DVDs

[Trab]

We have a Readers forum "Review Row", for interesting books we can read, but I'd love to see a forum that gives us tips on good (not porn) DVDs to do with gay romance, coming out, etc. You know, stuff like Brokeback Mountain. I know there must be stuff out there that is less than X rated which I could enjoy without being embarassed. Is there a chance that sure a forum could be set up? Would there be any interest in posting, or reading, there?

[JamesSavik]

Right off hand I can think of L.I.E. and Mysterious Skin.

A DVD of interest that isn't G&L: check out Eleventh Hour. Four 90 minute episodes + British + Patrick Stewart == way cool

[DesDownunder]

There are a number of good DVDs which have gay plots and, or gay characters.

Quality varies from OK to great depending on your taste.

Some non-porn titles released on DVD in Australia in 2006:

Almost Normal (Very funny)

Dorian Blues

TransAmerica (Trans-gender -Gay)

Connie and Carla (Very funny, two girls pretend to be drag queens in a gay night club)

Kinky Boots

Kiss Me Again (mixed gay str8 Lesbian)

Slutty Summer

No Ordinary Love

Adam and Steve

Treading Water

Stupid Boy

Imagine Me and You (Lesbian coming out story)

Denied

Balls

Summer Storm

[dude]

We have a Readers forum "Review Row", for interesting books we can read, but I'd love to see a forum that gives us tips on good (not porn) DVDs to do with gay romance, coming out, etc.

Your wish is but my command, Effendi....

[Trab]

You know, more and more I'm suspecting that the name of this forum was dedicated in appreciation, when someone said, "You're Awesome Dude". You ARE awesome, dude.

[colinian]

Right off hand I can think of L.I.E....

L.I.E.

Man, that is a VERY creepy movie made in 2000 about a heavy-duty pedophile played by Brian Cox, and Paul Dano is a young teen he's trying to seduce. I saw it on HBO when I was 15, and it was disturbing. I had nightmares about it for a while after I saw it. Paul Dano played the teen in Little Miss Sunshine. He was 23 when he made LMS, so he was about 17 in L.I.E. but looks a lot younger (he sure looks a lot younger than 23 in LMS).

I don't think that the Brian Cox pedophile character in L.I.E. was written or played as a human being who deserved respect and understanding. He wasn't like I think of pedophiles, at least the ones who get the headlines by grabbing kids off the street. Brian Cox was so excellent in the role of a pedophile who attracted kids with drugs and booze and sex, and once he'd snared them used them to bring other kids in, then he intimidated them to keep them from stopping or telling. All the kids he was having sex with were from dysfunctional families. I wonder if there's a relationship between kids attracted to pedophiles and coming from dysfunctional families.

Anyway, L.I.E. is so realistic, and so scary, that while I was watching it I wanted to stop watching but didn't want to stop watching, all at the same time. I think what made it more scary for me is that I was alone in the house and it was at night. I don't like movies that are scary, like horror movies and slasher movies, so I don't watch them. But L.I.E. was scary in a different way, much more personal and realistic since it was about kids my age being preyed upon by this creepy guy. I guess I'm glad I saw it, but I'm not sure. One thing I'm positive about is that I'll never watch it again, ever. Even now thinking and writing about it creeps me out.

Colin

[DesDownunder]

Your wish is but my command, Effendi....

Careful Dude, You never know what we might wish for.

Great to see such quick response to a good idea.

Thanks

[JamesSavik]

L.I.E.

Man, that is a VERY creepy movie made in 2000...

If you liked L.I.E., Mysterious Skin is the one that made me squirm. Ick.

Sometimes what makes art relevant isn't that it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Sometimes great art is like a slap in the face, a wake up call or, as in the case of L.I.E., reveals a secret world that exists right under our very noses.

What is a "predator" anyway? An eight foot alien in a chameleon suit that uses a high-tech frog gig to take out dumbass kids that stray too far from the malls? Is it a troll that lives under bridges and comes out when its hungry? No- it is a scariest inhuman monster of them all because of its humanity. If you saw an alien or a bridge-dwelling troll, you would know to run like hell. The real predators of humans you are likely to trust on sight like a cop, priest, teacher or coach.

[Jason Rimbaud]

On the Sundance Channel the other day, I watched a short film called, Godly Boyish. I'm not sure

what the message of this short film was or even if it had a gay theme. But for some reason, I could

identify with the two main characters. Has anyone seen this or heard about it?

I did watch this really bad movie the other day called, Sideline Secrets. It was two steps away from

really bad porn. I think the plot was to show as many full frontal nudity shots in a single film. Bad acting

moronic script, and horrible direction. Stay away from this movie, it's a waste of money, time, and energy.

But I did enjoy Another Gay Movie. It's spoofing all those stupid teen movies like American Pie, She's All

That, and whatever the others are called. This movie is so over the top and almost crude at the lowest level

but the acting is superb and the jokes are dead on. I liked this one.

L.I.E. was tough for me to watch as well, but damn what a movie. Mysterious Skin, read the book and seen

the movie, both are equally disturbing as well as somehow beautiful. Great acting, great script, great movie.

Jason R.

[Graeme]

Two Australian mainstream movies with gay themes:

The Sum of Us (1994), staring a very young Russell Crowe as the gay son of a very accepting widower (Jack Thompson). It's done as a romantic comedy, and is based on a play of the same name by David Stevens.

Head On (1998), staring a very cute Alex Dimitriades as a 19 year old Greek youth struggling with his sexual identity. I haven't seen this one myself, though I wanted to (it was at the cinemas while I was still struggling with my own sexuality).

[Tanuki Racoon]

Right off hand I can think of L.I.E.

I second that vote. Also the VERY disturbing film "Kids"

[Kurt]

A very good movie with a gay plot is Beautiful Thing. I really really enjoyed that movie.

[Tanuki Racoon]

A very good movie with a gay plot is Beatiful Thing. I really really enjoyed that movie.

Yes, that was good too :)

[Drewbie]

A very good movie with a gay plot is Beautiful Thing. I really really enjoyed that movie.

I agree, Get real I want to see, and Latter Days.

[blue]

Beautiful Thing was the first gay video I got; I had not seen it before.

I'd seen snippets of things in other movies that might deal with being gay, homophobia, or masturbation, I'd never seen a film in which being gay was the main subject. -- Yes, partly, that was avoidance on my part. The closet is not a great place to be for anyone.

I loved Beautiful Thing, though I thought the side plot with the neighbor girl was slightly muddled in places. I should watch it again to see what I think now.

Oddly enough, aside from the film's real points, I also got an appreciation for how truly tiny some British flats must be. Yikes.

How the two young guys come to terms with their feelings for each other and with being gay, and how the one boy's mother comes to terms with it, and how the neighbor girl's dilemma parallels theirs, but isn't about her sexuality -- all of those are fantastic.

The guys are kinda pasty and skinny, but then, so was I as a teen, so it was all good.

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Get Real was pretty good, but I found it frustrating too. I'd recommend seeing the film. It does include a boy getting hit, but it is not severely traumatic. If personal memories might trouble you, simply be aware of that.

I found it frustrating, because I could not see myself making some of the choices of the main character. I could understand getting carried away with things, but one of the characters struck me as "bad news, don't get involved with him" from the get-go. -- So that detracted from the movie for me. I kept wanting to say, "don't do that, that's a dumb idea," or "you're doing the right thing but going about it the wrong way." It was like watching a friend in a bad relationship. Bear in mind, I haven't had many friends so far who were in gay relationships, and certainly didn't (that I knew of) in my teens.

Having said that, the main character's nervousness, inexperience, getting carried away with things, and his fears and frustrations -- Those all hit home quite well. I pretty much lived in those shoes, only I didn't find my way into a relationship, but into a closet instead.

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I haven't seen Latter Days, so I don't have an opinion there.

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I got A Girl Like Me: the Gwen Araujo story through iTunes, because I missed it again, when it was on Lifetime, and it's been recommended to me twice. -- I'll watch it soon, possibly this weekend. -- I expect to be troubled and saddened, because there's not a happy ending for Gwen/Eddie. Transgender isn't something I understand enough about. (I do understand about being a guy who likes guys who didn't know what to make of himself, though.)

[Drewbie]

Rember though blue, Bt characters was in a council flat, not a regular one, it's like low income homes here.

[Guest Rustic Monk]

Latter Days is great.

And so is Red Dirt.

[bilal]

Wild Tigers I have Known.

Which can be bought at Amazon tells the story of 13yo Logan coming to terms with his homosexuality. Its no classic but well worth a watch.