Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Orlando (Blu-ray)

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If you like films to be literal and make logical sense, then Orlando is not the movie for you. However if you enjoy something idiosyncratic that stands alone as a unique bit of independent cinema, and which certainly make you think, Sally Potter’s 1992 movie is well worth a look.

Based on Virginia Woolf’s classic novel, the film follows young nobleman Orlando (Tilda Swinton), who is ordered by Queen Elizabeth I to stay young forever. Miraculously he does, with the film charting Orlando’s life over four centuries. Over time he courts a young Russian woman, becomes patron to a poet, and then heads for Constantinople to represent the Crown. Once there another miraculous things happens (well, miraculous to us, but seemingly not to Orlando), as he changes from a man to a woman. While she retains the same mind and personality, she finds the world is rather different for a lady, not least that she can’t own property as a woman. [Read more…]

Anton Yelchin Joins Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive

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It appears Anton Yelchin likes vampires, as after last year’s Fright Night he’s heading back into a film about the bloodsuckers, although this time with a more arthouse bent, as Deadline reports that he’s signed on to star in Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, a drama about the centuries-long romance between two star-crossed vampires.

When it was first announced, the movie was due to star Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in what Jarmusch describes as a “crypto-vampire love story”, following the centuries-long love story of two vampire lovers. Since then John Hurt has signed on and there have also been rumours Tom Hiddleston has stepped in to replace Fassbender.

However what isn’t certain is who will play the central vampiric lovers. Jarmusch is deliberately keeping quiet about his plans, but it certainly sound like something larger scale than he normally takes on.

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We Need To Talk About Kevin (Blu-ray)

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Lynne Ramsay became a true darling of the British indie film scene with Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar. While I found things to admire in both those movies, I remained undecided about Ramsay as a filmmaker, as I personally found that overall both movie felt lacking. However, I do think her third film, We Need To Talk About Kevin, based on the bestselling book by Lionel Shriver, is very good, although perhaps not for exactly the same reasons Ramsay and the actors do.

We Need To Talk About Kevin is a movie that’s possible to take two completely different ways. It could be a mother trying to deal with a son who was simply born evil, or alternately it could be about a son who ends up bad because his mother never felt the bond parents are supposed to, or perhaps somewhere in between. In the cast and crew interviews that make up the special features, the actors suggest they believe it’s more about the mother not feeling the expected bond with her son and the incredibly smart Kevin reacting to it, but when I watched it, I saw the exact opposite. [Read more…]

Octavia Spencer On For Joon-ho Bong’s Snow Piercer

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For years Octavia Spencer was stealing scenes but never getting particularly good roles. Thanks to The Help she’s now in demand and the favourite for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Now THR reports that she’s joined the cast of Korean director Joon-ho Bong’s Snow Piercer.

The intriguing story is set in an alternate future, where a failed experiment to stop global warming results in a new Ice Age. The frigid climate has killed off all life on Earth, except for the passengers aboard a train dubbed Snow Piercer. A class system develops among the passengers on this train, which ignites a revolt. Octavia Spencer will portray a passenger who joins the uprising in order to save her son. Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, and Kang-ho Song also star.

Joon-ho Bong is set to make his English-language debut with Snow Piercer, having found success with his excellent Korean movies, The Host and Mother. Chan-wook Park and Dooho Choi will produce. Production is set to begin in March.

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Tom Hiddleston Joins Jim Jarmusch’s Vampire Tale Only Lovers Left Alive

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It sounds a bit like an indie film fans wet dream. Ghost Dog and Dead Man helmer Jim Jarmusch teaming up with Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Mia Wasikowska for a tale about vampires. The cast of Only Lovers Left Alive was also due to include Michael Fassbender, but with Hollywood knocking on his door for every role at the moment, he’s moved on and THR reports Thor and War Horse’s Tom Hiddleston is set to replace him.

Jarmusch won’t get around to shooting the movie until later this year, which is described as a horror drama that tells an unusual love story about two vampires who have been in a tumultuous relationship for centuries.

Hiddleston will next be seen in The Avengers, when hopefully he’ll be able to have more fun as Loki, who is perhaps the most interesting character in Marvel’s current film universe.

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John Hurt Joins Snow Piercer

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Bong Joon-Ho’s English-language debut is getting more and more interesting with each cast announcement. Chris Evans is taking the lead role, with Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell joining him soon after. Now they have some illustrious company in the form of John Hurt, according to The Telegraph.

Hurt mentioned the role in an interview, saying “All the film crew refer to him, with great reverence, as ‘Director Bong’. I love the fact that I am working for Director Bong.” It isn’t known what role Hurt will play.

The film is set in a world of ice and snow, and follows a group of people who get stuck on a train and can’t find a way to co-exist harmoniously. Bong Joon-ho, who’s best known for his Korean movies The Mother and The Host, will direct from his own screenplay, with Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) producing.

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Tilda Swinton & Jamie Bell May Join Chris Evans In Snow Piercer

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Snow Piercer is fast becoming a movie to keep an eye out for. At the weekend it was revealed Chris Evans had signed on to star in Joon-ho Bong’s English-language debut. Now Variety reports that the cast is about to get a jolt of excitement, with Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell are in talks to join the movie.

The film is set in a world of ice and snow, and follows a group of people who get stuck on a train and can’t find a way to co-exist harmoniously. Unfortunately we don’t have character details, but it’s difficult to imagine Swinton, Bell and Evans won’t spark off one another whatever they’re saying.

Joon-ho Bong, who’s best known for his Korean movie The Mother and The Host, will direct from his own screenplay, with Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) producing.

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Moonrise Kingdom Trailer

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I’m never sure whether I like Wes Anderson movies or not. I think it’s probably most accurate to say that I’m bemused by them. However he has a lot of devoted fans who’ll be looking forward to his next effort, Moonrise Kingdom. From this first trailer, it seems we’re back into a world of whimsy and eccentricity, with plenty of stars along for the ride, including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman. Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing offshore, and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents. It should be in cinemas this summer.

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Golden Globe Nominations Announced

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The Golden Globes may be a bit of a pointless dog & pony show (it’s essentially about Hollywood trying to line up Oscar nominations, with the rest of us caught up in that), but they’ve certainly grown into a big deal in the public consciousness. The nominations for the 2012 ceremony have now been announced and there’s a pretty good showing for LGBT-themed movies.

Overall, the most notable thing is how ecumenical the nominations list is, with a large amount of films getting a look in and nothing jumping forward as an obvious frontrunner. The Artist got the most noms though, with six, and so now has to be seen as having a good shot of picking up the big gong, although whether the silent movie can go on to Oscar success is less certain.

On the LGBT front, Christopher Plummer scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination as an elderly gay man in Beginners, continuing a march many believe could end with him picking up an Oscar. Also making a decent Golden Globe showing was Albert Nobbs, with Glenn Close nominated for Best Actress – Drama for playing the title character, who was born female but lives as a man in 19th Century Ireland. Janet McTeer was also nominated for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category. And just to ensure an even stronger LGBT showing in the acting categories, Leo DiCaprio was nominated for playing the closeted J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood’s biopic of the FBI chief.

As for real-life LGBT actors, bisexual Tilda Swinton was nominated for Best Actress in We Need To Talk About Kevin, Jodie Foster scored a nomination for Carnage and Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In picked up a nod in the Best Foreign Language Film category,

Take a look at all the nominations in the film categories below:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
50/50
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
George Clooney for The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender for Shame
Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March
Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis for The Help
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Brendan Gleeson for The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50
Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson for Midnight in Paris

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Jodie Foster for Carnage
Charlize Theron for Young Adult
Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet for Carnage

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks for Drive
Jonah Hill for Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist
Jessica Chastain for The Help
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer for The Help
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants

Best Director – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
George Clooney for The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Artist: Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Ides of March: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen
Moneyball: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Albert Nobbs(“Lay Your Head Down”)
Gnomeo & Juliet: Elton John, Bernie Taupin(“Hello Hello”)
The Help: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.(“The Living Proof”)
Machine Gun Preacher(“The Keeper”)
W.E.(“Masterpiece”)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Artist: Ludovic Bource
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Hugo: Howard Shore
War Horse: John Williams
W.E.: Abel Korzeniowski

Best Animated Film
Nominees:
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film
Nominees:
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid with a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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