Florida Agenda

By Warren Day

Nobody plays an oddball character as convincingly as Johnny Depp, and it’s a good thing, too, since oddballs comprise most of his roles. Throughout his film career—from such characters as the extremity-challenged Edward Scissorhands, to the worst-movie-director-of-all-time, Ed Wood, as well as a mental hospital patient who thinks he’s Don Juan, the demon barber Sweeny Todd, the ever-so Mad Hatter, and the swishy Capt. Jack Sparrow—Depp has done what many stars only dream of doing – maintaining his status as a leading man while playing the quirky roles normally relegated to character actors.

In his latest walk on the “Wilde” side, “Dark Shadows,” Depp portrays a character as adept at chewing upon necks as he is chewing the scenery, a love-sick, blood-sucking vampire named Barnabas Collins. Once again, this ain’t the boy next door. “Dark Shadows” is Depp’s eighth outing with director Tim Burton. Among their collaborations, this movie feels more like “Sleepy Hollow” than “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” meaning it falls noticeably short of their best work together. As is true with all Tim Burton films, the look of “Dark Shadows” is never less than stunning.

No one uses CGI (computer generated images) better to set a mood, particularly in a gothic tale like this. In every detail, the film is a feast for your eyes. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, “There’s a lot of sizzle, but where’s the steak?” In the end, “Dark Shadows” takes you in all directions without really going anywhere. Burton can sometimes pull off making style look like substance, but not in this case. Here is a P.T. Barnum-inspired, three-ring circus of a vampire story, about as subtle as a World Wresting Entertainment championship bout.

It’s as if Burton was a celebrity chef who went into the kitchen without any clear idea of what he’s cooking, and just starting throwing in every ingredient at hand, so that instead of his usual distinctive style, you end up with mush. With “Dark Shadows,” more money has been thrown into this concoction than originality. As always, Johnny Depp is good, although here he aims for the jocular more than for the jugular. It’s also refreshing to see Michelle Pfeiffer back on the silver screen, even portraying the matriarch of this Addams Family clone.

Unfortunately, Eva Green (“Casino Royale”) seems to have been told by Burton to play Depp’s nemesis like an imitation of Lisa Marie (the director’s former girlfriend) impersonating Vampira. It is a caricature too far. When “Dark Shadows” first appeared as a “daytime drama” on ABC-TV in 1966, it was something of an original, the first gothic-inspired, supernatural soap opera. Since then, vampire stories have become a vein—pun intended—that’s been mined to death.

In films, we currently have the “Twilight Saga” and the “Underworld” series, television viewers can get their blood-drinker fix with “True Blood” and “The Vampire Dairies,” and this summer, a popular novel-turned-blockbuster-movie depicts honest Abe Lincoln as a vampire hunter. Enough already! It’s time for the living dead to become the dead dead—at least for a merciful while. Let them all Rest in Peace.

By WARREN DAY

Even in places that are LGBT friendly, such as South Florida, you wouldn’t get the chance to see many of the gay films if it weren’t for special festivals, such as the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) running from April 27 through May 6 in South Beach.

From production to distribution, making an independent gay film is still an arduous task, so it’s important the GLBT community support the people who are venturing forth to tell our stories. As the first major gay film festival in the calendar year, MGLFF is a platform for numerous World, North American and East Coast Premiers with over 65 movies from 15 countries. There’s literally something for everyone.

Films in this year’s festival continue to be dominated by the trials and tribulations of being gay, but there’s at least one major exception in the exceptional documentary “Out for the Long Run” (see below). It’s an interesting phenomenon that in recent years the better gay films have been documentaries, and that’s certainly bore out with the offerings of this year’s MGLFF.

I was able to see four of the films in advance, and you’ll find an asterisk (*) by their titles.

The opening picture on Friday, April 27, is from New Zealand and is called “Kawa”. It tells the dramatic story of a successful businessman who finds the courage to tell his wife, children, parents and traditional Maori community that he’s gay.

On April 29 is “Seventh- GAY Adventist,” * a remarkable documentary dealing with the conflict that happens, “When your church says the only way you can be true to God is by being false to yourself.”

Seventh-Day Adventists is a very conservative denomination believing in the literal interpretation of the Bible.

It’s more than a religion for it provides a rather encompassing culture for its members to grow up – Sabbath on Saturdays, Friday nights devoted to family, vegetarian in diet, its own scout movement called Pathfinders, a close knit community, and so forth.

The result is that by being openly gay, you risk your relationship with both the church and the culture, as also happens with Orthodox Jews, Mormons, Missouri Synod Lutherans, Southern Baptists and some other religious groups. The film follows three gay couples (two male, one female) as they confront these issues with good character and courage, and find support in surprising places. “Seventh- Gay Adventist” is an inspiring and upbeat film.

That same day finds my favorite film of the festival, “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same,” is both a spoof of sci-fi B movies and straight romantic comedies.

One of the two documentaries set in Florida is shown on April 30.

“Unfit: Ward vs. Ward” tells the true story of how a Pensacola judge ruled that a convicted killer, who didn’t even know which grade his daughter was in, was more fit to raise the child than her lesbian mother.

In the cliché clustered “Naked As We Came”* (May 2), a self-absorbed brother and sister are called to their mother’s rural home due to her failing health and find an attractive young man living with her.

A lot of confusion and some forced resolutions follow with a none-tooconvincing relationship developing between the brother and the young man. This movie is not particularly gay in either sense of that word.

“Taking a Chance on God” (May 3) is also a documentary about the conflict between the church and being honest about who you are, and is the second festival film dealing with a Florida resident. Eighty-five year old John McNeill has often been a voicein- the-wilderness as he confronted the anti-gay doctrines and powers of the Roman Catholic Church. This nonfictional film is a moving testament to McNeill’s influence as a priest, writer, and untiring activist.

“Out for the Long Run”* (May 5) is one of the best gay documentaries ever made and I urge you to see it because it’s that rare stereotypebreaking GLBT film that focuses on the positives rather than the usual angst of being homosexual.

Expertly made, it follows four openly gay young athletes, two of high school age and two in their first years of college.

Like the excellent d o c u m e n t a r y “Bully” (showing in theaters now), the parents are totally supportive and provide a constructive counterpoint to the images often portrayed in films (as do the gay young people themselves). Austin is a high school senior and long-distance runner who, unlike many of his straight friends, has never had a relationship, and then, through Facebook, he meets Taylor in North Carolina, another openly-gay athlete who will also be attending Brown University. The camera is there when they meet for the first time in person and the look on Austin’s face is worth any trouble to see this movie. All four of these young people set a stirring example, not only for their peers, but also for the older generation. This movie will give you hope for the future.

The beautifully photographed and acted “North Sea Texas”* is a Belgium film in Dutch with English subtitles (talk about diversity) and is the closing night event on May 5. Pim is a lonely 14-year-old dreamer, ignored by his crass mother who works in a bar named Texas. It’s a heartwarming and heartbreaking story of his crush on the older boy next door who may or may not return his affection.

Filled with poignant emotions, “North Sea Texas” proves there’s still power in a well-done coming of age drama. Bavo Defume has previously directed only short films with gay themes. In this his first feature-length production, he raises great expectations on what gay films we might expect from him in the future.

These are just eight of the over 65 movies being shown throughout the 14th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. For a complete list of the movies, showtimes, special events, and venues, go to mglff.com. And then go see some of these films yourself.

Send comments or questions to
AgendaReviews@aol.com

By WARREN DAY

If you’ve ever wondered just how bad a big studio movie can be, then “The Wrath of the Titans” provides an excruciating answer: cringe-inducing dialogue, blurry and unimaginative special effects, actions sequences without wit or originality, characters you know little about and about whom you care even less, costumes from Wal-Mart, and acting that would embarrass a small town church pageant. To put it simply and accurately: EEEAAAGH!

For over 3,000 years, Greek mythology has been a rich source of stories and inspiration for some of the world’s greatest literature: “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad” by Homer, the works of Sappho, Euripides, Sophocles, and others of classical antiquity. Along with some other mythologies—notably Norse—it’s also been a life spring for many of the comic book heroes who’ve provided kids of all ages with a modern mythology of their own.

However “Wrath” has about as much to do with Greek mythology as reality TV shows have to do with actual reality.

“Wrath” is a sequel to the remake of “Clash of the Titans” that came out two years ago. “Clash” made a lot of cash: hence “The Wrath” is upon us. Ten years have passed in the storyline since “Clash,” which provides an excuse to give Perseus a young son to be used as a pawn in the battles between the gods. Sam Worthington returns to play Perseus, although “walks through” is probably a better description than “plays,” because he has none of the humor or self-awareness that made Arnold Schwarzenegger so entertaining in similar roles. Worthington is in danger of being his generation’s version of the promising and attractive actor who gets cast in the leading roles of major films before he’s had a chance to establish true star-quality. Although central to “Avatar” in 2009 as well as 2010’s “Clash of the Titans,” he’s easily over-shadowed by “Wrath’s” constant barrage of special effects.

Liam Neeson returns to the role of Zeus he originated in “Clash:” the 59-year-old Belfast-native seems to be vying with Nicolas Cage for the record of appearing in the most forgettable movies in a row. The color palette in “Wrath” is brown (yes, just brown) and most scenes are filled with dust, which may be the filmmakers’ way of trying to hide just how poorly executed are the movie’s computer generated effects.

The best writer of them all, William Shakespeare, could have been penning the best review of this amateurishlywritten film 500 years ago when he wrote: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing.”

Send comments or questions to AgendaReviews@aol.com

By Nicholas Snow

About ten years ago, seven freelance jo­­urnalists decided that Indonesian movie screens deserved more than just Hollywood films. They determined that they would import international cinema to Indonesia, and since most of them were “queer,” the Q Film Festival – or “Q Fest” – was born.

I caught up recently with one of the founders, Executive Director John Badalu.

“When I mention to friends that there’s a gay film festival in Indonesia, they’re shocked,” I told John.  “What sort of stereotypes can you counteract about Indonesia?”

“First of all, people would be shocked because although it’s the most heavily- populated Muslim country, it’s not really a country based on religion,” he explained.

“Here, there are five legal state religions. When people say, ‘Oh my god! There’s a gay film festival in Indonesia?  It must be really something,’ it’s actually based upon Muslim stereotypes. Indonesia is not like Middle Eastern countries.  The Islamic law [Sharia] is secondary.  It’s a republic here.”

“And then, of course,” he adds, “there are always stereotypical things about queer people in Asia. But at the same time it is very different. There are a lot of queer people who are Muslim, who are quite religious but at the same time comfortable with their sexuality.”

I asked John about Muslims in Indonesia.  He explained: “Homosexuality is definitely a sin in Islam’s holy book, The Koran. At the same time you have Islamic schools where usually only one gender attends. It’s not a secret that boys screw around in that kind of environment.”

One way Q Fest has gotten past traditional Indonesian norms – and the film censors – is to show their movies underground, in non-cinema spaces, particularly in cultural venues. In addition, they are not permitted to charge for admission to Q Fest. Only films which the organizers believe can pass the scrutiny of the censors are submitted for government approval; more controversial films are still reserved for the country’s non-regulated cultural venues.

John is able to finance the world travel required to select films for possible inclusion in Q Fest through his “day job” John as international publicist for Indonesian films which he happens to represent at film festivals throughout the world; this enables him to screen queer cinema on the same trips.

I asked him about the state of gay civil rights in Indonesia. “There’s no such thing,” he answered flatly. “That said, there’s no specific law against homosexuality. We are not like Malaysia or Singapore in that respect.  On the other hand, we are not like India, which enjoys a more liberated climate, let’s say. We don’t have that.”

When he recalls the early days of Q Fest, he remembers thinking about it in terms of a hobby. “We just decided, ‘okay this will be fun,’” he laughs. “We did it in our spare time, but now it is taking 70% of my time.  We had no idea at the beginning that it would become very big like this.”

Q Fest has Indonesians coming out to the movies, but what about coming out of the closet? John advises, “You just have to be true to yourself, especially in the journey of coming out. I don’t encourage everyone I know to come out.  You have to know yourself.”

Visit www.qfilmfestival.org, and while you’re at it, I encourage you to remember John and his colleagues and go see a racy movie in a public space, in honor of the freedom we enjoy to do so.

Follow Nicholas at www.Facebook.com/SnowbizNow, www.Twitter.com/SnowbizNow, and at www.SnowbizNow.com, where you may download for free the MP3 for “The Power To Be Strong” HIV Testing/ Safer Sex Awareness Anthem.