Set in a rural California town, just north of Los Angeles, “Tiger Orange” (whose title comes from a paint color sold at the hardware store inherited by Chet after his father died) utilizes flashbacks to illustrate the ways the brothers differed as children. Abandoned by their mother when they were small and raised by their perpetually raging father, Chet and Todd are as different as brothers can be. Chet stayed behind after college to help his father with the store, while Todd got the hell out of town as fast as he could.
Chet, who lives alone in the cabin where he took care of his father until his death, has his safe and stable existence rocked by a pair of events. First, Brandon (Gregory Marcel), an old high school crush who has since come out as gay, returns to town to take care of his ailing mother. Second, tattooed and pierced Todd, who has basically been run out of L.A. following a series of unfavorable events, also returns to town, and wants to stay at the cabin with Chet.
As you might imagine, the set-up is rife with conflict. But what gives “Tiger Orange” its roar is the way that the astute and sensitive screenplay handles an array of situations, including the way gay people are able to coexist peacefully with straight folks in a suburban setting, as well as the portrayal of the complex sibling relationship that arises when both brothers are gay. Strano and Marcel are quite good, but it’s Valenti, who like fellow porn actor Sean Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan), proves there’s more to him than what we’ve already seen.
Oct. 18, 2014, noon, Gateway: In Dutch with subtitles, “Boys”(M-Appeal) aka “Jungens” is an insightful exploration of the first blush of young gay love. Teen track team mates Sieger (Gijs Blom) and Marc (Ko Zandvliet) have an immediate attraction as they train for a relay meet with fellow runners Step (Stijn Taverne) and Tom (Myron Wouts). A visit to a swimming hole cements things when the two kiss. Of course, Sieger tells Marc he’s not gay, in spite of not hesitating to kiss Marc back.
The boys’ home lives couldn’t be more different. Sieger and his older brother Eddy (Jonas Smulders), a former track star turned motorcycle-riding hoodlum, live with their widowed father. Eddy insists on riding a motorcycle, even though his father disapproves since the boys’ mother was killed in, you guessed it, a motorcycle accident. Marc, on the other hand, is an adoring older brother to his kid sister , and has a good relationship with his folks.
As Sieger and Marc’s relationship develops, and they can barely keep their hands off of each other, complications arise. There is Sieger’s possible interest in Jessica (Lotte Razoux Schultz), for example, and his obvious confusion about his feelings for Marc. However, a victory at an important track meet might be just the thing Sieger needs to face his demons.
Oct. 18, 2014, 2:30, Gateway: It’s no exaggeration to say that groundbreaking gay porn filmmaker Wakefield Poole had “many lives,” as is stated in the title of the doc “I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole” (Gorilla Factory) by Jim Tushinski (“That Man: Peter Berlin”). Separated into three acts, the doc features vintage interview footage (including Poole on the “David Susskind Show” in 1972) and current interviews with Poole, writer Felice Picano, artist Robert W. Richards, actress Jill O’Hara, Mary Rodger Guettel, poster artist David Edward Byrd (“Follies”), director Joe Gage, actress Georgina Spelvin, critic John F. Karr and others.
From his humble beginnings in Florida and North Carolina to the discovery of his artistic talents in music and dance, Poole was off to a good start. Getting a taste of fame after winning a series of amateur talent radio contests, Poole’s interests shifted to dance and choreography, precipitating a move to NYC and work on Broadway and television. He even found time to marry (and later divorce) actress Nancy Van Rijn.
Following a bitter Broadway-related lawsuit, two life-changing events occurred in Poole’s life. He started going to the baths, leading to a relationship with Peter Schneckenburger (aka Peter Fisk) and he became mesmerized by the power of looking through the lens of a camera. On Fire Island Pines in 1971, Poole began to channel “creativity into a new way of bringing it out.” It was there that he filmed the tastefully pornographic “Boys In The Sand,” starring Casey Donovan (aka Cal Culver), an all male film that attracted both gay and mainstream audiences.
Poole, who continued to make films with varying degrees of success throughout the seventies and eighties, added even more chapters to his life story. He relocated to San Francisco where he opened the renowned Hot Flash gallery/retail space, mingled with Harvey Milk, began a new relationship and became addicted to drugs. But, like a cat with multiple lives, Poole survived it all, re-emerging as a professional chef, cooking for the likes of Calvin Klein. Tushinski’s Poole documentary is well worth diving into for its wealth of fascinating and educational details.
Oct. 19, 2014, 7:00 p.m., Cinema Paradiso: One of the best comedies on the festival circuit, “Appropriate Behavior” (Parkville Pictures) begs the question, “Why can’t more lesbian comedies be this witty, smart and sexy?” Writer/director/actress Desiree Akhavan has made a queer film that, like Ira Sachs’ “Love Is Strange,” will appeal to audiences from every demographic.
“Appropriate Behavior” begins with a break-up. Shirin (Akhavan) and Maxine (Rebecca Henderson), victims of lesbian bed-death, among other things, have called it quits and Shirin is moving out. High on the list of other things is Shirin’s hesitance to come out to her Persian immigrant mother and father (Anh Duong and Hooman Majd, respectively). Making matters worse is that Shirin, who has a Masters Degree in journalism isn’t making much of her professional life while competitive and overachieving older brother Ali (Adrian Moayed) and his fiancée Layli (Justine Cotsonas) are taking the medical world by storm.
A Brooklyn hipster in training, Shirin finds another living situation with roommates and is hired by druggy Ken (Scott Adsit) to run an after-school filmmaking class for kids. Adding insult to injury, the kids are much younger than the inexperienced Shirin expected.
At the (broken) heart of all of it is that Shirin is far from being over Maxine. Through flashbacks, we see their relationship from its clever and comedic commencement to its ugly and cruel end. Beginning with discovering that they have a “hatred of things in common,” as well as being the “same kind of stoned person,” the pair deals with the “dating an immigrant experience,” “playing the Persian card,” and the (unexpected) fluidity of both women’s sexuality.
The writing is consistently hilarious and darkly sexy. The therapy session in the lingerie store and the post-break-up scene where the women run into each other (and their new lovers) owe a debt to Woody Allen. Coming off (and out) like an Iranian Sarah Silverman, Akhavan’s feature length film debut is a triumph, despite an open-ended finale that feels like a cop-out. But that’s really the only complaint.
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Oct. 11, 2014, 7:30 p.m., Gateway: Writer/director J.C. Calciano’s movies, including “Is It Just Me?” and “eCupid,” usually look great and have a cast of attractive male actors. His latest, “10 Year Plan” (Cinema 175), is no exception. Calciano’s previous films also tended to sacrifice substance for surface, and that’s where “10 Year Plan” differs from the rest.
Faithful (almost to a fault) to the rom-com formula (see “My Best Friend’s Wedding”), “10 Year Plan” operates on the premise of the pact made by gay best friends Myles (Jack Turner) and Brody (Michael Adam Hamilton) while in their mid-20s. Essentially, a contract is written up on a bar napkin that states if neither is in a committed relationship by their mid-30s, they will become a couple.
Of course, they couldn’t be more unalike if they tried. Big shot attorney Myles is an old-fashioned, gun-jumping romantic who has a habit of regularly scaring off potential suitors. All he wants is someone to settle down with – forever. Commitment-phobic police officer Brody lives in borderline squalor and is a popular confirmed bachelor on social media hook-up sites.
Realizing that nine years, 10 months and 29 days have passed since they struck their deal, Brody has to act fast to find a suitable mate for his BF. When Myles ends up meeting a guy named Hunter (Adam Bucci) online, Brody is unexpectedly jealous. Things get even more complicated when Brody discovers that Hunter isn’t being especially faithful to the smitten Myles. Then it’s only a matter of time until we reach the sweet, but predictable, finale.
If all of this sounds too familiar, it’s because we’ve heard and seen it before, including the sex-crazed co-workers, in this case portrayed by Teri Reeves (Diane) and Moronai Kanekoa (Richard). What makes “10 Year Plan” different, as it follows the fellows from flip-phones to iPhones, is that the writing and acting are a considerable improvement over previous Calciano efforts.
Oct. 11, 2014, 10:00 p.m., Cinema Paradiso: Directed by Andrew Putschoegl, “BFFs” could have descended into “gay as punchline” territory. However, the performances of the lead actresses (and screenwriters) Andrea Grano and Tara Karsian save it from being offensive.
Best friends Kat (Karsian) and Sam (Grano) have a history of unsatisfactory relationships with men. “Closed off” Kat sabotages hers while “attention whore” Sam resists settling down with just one man. Not only are both women aware of their shortcomings, but so are their friends and family. That’s why Kat’s mother Joan (Pat Carroll) gives her a “Closer to Closeness Weekend” couples retreat gift certificate for her birthday. Joan hopes Kat can patch things up with her ex-boyfriend Ray.
Of course, Kat has no interest in getting back together with Ray or attending the weekend getaway. Nevertheless, once Kat and Sam check out the brochure and see the possibilities for a few days of escape from their dreary situations, they decide to attend as a “lesbian couple.”
Once there, they meet Jacqueline (Sigrid Thornton) and Bob (Patrick O’Connor), the couple who run the couples’ haven, along with participants Suzie (Jenny O’Hara) and Ken (Richard Moll), Scott (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) and Chloe (Larisa Oleynik), David (Dan Gauthier) and Rebecca (Molly Hagan), and gay couple Jonah (Russell Sams) and JK (Sean Maher), all of whom have their reasons for participating. Following the intro session and dinner, there is a rap session where Rebecca and David have such a nasty fight that they decide to leave.
The remaining sessions, including one regarding trust, another involving communicating like animals, sharing without editing and a sexual personality workshop. It’s no surprise then that even though they aren’t taking it all that seriously, such intimacy leads the BFFs to question if they feel something for each other, and if so, how it will affect their friendship. All of this occurs even before the first kiss.
The humor, which occasionally borders on TV sitcom, is often worthy of laughing out loud. All of this is to the credit of Karsian and Grano who have a knack for making us laugh at them and ourselves at the same time.
Oct. 12, 2014, 2:00 p.m., Cinema Paradiso: Youthful, late 20s triad – emotional Mia (Michèle Fichtner), klutzy but hot and fit jock Lukas (Jakob Philipp Graf), the suicidal journal keeper and flirty but doomed photog Jonas (Holger Foest) – take a road trip at the end of Jonas’ life in the German film “More Than Friendship” (Beyond Pictures). In the end stages of pancreatic cancer, Jonas wants one last blow-out with the man and woman he loves.
Tasteful (read: nudity free), but suggestive enough to border on being softcore, the “more than just friends” trio are inseparable. Lukas records their exploits in detail in his diary and reads aloud from it when asked. It’s just one of the forms of entertainment during the trip to the countryside. They also ride bikes, swim, sit around a campfire and go to a museum where they get disapproving looks from patrons who see Jonas and Lukas kiss.
Mia wishes it would never end, but Jonas is in worse shape than he’s letting on. Realizing how close he is to death, Jonas even calls mother Vera (Gabrielle Scharnitzky), who also doesn’t understand the threesome’s relationship, to apologize. When an infection leads to hospitalization, Vera and Jonas’s father Peter (Andreas Külzer) arrive to be with him, alongside Lukas and Mia. But the discovery that Jonas has signed a patient’s will, stating that he wants no extraordinary measures, results in an unpleasant waiting room confrontation between the parents and the paramours.
Verging on being a promo for polyamory, “More Than Friendship,” stands out for being a switch from the usual switch-hitter story we’ve seen in straight films, where it’s usually of two women and a guy. The movie is worth seeing for that reason alone.
Oct. 12, 2014, 5:00 p.m., Gateway: In “Eat With Me,” Emma (Sharon Omi) is in a dead end marriage to Ray (Ken Narasaki). Ray is thoughtless, a loud snorer, and when he uses a wire cutter to cut off his too-tight wedding band, Emma has had enough. She packs a suitcase and shows up at the restaurant where her and Ray’s hot gay son Elliot (Teddy Chen Culver) is the cook and boss. The restaurant, serving average Chinese food, was left to Elliot by his late uncle and he feels obligated to keep it going, in spite of being six months behind on the mortgage.
Elliot makes room for Emma in his L.A. condo, but they have an oil and water relationship. Elliot claims to have a system to the clutter in his house, but neat-freak Emma can’t help but straighten up. Elliot cooks all day at the restaurant and prefers to dine out, at food trucks, for example, when he’s hungry. Emma likes the tacos they have at one such food truck, but can’t resist cooking him an incredible breakfast.
One taste of Emma’s cooking reminds Elliot of her taste-bud talents. But their relationship is still strained due to Emma’s inability to come to terms with Elliot being gay. Elliot’s busybody neighbor Maureen (Nicole Sullivan) attempts to help Emma be a better and more accepting mother. Meanwhile, Elliot, who has trouble maintaining a long-term relationship, meets musician Ian (Aidan Bristow). There is potential and spark, but Elliot’s insistence on proceeding with caution could jeopardize everything. Writer/direction David Au adds enough of his own ingredients (Emma’s accidental acid trip, words of wisdom from George Takei) to a fairly predictable recipe, making “Eat With Me” easy to digest.
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Robin Williams’ untimely, self-inflicted death was one of the most affecting celebrity tragedies to happen all year. Ironically, one of his most influential films, Dead Poet’s Society, shows how the social pressures at an elite prep school contributes to a student’s suicidal tendencies. That movie will be highlighted tonight at St. Petersburg’s weekly Music and Movie in the Park. The opening act will be Brazilian group Rio Bossa. Participants are invited to bring a picnic basket and enjoy the water view. 6:00 p.m. North Straub Park. Fifth Avenue NE and Bayshore Drive. St. Petersburg. 33701.
]]>“Such Good People,” a contemporary screwball comedy directed and produced by Stewart Wade, made its world premiere at the 2014 Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty” and Randy Harrison of “Queer As Folk” portray a gay couple who discover a secret room filled with cash while house-sitting for wealthy friends. When their friends die while out of the country doing missionary work to the children of Bhutan, the two characters want what everyone wants: success, family and a fabulous house in LA. But first they’ve got to work through many issues: greed, jealousy, real estate, sibling rivalry, greyhounds, labradoodles, porpoises, a million dollars and the aforementioned orphans of Bhutan. Thursday, August 28 @ 8 pm.
“Cupcakes,” co-written and directed by Israel’s Eytan Fox (”Walk on Water” and “Yossi & Jagger) is a hilarious parody of a Eurovision TV show. A group of friends in Tel Aviv get together to watch Universong, a TV show that awards prizes for the best original song. Yael is a former beauty queen/corporate lawyer; Dana is a stressed-out aide to a cabinet minister; Anat has a successful bakery but an unsuccessful marriage; Keren is a shy blogger; Efrat is a frustrated singer- songwriter; and Ofer is a nursery-school teacher who is upset that his boyfriend is still in the closet and won’t publicly acknowledge their romance. They are less than impressed by the official Israeli entry and spontaneously create and record their own song on a mobile phone. Little do they know, their performance is seen by the ‘UniverSong’ judges and soon they are reluctantly thrown into the spotlight as Israel’s next official entry. They embark on a flamboyant journey that brings about hilarious end results as they go head to head with the Russian entry in the ‘UniverSong’ final. “Cupcakes” has a feel-good soundtrack provided by Babydaddy from the Scissor Sisters, adding to this uplifting tale of music, friendship and romance. Thursday, September 18 @ 8 pm.
Thanks to HRC, the Community Partner for Tickets are $10 for Members, $12 for Non-Members and $7 for students with a valid ID on day of show.
The Ft. Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is committed to bringing the best in LGBT cinema to Fort Lauderdale and the Broward County community. The 6th Annual Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival will take place Friday October 10 through Sunday October 12 and Thursday October 16 through Sunday October 19, 2014.The Classic Gateway Theatre is located at 1820 E Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.
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She then proceeds to drive around town, observing human behavior. What she’s really there for is to pick up single men with no families, bring them to her place and lure them into a black pool where they are transformed into a kind of extra-terrestrial sustenance.
She also keeps herself busy witnessing a seaside drowning, trying to eat human food (layer cake is a definite “no”), and burning up as much fossil fuel as she can. However, an encounter with a disfigured man has an unexpected impact on her. To her dismay, she also finds herself being transformed, becoming, dare it be said, human. When she finally does have sex, Homo sapien-style, it doesn’t go that well.
Occasionally, visually interesting, the special effects, what little there are of them, are cool enough to make us want to see more. Mostly, they are listless and mannered, an excuse for some to see Johansson in various states of undress. DVD special features include a “making of” featurette.
Subtitled “the Go Doc Project,” “Getting Go” (Wolfe/Speak), Cory Krueckeberg’s directorial debut, follows Doc’s (Tanner Cohen, a long way from “Were The World Mine”) journey from small town boy in the city to radicalized homo in the country. Shortly before college graduation in NYC and relocation to Iowa for grad school, obsessive, and somewhat anti-social, Doc takes a chance and reaches out to Go (stripper-turned-actor Matthew Camp), a “dancer of the go-go variety” with a “corn-fed epic ass,” on the pretense that he is making, well, a doc about the NYC nightlife scene.
Usually content with his online sex life (including jerking off on his webcam and surfing Internet porn), Doc’s “profound” and “serious crush” on Go leads him outside of his comfort zone. After drunk posting an email to Go proposing his project, and getting a reply in the affirmative, Doc meets “New York’s finest boy on the box” for some preliminary details. Go agrees to do it for 5% of the profits and the interview and filming process begins.
Basically using his iPhone to film Go in his apartment, where his artwork and tattoo supplies are on display, Doc attempts to finding a story in Go’s story, but it’s all pretty flimsy. Naturally, there is sexual tension, leading to sex, the beginnings of a relationship, a trip to Fire Island, discussions of queer culture, and the inevitable–Doc catches Go having sex with someone else. In between, there are clever Warhol homages (including his “Eating” and “Kiss”) and provocative comments on the state of gay relationships. By the time Go turns the camera on Doc, you know the end is near. “Getting Go” is at turns sweet, silly and sexy (if a bit overly long), and definitely entertaining. DVD special features include an interview with Krueckeberg, a Matthew Camp slideshow and more.
In French with subtitles, “Man At Bath” (Canteen Outlaws) stars tattoo-scalped gay porn-star Francois Sagat as Emmanuel, a narcissistic hustler who thinks nothing of raping filmmaker boyfriend Omar (Omar Ben Sellem) before he leaves on a trip to NYC to attend a film fest. As he departs, Omar asks Emmanuel to move out of the apartment. What follows is a series of flashbacks of happier times combined with each man’s experiences in their present day situations that are alternately humorous, erotic and emotional. Watch for gay writer Dennis Cooper as the guys’ off-balance neighbor Robin. DVD contains no bonus material.
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Filmed over the course of 12 years, “Boyhood” clocks in at nearly three hours, but you’d never know it. The inventive and personal portrait of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from grade-schooler to college freshman, features director Linklater’s daughter Lorelei as Mason’s sister Samantha, Patricia Arquette as Mason’s mother Olivia and Ethan Hawke as Mason’s father Mason Sr. “Boyhood” is such an intimate achievement, that the experiences of Mason’s parents’ divorce, Olivia’s two unsuccessful remarriages, and the boy’s maturation from a kid with a “horseshit attitude” (Olivia’s words) to a philosophical and sensitive young man, feel completely authentic, not dramatized.
From bicycles to pick-up trucks, from underage beers to ‘shrooms, from gutter balls to silver medals for photography, from first kisses to future romances, Mason’s boyhood unfolds in ways audiences have never experienced. Linklater has earned the praise that is being heaped on him and now has the difficult task amazing us again with his next project, a challenge he will no doubt meet.
“Get On Up” (Universal) is about as non-traditional as a biopic can get. Sure, it employs the usual flashback techniques and also paints a dreary childhood picture (see also “Ray,” “Lady Sings The Blues”) of the film’s subject, James Brown (well-played by Chadwick Boseman), as a way of portraying why he was so driven to achieve maximum success. But “Get On Up” relies far more on humor and camp than you might expect.
That might have something to do with the sensibility of gay actor/director Tate Taylor (“The Help”). Taylor had Brown regularly breaking down the fourth wall, virtually winking and elbowing the audience. It was an unexpected touch that served to humanize the Godfather of Soul. It’s hard to imagine a straight director (ahem, Clint Eastwood) handling the scenes between Brown and Little Richard (Brandon Smith) with such finesse. Taylor also wisely included “The Help” cast members Viola Davis (as James’ mother Susie in a performance worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nod from Oscar) and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (as James’ Aunt Honey, a madam), to play two of the most influential women in Brown’s life.
As much a story about one of the most important artists in the history of 20th century music, as it is a portrait of friendships and long-lasting relationships, “Get On Up” allows us to feel empathy for Brown. From his business camaraderie with record exec Ben (Dan Aykroyd) to his volatile marriage to DeeDee (Jill Scott) and ultimately his fragile devotion to fellow musician Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis, who plays gay LaFayette on “True Blood” and was also in “The Help”), Brown became a better person. Of course, that didn’t stop him from shooting up an office space full of people with a shotgun in 1988 because someone used his bathroom.
The only complaint is that “Get On Up” could have been about 30 minutes shorter, which would have made getting on up out of your seat an easier feat after the credits rolled.
]]>Through the wonders of CGI and various computer generated apps, the apes, led by talking chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his close associate, the aggressive Koba (Toby Kebbel), exist relatively peacefully in the woods, hunting other wildlife for nourishment. But the arrival of a group of humans, including Malcolm (Jason Clarke), Ellie (Keri Russell) and Malcolm’s son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) threaten the balance between man and beast. The man portion of the equation is desperate to reactivate a shutdown dam near the forest to restore their diminishing power supply in what remains of San Francisco.
Full of the kinds of messages one would expect in our current (human) political climate about how fear makes others follows (a page ripped from the Republican playbook) and the intrinsic value of trust, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” gives the audience a lot to think about while watching the outstanding special effects and action sequences. Finally, a true summer blockbuster has dawned.
Those waiting for the proper follow-up to Zach Braff’s amazing directorial debut “Garden State” will have to wait a little longer. His new movie, “Wish I Was Here” (Focus), doesn’t get us there. In the tradition of the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man,” Jill Soloway’s “Afternoon Delight” and Gillian Robespierre’s “Obvious Child,” “Wish I Was Here” is a “Jewy” (a term used by the aforementioned Soloway) dramatic comedy about questioning everything from religion and the existence of God to family and responsibility to careers and personal happiness, and more.
Failed actor Aiden (Braff, who played gay in 2000’s “Broken Hearts Club”) and his half-Jewish wife Sarah (a decent Kate Hudson) send their daughter Grace (Joey King) and son Tucker (Pierce Gagnon) to yeshiva, a costly private religious school whose tuition is paid for by Aiden’s father Gabe (a restrained Mandy Patinkin). But things are about to change. Gabe, whose cancer was in remission, is sick again. This time it looks worse than before and Gabe’s unable to continue being Aiden’s kids’ benefactor.
With that as the backdrop, Aiden has to make serious life choices. Does Aiden give up his dream? Do they send the kids to public school or home-school them? Can Aiden get his socially awkward genius brother Noah (Josh Gad of “The Book of Mormon”) to make peace with their father before he dies? These are just a few of the somber issues facing Aiden.
The trouble is that Braff can’t decide just how serious he wants to be here. It’s an important decision because he is dealing with heavy and emotionally draining material. Braff begins things on a high comedic note, in a scene involving an overflowing “swear jar,” followed by another amusing scene at an audition where he runs into Paul (gay actor Jim Parsons in what is a subtle nod to “Garden State”), before switching gears. What we are left with is indecisive self-indulgence with moments of authenticity (the hospital scene with Grace and Gabe, for instance) and wayward wackiness (oy vey, there’s an ancient rabbi on a Segway!). An admirable, if overly long achievement, Braff also deserves praise for the way he works modern poetry into the film. See “Wish I Was Here” if you don’t go in with great expectations.
It’s fitting that Roger Ebert, a man who loved and devoted his life to film, should be given a tribute as reverent and celebratory as the informative doc “Life Itself” (Magnolia), based on his memoir. It’s also appropriate that Steve James, a filmmaker who’s 1994 doc “Hoop Dreams” was one of Mr. Ebert’s favorites, should be the person helming “Life Itself.”
Ebert’s story is as fascinating and powerful as the best filmmaking. An only child from Southern Illinois, he developed into a well-respected journalist while still an undergrad. His love of writing led him to grad school in Chicago where he got a job at the Sun-Times newspaper, leading to not only a career as one of the most beloved film critics of his generation, but also a Pulitzer Prize.
Director James expertly interweaves intimate film footage from as recent as 2013 (shortly before Ebert’s death) with an array of clips from the critic’s storied past, including his coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as his contentious TV pairing with the late Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel. It was, of course, through Siskel and Ebert’s film criticism programs, including “Sneak Previews,” among others, that the duo became international superstars and their thumbs up/thumbs down rating system became their trademark.
The interviews, including a majority with Ebert’s widow Chaz, as well as those with fellow journalists, film critics, close friends and family members, flesh out the portrait of the man. But it’s the unforgettable scenes with Ebert himself, at the end of his life, as cancer took its devastating toll on him, that make “Life Itself” well worth experiencing.
]]>Down-on-his-luck indie record label founder Dan (“The Normal Heart”’s Mark Ruffalo) hits bottom when he’s dismissed by his business partner Saul (Mos Def) from the company they co-created. His marriage to music journalist Miriam (Catherine Keener), like his steady flow of libations, is on the rocks. His teenage daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) has basically lost respect for him.
Across town, Greta (Keira Knightley), a British singer/songwriter, has seen her relationship with boyfriend and songwriting partner Dave (Adam Levine) come apart at the seams as he experienced an unexpected rise in popularity. Reduced to crashing on the couch of her friend and busker Steve (James Corden), Greta plans to return to England.
But a chance meeting between Dan and Greta at a live music club, where Steve has invited Greta onstage to sing a song, will have a profound effect on both of their lives that neither of them could have foreseen. Where “Once” felt grounded in gritty reality, “Begin Again” has a New York fairytale (minus the fairies – it’s Manhattan, they couldn’t find one gay character?) quality that borders on the surreal. The environmental recording sessions, for instance, are pure Hollywood. So is Dan’s discovery of his daughter’s previously unrevealed musical talent.
Redemption and romantic reunions are part of the soundtrack, as are the infectious tunes (a few of which were co-written by Gregg Alexander and former child-star Danielle Brisebois) sung by some of the cast members. There are parts of “Begin Again” that feel familiar, especially if you’ve watched “Once,” not enough to consider this “Once Again,” but sufficient to make you wonder if Carney is running out of ideas. However, if you are looking for some non-traditional summer entertainment, you’d be wise to start with “Begin Again.” [In theaters July 2, 2014.]
The Elton John concert doc “The Million Dollar Piano” (Eagle Vision/Yamaha/Rocket) is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Filmed in 2013 at the Coliseum at Caesars Palace’s in Las Vegas (where Elton John has been performing for many years), the concert features 18 songs from the legendary piano man’s career, now in its sixth decade. Backed by longtime members of his band, including Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson and Ray Cooper, as well as backing vocalists including Tata Vega, the Rocket Man demonstrates why he’s been able to be the concert draw he’s been for all these years.
Seated at the titular Million Dollar Piano, a nine-foot Yamaha (introduced by EJ as his “co-star”) equipped with several video screens to identify songs, albums and more, the gay music icon sings and tells stories to the audience. He even gets extra points for a Madonna slam. DVD bonus material includes a “Making The Million Dollar Piano featurette and “Live In Kiev” footage.
]]>Filmmaker and writer Pawel Pawlikowski has a talent for presenting unforgettable female characters such as young lesbian Tamsin – played by Emily Blunt (!) – in “My Summer of Love.” The same holds true for the titular character in “Ida” (Music Box Films).
About a week before orphan-turned-novitiate nun Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is set to take her vows at a Polish convent, she is summoned to the Mother Superior’s office and encouraged to venture into the city and meet with Wanda (Agata Kulesza), an aunt who is her only living relative. Initially, Wanda is cold and distant. She is not above trying to shock Anna, with words and deeds, beginning with asking if Anna is a “Jewish nun.”
From the expression on Anna’s face, the news comes as a complete surprise. But Wanda’s not done yet. She tells Anna her real name is Ida and provides sketchy details about her parents who died during World War II.
The atheist/communist Wanda, aka Red Wanda by her Party pals, wants to be a corrupting influence on Anna, but agrees to accompany her to the town where her parents died. At this point, “Ida” becomes a road movie, with the two diametrically opposed characters traveling together, dealing with the police (Wanda is arrested and spends the night in a cell after driving drunk), picking up a hot hitchhiking sax player named Lis (Dawid Ogrodnik) and attempting to track down the man who “inherited” Ida’s family’s farm during the war—a man who may be the only person who can provide the details of how the family died.
The use of stark, gorgeous and bleak black and white film not only places the film in the early 1960s, but is fitting for the subject matter in which everything might not be, well, black and white. Exquisite to look at, even in the scenes when you may find yourself looking away, “Ida” is definitely a film for which it would be wise to have tissues nearby. The performances, particularly those of the two female leads, are stellar and riveting.“Ida” is very strongly recommended.
For her documentarian directorial debut, actress/comedian/activist Whoopi Goldberg chose the late comedy legend Moms Mabley. Goldberg’s doc, “Moms Mabley: The Original Queen of Comedy” (HBO Home Entertainment) begins with the premise that Mabley, who died in 1975 at 81, had a profound impact on Goldberg, and then proceeds to give examples of comedians and others on whom her effect was equally great.
Goldberg herself interviewed a wide cross-section of comedians and performers, including Kathy Griffin, Eddie Murphy, Quincy Jones, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, Robert Klein, Dick Cavett, Kaye Ballard, Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and Debbie Allen among them.
However, it’s the vintage Mabley performance footage that does the best job of fleshing out the portrait. From her humble beginnings on the “chitlin’ circuit” to her success at the Apollo Theater and later on television and in film, Mabley’s popularity lasted for more than 40 years, with her greatest successes occurring near the end of her life. A smart, risqué wordsmith, who hid how bright she was under the floppy hat and mismatched clothing costume she donned in character, which in essence gave her license to speak her mind. Alternately funny and serious and extremely informative, “Moms Mabley” makes for good Pride month entertainment.
Awakened by a “glittering stranger” at three years old, Broughton met his “angel” who offered him the gifts of intuition, articulation and merriment, culminating in a kind of big joy. Hence the title of Eric Slade, Stephen Silha and Dawn Logsdon’s doc “Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton” (Kino Lorber). A West Coast bohemian, Broughton’s films were a way for him to see what his dreams looked like–“to make them real.” Poet Neeli Cherkovski calls Broughton “an outsider’s outsider, under the underground.”
Broughton, who lived “the pleasures of the flesh” and said things such as “when in doubt, twirl,” survived a difficult California childhood with an abusive mother. But he came into his own during the 1947 San Francisco Renaissance, the artistic revolution, the soil from which the Beats grew, led by Jack Spicer, Robert Duncan, Madeline Gleason, Kenneth Rexroth and Broughton.
Unable to live his dream to be a dancer (Broughton admitted to not being graceful enough in a 1998 interview), he turned his attention first to writing, co-creating the Festival of Modern Poetry in 1947. Around this time, the bisexual Broughton began a relationship with Pauline Kael (of film criticism fame) and discovered a new life as filmmaker. Beginning with his short film “Mother’s Day”, Broughton became a leading experimental filmmaker. He went on to receive the Poetic Film Award at the Cannes Film Festival, presented to him by his hero Jean Cocteau.
“Big Joy” is a joyful portrait of an artist, a writer, a teacher, a filmmaker, a father, a lover, a Radical Faerie, and a man whose far-reaching impact is still felt today.
Did you ever read a book and think, “Gee, this sounds like someone’s master’s thesis”? Writer/director Cindy L. Abel’s brief doc “Breaking Through: Out of the Closet, Into the Halls of Power” (Breaking Glass) has that similar feel to it. Featuring interviews with high profile queer politicians including former Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and Houston Mayor Annise Parker, the doc gives voice to its subjects’ early years and family life, coming out processes, the adversity they faced, running for office and finally, time spent in office.
Abel’s doc shines a light on ongoing issues of importance such as bullying and raises important questions, such as what attention does coming out bring to a person with political aspirations? But by the end, with its closing sequence focusing on same-sex marriage, it feels rushed and suddenly unfocused, more like a promo video than a doc short. DVD special features include both the theatrical and extended versions, an exclusive music video and more.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams’ award-winning doc “God Loves Uganda” (First Run Features) reveals a plague more insidious than HIV/AIDS currently ravaging Africa for which there are no pharmaceuticals– American evangelicals preaching their gospel of lies and hate. According to one source, “something frightening” is happening in Uganda with the “potential to destroy” it. “Coming from the outside,” it’s important to send it back, but the “fire has already been set.”
The Kansas City, Missiouri-based International House of Prayer, started in1999 and led missionary force and relentless yeller Lou Engle, sends young and impressionable Christian soldiers (such a peaceful image, no?) to do his dirty work in Uganda. The relationship between American conservatives and Africa is powerful in Uganda where religion is used to demonize and kill. Post-Amin Uganda was ripe for the picking and American evangelicals seized the opportunity to replace one kind of fanaticism with another. Now there are Ugandan street preachers on corners and wading through the traffic-jammed streets, shouting competitively to be heard.
Interviews with American missionaries, including the extremely butch “ex-lesbian” Joanna Watson, paint a frightening picture of the future of Uganda. Difficult to watch, but well-worth seeing “God Loves Uganda” includes bonus shorts and deleted scenes among its DVD special features.
]]>With the intention to tell an “old story anew” (because who would actually want to see a new story told anew?), “Maleficent” begins with the discord between two kingdoms, lazily described through narration. One kingdom is occupied by humans who want nothing more than to add to their empire. The other kingdom is bursting at the seams with peaceful and magical creatures basking in the glories of nature.
As a young girl, the winged and horned Maleficent encounters her first human, Stephan, and an unlikely friendship develops. As they grow older, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie, born, I say, born to play this part) remains true to her spirit, while Stephan (a miserably miscast Sharlto Copley) goes the way of many humans (take your pick from bad, wrong, greedy or evil). When an embarrassed and dying king (whose attempt to invade the moors was halted by Maleficent) offers his kingdom to whomever can slaughter the fairy and avenge his crown, Stephan uses his established relationship with Maleficent to trick her, drug her and then clip her wings.
With Maleficent’s wings in hand, Stephan ascends to the throne. Meanwhile, Maleficent convalesces in agony. When King Stephan and his wife have a baby–a girl named Aurora–Maleficent gets her revenge by cursing the baby. On her 16th birthday, Aurora will prick her finger on a spinning wheel’s needle and fall into an endless sleep, thus becoming Sleeping Beauty.
Wouldn’t this be a good place to put an unlikely and unexpected friendship? That’s what develops between Maleficent, who has been keeping a watchful eye on the future princess, and the teenage Aurora (Elle Fanning), who mistakenly thinks that Maleficent is her fairy godmother (cute, huh?). The introduction of the very handsome Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites), turns out to be a red herring. The true love’s kiss that awakens Aurora from the sleep of her irrevocable curse comes from the most unpredictable place (yeah, right!).
First-time director Robert Stromberg probably hoped that “Maleficent,” a malfunctioning reimagining of a classic character’s beginnings, would have the same appeal as say, the stage musical “Wicked.” The closest it comes is to that is that it’s wicked awful.
“Non-Stop” (Universal) is an ugly movie. The high-flying tale of an “air marshal turned terrorist” out to clear his name and get the passengers on a London-bound flight to safety is propelled by a series of phobias.
Billy (Liam Neeson whose acting chops haven’t improved after all these years), an air marshal who drinks (uh-oh!) and smokes (yuck!) and is mourning the loss of his daughter. Oh, and he doesn’t like takeoffs. Gee, seems like that would be a hazard of his trade. Luckily he has a green “security” ribbon, given to him by his late daughter, to get him through it.
Shortly after the flight takes off and Billy’s row-mate Jen (Julianne Moore–what’s she doing on this flight?) is asleep, he gets a threatening text on his secured phone line. Here’s the deal: unless $150 million is wired to a bank account, a passenger on the flight will die within 20 minutes. The twist and it’s a big one: it will be Billy who kills the passenger but he doesn’t know that (but now you do).
As passengers (and a pilot) die in a variety of bizarre ways (broken neck, poisoning, etc.), the hunt for the hijacker intensifies. But given Billy’s track record, and that the hijacker knows an unexplained amount of facts about him, and arranged it so that Billy’s name is on the bank account to which the ransom is being transferred, everyone is a suspect. Oh, and then Billy finds the bomb in a briefcase with cocaine (don’t ask!).
By the time the identity of the hijackers are, you will probably have lost count of the number of insults written into the screenplay. Let’s see, there’s homophobic NYPD officer Reilly (Corey Stoll), who would have been right at home raiding bars in pre-Stonewall Manhattan. He’s on the flight because his “fairy brother is getting married to a guy with an English accent.” Nice! There’s also blatant Muslim-phobia in the treatment of and attitude towards good Dr. Nasir (Omar Netwally). Do we even have to talk about the phobia against people struggling with addiction?
For the record, that’s Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as flight attendant Gwen. That said, you’d be wise to stop yourself from watching “Non-Stop.” The Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD set features “HD Picture and Theater Quality Sound” along with bonus features including the director and cast talking about the action sequences and a behind the scenes featurette.
Like its main character, the gay high school comedy “Date and Switch” (Lionsgate) could go either way. Best friends since grade school, high school seniors Matty (the Seth Rogen-ish Hunter Cope) and Michael (Nicholas Braun) are determined to lose their virginity before their prom. A baking pan of pot brownies, meant to celebrate such an event, hangs in the balance.
There are complications, of course. Michael has broken it off with longtime girlfriend Ava (“Modern Family”’s Sarah Hyland), which he will later find out was not such a bad thing after all. Matty has broken it off with longtime girlfriend Em (Dakota Johnson) and in the process came out to her as gay. Shortly thereafter Matty also comes out to Michael.
There is awkwardness. But Michael more than rises to the occasion, escorting Matty to his first gay bar, where they run into their Principal, Mr. Vernon (Larry Wilmore), and one of their teachers. Aside of underage drinking (a recurring motif), this is also the scene in which they meet Greg (Zach Cregger) in the parking lot of the bar, following a fender bender. Greg is significant because he will become Matty’s first boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Michael appears to be the one having the hardest time. He is depressed and confused and generally badly behaved. An outing scene involving Matty’s parents Dwayne (Gary Cole) and Patricia (Megan Mullally, who has gone from playing the best friend of gay guys to the mom of gay teens. All of this is occurring as the date of the prom rapidly approaches.
“Date and Switch” redeems itself on a few occasions, and it’s not as insufferable as say Geography Club. Still, it’s not unreasonable to wonder if movies such as this might give audience members, gay and straight, teen and older, the wrong impression of what coming out is about (see the underage drinking). Special features on the Blu-ray+Digital HD include director Chris Nelson and writer Alan Yang’s audio commentary, a couple of featurettes and deleted scenes.
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