Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press

The last film I saw in a theater? Ulrike Ottinger’s Freak Orlando at the Metrograph, March 14, 2020. Then there’s her version of the Dorian Gray story. This 1984 film starring supermodel Veruschka von Lehndorff as Dorian took gender play, painterly cinematic visualization and mass media critique to whole new levels and still packs a punch. In fact, we all live in the internet version of the Press Ball scene today. Watch the film to see what I mean. You can order a DVD directly from Ottinger’s website.