Queer Beacon

Character (Karakter - 1997) - No Gay Content

By Guest Reviewer Arjan Writes

Even though "Character" is not a queer movie, it most certainly has thematic aspects that gays can relate to. The sublime "Karakter" is a Dutch production directed by Mike van Diem that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1998. It is a modern film noir set in the gray and depressed city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands in the 1920s.

Written by famous Dutch author Frederik Bordewijk, "Karakter" tells the story of Jacob Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huet) and the strained relationship he has with his father Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir). The movie starts out with the mysterious death of Dreverhaven, whose will leaves everything to Jacob (who finds out only then that Dreverhaven was his father). Jacob is interrogated by the police and the plot unfolds through story flashbacks.

Jacob was born out of wedlock and raised by his single mother. Jacob's biological father is the influential bailiff and banker Dreverhaven, who is feared across the city for his harsh business manners. Growing up, a tumultuous relationship develops between father and son who keep running into each other. Jacob (not knowing Dreverhaven is his father) takes out several loans from Dreverhaven to start his own business. But when everything fails, Dreverhaven treats him like any other customer and demands his money back, which eventually leads to Jacob's bankruptcy.

Motivated by anger and frustration, Jacob climbs out of poverty to become one of the city's most successful lawyers.  Now, father and son often battle in court. During a final confrontation, Dreverhaven dies and Jacob is suspected of murder.

The question for viewers remains if Dreverhaven was so hard on his son because he wanted to make him strong or because he never accepted him as his own. Regardess of the answer, Jacob's biggest obstacle and source of frustration also became a source of inspiration and motivation that made him a success.

"Karakter" is a touching movie that not only features an epic duel between father and son, but is also an ultimate coming-of-age story.The underlying theme of the movie is that you can be who you want to be, no matter what people expect from you.

The movie is in Dutch with English sub-titles. The Dutch language might be a bit abrasive at first but you'll get used to it quickly. This is one of my favorite movies (and not only because my native language is Dutch).

[QB Note: SPOILER AHEAD]

Confessions of a Latent "L Word" Junkie

By Guest Reviewer Good As You

I knew there was a character named Bette, as well as another, more promiscuous one called Shane.  I was aware of virtually all of the actresses, having seen their visages at various queer events and on more than a few magazine covers.  I even knew that the initial premise of the series involved a small town "straight" girl moving to glamorous L.A., where she learned more about herself than she had ever planned or imagined.  Yet despite all of this cursory knowledge of Showtime's Sapphic sisters, I had never seen one episode or even given "The L Word" more than a passing thought.  This all changed on January 7, 2007.

My partner away on a business trip, I found myself bored and lonely on a Sunday night.  Being the geeks that we are, television viewing is quite the serious concept in our apartment.  We don't as much watch shows as we do consume, analyze, debate, and discuss them.  This being the case, we NEVER watch one of our regular shows without the other.  Sick, I know -- but it's the truth.  So wanting to take a gander at some TV but not wanting to upset the delicate balance of Hooper-Shulman viewing habits, I decided to make a one-off venture into the West Hollywood world of Ilene Chaiken's imagination.

• Monday, Jan. 8: I watched the entirety of season three on Showtime On Demand.
• Wednesday, Jan. 9: I found a nice deal on the Season One box set on Ebay, and snatched it up faster than you can say "Carmen de la Pica Morales"
• Thursday, Jan. 10: Joyously discovered Season 2 available for download on Amazon Unbox.

You get the picture.

I've since yelled at Faye Buckley, wept over the demise of Dana Fairbanks (and we're talking Shelby's death in 'Steel Magnolias' tears!), and gone from loathing to loving the theme song (then back and forth again between the two emotions several times over).  I've eagerly read Scribegrrl's Monday morning quarterbacking over at AfterEllen.  Lying in bed, I've actually found myself wondering if Tina And Bette have a future, only half admitting that they aren't, in fact, real.  Most disturbingly: During a recent trip to a local used book store, I saw the official companion book for a mere $6.00.  My reaction? A literal, audible squeal!

Yes, I have become an addict, with dyke drama my poison of choice!

You can blame "Queer As Folk" for my initial apprehension.  While that Showtime series will always hold a place in my heart for breaking new ground and unapologetically portraying LGBT lives, it also stands out for far-less-flattering reasons.  I need not go into the details, but let's just say that I wasn't expecting Showtime's newest gay-focused series to artistically shine.  But you know what? It oftentimes does!  Watching the shows in the back-to-back fashion that I did, I certainly see the flaws and ridiculouness about which so many of its ardent fans have bitched (I'm looking in your direction, scene in which Billie Blaikie fellates the prosthetic penis of Moira/Max).  However, there have been more than enough poignant moments to write off the missteps.  There is also a core of actresses that genuinely comprise one of the finest, most capable ensembles on television.  In fact, I genuinely have to question why we live in a world where Teri Hatcher is an Emmy winner for doing such madcap things as falling into bushes, yet none of the ladies of "L" have ever even been nominated for falling into....ooh, must resist.

For those gay men like myself who have previously shied away from the show for whatever reason, I urge you to give the ladies of "The Planet" a shot.  The show is currently in a creative stride, with Cybill Shepherd, Marlee Matlin, and Kristanna Loken bringing in some refreshing new life.  Also, Leisha Hailey is truly standing out this season as an extremely deft comedic actress, while Jennifer Beals and Mia Kirschner continue to shine.  "Vagina wigs", poker debts, discreet soldiers, and sign language -- likely to be far more interesting than anything you'll see over at Wisteria Lane.

So do yourself a favor and tune in to Showtime next Sunday at 10PM.  Now if you'll excuse me, I must go see if another Sunday night cable show, A&E's "Intervention," is seeking applicants for those who've been hitting the Pieszecki pipe a little too hard.

- Jeremy

Because I Said So (2007) - No Gay Content

By Guest Reviewer Hunk du Jour

Daphne has married off two of her three daughters, and is now fixated on ending the horrible dating luck of Milly, her last single daughter.  So, she does what any sane mother would do: She holds interviews for her daughter's potential mates by way of a profile on an online dating service. 

Love triangles and trapezoids surface and "hilarity" ensues.

While the movie isn't as wacky as it tries to be, it does deliver a couple of funny and heartwarming moments.  Milly's sisters Maggie and Mae (played by Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo) bring some much needed sensibility to the family.  Johnny (Gabriel Macht) and his family also provide a perfect juxtaposition with the more tightly wound family of his unknown competition -- Jason (Tom Everett Scott.)

Overall the performances may have been good -- but the film itself had more trouble.  It played more like a collection of romantic comedy cliches than a solid film on its own.  I left the theater feeling like I'd seen this movie before, only I'd seen a version that had better writing.  The director should really have thrown the script out and tried it over with better material.  They nailed the casting -- the script was the problem.

Diane Keaton: Plays the neurotic mom like no other, but almost too well -- for me, the movie ended up suffering because I was just unable to root for her later.

Mandy Moore: Delivers a solid performance as the insecure Milly, following up on her appearances in American Dreamz and Saved! (What I wonder though, is how an "insecure" daughter so constantly reminded of her shortcomings can have such a great singing voice and performing presence.)

Gabriel Macht: He is charming and disarming as the easygoing single dad and guitarist who crashes Daphne's arranged courtship. You're rooting for him the entire time.

"Because I Said So" spoken 4 times.  A song is sung by Milly and family twice. (Yes -- musical numbers.) Baked goods are burned, dropped, or otherwise spoiled at least a (bakers) dozen times. The surprisingly populated theater (of mostly women) managed some light applause, during which my companion and I looked at each other with an exclamation of "What the... ?"

The Fan (1981) - Shipwreck 0

By Guest Reviewer Andrew Belonsky from Queerty.com

It may not be the case anymore, but it used to be that if a screenwriter or author needed a good villain, they would look no further than the evil fag. The homo’s deviant sexuality provided a reliable excuse – or, perhaps, symptom – of his devilish ways. The odd – and endlessly commercial – character of Norman Bates springs to mind, as does the more recent and potentially just as gay, Hannibal Lechter. Meanwhile the 1980 Al Pacino classic, Cruising, spent an entire 106 minutes exploring the “sleazy and underground” gay world in which a serial killer got his S&M fueled kicks. One year later, John Hartwell and Priscilla Chapman – neither of whom, it’s worth noting, had ever written nor would ever write another movie – adapted Bob Randall’s queer killer novel, The Fan, for the silver screen. The critics blasted the film, and for good reason, but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for by providing a study of the gay gone bad.

The Fan concerns a famous actress, Sally Ross, played by Lauren Bacall and her obsessed fan, Michael Biehn’s Douglas Breen. It’s really not worth mentioning Biehn’s character’s name, for it disappears quite quickly behind his association with fanatic insanity. He starts off innocently enough – a conspicuously single, lonely and downright pathetic record salesman who writes letters to his favorite star of screen and stage. Too busy rehearsing for a Broadway play and dealing with her ex-husband, played very briefly by James Garner, and certainly far too famous to reply to her fan’s letters, Ross pawns the job off on her secretary, a low point in Maureen Stapleton’s career. Doing her duty, the secretary sends off a gracious reply, unaware her forged sentiments will only serve to feed Breen’s madness. She should have known better, of course, for give a fag a bone and he’ll keep coming back to strike more perverse terror.

And that’s exactly what happens. Breen’s letters become more and more feverish, exuding a dangerous persistence that leads the secretary to ignore him in hopes that he’ll disappear. But Breen – whose dementia’s already over taken his last shred of rationality and, thus, identity – refuses to go away. On the contrary, he intends to get as close to Ross as possible. How? By killing all her friends, of course.

Poor Stapleton’s the first to feel the cold of his straight razor, but The Fan wastes no time going after Ross’ other comrades, including her dance partner, whom he kills in the pool in that bastion of homo-variance, the YMCA. It’s really quite gruesome. Not to mention gay: The Fan swims underneath him, slashing him from neck to crotch, his blade coming within inches of his Speedo-clad penis.

What remains unspoken – namely The Fan’s faggotry – becomes a disturbing plot device after a Detective (Hector Elizondo) gets closer to discovering the truth. Thus, he cruises on through a gay bar, finds himself a hapless homo and proceeds to get blown on the roof. His ejaculation brings the trick’s extermination as The Fan uses his gleaming blade to finish him off and burns the body, leaving a guilt-ridden suicide note to cover his tracks.

The Fan’s cumming becomes The Fan’s climax, for it’s downhill from there (as if there were an up). Seemingly free of her stalker, Ross forges forward, unaware that her first performance may be her last. I won’t give away the details of the final confrontation, but rest assured that The Fan gets what’s coming to him, appropriately punished for his not so merry, but certainly very Mary murder spree.

While the movie provides a few chills, they’re washed out by the message: the solitary gay poses a threat to you and yours. Even the lighting – a staple in thrillers – seems a bit overdone, with The Fan stalking (literally) in and out of the shadows like the dubious, dangerous villain he was born to play. Certainly a stinker through and through, the film’s worth a view, if only to laugh (and grimace) at the stereotypes it propagates.

Parting Glances (1986) - LightShed 10

By Guest Reviewer Jockohomo

Director Bill Sherwood died of complications due to AIDS in 1990, but his 1986 film Parting Glances was one of the first American movies to address the AIDS-HIV pandemic and many film critics consider it an important movie in the history of gay cinema. The bittersweet romantic comedy is a realistic look at urban gay life in the 1980s, and the then relatively-new disease plaguing the gay community.

Parting Glances occurs over a 48 hour period, with many of the scenes at a farewell party for Robert hosted by the couple's friend Joan (Kathy Kinney) and at a dinner party hosted by Robert's employer Cecil (Patrick Tull) and his wife Betty (Yolande Bavan); who have an unconventional marriage. The heart of the story revolves around a longstanding Manhattan gay male couple, Robert and Michael, who are in their late twenties and live in New York City, Robert (John Bolger), works for an international health organization and is about to leave for two years on a work assignment in Africa while his partner Michael (Richard Ganoung), a freelance editor stays behind. Michael's ex-boyfriend Nick (Steve Buscemi), for whom Michael cooks meals, looks after, and is still in love with, has AIDS.

Technically a drama, the film is comedic yet touching, the pacing and realistic dialogue lend authenticity to the portrayal of gay and gay friendly urbanites in the long gone Manhattan of the 1980's. While Silence=Death stickers designed by Ken Woddard started to proliferate ominously on the city streets around 1986/87 it's another four years before we see the film "Longtime Companion" and another seven before we have the even higher profile piece "Philadelphia".  Parting Glances was also one of the first motion pictures to even address the term HIV-AIDS and it is done so frankly and honestly.

Parting Glances gave both Kathy Kinney and Steve Buscemi their first major movie roles. Janet Maslin in her New York Times review said of Buscemi, "It is to both his and the film's credit that the anguish of AIDS is presented as part of a larger social fabric, understood in context, and never in a maudlin light."  Kinney, well known for her roll as Mimi on the Drew Carey Show is brilliant and funny as Joan the fag hag. A special mention must be made of John Bolger for playing the roll of a gay man in a film while a regular on the CBS soap opera "The Guiding Light" and later as a sexy police chief on the soap opera Another World.

This film isn't earth shattering in terms of social justice but it is perfectly realized depiction of gay men in the 1980s Manhattan, avoiding the usual trappings and stereotypes while expertly handling the subject of HIV-AIDS. The piece resonates with the particulars and complexity of friendships, life and love. Sometimes biting the scenes are equally funny as they are sad. There is a great scene that contrasts a seasoned gay man with a younger more idealistic gay man, a brilliant play between growing up gay in a Pre-Aids/Post-Aids world. The true crime is that AIDS claimed writer and director Bill Sherwood before he could make another film. Sadly this was his only movie, a somber example of how this disease robbed the world of a generation of talented individuals. In 2006, the UCLA Film and Television Archive announced the film's restoration and addition to its OutFest Legacy Project.

Available on DVD from Amazon 90 Min. Run Time.

Outfest Legacy Project's website.

Flushed Away (2006) - LightShed 5

By Guest Reviewer ultranow

Flushed Away taught me so many things:  Hugh Jackman is still cute even when in the form of an animated rat; Sir Ian McKellen still brings forth gay even when in the form of a villainous toad named, actually, Toad; Kate Winslet, who once again puts in some boat time, can bring believability to even the most improbable circumstances; and claymation, the look of which is sporadically utilized, most notably with a doo-wop chorus of slugs, is always impressive, putting even the most high tech animation to shame, even if ironically it’s that high tech animation which created the claymation look.

Hugh Jackman stars as Roddy, who goes from living in a mansion, or most pointedly in a cage within that mansion, to being flushed down the toilet by an interloper and down pipes and down the sewer and down down down to Ratropolis, bizarrely a fun, happening place, literally a bizarre bazaar.  From capitalism to barter, and he’s got nothing to offer, except saving the whole darn place.

Going from a living in an exclusive zip code to being flushed down the toilet - it’s the animated equivalent of Shannon Doherty’s career, and based on disappointing grosses is also the equivalent of her movie career. Should have been called Ratropolis, which would have simplified matters and brought in at least an extra $25 million.  Or possibly just Charming Mini Hugh Jackman in a Tuxedo.  I adore movies with that title and so would the world.

Hugh Jackman’s Roddy, though decidedly heterosexual, does at the beginning of the flick count dolls as his only companions.  This is not so much gay as pathetic.  He is also in possession of a wardrobe which includes Elvis, the Vegas Years, and Wolverine, the kind of inside joke I hate.

Why does Sir Ian McKellen’s Toad read as gay?  Purple and pink paisley robe, yellow ascot, pinkie rings, excellent manners, general fastidiousness, and most of all, hatred of rats.  When he does change to a suit, it’s similarly purple, with a yellow tie, pink shirt and pink pocket square.  He possesses what he perceives as fine collectibles, building on the film’s theme of perspective.  What can each tiny object in the lives of humans be utilized/seen as from a rat’s or frog’s or other small creature’s point of view.  What is more important, fine objects or family?  He also possesses maniacal genocidal plans, making him Joan Crawford gay.

This picture was heavier on child-friendly slapstick and puns than on the tricky multi-layered dialogue found in many animated pictures seeking to capture adult and youth markets.  That said, a fair bit of the slapstick was ingenious, and puns don’t hurt as badly when delivered by a Sir. The slapstick involving Toad and his hapless assistants was particularly engrossing.  Who knew tongues could stretch so far?

Kate Winslet’s Rita is the heart of the picture, offering companionship that dolls can’t, offering family that Roddy needs.  Plucky female on boat.  Consider her Keira Knightley in pants, with the must have belt of the moment, at least as far as Toad’s evil plans are concerned.

This is jaunty fun.  The best part is how Robin Williams isn’t in it.

Flushed Away will be released on DVD on February 20.

Leeches! (2003) - No Gay Content

By Guest Reviewer Tottyland

The name David DeCoteau has never really been synonymous with quality and it isn't here. It's the usual silliness coupled with a lot of male flesh.

The plot, for what it is, involves giant leeches that are slowly taking out a college swim team. The chaps all die in long drawn out scenes usually with little on, while the girls are bumped off fast enough to avoid spoiling the real purpose of the film. Plot holes abound but that's to be expected (there is one major jump-off-the-sofa-and-shout-at-the-TV flaw). As a victim can escape the leeches just by moving away slowly, they have to be immobile so Josh Henderson's character gets tied up, Trevor Harris' passes out, and Matt Twining's can't get up a pool ladder. To top it all the plot twist at the end looks tacked on, and it probably is.

The cast consists of television stars like Josh Henderson, soap actors such as Matt Twining, and DeCoteau regulars like Michael Lutz, Greg Lyczkowski and Trevor Harris. You know what to expect: bad acting and lots of eye candy.

In summary, better watched with the volume down, with remote in hand.

IMDb page for Leeches! here. [QB Note: Tottyland is right on the money with his review, take a look at some of the scenes from "Leeches!":]

[More at Tottyland.]

Hannibal Rising (2007) - No Gay Content

By Guest Reviewer Lone Star Verve

The American Film Institute recently chose their top 50 heroes and top 50 villains of all time. The greatest villain of them all was revealed as the brilliant, cunning and psychotic Dr. Hannibal Lecter from "The Silence of the Lamb." Joining Dr. Lecter in the circle of top three evildoers in film history were Norman Bates from "Psycho" and Darth Vader from the "Star Wars" trilogy. Where we always knew that Bates was driven to madness and murder (along with being a transvestite) by a clinging, overly demanding mother and we eventually discovered that Vader had turned to the dark side because of a lie that he had killed his own wife, we’ve never had a complete back-story on the flesh-eating Dr. Lecter. Now bestselling author Thomas Harris has answered all those nagging questions that we had about our favorite cannibal with his screenplay for the prequel to his Hannibal Lecter franchise, "Hannibal Rising." While trying to sit through this movie though, we suddenly became so sorry that we had asked.

As WWII rages in Lithuania, the aristocratic Lecter family is killed by Nazis. The war atrocities continue for 8 year old Hannibal (Aaron Thomas) and his younger sister Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska) who are kidnapped by a band of ruthless thugs (lead by Rhys Ifans). With food scarce, the men decide that in order to survive they should eat little Mischa while Hannibal watches helplessly. Flash forward to a now teenage Hannibal (Gaspard Ulliel) who escapes to France where he studies medicine and lives with the mysterious wife (Gong Li) of his recently-deceased uncle in a grand mansion on the outskirts of Paris. All the while, he is secretly tracking down and seeking revenge on the men who killed his beloved Mischa. However, a relentless detective (Dominic West) is hot on his trail of terror.

The film is sleekly elegant thanks to director Peter Webber (The Girl With The Pearl Earring) with a few of the murder sequences that are memorably gruesome. Handsome Gaspard Ulliel is also sleekly elegant and smart not to try a Hopkins impersonation with a younger version of such a famous character. The main problem with this movie is learning the pathology behind his cannibalism really spoils all the wicked fun from the over-the top evil of Hannibal Lecter. Plus it doesn’t help that the film drags at times and the dialogue is unintentionally laughable in spots. Over all, we can’t fault Thomas Harris for wanting to disclose the origins of his iconic antihero. But after seeing this latest chapter in Hannibal Lecter’s life, we can’t help but believe that Harris’ real motivation was just another paycheck.

‘Hannibal Rising’ movie trailer.
‘Hannibal Rising’ official website.

Small Town Gay Bar (2006) - LightShed 10

By Guest Reviewer Pam's House Blend

At the last NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, I saw small town gay bar, a documentary by Malcolm Ingram (it was exec produced by Kevin Smith, yes, the director of Clerks). It was a wonderful look at what social life is like for gays in the rural South. I mean really rural -- the two Mississippi bars profiled were in Shannon (pop. 1,657) and Meridian (39,968). Durham, for comparison's sake has an estimated pop. of 204,845.

Watching this film is like going back in time if you live in a progressive area or large city; the closet is a necessity here, as you might imagine. Being out can be a death sentence for these people. The bar is their only refuge, their only time to let their hair down, be themselves and feel safe to be who they are, as gays, lesbians, trans, black, white -- all that matters is that you know you aren't alone. Drag queens had a home to perform out and proud at Rumors and Crossroads (now called Different Seasons).

The audience howled as Ingram interviewed the unhinged Rotting Cryptkeeper^TM Fred Phelps. Fred was his animated self, talking about "fanning the flames of fag lust" and it was clear he's energized and surprised by "all the fags that come out to protest him."

The Phelps Klan picketed the funeral of Scotty Joe Weaver, who was killed right next door in Alabama. The 18-year-old out gay teen, known to many at the Mississippi bars, was murdered by a trio of backwoods homobigots; he was tied to a chair in his trailer, beaten, stabbed, and partially decapitated. His body was dumped in the woods and then set on fire. No wonder these people remain closeted.

And since this is Mississippi, Ingram had to stop by the HQ and nexus of homohate, Don and Tim Wildmon's American Family Association, which is in Tupelo. Interviewees said that Tim Wildmon and the AFA had people scoping out a local bridge in a small town in Mississippi taking down the tag numbers of people who were going over the bridge to go to the gay bar.

The next day on his radio show, Don would read the tag numbers on the air. This, he said, "would keep people accountable." Evil does exist.

One of the queens in the film (who does drag at the bars by night and is a veterinary tech by day), and the sister of one of the bar owners, said that the Wildmons are a bunch of hypocrites because they have a homo sitting right there in the family circle.

And that's no surprise, is it?

You may ask, why on earth do these gay folks stay in these tiny towns? They are subjected to the possible loss of a job if someone outs you, shunning by family, or worse, you end up like Scotty Weaver. Kate and I talked about this for a while [QB note: Kate is Pam's wife], but it's pretty clear that for many gays in rural areas, their fear of living in a hostile world like this is actually less stressful than the thought of living in a large, urban environment. The "big city" for them may be a 2-3 hour drive away, and it seems an inhospitable, cold place in comparison to the world they know and make for themselves. back home, hidden in the shadows of bars tucked away, deep in the woods.

It's both easy and difficult to understand. But the overwhelming theme running through this film is that we are everywhere. No matter how tight the bible belt is pulled, your tiny town has LGBT citizens, and they are making their space. The battle for survival and to be out in small towns is the last frontier. It's coming, and people like Wildmon are desperate to lean on that closet door to keep it firmly shut with their hate tactics. In the end, these fundies are going to lose.

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno - 2006) - No Gay Content

By Guest Reviewer Jimbo.info

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, creator of Blade II, Hellboy and Mimic gets serious with Pan's Labyrinth, but doesn't discard his skill with fantastic visuals.  Contrasting childhood wonder with the horrors of reality, he brings us into the two worlds of an 11-year-old girl living through the Spanish Civil War.

In the girl's fantasy world a faun gives her three tasks that will allow her ascendance to her true father's side. As her tasks grow more difficult, so do the challenges of real life with an ailing mother, a vicious stepfather, and keeping a dire secret. Sergi López plays the girl's stepfather, a cruel fascist captain, with disturbing alacrity that I hope gains him deserving recognition.

This film is definitely one to see in the theaters if it makes it to your town.

Official Website, here.  Interview with Guillermo del Toro in The A.V. Club, here.