Media featuring LGBT content
2018’s Love Simon inspired me to review stories about LGBT youth. I’ve seen more films since that first article and wanted to share my thoughts. What are some of your favorites? Teen Comedy Booksmart (2019, USA). Two uptight teen girls, … Continue reading LGBT Movies: More Teen Protagonists
Peter Finch’s doctor and Glenda Jackson’s consultant are sharing Murray Head’s young lover. They’ve agreed not to speak with each other and he’s happy to hop between them whenever he gets bored. He hops a lot because they’re awfully boring. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
I dedicate this film to anyone who’s ever been made to feel inappropriate. ~ Director, Paul Vecchiali. Paul Vecchiali’s Once More observes ten years in the life of a cad. He breaks a string of hearts before contracting the AIDS … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Once More (1988)
He’s a budding drag queen. She’s a functioning schizophrenic. They’re roommates and they’re…. outrageous! Margaret Gibson wrote a collection of short stories about her struggles with mental illness and her friendship with female impersonator Craig Russell. Russell would co-star in … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Outrageous! (1977)
André Aciman’s 2007 novel, Call Me By Your Name, put us in the mind of Elio, an impulsive teenager. He spent a summer in Italy with his wealthy parents, his girlfriend, and a visiting grad student; Oliver. His feelings for … Continue reading Book Review: Find Me by André Aciman
Two women meet at a ranch in Reno, Nevada. The uptight one is getting a divorce. The wild one has gotten stuck in a holding pattern. They fall in love despite the disapproval of their friends and exes. Angst levels … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Desert Hearts (1985)
In 1982, there was a brief cycle of homosexual-relationship films, none of which were successful enough to form the basis of a trend. Producer/director/writer Robert Towne’s Personal Best is one of the finest. ~ Rotten Tomatoes. A bisexual athlete trains … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Personal Best (1982)
If you read a list of horror films with LGBT characters you’ll find a lot of murder victims, serial killers and vampires. Occasionally a gay side character gets lucky (Cursed (2005), ParaNorman (2012) ) but often they’re first on the … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Horror Protagonists
Over the last hundred years, more than five hundred books and essays in English alone have attempted to pinpoint and identify the nature of the evil in the work. ~ Playwright Tim Luscombe. Henry James’ 1898 novella, The Turn of … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Turn of the Screw (1985)
In Hot Potato a factory worker rescues a gay man from a hate crime and takes him in as a roommate. Eventually he’s mistaken for gay by his co-workers. They’re proud communists, devoted to workers rights, but can’t handle the … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Hot Potato (1979)
“They say it’s a sickness. They say it’s something that has to be cured. I don’t know. I do know it isn’t easy. If I had a choice, it’s not something I’d pick for myself. But it’s the only way … Continue reading LGBT Movies: That Certain Summer (1972)
For years, “gay movies” were practically a genre unto themselves, neatly conforming to one of three categories: stories about coming out, stories about unrequited love, and stories about the impact of AIDS. ~ Peter Debruge, Variety Recent years have seen … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Reeling Festival 2019
A reverend’s son wrestles with his faith and his sexuality. He goes on an Alice and Wonderland style journey through his hometown of Pivin questioning the living and the dead about the basis of their beliefs. David Rudkin’s screenplay is … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Penda’s Fen (1974)
Two smug middle class parents are looking forward to meeting their sons’ new girlfriend. When Jo arrives they are uncertain of their gender identity. Mother sets herself on finding out. What could have been offensive turns sweet. Jo and the … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Girl Stroke Boy (1971)
“When you’re analyzing lesbian films, you do need to re-arrange your standards.” ~ Pink News What was the first tragic lesbian film? Possibly 1931’s Maedchen in Uniform. What were Hollywood’s first happy lesbian romances? Possibly 1982’s Personal Best and 1984’s … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Lesbian Romcoms
In October 2018 Tumblr (may she rest in peace) was swooning over the handsome 20-somethings playing sexy teenagers in the Netflix series Elite. I decided to check it out and ended up binging the 8 episodes over the course of … Continue reading Elite. Season 2. (Spoiler Space)
GLAAD’s annual report shows that LGBTQ representation has been on the rise the last few years. I’ll be back to reviews next week but wanted to compile a list of upcoming shows and films. Upcoming Release Dates 8/23/2019 – Vita … Continue reading LGBT Media: Coming Soon
“If the world would not accommodate homosexuals we would create our own world.” ~ Filmmaker Ron Peck Nighthawks traps a school teacher in a cycle of day time classrooms and night time gay bars. The dull first hour feels like … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Nighthawks (1978)
When a closeted celebrity proposes to an oblivious woman, he’ll drag friends, exes and a tabloid photographer into a vulgar screwball farce. The gays are evil, the women are gorgons and the straight leading man thinks he’s in a high … Continue reading LGBT Movies: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend (1999)
Promiscuous hunk meets monogamous introvert. The hunk sees a chance to leave the scene and settle down. Can these crazy kids work things out? Turns out they can’t. All the Rage morphs from a romcom into something darker and stranger. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: All the Rage (1997)
“It’s a date movie, like straight people have had for years, and I’m glad to fill that gap. I’m a big romantic at heart.” ~ Writer/Director Brian Sloan. A writer is violently rejected by their college crush. Years later they … Continue reading LGBT Movies: I Think I Do (1997)
