Tag: LGBTQ+ Cinema

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Punch (2022)

2024 Entry #39 04-12-24 “Punch” is a New Zealand gay sports drama film written and directed by Welby Ings (“Sparrow”, “Boy”). The story follows the central character Jim (Jordan Oosterhof), a highschool student and aspiring boxer whose former professional boxing father Stan (Tim Roth) is now an alcoholic whose health is fading. Jim befriends Whetu (Conan Hayes), an openly gay Maori boy who is an aspiring singer. The two face multiple hardships, some of them quite shocking, before a not completely satisfying ending.

I enjoyed most of this film. Though it was clearly a drama, I was a bit surprised by some of the serious events which were depicted, but it managed to keep a mostly positive outlook… which, I’m sorry to say, seems to have hurt the ending of the film, which seems rushed and nonsensical. I suppose this ending could have worked if the film took the time to set it up but there are a dozen details that are just wrong. For example, it appears that Jim is editing a video for Whetu during this finale (which he suggested earlier in the film was something he’d love to do for Whetu), but it’s made up of footage in which Whetu was alone – and SPOILER – just before the character was viciously gang raped. So tacking that on to a “happy ending” felt completely tone deaf. Perhaps they meant to imply that they recreated that time together for some kind of healing through Whetu’s art, but that doesn’t seem to make sense either, as Whetu leaves town to become a singer without saying goodbye to Jim – and openly kisses another guy during the concert at the end, which is played over Jim editing the video. It sucks, because as dark as the subject matter gets at times, this movie gets more right than it does wrong…so seeing it fall apart at the end like this is a bit frustrating. Any example I could have listed here would have been an unfortunate misstep if it were the only one, but combined they topple the film which had been running aggressively forward to the promised finish line just a half hour before.

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Chaperone (2022)

2024 Entry #38 04-12-24 “Chaperone” is 16 minute 2022 short film which was written and directed by Sam Max which stars Russell Kahn & openly gay actor Zachary Quinto (“Six Feet Under”, “Star Trek”, “American Horror Story: Murder House”, “American Horror Story: Asylum”, “Star Trek Into Darkness”, “I Am Michael”, “Star Trek Beyond”, “Hannibal”, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Big Mouth”, “The Boys in the Band”, “American Horror Story: NYC”, “Down Low”). The story concerns Zachary Quinto’s mysterious chaperone who picks up his client (Kahn), accepts his money and after checking to see if the client has followed his instructions, takes him to an out of the way house where the client does drugs, has sex with the chaperone (via a toy) and when ready, is taken into the countryside where he takes a pill which seemingly fulfills its intended purpose and kills him. The chaperone covers everything up. The audience is not privy to why the young man wanted to die or why he went to such great lengths to do so. And the thoughts and feelings of the chaperone are suggested but remain a mystery.

Interesting, dark and well made. This is the kind of short that usually has a slew of comments from gay men who are pissed that it was included in a collection of gay shorts (“Boys On Film 23”) – the same ones that tend to rant about any inclusion of HIV related stories. Yet the tale being told is definitely queer. I like variety so I was pleased. And though I doubt I’ll ever watch this again, it was entertaining & creepy – and I like both.

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Eden (2020)

2024 Entry #37 04-12-24 “Eden” is a 17 minute nearly silent 2020 short film which was written and directed by Sven Spur (“Tom and Niel”, “Hot Water”, “Follow Me”, “Burn”). The film follows a central character played by Mustaf Ahmeti, who is credited as “Wolf” in the film, though this name is never said. He spends time hooking up with several men in several different places.

I thought this was a bit disappointing. I had seen the poster before seeing the film and though it was obviously sexy, I had thought it rather evocative of several possible avenues for exploration, but it ended up being mainly just some sex scenes strewn together – which may have well been the point, but it is a point that may have been achieved various other ways which I would have found far more interesting. As it stands, I like the poster far more than I like the film, which isn’t good.

This short is available in the 2023 gay short film collection “Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know”.

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Budapest, Closed City (2021)

2024 Entry #36 04-12-24 “Budapest, Closed City” is a 13 minute 2021 Hungarian short film which was written and directed by Máté Konkol. The story concerns Péter (Péter Dániel Katona) as he takes his British friend Adam (Adam Wadsworth) on a personal but political tour around Budapest. After getting drunk in an underground club, Adam kisses Peter but things don’t go as expected.

This was fine. It’s not great. It’s not horrible. Some of the activity was reminiscent of the short “No Strings” which I watched just days ago…and this film suffered by that comparison, because this one feels far more staged and much less natural – though I’m sure they were both staged. Lol There was nothing for me to get lost in here. Perhaps if it had been a longer film.

This short is available in the 2023 gay short film collection “Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know”.

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“My Uncle’s Friend” / “O Amigo Do Meu Tio” (2021)

2024 Entry #35 04-12-24 “My Uncle’s Friend” (aka “O Amigo Do Meu Tio”) a heartbreaking and deeply personal 9 minute short 2021 documentary which was written and directed by Renato Turnes and stars Vicente Concilo as himself as he narrates imagery from old videos his father recorded between 1987 & 1993.

I wasn’t expecting this to be quite so affecting, so unabashedly honest and thoughtful. This is a really excellent piece about a child who was gay and what he felt and thought with much of it documented on camera. This is powerful stuff.

This short is available in the 2023 gay short film collection “Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know”.

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The Slaughter Rule (2002)

2024 Entry #34 04-11-24 “The Slaughter Rule” is a 2002 American coming of age sports film written and directed by brothers Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith. The Montanna set story mainly explores the relationship between straight small-town high school football player Roy Chutney (Ryan Gosling), and his troubled coach (David Morse), a seemingly queer character with layers of complexity, who has been both inspired and nearly destroyed by the harsh reality depicted within the confines of the film.

Another one I’ve owned for over 20 years, but which I’d never seen until today. This is not an easy film to watch at times. And it could be argued that it’s not a queer film at all, but I think that’s too simple a conclusion. It can be frustrating how much is or is not said in this film, and while it was praised for several aspects, the script was often criticized. It’s a bleak existence, this one, and if this were all the representation we had in the world, this would be more of a problem than it is. Still, this isn’t the happy-go-lucky flick most of you seem to be looking for and it’s definitely not romantic.

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No Strings (2015)

2024 Entry #33 04-11-24 “No Strings” is a 22 minute 2015 dramatic short film which was written and directed by Eoin Maher (“Thirst”). It’s available in the 2021 collection “The Male Gaze: Hide and Seek”.

The story follows a “no strings” hookup in London between Sean (Aaron Cini), an outgoing Irish man who is stranded with hookup Bryn (Richard Hay), an emotionally reclusive Welshman. I enjoyed most of this. There were a couple of moments that didn’t quite land but overall there were some nice surprises in here that were appreciated. It felt like time well spent, even if it wouldn’t make my top short list.

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Elena Undone (2010)

2024 Entry #32 04-09-24 “Elena Undone” is a 2010 romantic lesbian drama film which was written and directed by openly lesbian creative Nicole Conn (“Claire of the Moon”, “Little Man” & “More Beautiful for Having Been Broken”), loosely based on her romance with filmmaker Marina Rice Bader. The title character, Elena Winters (Necar Zadegan), is married to a cis male pastor named Barry (Gary Weeks), and they have a son named Nash (Connor Kramme). Elena crosses paths with Peyton Lombard (Traci Dinwiddie) and the two connect so intensely that it breaks Elena out of the malaise of her existence and embarks on a happier, more honest life.

I liked a big chunk of this movie; the part that plays at being a serious drama with the best of intentions but feels more like something you’d find buried in the back of the video store. But I disliked a lot of it as well, which mostly had to do with the chosen structure. The narrator, Tyler (played by the openly gay Sam Harris), has this new-agey, “two flames” or “twin flames” mentality that permeates the film and makes it all seem sillier at times than it needs to be. He has a series of interviews between happy couples throughout the film, including one between a pair who both have Dissociative Identity Disorder, and only one personality of either likes the other person’s specific personality. It was bizarre and could have worked for comedy if the rest of the movie had been funnier…and maybe it was meant to be? But I wasn’t laughing. And the sex scenes, which were kind of the point, were also repetitive and uninspired, which is a shame. Another repetitive element was the unending music, none of which I enjoyed overly much. Also… there’s a very odd pregnancy storyline at the end of the movie which seemed to contradict nearly everything that came before it and which felt like an attempt at a creative shortcut rather than anything making any kind of actual sense. So there’s that.

The leads are attractive but the acting is pretty wooden across the board, yet sometimes you want a cheesy, poorly acted lesbian romance movie – or at least I do. Indeed, the director’s first film, “Claire of the Moon” is just such a move (it’s actually kind of awful) but I adore it! I have music from it on my Amazon Playlist. Basically, if you saw this movie and you loved it or you were inspired by it (like the baby gay who recommended it to me), I’m not knocking it. We all have our little favorites. But I’ll likely stick to my own cheesy Nicole Conn lesbian romance movie in future! Lol

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Just Say Love (2009)

2024 Entry #31 02-12-24 “Just Say Love” is 2009 romantic drama film which was co-written by David J. Mauriello (based on his play); directing & starring co-writer Bill Humphreys. It’s essentially a filmed version of the play in which Guy (Matthew Jaeger) & Doug (Robert Mammana) meet and begin a sexual relationship that grows into much more.

So, I watched this months ago (I’m writing this in April) and I remember enjoying it. I had owned it for many years but never seen it. I was surprised to see the way it was filmed and its artificial setting. The performances were pretty good and I was entertained. I would have known it was a play even if it had been produced more like a film; there’s something about the dialogue. I often know when a film is based on a play, or I at least suspect it, based on the dialogue. I also remember not feeling like all of the dialogue works, unfortunately. It’s definitely trying to make a point and it’s a valiant attempt but I just don’t think it resonates with the power that it is obviously meant to, and that discrepancy hurt my reaction to it, even if I enjoyed the piece overall. If you really like plays, this is worth checking out, but I can’t totally recommend it either.

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Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977)

2024 Entry #029 01-21-24“Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives” is a 1977 documentary film featuring interviews with 26 gay men and women. It was directed by six people collectively known as the Mariposa Film Group. Peter Adair conceived and produced the film, and was one of the directors. The film premiered in November 1977 at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and went into limited national release in 1978. It also aired on many PBS stations in 1978.

I’ve had this documentary for a couple of years but I finally got around to watching it and I found it quite moving. To hear an interesting variety of queer voices from the 1970s, I was again reminded of how things might have been had AIDS halted our progress for so many years. Many of the people here seem to have come to happy places in their lives, but many of them were ridiculed along the way, ostracized and / or in many instances, tortured for living honestly. To their credit, they survived and that this work allows them to be heard by all of us now…by me, is incredibly satisfying and emotional. I was 3 years old when this was released.

Highly recommended.

In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

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