; free parking is available in a marked lot across Royale Place (see Allis for details). $7, $5 for students and seniors and free for museum members. Info: charlesallis.org.
The week’s free outdoor movies
“Some Like It Hot”: Many consider Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as jazz musicians in drag on the run from the 1920s mob (and on the run toward Marilyn Monroe) the best comedy movie ever. See for yourself at Paul’s Alley Cinema, at 170 S. Second St. 8:30 p.m. Friday. Info: Paul’s Alley Cinema Facebook page.
“Incredibles 2”: The superhero Parr family adjusts to role reversal and a new menace in this Pixar sequel. 7:15 p.m. Monday in Waukesha’s Monday Night at the Movies series in the Les Paul Performance Center at Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Ave. Info: waukesha-wi.gov. “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”: Everything’s not quite awesome in Brickworld, but Emmet can fix it, in the first movie in the Silverspot Summer Movie Series at The Corners of Brookfield, 20111 W. Blue Mound Road, at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. Info: thecornersof brookfield.com.
“Finding Dory”: Dory’s quest for her family in this “Finding Nemo” sequel is showing as a “dive-in” movie at the pool at dusk Monday in Elm Grove’s Village Park, 13600 Juneau Blvd. Info: elm grovewi.org.
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”: Humans and dragons unite, again, this time in Greendale’s Gazebo Park, 5798 Broad St., at dusk on Saturday. Info: giftofwingslanding.com/ movies.html.