Other gay-themed movies

[iristarr]

Oh my, I must be "passing."  Didn't mean to trespass here, but was lured by the discussions of gay-themed movies, in which I am very interested.  I'm just an old Brokeback broad with an insatiable curiousity and a fondness for gay men. BBM movie just brought up such powerful emotions for me that I've been following the threads wherever they may lead me.

[rightstar]

Maurice is a really sweet but totally unbelievable movie. More like a fantasy, I think. But I still like it a lot.
And Gods and Monsters (since Sir Ian is criticising Jake these days it came to mind) I think Brendan Frasier gets some points for bravery and acting outside the envelope. Also, it has just about the perfect last scene.
Wonder Boys has Robert Downey JR and Spiderman sharing a bed and in a very casual, no big deal way that makes me smile. Its a good movie, but not really a gay flick.
And there's always the first cowboy flick that reduced me to a sobbing pile of jelly in the theatre--Midnite Cowboy. Until BBM it was the only one that devastated me like that. I haven't seen it since it came out, so who knows if it would still hold up?

[Impish]

Sir Ian is criticising Jake these days it came to mind)

Really?!?  I'm unaware of that.  What's going on?

[Impish]

I'm looking forward to seeing this romantic comedy opening today in some cities (but alas, not in mine).

I just read an article in The Advocate interviewing the two leads, Craig Chester and Malcolm Gets, who are both that very rare animal: openly gay actors.

Good or bad, "Adam and Steve" will be the first U.S. mainstream release featuring openly gay actors playing gay romantic leads.   

The NY Times just panned the movie, but I never pay much attention to reviews until after I've seen a film.  I hope it will be as charming and light-hearted as the article in The Advocate said it is.

[rightstar]

I didn't think it was a big deal: Sir Ian said Jake was protesting too much about the rigors of having to kiss a guy. McKellen of course is openly gay, and goes on to say something about how HE could claim kissing Helen Mirren was the most difficult thing he ever did but doesn't say so.  I think you can find the piece by checking out Towleroad.com.

[rightstar]

And yet another one from the past resurfaced recently: Sunday Bloody Sunday. It had Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch sharing (and knowing about each sharing) the very attractive Murray Head. Finch has a moving final scene and the movie has lots and lots of memorable lines.
I think it was just about the first film to treat a gay relationship as something serious and of equal value to a non-gay relationship. I'd like to watch it again..

[JCinNYC2006]

Two more I just remembered: Love...Valor...Compassion, which I didn't flip over but my partner loved,
and a Cuban film called Strawberry and Chocolate that was quite good, I think.
there was also an old British film with a very young Dirk Bogarde playing a gay guy being blackmailed. Maybe in the 50s? Anyone know it?

Strawberries and Chocolate was pretty good.  Interesting to see movies from Latin American countries about straight/gay male relationships where the gay man is more traditionally flamboyant (like with Kiss of the Spiderwoman, which I liked a lot less).  There are a bunch of Spanish language, gay themed films that I collected that are worth checking out.

The British movie you're talking about is called Victim, I loved it.  Dirk Bogarde is a married lawyer who some blackmailers threaten, and it's kind of a first because he chooses to fight back although it means declaring his sexuality more publicly.  Sylvia Sims, I think, is his wife, and she's great also in how the wife reacts to his sexuality and stands by him.  Really worth checking out.

Juan

[Impish]

Just watched Priscilla, Queen of the Desert for the first time since I saw it in theatres.  Back then, the only actor I knew was Terence Stamp.

So imagine my delight when I realized that I now know both of the other two:  Hugo Weaving (Matrix, Lord of the Rings) and Guy Pearce (Memento).  I don't usually go for feminine men, but Pearce's performance as the youngest drag queen was a real turn on for me...  so yummy!

I've never heard of "Victim," but have found it's available on DVD and will definitely be added my collection in due course, for it's historical significance (released in 1962).

I've always meant to see "Strawberries and Chocolates," but have gotten around to it yet.

[Shuggy]

Reading the play of "Tea and Sympathy" in 1967 was a profound experience for me, even though it copped out at the end with the housemistress "curing" Tom's gayness/proving him strait.

The 1956 film was a double copout, with an epilogue added to ensure we all knew adultery was wrong. In the style of the time, it never referred directly to sexuality, using "red-blooded" for strait, "weak" for gay.

Young John Kerr was very cute. He went on to play (swoon!) Joe Cable in South Pacific 1958 and then according to one source he left movies to become a lawyer - good on him! - but IMDb lists him in a lot of TV episodes until 1986.

[Impish]

Saw the movie "Bent" last night, for the first time.

Very powerful stuff, quite depressing story, but I'm glad there's a movie out there to remind people that Nazi's terrorized gay people too.

Clive Owen is so hot...  and there's a brief scene near the beginning when he's getting poked at a party/orgy.  What struck me about that scene is that his character is enjoying it so much.  Rare to find a film in which being the catcher isn't presented as painful at all. 

Sorry for the heresy, but that's a mistake in BBM too.  Jack is grimacing too much in that first scene.  Yes, it was rough and yes, they didn't have any lubricant other than slick and spit.  But he was willing and able and wanted more, so I wish Lee had shown him enjoying himself more.