LGBT themed movie and TV reviews by Mspacclown
I’ve often cited 1995’s Jeffrey as the first gay romcom. Queer men have long been comic figures on film, but Jeffrey fit the classic “boy meets boy” template. This weekend Letterboxd steered me towards Summer Kiss; an obscure short film … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Summer Kiss (1987)
Fathers get a bad rap in queer cinema. Fictional dads tend to antagonize, reject or straight up abuse their queer sons. Good dads are rare enough that a moment of compassion can bring an audience to tears. David Stevens’ 1990 … Continue reading LGBT Movies: The Sum of Us (1994)
A glamorous con woman (Ayako Wakao) manipulates a wealthy housewife (Kyôko Kishida). The affair is intense and surprisingly frank for the era. Then the con artist turns her attention to men and the film grows less interesting. Manji was adapted … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Manji (1964)
Ned Roche (Fionn O’Shea) hates the rugby obsessed bullies at his Irish boarding school. When he’s forced to room with rugby champ Conor Masters (Nicholas Galitzine) he readies himself for war. Their eccentric teacher (Andrew Scott) forces them to work … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Handsome Devil (2016)
In Staircase Rex Harrison and Richard Burton play Charles and Harry, a squabbling gay couple. They run a barber shop in East London and care for Harry’s ailing mother. Charles is summoned to court for performing in drag, putting their … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Staircase (1969)
A gawky teen pursues the angsty director of his terrible high school musical. Lead actor Jeremy Hollingworth gives a droll, deadpan performance. Julie Kavner (aka the voice of Marge Simpson) is allowed more nuance as the boys’ savvy mother. Story … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Story of a Bad Boy (1999)
Sebastian does not want to be a homosexual. The 16-year-old has developed a crush on his best friend. The realization of his queerness has sent him into a rage. Sebastian: When Everybody Knows explores the anger stage of the coming … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Sebastian: When Everybody Knows (1995)
Jules, a black drag queen, is assaulted by Preston, a white bigot. When he finds Preston cruising in a gay sauna he plots revenge. Femme was written and directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. They introduced the … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Femme (2023)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded in the 1820’s by Joseph Smith. When a follower turns 18 they are allowed to serve on a two-year mission to convert new members. If a member breaks one … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Latter Days (2003)
Why Not! Is a French dramedy about a bisexual throuple. Writer/director Coline Serreau focuses on the mundane side of the domestic arrangements. Fernand (Sami Frey) keeps house while Alexa (Christine Murillo) and Louis (Mario Gonzales) work part time jobs. Fernand … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Why Not! (1977)
Two lesbians go on a road trip, unaware that their drive-away car contains stolen goods. They’re pursued by a ruthless gang of crooks as they travel from Philadelphia to Florida. The screenplay, by Tricia Cooke and director Ethan Coen, gives … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Drive-Away Dolls (2024)
Strawberry Blonde (aka Bionda fragola) is a clunky farce about a squabbling gay couple. Writer/Director/Star Mino Bellei plays a middle-aged pharmacist whose long-term partner has grown bored. Umberto Orsini plays the roving lover who invites a young actor (Gianni Felici) … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Strawberry Blonde (1980)
Craig Russell celebrated his drag career in the 1977 film Outrageous! The sequel, Too Outrageous!, found his alter ego, Robin, in a bad place. Homophobic agents, treacherous lovers and the AIDS epidemic sucked the joy out of him. His best … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Too Outrageous! (1987)
A masked killer is hunting high school bullies. Their deaths are staged as suicides. Javier, a gay Mexican teen, begins having psychic visions of the murders. Should he save the lives of the people who tried to ruin his? Departing … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Departing Seniors (2023)
A group of bandits seek to drive a priest (John Mills) out of their Mexican village. The bandit leader (Dirk Bogarde) gains a grudging respect for his earnest opponent. Just when they’ve made peace a spirited woman (Mylène Demongeot) comes … Continue reading LGBT Movies: The Singer Not the Song (1961)
A gay teen is courted by the school’s mean girls. Each thinks a Gay Best Friend (G.B.F.) will increase their popularity. Director Darren Stein (Jawbreaker) and screenwriter George Northy (Charmed, Faking It) satirize would-be allies who treat gay men like … Continue reading LGBT Movies: G.B.F. (2013)
A shy writer (Andrew Scott) is propositioned by a drunken neighbor (Paul Mescal). He’s too guarded to respond. The next day he visits his hometown and stumbles across his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy). They’re eager to learn about … Continue reading LGBT Movies: All of Us Strangers (2023)
Last year when I wrote a review for the Brazilian masterpiece Sócrates, SadClown and I discussed the nuances of “queer tragedy” in cinema. We agreed that tragedy is every bit a fertile and important ground for exploration in queer cinema … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Our Lady of the Assassins (2000)
Friends & Family Christmas is Hallmarks’ first lesbian romance. An artist and a lawyer fake date to pacify meddling parents. Laughs are few, plot is minimal and sexual desire is nonexistent. A social media influencer (Boo! Hiss!) provides some flimsy … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Friends & Family Christmas (2023)
Hallmark’s Christmas on Cherry Lane follows three families on Christmas Day. An expectant mother and her husband (Erin Cahill and John Brotherton) are bullied by her parents. A widow (Catherine Bell) has a surprise for her bratty children (Matthias Falvai … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Christmas on Cherry Lane (2023)
Rob Williams has devoted his career to producing indie gay romcoms. Shared Rooms was his stab at the Love Actually formula. Three gay couples meet on Christmas to discuss adoption, art and hook up culture respectively. The tropes of bad … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Shared Rooms (2016)
