2004’s Hellbent was called the “first gay slasher.” Let’s say it’s the first openly gay slasher. Four queer friends are stalked by a masked killer at a Halloween Carnival. The men are likeable and it’s sad to watch their fates. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Hellbent (2004)
A school teacher and a museum curator fall madly in love with a handsome policeman. Flash forwards tell us that it will end in tears. Why do we revisit stories of queer trauma? The back-alley hook ups. The brutal beatings. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: My Policeman (2022)
Michael York plays a villainous twink in the black comedy Something for Everyone. He sleeps and murders his way into Angela Lansbury’s aristocratic family. The promising premise is undone by Hugh Wheeler’s flabby screenplay and Hal Prince’s timid direction. It’s … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Something for Everyone (1970)
Dan Futterman plays an insomniac who wanders through Manhattan. He collects urban legends from the strangers he meets. Urbania is a strange film with an interesting cast. The episodic nature keeps it from building momentum. The protagonists’ motivation is unclear … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Urbania (2000)
Bros pairs a self-righteous museum curator (Billy Eichner) with a musclebound lawyer (Luke Macfarlane). They fight, banter and gradually fall in love. The story is familiar. What sets Bros apart from other queer romcoms is the sharp social commentary. Eichner … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Bros (2022)
Bee is a woman with a case of arrested development. She can’t manage her money or hold down a job. She shows symptoms of chronic depression. Her life is forever changed when she meets a strange cat/dog/person. Puppycat is angry … Continue reading Spoil Sports – Bee & Puppycat: Lazy in Space
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant follows an affair between a successful fashion designer and a young model. Petra (Margit Carstensen) treats Karin (Hanna Schygulla) as a mannequin. A plaything to provide inspiration and affection. Karin enjoys her wealth … Continue reading LGBT Movies: The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
Tilda Swinton’s academic listens to Idris Elba’s Djinn recount his tragic life as a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. Swinton plays a complex character. I wish the Turkish people in the Djinn’s stories were allowed the same humanity. We get … Continue reading Spoil Sports: Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
A working-class woman attends a gathering with her wealthy girlfriend. When a party game turns deadly, they’ll struggle to survive the night. Bodies Bodies Bodies begins as a stylish whodunit. Director Halina Reijn turns a sprawling mansion into a claustrophobic … Continue reading Spoil Sports: Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Two teens apply for a job at a haunted amusement park. Barney (Zach Barack) is looking to emancipate from his transphobic family. Norma (Kody Kavitha) is obsessed with the park’s mysterious founder (Coco Peru). A mishap leaves Barney’s dog, Pugsley … Continue reading TV Review: Dead End: Paranormal Park
Why? Why not? Share your spoilery thoughts below. Continue reading Spoil Sports: The Sandman Bonus Episode
The fan club claims season two has been lackluster. I’m inclined to agree. But things are picking up as we near the finale. Post your thoughts here. Continue reading Spoiler Sports: Only Murders in the Building. Ep. 2-9
Midway through 13: The Musical some 12 year olds sneak into an R rated movie. Their parents storm angrily into the theater to drag them away. This didn’t happen on stage but it fits the tone of the Netflix adaptation. … Continue reading Movie Review: 13 The Musical
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child works on three levels. It’s a nostalgic trip through the Potter-verse. It’s a spectacle filled with stunts, illusions and pyrotechnics. And, more importantly, it’s a story of inter-generational trauma. Albus Severus Potter hates Hogwarts … Continue reading Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
James Dean cemented his legendary status when he died at the age of 24. Countless fans projected their fantasies upon him. Rumors of his bisexuality were rampant. The first film to address this was NBC’s James Dean: Portrait of a … Continue reading LGBT Movies: James Dean: Portrait of a Friend (1976)
The Stranger Things cast is spread across the globe. Will they reunite to defeat the new villain? Or set up a cliff hanger for season five? Who will survive? Post your spoiler filled thoughts below. Or catch up on our … Continue reading Spoil Sports: Stranger Things 4b
They stopped the apocalypse but changed the timeline. Share your thoughts! Continue reading Spoil Sports: The Umbrella Academy, S3
Who is Victor Salazar? A popular jock? A clueless wrecking ball? A good man? In season one he suffered the humiliations of the closet. In season two he experienced the ups and downs of coming out. The frustrating final season … Continue reading LGBT Media: Love, Victor. Season Three
In the early aughts Queer as Folk and its remake were the primary sources of gay men on television. Peacock’s re-imagining arrives amidst a wave of queer programming. This takes pressure off the writers. After a shocking opening they transition … Continue reading LGBT Media: Queer as Folk (2022)
Fire Island is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. An arrogant jerk (Joel Kim Booster) clashes with an uptight lawyer (MVP Conrad Ricamora) while vacationing in Cherry Grove. His sad bestie (Bowen Yang) falls for a dopey … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Fire Island (2022)
Julian Fellowes introduced Downton Abbey to the world in 2010. A classy, campy soap about a feuding family and their hostile servants. People schemed, screwed and died. By the time the 2019 film released the characters had made peace with … Continue reading Movie Review: Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
