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Synopsis: Burned by a cheating boyfriend (and some mild chlamydia), Adam (Nathan Mohebbi), a heartbroken pushover, turns to a mysterious Magic 8 Ball for the answers. But as he starts giving into his impulses, he risks his hurt turning into hate-and losing all control. 🤣
Cast: Nathan Mohebbi, Matthew Bridges, Chris Boudreaux, Robin Thorsen, Mayank Bhatter, Michelle Bernard, David Danipour, Laura Hartley.
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Synopsis: Lonely teenager Marc is secretly in love with Olaf, the cool boy-next-door. He dreams about a relationship with him, and when the two go camping, this dream seems to become reality for Marc, until he discovers a secret that destroys all his hope.
Cast
Frederik Stuut - Marc
Daniel Brak - Olaf
Henny Renes - Marc's Dad
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Boy Meets Boy, is the feature-length film debut of director Daniel Sánchez López. It will be premiering at this year’s BFI Flare, London’s LGBTQI+ film festival.
Set in Berlin over the course of a day, it follows Harry (Matthew James Morrison), a British doctor who has come for a weekend of sex and hedonism, and Johannes (Alexis Koutsoulis), a dancer and Berlin native.
After meeting in a club and sharing some kisses on the dancefloor, Harry, who has spent his time abroad hooking up with strangers and partying non-stop, realizes he needs to print his boarding pass in order to fly back to the UK that evening. Johannes volunteers to help him, as well as give him a last-minute guided tour of Berlin. Still high from their party drugs, they set off together. More about the film and its director here.
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Poppy Fieldfollows the struggle of a young Romanian gendarme (police officer), Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), who tries to find the balance between two apparently opposing parts of his identity: that of a man working in a macho hierarchical environment and that of a closeted gay person who tries to keep his personal life a secret.
While his long-distance French boyfriend, Hadi (Radouan Leflahi), is visiting him, Cristi is called in for an intervention at a movie theatre, where an ultra-nationalist, homophobic group has interrupted the screening of a queer film. After one of the protesters threatens to out him, Cristi spirals out of control.
Director: Eugen Jebeleanu
Writer: Ioana Moraru
Cast: Conrad Mericoffer, Radouan Leflahi, Alexandru Potocean, George Pistereanu
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Synopsis: A night in a sauna turns into a fight for survival. Two men must overcome prejudice and join forces in taking down a horde of towel-wearing zombies. Who will live to see the dawn...?
Cast: Tom Frederic, Kumar Muniandy, Jonathan Pryke, Dannie Pye, Cristian Sgualdini-Curran, Marcelo Lourenco, Ryan Anthony, Neil Summerville, Anthony Chisholm, James Killeen, George Johnston
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International Gay Cinema: 25 LGBTQ Movies To See From Around The World American movies and TV are making major strides in LGBTQ representation, but storytellers abroad are in many ways ahead of the curve, exploring sexuality and relationships with groundbreaking technique, and in ways often coded and ahead of their time. From Fassbinder to Pasolini and Sciamma, here are some of the best gay movies from the global arthouse, often bracing in how they freely bust taboos.
Movie: Brokeback Mountain
On This Gay Day: Ang Lee Receives Best Director Oscar For ‘Brokeback Mountain’ The film had been nominated for 8 awards including Best Picture, Best Actor for Heath Ledger, Best Supporting Actor by Jake Gyllenhaal, and Best Supporting Actress for Michelle Williams. The film is based on a short story by author E. Annie Proulx which was published in 1997. It's the love story of two closeted cowboys spending time together tending cattle and their subsequent lives. When the film came out in late 2005 it was a huge commercial and critical success. The film sparked discussion about whether the characters should be described as straight, gay or bisexual. In an interview with Details magazine Gyllenhaal said he considered the characters to be two straight men who fell in love.
Movie: The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
Film Review: ‘The Obituary of Tunde Johnson’ Combines Black Lives Matter Themes With The Evolving Time Loop Genre Ali LeRoi’s new film has a tightrope walk of a premise. Tunde, a gay African American teenager, is trapped in a time loop that always ends with him dying at the hands of the police. It’s a tricky balance, combining this popcorn movie conceit with a serious social issue, but the film mostly pulls it off. It’s anchored by a strong performance from Steven Silver, an up-and-coming actor from Netflix’s ‘13 Reasons Why’. As Tunde, Silver commits entirely as the narrative moves from high school soap opera to forbidden love story to coming-out drama to police brutality suspense to sci-fi mystery.
WATCH: 'The Obituary of Tunde Johnson' Trailer
Movie: The Man with the Answers
Synopsis: A former Greek diving champion and an eccentric German student take an adventurous road-trip of rediscovery from Bari to Bavaria. Directed by Stelios Kammitsis. Starring: Vasilis Magouliotis, Anton Weil and Stella Fyrogeni.
WATCH: 'The Man with the Answers' Trailer
Movie: Pritty
'Pritty' Is the Animated Queer Coming-of-Age Film We Need in Our Lives Directed by poet and filmmaker Terrance Daye and based on the novel of the same name by author and collaborator Keith F. Miller, Jr., Pritty: The Animation tells the story of a teenager named Jay who is trying new things, stepping out of his familiar, safe, comfort zone, and learning to swim with the help of a handsome new friend named Justin.
MOVIE: Braking for Whales
Synopsis: A dysfunctional gay brother(Tom Felton) and sister (Tammin Sursok) are forced to come to terms with each other and themselves over their recently deceased mother's final wish. Directed by Sean McEwen.
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The docudrama "Beefcake" is an entertaining homage to muscle magazines that were popular from the 1940's to the 1960's. Athletic Model Guild and Physique Pictorial magazine provided not only eye-candy but a way to explore inner desires for millions of gay and bisexual men at a time when homosexuality was illegal and considered a mental illness.
The film stars Daniel MacIvor, Carroll Godsman, Jack Griffin Mazieka, Jonathan Torrens, and Joshua Peace in sexy, humorous recreations of photo shoots and life at the Athletic Model Guild. The 1999 film was directed by Thom Fitzgerald and features interviews with the real-life models (Jack LaLanne, Joe Dallesandro etc) and photographers whose work actually appeared in the those early magazines.
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Claire, a young woman working at a coffee shop, discovers her soulmate is nearby when her wrist implant chip lights up!
"Bliss Is Orange" was directed by Jenna Kanell and written by Samantha Weissert. The film has nice performances and is light-hearted but does come with a twist at the end. Enjoy!
Cast:
Victoria Ealy as Claire
Jade Fernandez as April
Agnes Mayasari as Lucy
Jason "Blue" Williams as Henry
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What better way to end Black History Month than a celebration (via TCM) of song and dance from Hollywood's most iconic Black performers of the 1940s-1950s. None of the great stars in this video were openly gay or lesbian back in those days almost everyone was in the closet but a few were known to be "in the life".
It's been said many times that all the great show singers were gay or bisexual:
Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, Josephine Baker, all of them. The men in their professional lives, such as producers, were sexually demanding but showed no tenderness, and the showgirls roomed together. They risked being mocked as “bulldaggers,” but lesbianism was so common in that era it was almost accepted: for gay men, it was far, far worse.
As we dig through the historical archives it's important to embrace our queer kin but respect that many, if they were alive today, still might not identify as LGBTQ because of the rigid values thrusted upon them by a very judgmental society. Enjoy the video below!
The performers featured in this compilation clip are:
Pearl Bailey, Max Roach, Lena Horne, Hazel Scott, Josephine Baker, Fats Waller, Zutty Singleton, Ella Fitzgerald, John W. Bubbles, Louis Armstrong, Bill Robinson, Ethel Waters, Dorothy Dandridge, Nicholas Brothers.
The Movies Featured Are:
Siren of the Tropics (1927)
I Dood It (1943)
Stormy Weather (1943)
Cabin In The Sky (1943)
Words & Music (1948)
High Society (1954)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)
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I enjoy documentaries about talented figures lost to history. Actor-writer Clarence Muse is one such remarkable fellow.
TCM has a great docu-video (see below) where they cover much of his career. "With more than 150 credits to his name, Clarence Muse left behind an extensive and impressive body of work in Hollywood and in independent pictures. He made history with his leading role in the first all-Black talkie, Hearts in Dixie (1929). Nevertheless, being a Black man in Hollywood meant that his talents were relegated to miniscule, often uncredited roles as servants, porters, butlers and chauffeurs."
As far as I know, Clarence Muse was not part of the LGBT family, but he did make Hollywood history by co-writing the screenplay of "Way Down South" with gay poet Langston Hughes. It was a first, two Black male writers getting co-screenplay credit. In 1939!
You can enjoy Way Down South on YouTube.
WATCH: Clarence Muse - A History Making, Unsung Talent
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Shot in Southern Ontario (Canada) by writer-director Joshua Chislett this reflective short film about the meeting of two young men under strange circumstances slowly pulls you in.
Chislett shares the making of the movie was "a personal and experimental piece made with practically zero budget and almost no crew over a few days." He adds, "I wanted to make this feel like watching a fleeting memory from a young gay man's past as he recalls his first love. My hope was to make a film with almost no dialogue to see if we can share a quiet experience with these two as if we are watching from a distance, observing this small piece of the world they live in." The movie stars Jack Parsons and Shawn Vincent. Check it out below!
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Folks took to social media to speculate about the relationship between Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and his best friend Alberto (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) in the newly released trailer for the animated film, "Luca".
The two boys are seen having a beautiful summer in Italy but have to keep a really BIG secret! Are they gay? No, they’re sea creatures!
Hiding your true self is relatable to queer kids and even adults. I can see why many people might view the film "Luca" as an allegory about the LGBTQ experience.
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Finding a good gay movie to watch on a Saturday night can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But they do exist! Many good films are a mirror to ourselves and society. Queer cinema at its best can help us see the world in a totally different way. Also, there are bad films that shed a light on the queer experience.
Shayna Maci Warner writes: "Is there anything funnier than watching an interview of two presumably straight actresses discussing the soul-searchingly difficult but always enlightening work of filming a lesbian love scene? And why is there an assumption that all lesbian-themed films pre-Carol are actually terrible?"
Begrudgingly, we learn from not-so-great movies as well. Read Shayna's article The Terrible Lesbian Movies That Taught Me How to Be Queer.
Does anyone remember country singer Johnny Lee's 1980 hit, Lookin' for Love (In All The Wrong Places)?. I'm at that place with queer folk (me included) when it comes to Hollywood and LGBTQ representation. At times I feel like Hollywood just doesn't want me as an audience. Or to paraphrase the saying, 'they're just not into me.' So many in our community crave representation and I get it. Films are a powerful medium to tell stories and can have a genuine lasting impact on a person. The first time I saw the love affair between Omar and Johnny in My Beautiful Laundrette I was transfixed. In a movie theatre on the big screen there were two handsome gay lads happily in love in a film with a happy ending. I wanted more.
Now, the quest to have the first gay superhero movie is on! It may come as a surprise to fans of the whole superhero film genre but to comic book connoisseurs the source material for Marvel and DC films has been full of LGBTQ superheroes for years.
Christopher Davis writes:
"To LGBTQ children, and even adults, seeing a superhero that is confident in their queer identity save the day makes a world of difference as the begrudging evils of homophobia and transphobia continue to permeate society from microaggressions to violent hate. For Marvel or DC to provide space for an LGBTQ superhero in their all-star lineup would validate the queer experience and signal the progress global society and Hollywood have made in uplifting communities considered too “impure’ for film screens less than a century ago."
Which studio will have the super-balls to do it? Time will tell.
When I was a young gay man I mainly watched queer movies featuring hot guys. I didn't care if the actor playing gay was gay in real life or not. Now, I want films to have a good story with solid acting and preferably the lead roles being played by out LGBTQ people, because visibility matters. I also find that I enjoy films about lesbian, bi or trans relationships. Cosmo has a list of "The 9 Hottest LGBTQ Movies You Can Stream Right Now", are any of your favorites on this list?
Speaking of lesbian movies! Did you know there's a new digital streaming platform focused on content for queer women? It's called "Lesflicks" and it was launched by Naomi Bennett. Bennett says the women she knew were "desperately seeking more content about their communities" and that's when Bennett said she noticed the marketing was not working. "There was a disconnect between the films and the audience”. The platform is still in its infancy with 17 feature films, 85 short films, and 7 web series. "Lesflicks" relies on a dedicated team of volunteers to help it grow. I love seeing entrepreneurship in the LGBTQ community and to quote singers Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin, "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves".
Truth be told I'm bored with all the superhero movies coming out of Hollywood. I love seeing all the handsome hunk actors showing their muscles - don't get me wrong - but, seriously Hollywood we're begging for better films with better stories. Less CGI and more heart. Please. I was a bit surprised when I read that director Lee Daniels wants to do a "gay superhero movie". Well, at least that would be different. I hope he casts out actors though. It's the 21st Century and there are MORE than enough openly queer actors to hire. Don't give me that "we hired the right person for the role" or "their sexuality is none of our business" crap either. LGBTQ actors deserve to be at the table. Anyway, I digress. Back to Lee Daniels. His latest project is one I'm really looking forward to, "The US vs. Billie Holiday". The movie follows singer Billie Holiday during her career as she is "targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair". Apparently the film will include her relationships with both men and women. Daniels says, "(Holiday) was a woman who bucked the system and sang a song (Strange Fruit) about lynching after they told her not to — and she continued to do it.” He adds, “She kicked off the civil rights movement as we know it with that song.”
The United States vs. Billie Holiday features an excellent cast: Andra Day as Billie Holiday, Natasha Lyonne, Garrett Hedlund, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross and Trevante Rhodes of "Moonlight".
The film premieres February 26, 2021 on Hulu.
Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" live in 1959
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CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of self-harm and suicide, language.
Synopsis: Dave and Andrew reach a new level of closeness in their relationship when they share their personal experiences with self-harm. Inspired by true events, Vertical Lines explores the path from personal trauma in this intimate conversational piece.
Starring Kyle Reaume & Nick Neon Director: Kyle Reaume Written by: Kyle Reaume & Nick Neon
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Movie Review: New Campy Thriller, “X”
From filmmaker Scott J. Ramsey, "X" is a queer campy erotic thriller that kept me guessing. It might not be for everyone, but if you’re into weirdness and confusion, you’ll likely have a good time. "X" delivers a queer campy erotic thriller full of twists. More.
WATCH: Trailer for movie, "X".
20 Fantastic LGBTQ+ Film Festivals Around the Globe
What’s queerness without community? With the closure of bars, clubs, bookstores, community centers, gyms, and yes *winces* movie theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s quarantine orders, LGBTQ folk around the world are hurting. LGBTQ film festivals of all different affiliations and specializations, all across the world have had to adapt like everyone else. But that undaunted spirit of survival and inclusivity shines through with particular brilliance. Festival organizers ran the gamut from going fully virtual, to holding in-person and streaming events in tandem, to taking intentional hiatuses to focus on mutual aid and community development. Here are 20 of the best, brightest, and queerest film festivals around the globe to keep your eye on for 2021.
TV Critics Grill Execs Over Lack of LGBTQ Characters
“This is all well and good, but you had the same job during the very non-diverse period of Hallmark. Were you aware at that time of how non-diverse it was? When you look back now, are there some things where you think you should have done a better job at that time? And also, one thing to address in general, there was a period where a Black actor would be inserted in the cast, but would always just be the friend of the main character, would never be the prime character." More.
Bohemian Rhapsody Gay Kisses Blurred Out Because They'd Make Families 'Uncomfortable’
The South Korean broadcaster SBS came under fire for its decision to make edits to the 2018 drama, which starred Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. According to the Korean Herald, the Saturday evening broadcast made a number of edits to cut out scenes of men kissing, as well as using a manual blurring effect to obscure background shots where gay couples were visible. Incredibly, the broadcaster defended its conduct, dubiously suggesting that it would do the same thing to heterosexual kiss scenes. More.
"Jump, Darling" New Film About a Drag Queen and His Grandmother
Phil Connell’s debut film, "Jump, Darling" follows the story of an actor turned drag queen Russell (Thomas Duplessie), who finds himself returning to the Canadian countryside to live with his grandmother (Cloris Leachman). The LGBTQ drama will have its international premiere next month at the digital edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQ + Film Festival. The film stars the late Hollywood legend Cloris Leachman and will be seen online at the UK’s largest LGBTQ film festival, taking place digitally from March 17-28 this year. More.
WATCH: Trailer for film, "Jump, Darling"
Bayard Rustin Biopic Coming To Netflix
The biopic—titled Rustin—is a project being created under Michelle and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground production company. The film will chronicle the journey of the openly gay activist who hailed from Pennsylvania and his fight for racial justice and gay rights. Rustin was on the frontlines fighting against the segregated public transit system and was also jailed because of his sexuality. He was instrumental in organizing the March on Washington in 1963 where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. He served as an advisor for Dr. King during the 1950s and ‘60s. Rustin was posthumously awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama eight years ago. Rustin will be directed by George C. Wolfe, who served as the director for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Dustin Lance Black will serve as a writer and producer. More.
50 Essential LGBTQ Movies
LGBTQ films — from comedies to dramas, documentaries to cult classics, underground experimental work to studio blockbusters. It is nowhere near a comprehensive rundown of every great movie to feature out-and-proud heroes and villains, or a queer sensibility, or even just visible (and/or risible) examples of gay life in cinema; we could have easily made this list twice as long. Rather, consider this a primer that helps illustrate the relationship between queer culture and the silver screen. More.
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All is not what it appears to be in this funny short film. The two guys have a very interesting discussion which leads to the ultimate question, who's peeing? 😉
I'd always enjoyed watching female impersonator Charles Pierce perform his Bette Davis routine. Pierce had wit and good comedic timing (see him perform in a video at the end of this post). Imagine my surprise when I came across the entertaining video, The Battle of the Bette Davis Impersonators, from J. D. Doyle, the curator of Queer Music Heritage!
How did this Bette Davis compilation come about? Doyle says: "Over the years, many, MANY female impersonators have done impressions of Bette Davis, and this video slide show just scratches the surface, but with several of the best. I decided to string together several of these clips and make it a Battle of the Bette Davis Impersonators." I'm so glad Doyle put the compilation together.
Enjoy the videos!
The order in which you will hear each impersonator:
Arthur Blake, from "Curtain Time," 1957
TC Jones, from "Himself," 1959
Charles Pierce, from "Live at Bimbos," 1971
Ty Bennett, from "Queen for a Day," circa 1961
Jimmy James, from "The One & Many Voices of Jimmy James," 1999
Who do you think is the winner?
Also, if you've ever wondered why Bette Davis impersonators say the phrase "Peetah, give me the lettah" check out the last video below - it may have the answer to that pop culture mystery!
Visit Queer Music Heritage.
WATCH: The Battle of the Bette Davis Impersonators
WATCH: Charles Pierce as Bette Davis
Flashback Friday!
In this YouTube video from Ednay Arkspay we see Bette Davis on tour from the early 1980s, followed by an excerpt of the Skip E. Lowe television show "Looks At Hollywood" (1987) with guest Charles Pierce. Also, we'll see Pierce demonstrate how he applies makeup for his impersonation of Bette Davis. I hope you enjoy the video!
Actor Johnathon Schaech alleges that famed Italian director Franco Zeffirelli sexually assaulted him while asleep. In 1992, Schaech received a call to audition for the Zeffirelli film, Sparrow. It was during the making of this film that the alleged assault took place.
34 Public Displays of Affection That Straight People Take for Granted
How Does Your State Rate In Terms Of Statewide Laws For LGBTQ People?
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their annual State Equality Index (SEI), a comprehensive state-by-state report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families and placing states in one of four categories based on their pro- and anti-LGBTQ state laws. MORE
Dario
Pop Singer and Dance Artist Dario Talks About His Latest Album, Alpha, and His HIV Advocacy Work
When your last name is too long or too difficult to pronounce (think Madonna), you might just decide to skip it altogether and go only by your first name. It keeps things simple, and it really works, especially when you are a celebrity. Enter Dario, Billboard Top 40 pop singer and dance artist, and also a strong believer in doing one’s part and in the power of giving back to the community. MORE
Your Guide to the Three Billboards Backlash
Amid the hubbub over #TimesUp, Oprah’s speech, and James Franco elbowing Tommy Wiseau, you may not have noticed something else that happened at the Globes: With its four wins Sunday night, Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri not only became the Oscar front-runner, it was also officially inaugurated as this year’s La La Land, the movie whose awards success is seen as emblematic of America’s various ills. MORE
Straightsplaining and ‘No Homo’
“Oh, so because I’m straight I’m not allowed to have an opinion on [insert LGBT issue here]” Listen. MORE
Young Black Lesbian Found Murdered in Burning Car in D.C.
A lesbian found shot to death in the trunk of her car that someone set on fire in Southeast D.C. on Dec. 28 was friends with two other people shot to death on the same day, and detectives are looking into whether the three murders may be linked, according to D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. Police said the body of a woman they later identified as Kerrice Lewis, 23, a resident of Hyattsville, Md., was found about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, in the trunk of her burning Lexus in an alley in the 800 block of Adrian Place, S.E., near Fort Dupont Park. MORE
Trump Touts "Great Reviews," Says He's "Unlikely" To Grant Interview With Special Counsel Robert Mueller
Donald Trump, who claims he has no time to watch cable TV, says he got rave reviews for his "performance" yesterday during the televised 54-minute meeting with Congressional leaders. During the first cabinet meeting of 2018, Trump told the press the "reviews" were so good, he says he got "letters" from news anchors congratulating him on his "performance." Later, when asked about "letters" of praise, the White House released a list of links to video clips showing positive feedback on the bipartisan meeting. MORE
