Jobriath A.D. (2012)

Jobriath A.D.: Directed by Kieran Turner. With Jerry Brandt, Jayne County, Dennis Christopher, Joe Elliott. Called “The American Bowie,” “The True Fairy of Rock u0026 Roll” and “Hype of the Year,” Jobriath’s reign as the first openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, “Jobriath A.D.” spotlights his life, music, groundbreaking influence and the new generations of fans slowly re-discovering him.

“As a documentary, this is a satisfying journey back into a time, a person who attempted to gain fame but alas, it was not to be. This is most certainly a Valentine to Jobriath, but it reveals something quite unexpected: it lets us see exactly why Jobriath never made it. Time will apparently treat us kindly through the lens of blame as an antagonist is always good on film. And here, we have Jerry Brandt to blame. The film explores their relationship without condemning but certainly leaning towards revealing Jerry Brandt as the single person responsible for the demise of Mr. Salisbury and his goal of stardom. There have been many reviews suggesting that homophobia was partly to blame, but the truth is, a certain David Bowie was the forerunner of this androgynous kind of performer. And the world loved it. Elektra records spent a fortune promoting Jobriath, but there was one problem: no one was interested. And the irony is that in this documentary, we understand why: he wasnu0026#39;t very good. His songs were not particularly memorable and his performances, many included in this documentary, were also not great. If Jobriath was ahead of his time, it was more in a Cirque de Soleil fashion, then someone ready to crash the walls of rock and roll stardom. That said, this is a good documentary in its intimate look at a performer, especially in the relationship of mother and son. We get that Jerry Brandy was selfish promoter and still is, as in many ways he is the central figure in this drama, albeit for often all the wrong reasons.”