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Reviews
Clapham Junction (2007)
Diffuse Film Raises Issues, but the DVD Cover May Mislead
The major reviews of "Clapham Junction" on IMDb have collectively been on target. The characters are lightly linked and do little to show the positive aspects of gay life. The performances and technical aspects were workmanlike. Luke Treadaway (Theo) and Joseph Mawle (Tim) were the most memorable.
The high IMDb viewer rating (currently 7.50) might be lower if it were not for student Theo's unambiguously nude scenes.
What seems to me not to be on target is the write-up on the USA DVD package: "Inspired by True Events / In this riveting film about sexual tolerance in modern society, the paths of several men intersect during a dramatic thirty-six hours in which their lives are changed forever. After another man falls victim to a violent gay-bashing incident, the homosexual community of Clapham Junction comes together to bring the assailants to justice."
My USA DVD timed out at 99 minutes and had SDH English subtitles and three previews as its extra features. You might compare the timing shown on the IMDb listing. The result is acceptable; I hoped the film would be more focused, not longer.
Dance of the Dead (2008)
Fun Zombie Movie. Undercut Some by Pervasive Homophobia
"Dance of the Dead" is a fun zombie movie that takes place on a high school prom night. The effects and acting are enjoyable.
The less fun part was the casual, negative use of "queer", "pansy", "gay", and "girls" (applied to boys) throughout the movie and the otherwise good making-of feature. This is current reality. Still, it is dismaying to hear on the good commentary track that the local, Georgia school authorities reviewed the script, insisted on some clean up of 'f-word' and religiously-inspired expletives, but apparently had no trouble with violence (required by the genre) or repeated anti-gay language. One fears for the safety of local, non-straight students and others.
Down in San Diego (1941)
Enjoyable Comic Spybusting Caper
In Los Angeles, Al Haines (played by Dan Daily, Jr.) has just enlisted in the peacetime US Marines in part to escape local gang connections. Hank Parker (the main star, played by Ray McDonald), the boyfriend of Al's sister, Betty (played by Bonita Granville), overhears talk that suggests the gang intends keeping its hooks into Al even after he reports in San Diego. Hank and friends 'Snap' Collins (Leo Gorcey) and Crawford 'Doc' Courtland (Charles Smith) decide to vacation in San Diego to get more information before reporting to the authorities. 'Doc''s girlfriend, Mildred (Dorothy Morris) tags along, and Betty shows up later. With the help of a local guy, Louie (Stanley Clements), the group follows the clues (including a dog with a damaged ear), snoops, and makes trouble. The bad spies in San Diego want Al to steal some secret equipment. How will it all play out?
This is a nice, fast paced show and makes for an enjoyable viewing. On the other hand, production values are low, although there are a few shots of marching Marines. There are no establishing shots or beach scenes that might make one feel in San Diego. Much of the plot relies on coincidence for making needed connections.
As was usual for the times, the language was occasionally slang-filled but clean and there was nothing overtly sexual. The only skin shot was of a snooping Ray McDonald getting a shirtless "short wave" treatment for chest congestion in the basement of a barber shop.
This film is worthy of being cleaned up and put onto a DVD.
Young Hearts, Broken Dreams, Episode 1: The Delivery Boy (1990)
Pilot Episode of a Proposed Gay Soap Opera
"Young Hearts, Broken Dreams: Episode 1 > The Delivery Boy" is a proposed gay soap opera's initial episode, released in 1990.
Adam Harrington (played by Mark Cannon) has recently arrived in Hollywood and works as a delivery boy for a major motion picture studio. He delivers some costumes to teen-heart-throb Scottie Edwards (played by Eddie Starr) and receives permission to use the pool. A bit later, two friends of Scottie come over - Eddie (played by Brett Winters) and Larry (played by Shawn Peters) - to swim, try on the costumes, and ask for drugs. After Eddie and Larry leave, Adam gets to stick around and finds out about Scottie's drug habits and debts. After a bad event, Adam and Scottie go away and then return for Scottie to go to rehab. The therapist is extra friendly, and Adam gets jealous. A voice-over lists some possible continuations and the title of episode 2. Like all soap opera series, each episode ends on a cliffhanger.
The episode has passable dialog and characters. The actors are moderate but cute. The major characters have extensive nude scenes, and there is much time spent prancing around. There are no explicit sex scenes or language issues; no one even uses the word gay. The series might have been all right, but a 38 minute episode is not that much to go on, and the characters need more development. Adam's name, of course, refers to Eve Harrington of "All About Eve", which suggests one direction the series could have taken. This video is a plausible substitute for watching a random half-hour TV show.
Note the director's name on the tape is Jerry Neal.
I Was a Teenage TV Terrorist (1985)
Guerilla Warfare in a Corporation
"Amateur Hour" seems to be the currently approved name for this movie. I viewed a VHS version called "I Was a Teenage TV Terrorist," which is the same and includes references to sponsorship by Troma, a fun but edgy studio.
Paul Pierce (played by Adam Nathan) is too much for his mother to handle; so she sends him away to his separated father. Girlfriend Donna Rose (Juliet Hanlon) goes along. Paul's unsympathetic dad, TV executive John Reid (John MacKay), puts Paul to work in the basement doing TV film canister filing and other menial tasks under the supervision of ex-military taskmistress Miss Murphy (Mikall Druhan). Paul's father houses Paul and Donna in an isolated dump. Broke and alienated, Paul and Donna plot revenge. Others get clues as event unfold, letting blackmail makes some appearances too. There is a tangle, climax, and resolution.
The film feels relatively mild today. The Terrorism in the alternate title does not involve killing, physical injuries, or explosions, which is OK. The goal is more psychological. There are no sex scenes. The most skin is Paul lounging in T-shirts and boxers. The overall acting is moderate, although those who liked Adam Nathan as Peter in "Parting Glances" will enjoy seeing him more prominently here.
Although the film is lower budget and a bit "Amateur Hour" feeling, it is an enjoyable enough way to pass the time.
Everyone (2004)
Drama at a Gay Union Ceremony in Vancouver
Today is the day Ryan (Matt Fentiman) and Grant (Mark Hildreth) will host their civil union at home. Their collective brothers, step-sister, and Ryan's mother all show up, most with spouses. Ryan's mother (Katherine Billings), needing help carrying a box of decorations, enlists the help of a street urchin, Dylan (Brendan Fletcher). Let the party begin.
The audience becomes aware of problems the guests have, many revolving around children or the lack thereof. Attitudes toward each other and toward the thought of a gay civil union raise tension levels within and between the participants.
Homeless Dylan has a sense of the dramatic and of the inner workings of the people around him. He can nudge some people toward happiness, but it is hard to keep matters in balance.
There are a variety of outcomes, but I was very pleased at the choices made in resolving the most damaging situations. The movie as a whole makes a good impression.
The lighting, sets, and direction were all right. There were skin shots of all the males and two of the females.
Although some of the acting may routine and some of the dialog may be unlikely, special mention must be made of the performance of Brendan Fletcher as Dylan. He was able to keep his emotional intelligence on view as he dealt with the characters and combinations of characters he faced. Even when he had no lines, as when he listened to the motor-mouthed party planner Rena (Carly Pope), he was able to stand in the background and indicate he knew exactly what was going on. His performance towered over everyone else's.
Side comment: I first noticed Brendan Fletcher in the short film "Touch" in the "Boy's Briefs 2" collection. He was terrific there too. I think a film that could show a plausible arc of his life from "Touch" to "Everyone" would be spectacular.
Hard (1998)
Gay Rookie Detective Takes on Gay Serial Killer
I recently rented a DVD version of "Hard". There were some extras, most notably two commentary tracks and some Q&A sessions at gay film festivals. For me the most interesting part of the whole experience was listening to the ex-police advisors discuss the problems they had when their departments found out the advisors were gay. Examples from these experiences (harassment, beatings, no back-up, etc.) were on display in the film. If you rent the DVD, be sure to check out the extras.
The film-makers make the statement that they wanted to show how the police disregard low prestige victims (e.g., hustlers), how the police make life a misery for gay cops, how serial killers really behave, and depict the plight of street people in general. Well, hustlers and others just show up in time to be victims and then are turned to bloody messes. So the focus is really on police behavior and on the killer.
Several scenes, especially the torture and darkened interior scenes, are lit and photographed well. The victims all come across with some personality. The bad guy was the most effective actor. The rest of the adult actors were just OK. Pacing was all right. The protagonist is a closeted gay man who has just been promoted to detective; he has to learn some things the hard way.
Your liking of the movie will depend some on your own fantasies. The police environment and issues raised are useful for everybody to consider.
Russkiy kovcheg (2002)
More than a Trip to the Museum
"Russian Ark" is an enjoyable film on its own, but it will be especially valuable to people studying or directing films and to people interested in Russian history and culture.
One hears too much that early films were primitive until Eisenstein discovered montages and the good side of frequent cutting. Now they say the audience demands MTV style continual cuts in order to hold the audience's attention. "Russian Ark" is a film that will stand as a permanent counter-example, an interesting movie that forgoes editing. Directors will have to think a little harder about how long a scene should last before cutting.
"Russian Ark" was done in a single take. The film can get away with this since most of the actors whip past without material dialogue. Still, if one can produce a good film on one take, it makes the demands of some directors to have fifty takes seem possibly excessive.
Those interested in Russian history or culture also benefit. The producers were able to get the management of the Hermitage to restore some rooms to their tsarist state. For example, they removed the exhibits from an exhibit hall to reveal the 1913 ball room and removed the visible modern alarm systems guarding the artworks. One could see reenacted many famous scenes or tableaus from Russian history and literature. Readers of Tolstoy and Pushkin will get a thrill.
The lack of linear story line and the way the current American education system downplays Russian culture will make "Russian Ark" obscure to many, merely a pageant.
Still, "Russian Ark" is a good movie, very insightful for some.
Curse of the Puppet Master (1998)
Frankenstein's Come-Uppance
The "Curse of the Puppet Master" has a good premise that is undermined by unconvincing puppet violence and the usual weaknesses of low-budget films.
The direction was good, moving the story along.
The eye candy was limited to underwear/gym shorts scenes with the hero and with the bully, separately. There was a tasteful suggestion of a sex scene. The goriness was in line with expectations, not overstated.
Unlike other reviewers, I found the action straightforward enough.
SPOILERS
The new Puppet Master, Dr. Magrew (George Peck) is experimenting to discover the methods the original Puppet Master, Andre Toulon, used to create semi-living puppets. Assistants, who first carve the 444 wooden pieces that go into a puppet, can be transformed by a lightening-like effect into the inner workings of a puppet. (The director used this idea later in his "Voodoo Academy.") The movie starts with Dr. Magrew disposing the results of a failed experiment and finding a new person, Robert "Tank" Winsley (Josh Green), to be the new carver. The problem is that Dr. Magrew's daughter, Jane (Emily Harrison), takes a romantic interest in Robert. Bully Joey Carp (Michael Guerin) wants his way with Jane and isn't too fond of Robert. Meanwhile, the police are wondering why Dr. Magrew's former carver has disappeared. The threads all move along to their conclusions.
END OF SPOILERS
I can't say how this movie compares to the others in the Puppet Master series, but on a stand-alone basis it was entertaining enough. The big thuds for me were the victims' inability to get away from attacking puppets and the leap of insight which allowed Jane to find some evidence of earlier activities. Lightening effects were too pervasive. Say, 4 out of 10.
Scream of the Butterfly (1965)
Double the Cheating, Double the Fun
"Scream of the Butterfly" is surprisingly enjoyable for a low-budget, black and white film about a complex plot involving gold-digging, a homosexual relationship, and multiple adultery. The movie is structured as a set of conversations between district attorneys and defense psychologists framing flashbacks leading up to the opening scene that shows Marla Williams (played by Nelida Lobato - related to director Eber Lobato?) standing in front of a car and arguing with the male driver. The driver hits the gas, and Marla goes down. It turns out that Marla was a nude bubble-bathing gold-digger who married rich tycoon Paul Williams (played by William Turner). No sooner had Marla taken off her wedding dress, than she was already looking for someone new. She picked up cute, often-shirtless David (played by Nick Novarro) on the beach. Hubby Paul can't swim; Marla got an evil idea. But who is that drunk guy who keeps talking to David? Everyone gets a surprise. Especially at the end. The story is well told, and the camera work is all right. The acting is moderate. The gay angle is sympathetic in parts, but one character is very self-loathing; 1965 was well before Stonewall, after all. Enjoyable short, cheapie film.
Jean (2000)
Well Acted Short Film of Transformation
"Jean" was for me the best and most ambitious film in the compilation DVD, "The First Annual Planetout.com Short Movie Awards Highlights." The dialogue-less movie, filmed in the U.K., stars Susannah York as the lady of a manor preparing a fancy dinner for the man of the house. Life is a bit drab, in black and white. We then watch in color as an intruder (played by Gyuri Sarossy) breaks in and looks about carefully and thoughtfully. The woman goes upstairs to investigate a noise, and the story resolves. The pantomime is excellent.
SPOILER: The movie is not mysterious if one notices similarities and is willing to symbolize concerns about a past physical and psychological transformation in a single, present confrontation. The choices of film stock at the end signal an acceptance of the new order.