Bam Bam and Celeste

I saw this film at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco! The film was funny, campy and a great send-up of 80s high school life! The audience at The Castro Theatre hooted and hollered and cheered all the way through. The moment we first saw Margaret we ALL applauded. I laughed throughout the film along with everyone else. Bruce Daniels was fun and watched it with us. (He and the director did a Q&A after.) Great first feature... well directed and great pink car! I don't want to give any spoilers but if you want to see a silly, campy romp then check this film out when it plays in limited release later this fall. Spread the word and hopefully it will get bigger distribution!

I saw this film at Fusion 2005 in L.A., and I laughed from start to finish, as did the entire screening audience. Cho's turn as her mother is priceless. Jane Lynch as a lesbian survivalist and Danny Hoch as a neo-nazi clerk hopped up on sump'm are both hilarious. And the super-bitch played by Elaine Hendrix made my jaw drop at times with her racist rants...when my jaw was not busy laughing. What is funniest about the movie is its willingness to "go there" with stereotypes, queer or otherwise, and turn them on their respective ears. The plot is sort of like "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" in reverse, with a trip from nowheresville to NYC in the queerest car you've ever seen. What I have not seen reflected in any of the reviews of this film so far is that, at least at Fusion, EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING! So once it's out in theaters, grab your friends and go see it!

I LOVE this edgy flick and I'm here to tell you Celeste & Bambam is gonna be a CULT Classic. YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A FILM LIKE THIS BEFORE! The kinda wild combo of a funky Korean-American girl, Celeste Chun (MARGARET CHO) and hip, gay Black American guy, Bambam (BRUCE DANIELS) teams up to escape "in your face" white racism in the U.S. Midwest. While they work their way cross-country to overcome their past, Celeste tells Bambam "Someday people are gonna wanna hear what WE have to say!" Right on, Celeste! Then there's Margaret's spot-on interpretation of a goofy yet loving Mom, also played by HERSELF. "Who is this?" Mommy asks Celeste on the phone, "I'm sorry, I have to ask everyone for security reasons." There's so much going on in this film and there are more memorable lines & quirky characters. Brit actor ALAN CUMMING plays nice guy Eugene: "High school is the natural habitat of dictators," while JOHN CHO (Harold of "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") plays the host of a TV show called "TRADING FACES." I love JANE LYNCH, too, as "Darlene Dawson" - "Just a leeettle bit'a in-breedin'. Just-a touch." And later to Celeste: "I think you're even more beautiful-er in the mornin'." Darlene's the white "lesbian Lone Ranger" with a sweet heart of gold. Later Celeste has a run-in at a gas station where she tells off a racist store attendant calling her ALL kinds of names. "If you're gonna be racist, get a 'neo-Nazi to English' dictionary!" You go, Celeste! I'm not giving away anymore, but mark my words: CELESTE & BAMBAM IS a whole new Cult Classic. If you can handle it check out this flick. Thanks Margaret and Bruce!!

I had the chance to catch Bam Bam and Celeste at the Toronto Festival. C'MON!! This is a campy feel good hit and it should be. Whose expecting this to be an English Art film?!?!?!? Margaret Cho is beyond amazing playing her mother. WOW. Alan Cumming is completely endearing. Elaine Hendrix is so evil it's delicious. Butch Klein is ridiculously hot and crazy funny. And Jane Lynch makes me want to BE a lesbian. In fact even the one line cameos are worth a laugh. The movie moves at a quick pace and everyone walked out having a great time....and quoting lines the next day. Sure, there were things that some people didn't get, but that's why people rent cult movies over and over....so they finally get it.....I, for one, was happy to get away from the heavy overwrought drama's in the festival...(and the world, for that matter) and spend two hours with people who made me laugh. Thanks!

Horribly directed. I'm going to assume that this is why Margaret looked like she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag but even the director couldn't ruin her turns as her mother, which were the film's highlights.

Who told Daniels to talk like that? He had to raise his voice so people would believe he was a fag? Oh please. It's kind of insulting if you think about it.

I was really looking forward to Margaret's first narrative film but was so disappointed. I've read her books and have seen most of the concert films. I find it hard to believe she actually thought this was funny but supposedly, she wrote the script. Perhaps she should stick to stand up.