Stephen Frears’s landmark drama, My Beautiful Launderette was one of the four LGBT films released in 1985 that prompted Film Comment magazine to proclaim the arrival of the “Gay New Wave” (the others were Parting Glances, Desert Hearts and Dona Herlinda and Her Sons). Today marks the arrival of a brand new Blu-ray release of the film from the fabulous folks at the Criterion Collection. The Blu-ray includes a fresh new 2K digital transfer of the film and restored mono soundtrack plus conversations with director Frears and the film’s writer Hanif Kureishi.
Co-starring the hot young actor Daniel Day Lewis (in one if his earliest starring roles) as the white punk skinhead who falls in love with Pakistani laundry owner Gordon Warnecke, My Beautiful Launderette is a true gay classic that takes on homophobia and racism in Thatcher-era England and remains a favorite in the canon of LGBT cinema.
Thankfully Criterion landed on a cover design that incorporates the gay content of the film (Daniel Day Lewis licking Gordon Warnecke’s neck — on the right) as an update to the cheesy ’80s aesthetic of the original poster design (left) to appeal to contemporary audiences who will, hopefully, discover anew this wonderful romantic drama.
Billy Budd
It is a very good movie. I have always kept a dvd copy with me. Now I will get the blu ray too. My favorite scene is when the two couples make love simultaneously: Day-Lewis and the Pakistani boy, and his uncle and his female lover.
Kangol
Wow. I remember being in college and going to see this film. It was a landmark in many ways.
There were so many great gay and lesbian films in the 1980s through the early 1990s, they weren’t all coming out films, they dealt with a range of subjects and didn’t only focus on young, wealthy urbanites, and they showed that there were a range of options for how to create a life beyond mimicking straight people, especially during a very conservative era when the AIDS pandemic was raging and the backlash to the US Civil Rights movement was in full force.
I wish we could have a new LGBTIQ cinema that captured the richness of our lives today.
John Kuehnle
I’ve never seen it but plan to add to my Netflix account soon.
Billy Budd
@John Kuehnle: You must watch it, you must.
Ron Marshall
As an 80’s kid, this is one of the movies that helped me get through ð???
Transiteer
Saw it. Loved it. Still do. An epic work.
John Cardona
One of my all time faves.
mroffbeat
I Remember i secretly taped this movie (13y), i tried to deny it 🙂
Ronnie Faulds
A must see funny, poignant and a joy the start of DDLs brilliant career
Darrin Cartwright
My first boyfriend was from Pakistan. We probably watched this movie 100 times!
Alex Rothwell
Such a good movie !
John Adams
LGBT community, scary stuff in here about the way this ideology views homosexuality.
This is one of the most informative/disturbing videos you could ever watch concerning Islam, and it’s told by a well known American Muslim. Every freedom loving American had better educate themselves. Remember, the silent majority holds the largest voice. Spread the word, future generations depend on it.
http://youtu.be/4XUub1no1qw
Daggerman
..knew someone who went to school with Daniel Day Lewis, said he was ‘bi’ but you know you must act for the cameras–ie, in later life he’s so straight. I thought ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ was a good film though I got annoyed by the stupid twits around at the time who condemned it simply cause of the Gay sex content…
mjmarkic
Excellentent film , Daniel Day Lewis early on, excellent director: Steven Frears, with other excellent films to come. One of my long time favorites. Need to upgrade my collection with the BluRay edition. Don’t kn ow how anyone could not love this film.