Favorite Gayish Movies

[BrianB]

Thanks to everyone that recommended Latter Days. I received the movie from Netflix yesterday and watched it today. It was such a good movie. Even though I wasn't raised Mormon the pressure to change and conform were the same. That aversion therapy in the film was torture.

[BrentRichards]

Ok, after all the recommendations for Home At the End of the World, I bumped it to the top of my Netflix queue, and just finished watching it ... WOW! My only question is, how am I supposed to sleep now?

[paul]

Originally Posted by BrentRichards

Ok, after all the recommendations for Home At the End of the World, I bumped it to the top of my Netflix queue, and just finished watching it ... WOW! My only question is, how am I supposed to sleep now?

Oh Good. I'm glad there's someone else out there who was similarly effected, Brent. I thought it was such a cool film. It might even qualify as the film Zerbie was looking for that portrayed Bi characters in a positive light. It certainly burred the lines. I really enjoyed it.

[u-dog]

Ok... now you need to push "The Hanging Garden" to the top of your lists. I think it is possibly the best film ever and I need someone to talk about it with !!!

[wmanion]

Dave,
I have seen the movie and many emotions are felt in that movie. I especially loved the grandmother. The message that I came away with is that no matter how far you remove yourself from your past, you always carry it with you.

Bill

[u-dog]

Originally Posted by wmanion

Dave,
I have seen the movie and many emotions are felt in that movie. I especially loved the grandmother. The message that I came away with is that no matter how far you remove yourself from your past, you always carry it with you.

Bill

It was quite late in the film before I understood to what the Title of the film refers. I appreciated the little symbolisms in the film. They spend a lot of time at the beginning with William trying (as a child) to remember the names of plants because it was important to his father the gardner. "sweet william" was one of the plants named. Then at various points in the film.. usually at painful points for the main charecter they would juxtapose the sweet william flowers with Williams face. It would make me want to say "Oh sweet William" It was just ... an amazing film. So beautiful. and funny. and healing.


It was delightfully ironic that Williams little "sister" was so obviously a lesbian in the making.

[BrentRichards]

Originally Posted by u-dog

Ok... now you need to push "The Hanging Garden" to the top of your lists. I think it is possibly the best film ever and I need someone to talk about it with !!!

Bumped. I'm returning movies today, so should have it mid-week, I'll let you know.

[Pablo Rafael]

I will put in my Netflix queue also, Dave. (I had typed "queue too", but the rhyme was to terrible to leave.)
We can discuss it together.
I usually can get Netflix with a three day turn around time from Denver, sometimes two.

Pablo

[u-dog]

"Guys and Balls" -- German film -- 2003 actual title is "Maenner Wie Wir" or "Men Like Us"

If you liked Summer Storm... you'll like this. Gay goalie gets outed and kicked off the hometown soccer team. He goes to the big city and recruits a gay soccer team to play against his old team. Very funny and very charming characters. the ending is predictable but no less entertaining for that! I recommend it. I give ... 3.9 stars ... maybe 4.

Not a good movie for doing while you fold clothes because of the subtitles though. sigh.

Dave

[BrentRichards]

Originally Posted by u-dog

"Guys and Balls" -- German film -- 2003 actual title is "Maenner Wie Wir" or "Men Like Us"

If you liked Summer Storm... you'll like this. Gay goalie gets outed and kicked off the hometown soccer team. He goes to the big city and recruits a gay soccer team to play against his old team. Very funny and very charming characters. the ending is predictable but no less entertaining for that! I recommend it. I give ... 3.9 stars ... maybe 4.

Not a good movie for doing while you fold clothes because of the subtitles though. sigh.

Dave

Yeah, I liked this one too ... the leather bear characters were a riot ... tough look, total pussycats.

Favorite moments ... main character and father making the cake for homophobic teammates. And the gay-team trials line: "Does that count?"

I agree. Worth checking out.

[Pablo Rafael]

I loved Summer Storm. I thought Guys and Balls was funny and enjoyed it. However, I thought the portrayal of the members of the gay soccer team played up negative gay stereotypes quite a bit. Not being very stereotypically gay in style, I don't connect with or appreciate that type of portrayal.

Subtitles, no problem. I like the variety of foreign movies (and hate dubbed over versions.) One of my harshest criticisims of movies is saying they are, "typical American movies."

I know this isn't a gay movie, but have any of you seen The Fountain with Hugh Jackman? I watched that this week and am still puzzling over it. Is is meant to be so surrealistic and abstract, or am I missing a key point? It was good enough to see twice so I may have to watch it again.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[u-dog]

Pollyand I watched Flawless last night. Robert DeNiro stars as a NYC cop who suffers a stroke and takes voice lessons as therapy with the transgender drag queen down the hall. Its about people being forced to see through the surface layers to see the beauty and dignity that exists beneath. Good flick.

Is DeNiro an ally does anyone know? This is the second "gay friendly" film I've seen him in this summer. (The first being "Stardust" where he plays a gay pirate. Did ANYONE follow Austin and my advice and go see that movie?

[Pablo Rafael]

I will agree with Dave that The Hanging Garden is an excellent movie. It is well acted and the characters have great depth to them. I liked the images from the main character's youth that were woven into the film from start to end. It gave a feeling that there was more to the plot than just the surface story. (Those Canadians make some excellent movies.)

I was a little troubled at the beginning by the abusive father. That subject hits a little too close to home for me. However the father was more pathetic than abusive all in all. Brent and I were discussing this movie yesterday. We agreed that it is not a "feel good" movie. Not one for a lighthearted evening. It reminded me a little of Yesterday not in subject matter, but in that it was painful to watch at times, but when it was finshed I think I gained a little deeper understaning into the human soul. It is a touching look at a gay man who is forced to once again deal with his disfunctional upbringing.

Thanks for the suggestion, Dave.

I also am going to watch Stardut as soon as it is out on DVD. I never go out to the movies.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[u-dog]

Originally Posted by Pablo Rafael

I will agree with Dave that The Hanging Garden is an excellent movie. It is well acted and the characters have great depth to them. I liked the images from the main character's youth that were woven into the film from start to end. It gave a feeling that there was more to the plot than just the surface story. (Those Canadians make some excellent movies.)

I was a little troubled at the beginning by the abusive father. That subject hits a little too close to home for me. However the father was more pathetic than abusive all in all. Brent and I were discussing this movie yesterday. We agreed that it is not a "feel good" movie. Not one for a lighthearted evening. It reminded me a little of Yesterday not in subject matter, but in that it was painful to watch at times, but when it was finshed I think I gained a little deeper understaning into the human soul. It is a touching look at a gay man who is forced to once again deal with his disfunctional upbringing.

Thanks for the suggestion, Dave.

I also am going to watch Stardut as soon as it is out on DVD. I never go out to the movies.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

While I agree that it isn't a "feel good" movie it also isn't one of those hideously serious films either. There was a charming light heartedness about it that I liked. I think this had to do with the how the symbolism was incorporated into the film.

[BrentRichards]

Also saw Hanging Gardens this week ... definitely my kind of film ... had laughs, tears, and cringes, all rolled in one. The opening wedding sequence had me hooked from the start ... I know Scottish families like that! (And we Welsh arent' ALL that much better) ...

The surreal aspects of the film really worked for me ... it makes for vivid emotional pictures, and to me has always made the film seem a little more stage-play to me ... maybe because it invokes a "willing suspension of disbelief?"

It reminded me, in some ways, of a couple other favorites (not gay-themed, but similar plot mechanisms): Da and Truly, Madly, Deeply ... good watching, though both emotionally taxing at times, as Gardens was.

Thanks for the tip, Dave, well worth the watch.

I also saw All Over The Guy this week, which was also nice ... not as much philosophical meat as Gardens, but a nice little gay love story. Didn't hurt that the one lead character ("Tom" played by Richard Ruccolo ... at right below) is really nice to look at.

[Pablo Rafael]

Originally Posted by u-dog

While I agree that it isn't a "feel good" movie it also isn't one of those hideously serious films either. There was a charming light heartedness about it that I liked. I think this had to do with the how the symbolism was incorporated into the film.

I don't mean to sound negative when I say it's not a "feel good" movie. I appreciate a good serious movie that is well done probably more than something more lighthearted. This movie isn't "hiddeously serious". It does have it's funny moments certainly.

I think I'm a little oversensitive when it comes to disfunctional families, especially one with abusive father figures. Since I grew up in that type of a situation, I don't deal with it well in movies. The movie Swimming Upstream was another one I had a hard time watching due to the abusive (or at least unloving) father. It was a good movie also that was worth seeing, but I had to really talk myself into watching it to the end.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[beat0it]

is definitely High Art.

[Sherrie Z]

I have way too many favorite films on these themes to list them all, so this is not a favorite films list per se ... but here are a few random thoughts ...


I haven't seen the film version of "Bent" but I saw two stage productions, many years ago ... one in Chicago, and one in London ... of course the subject matter is very serious and the film is amazingly touching, but I just have to mention one of the lighter moments that I still remember ... where one gay character is describing a gaydar type of moment to another gay character, and described the guy he had spotted in this way: "He has fluff eyes"

I have a soft spot for "Longtime Companion" because of the true to life portrayal of the straight female friend within the group of gay guys ... since so few films include that type of character, and in such a positive light ... and since I could totally relate to her ... : )

There is a great scene in "Prick up your Ears" where Gary Olden's character describes lesbians ... I would love to have the exact quote if anybody knows it ... I think it was something along the lines of comparing lesbian couples to straight couples and gay couples, where lesbians are in their ivory towers doing relationships better than everyone else and "laughing at the rest of us" ...

"Ma Vie en Rose" (My Life in Pink) ... a sweet foreign film about a transgender kid who appears to be a boy, but she knows she's a girl

A great classic ... "The Lion in Winter" ... not usually considered a gay themed film per se, though there is a gay themed scene ... I think the entire film has something of a gay sensibility ... with the witty banter and high drama ... then again, most of Katherine Hepburn's films show a gay sensibility ... : )

[mjules]

Originally Posted by BrianB

Thanks to everyone that recommended Latter Days. I received the movie from Netflix yesterday and watched it today. It was such a good movie. Even though I wasn't raised Mormon the pressure to change and conform were the same. That aversion therapy in the film was torture.

OMG, I totally just watched that today. It made me cry! I wasn't sure I was going to survive it. But it was sooooooo good in the end. Big hearts for that one.

Also, for just ten dollars, I can steal it away from Blockbuster and never have to give it back. ...I don't think they'll be getting it back.

[antiochian]

I'd have to say some of my favs are:

Angels in America (although it was a little annoying to see some actors/actresses playing so many multiple parts, and I didn't totally understand the whole prophet thing)

Testosterone (starring David Sutcliffe, who I had a huge crush on for months after seeing this movie)

The Hunger (starring Susan Sarandon)

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