Good Gay Theme Movies

[Former Member]

Speaking of history, I should also mention Paragraph 175, a documentary about the Gay men who survived the Nazi Holocaust which did not only target Jews.

Spoiler

The Nazis also ‘gifted’ us with the Pink Triangle. (Gay Jews got a special Star of David with a pink triangle above the second, yellow, triangle.)

 

Coming Out Under Fire is a documentary examining Gays and Lesbians serving in the US military during WWII.

Spoiler

The documentary was presented at an Asian film festival in San Francisco now known as CAAMFest in the Castro Theatre as that year’s Closing Night film. Arthur Dong introduced his mother who was in the audience. She stood up and waved her arms around proudly! (My own mother would have shrunk into her seat out in embarrassment with that sort of attention called to her.)

 

The Circle is a docudrama about a Swiss Gay publication from the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Spoiler

It won a Teddy for Best Documentary and was Switzerland’s selection for the Academy Awards, but it wasn’t nominated.

 

[Former Member]

I’m getting an early start on Mother’s Day. Mothers are a big part of the Gay experience.

 

In The Kids Are All Right, the Moms who are Lesbians.

Spoiler

Julianne Moore, Annette Benning, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson. ‘Nuff said.

 

Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet has already been recommended elsewhere.

Spoiler

The Mom is manipulative, but isn’t a bad person. She just wants the best for her son. She just wasn’t aware of a couple things.

 

This isn’t the most significant aspect of the whole movie, but it’s the part that relates to this theme.

 

I’m going to be busy at Frameline41 watching tons of movies on Father’s Day. Gay Dads are Mothers too, aren’t they? My third recommendation is Breakfast with Scot.

Spoiler

Tom Cavanagh (closeted former-pro hockey player and now sportscaster) and his partner suddenly become foster parents to Tom’s deadbeat brother’s flamboyant biological son, Scot with a single ’t’.

 

[William King]

This is an old film, a short (20 minutes), it's subtitled,  someone already said the best films are foreign language, well unless you happen to be from Norway in this instance.

 

 

 

[William King]

Chinese gay cinema.

 

Scud (雲翔) is a film scriptwriter, producer and director, born in mainland China amid the Cultural Revolution, given the name by his eldest uncle Li Kang (力匡), a poet and writer of Singapore, raised by his grandmother. Both passed away in the 90s.He moved to Hong Kong with parents at age of 13, devoted the next 20 years to a career of IT, worked for multi-national companies, founded a public listed company, and acquired a bachelor degree through part-time study. He then migrated to Australia. Realizing that he had fulfilled the dream of others but not his own, he returned to Hong Kong 2005 to start Artwalker, an independent film company.

 

Scud co-directed his maiden film, City Without Baseball (無野之城) (2008) with Lawrence Ah Mon (劉國昌). It’s about the Hong Kong Baseball Team, in a city where baseball culture is almost non-existent, acted by actual players of the city’s delegation and was based on their own stories. The film caused a lot of controversies for exhibiting male full frontal nudities and touching on intimate brotherhood within a masculine sport. Even the billboards around town were said to be shocking and had to be removed after a complaint filed by one citizen. The film was academically acclaimed, however, awarded by China and Hong Kong critics.

Film Critics China – Top 10 Chinese Movie of the Year 2008

HK Film Critics Society – Recommended Movie of the Year 2008

 

MOVIES

City Without Baseball

Permanent Residence

Amphetamine

Love Actually… Sucks!

Voyage

Utopians

Thirty Years of Adonis

 

 

 

[Former Member]

Since this is Asian Pacific Heritage Month, I figure it’s appropriate to mention a few movies that explore the Asian-American experience.

 

Spa Night tells the story of a son of Korean immigrants.

 

Saving Face has a Chinese-American mother moving in with her Lesbian daughter.

 

Front Cover is about a Chinese-American photo stylist and a Chinese movie star.

 

I may edit this later to add more information in Spoilers when the feature returns – if the deletion was inadvertent.

[Menace]

I've also created a topic on this subject in the past. There's a list of them in it

 

 

[Cynus]

I don't know if this was already posted before, but there's a new short film coming out soon and it's awesome.
 

 

[Headstall]

I have watched four gay-themed movies in the past couple of weeks, and I really enjoyed three of them. Between Love and Goodbye did not impress me at all. The acting was sub-standard, and the story was typical... drugs and hustling and tragedy... way overdone in gay movies....

 

Akron was sweet... acting wasn't great but it was a good human drama... 

 

C.R.A.Z.Y.  was extremely well acted, and the story was compelling. I highly recommend this one for a number of reasons.

 

Esteros was a beautiful story. The two main characters were brilliant, as were the ones who played them as children. It was beautifully woven, and there were no holes in the story, and it was a rewarding experience. If you get a chance, watch this one  

[Former Member]

1 hour ago, Headstall said:

C.R.A.Z.Y.  was extremely well acted, and the story was compelling. I highly recommend this one for a number of reasons.

Not just because it’s Canadian?  ;-)

 

 

I’ve seen Akron and C.R.A.Z.Y. and enjoyed both.

 

I’ve heard of Between Love and Goodbye and Esteros, but haven’t seen them – mostly because they weren’t shown at Frameline.

 

 

Can I recommend another Canadian film, Breakfast With Scot? Tom Cavanagh as a very closeted, butch, straight-acting former Toronto Maple Leaf (professional hockey) player and in a long-term relationship with a sports lawyer (Ben Shenkman). Enter Scot (with one ’t’), a flamboyant adolescent, who they are given temporary custody over.

Edited July 18, 2017 by Former Member

[Headstall]

1 minute ago, droughtquake said:

Not just because it’s Canadian?  ;-)

 

 

I’ve seen Akron and C.R.A.Z.Y. and enjoyed both.

 

I’ve heard of Between Love and Goodbye and Esteros, but haven’t seen them – mostly because they weren’t shown at Frameline.

 

 

Can I recommend another Canadian film, Breakfast With Scot? Tom Cavanagh as a very closeted, butch, straight-acting former Toronto Maple Leaf player and in a long-term relationship with a sports lawyer (Ben Shenkman). Enter Scot (with one ’t’), a flamboyant adolescent, who they are given temporary custody over.

LOL... yes, drought, it is Canadian, but that's not the reason... it's a gem  ... the father gives a stellar performance... they all do, and it captures the time period perfectly. 

 

I'll check out Breakfast With Scot? Thanks  ... and you should really check out Esteros... it's Argentinian.

[Former Member]

8 minutes ago, Headstall said:

LOL... yes, drought, it is Canadian, but that's not the reason... it's a gem  ... the father gives a stellar performance... they all do, and it captures the time period perfectly. 

 

I'll check out Breakfast With Scot? Thanks  ... and you should really check out Esteros... it's Argentinian.

I’ll have to look into it. There are actually quite a few really good LGBTQ films out of the countries south of Trump’s proposed wall that are worth seeing. You could have a very complete film festival with that as a theme! (Some might be hard to find.)  ;-)

 

I’ve seen at least three that I can recall off hand from Cuba, but nothing else from the Caribbean Islands.

 

The question mark is not part of the title of Breakfast With Scot.

[Menace]

This movie is going to be amazing just like the book. There's gonna be some elements in it that's really off-putting. But, it's a gay movie. What can you expect?

 

 

[Headstall]

I watched Shelter last night. It was made in 2007. I had watched part of it before, a long time ago, but never saw the rest of it. It is a well-crafted little gem... not overly dramatic, but chock full of realism. I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it in it's entirety. I highly recommend it  

[Brayon]

12 minutes ago, Headstall said:

I watched Shelter last night. It was made in 2007. I had watched part of it before, a long time ago, but never saw the rest of it. It is a well-crafted little gem... not overly dramatic, but chock full of realism. I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it in it's entirety. I highly recommend it  

I've seen that one before. It's one of the exceptions of a Good American Made Gay Film.

[Former Member]

2 hours ago, Headstall said:

I watched Shelter last night. It was made in 2007. I had watched part of it before, a long time ago, but never saw the rest of it. It is a well-crafted little gem... not overly dramatic, but chock full of realism. I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it in it's entirety. I highly recommend it  

I got an autograph from Brad Rowe when he and much of the cast was at the Frameline Premiere! I didn’t realize at the time that Tina Holmes, who plays the sister, was the same actor who was Maggie in Edge of Seventeen (1998) as well as a different Maggie in a recurring role on Six Feet Under!

Edited July 19, 2017 by Former Member

[Headstall]

I watched North Sea, Texas last night... a surprising little tale with some quirky, interesting characters. I have to say I really got engrossed in it. The European (Danish) flavor added to the intriguing feel of it. Pim's mother's character hovers on the right side of a caricature, but never goes over. I recommend it... cheers... Gary....

[Menace]

Here's the official trailer of Call Me By Your Name

 

 

Also, There's a BBC movie called "Man In the Orange Shirt" It's a 2 part movie. Really interesting and fascinating to watch. It's currently free on youtube right now if you can find it. It's somewhat based on the scriptwriter's personal life. Here's a snippet of a love letter that his father wrote to his lover. 

 

 

[Sam Wyer]

I'd recommend Weekend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekend_(2011_film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714210/

 

 

 

Edit: I found a YouTube trailer so you can all see it  

Edited August 23, 2017 by Sam Wyer

[Brayon]

1 hour ago, Sam Wyer said:

Sorry - I don't know how to insert the video

YouTube auto-populates, not sure about the rest.

[Headstall]

2 hours ago, Sam Wyer said:

I'd recommend Weekend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekend_(2011_film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714210/

 

Sorry - I don't know how to insert the video  

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714210/videoplayer/vi2350554137

The Weekend is astonishing. I recommend it too!

 

I recently watched a movie called  The Pass with Russel Tovey... it's a powerful, gritty movie. It's amazing the games we can play with ourselves. 

[Huckleberryeme]

Out in the Dark is my absolute favorite. 

 

[Headstall]

10 minutes ago, Huckleberryeme said:

Out in the Dark is my absolute favorite. 

 

A great movie  

[wildone]

I watched a great movie a week or so ago on Netflix. I was really impressed with the quality of the acting and the supporting cast. Maybe not the most original theme, but hey, there are thousands of stories here along the same theme. It is Irish, so involves rugby.

 

 

My American counterpart for screening films says it is on American Netflix and liked it but not to the extent that I did

 

@Krista

 

 

 

[Sam Wyer]

On 14/05/2017 at 2:22 PM, William King said:

This is an old film, a short (20 minutes), it's subtitled,  someone already said the best films are foreign language, well unless you happen to be from Norway in this instance.

 

 

 

I really like this, but I was also left wanting to shout at the screen...

Spoiler

I really wanted a happier ending for the two of them  

 

[Headstall]

12 hours ago, wildone said:

I watched a great movie a week or so ago on Netflix. I was really impressed with the quality of the acting and the supporting cast. Maybe not the most original theme, but hey, there are thousands of stories here along the same theme. It is Irish, so involves rugby.

 

 

My American counterpart for screening films says it is on American Netflix and liked it but not to the extent that I did

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

@Krista
 

 

 

 

 

 

I watched this last night and loved it! You're right, Steve. The acting and supporting cast were superb. Thanks for the recommendation... it is worth watching for the performances alone, but I found the story well-conceived, and wasn't left shaking my head... a common occurrence with some gay-themed movies.  

Edited August 23, 2017 by Headstall