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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

A New Video Suggests The Matrix Is A Metaphor For Coming Out As Trans

April 14, 2016 By Tim Isaac 1 Comment

matrix-slideBack in 1999 when The Matrix was released, neither Lilly nor Lana Wachowski had revealed that they were transgender and were still living their public lives as men. However, a new video has been released suggesting that even if no one knew they were trans, The Matrix is an extended metaphor for coming out as trans.

It’s a more coherent theory than you might think, such as the red and blue pills representing a choice between accepting reality or living a false life. There’s also the fact that Neo is literally reborn once he comes to understand his true self, and that Neo is a name he chooses for himself, but authority figures insist on calling him ‘Mr. Anderson’, a name he had shed.

Youtube critic Film Runner also draws parallels between a scene near the end of the movie where Neo narrowly escapes from being run over by a train, with Lana saying she has once tried to kill herself in front of a train before she began living outwardly as a woman.

It’s certainly a video that’s worth a look. You can watch it below. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski  

Second Half Of Wachowskis Directing Duo Comes Out As Transgender

March 9, 2016 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

LillyWachowskiMany have been inspired by the way Matrix and Cloud Atlas co-director Lana Wachowski has handled her transition to living publicly as a woman. However, it turns out that she’s not the only trans member of the family, as her younger sibling Lilly (previously known as Andy) has also revealed she is transgender.

Lilly has released a statement via the Windy City Times, in response to the fact the Daily Mail was planning to out her. Instead she decided to would do things on her own terms. Alongside Lana, Lilly has also directed movies such as Bound, Speed Racer and Jupiter Ascending, as well as creating the Netflix series Sense8, which explored transgender themes.

Both siblings have generally avoided the press and have done throughout most of their career, but Lana impressed many with the speech she made when she won the 2012 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award. However, largely both siblings have concentrated on their work, which has been a powerful statement in itself, as it has meant that for the public her trans status has only ever been seen as part of who she is, rather than their primary navigator of who she is. There’s no reason to think Lilly won’t be the same, and it’ll certainly be interesting to see what the duo come up with next.

You can read Lilly’s statement below:

“SEX CHANGE SHOCKER—WACHOWSKI BROTHERS NOW SISTERS!!!”

There’s the headline I’ve been waiting for this past year. Up until now with dread and/or eye rolling exasperation. The “news” has almost come out a couple of times. Each was preceded by an ominous email from my agent—reporters have been asking for statements regarding the “Andy Wachowski gender transition” story they were about to publish. In response to this threatened public outing against my will, I had a prepared a statement that was one part piss, one part vinegar and 12 parts gasoline.

It had a lot of politically relevant insights regarding the dangers of outing trans people, and the statistical horrors of transgender suicide and murder rates. Not to mention a slightly sarcastic wrap-up that “revealed” my father had injected praying mantis blood into his paternal ball-sac before conceiving each of his children to produce a brood of super women, hellbent on female domination. Okay, mega sarcastic.

But it didn’t happen. The editors of these publications didn’t print a story that was only salacious in substance and could possibly have a potentially fatal effect. And being the optimist that I am, I was happy to chalk it up to progress.

Then last night while getting ready to go out for dinner my doorbell rang. Standing on my front porch was a man I did not recognize.

“This might be a little awkward,” he said in an English accent.

I remember sighing.

Sometimes it’s really tough work to be an optimist.

He proceeded to explain he was a journalist from the Daily Mail, which was the largest news service in the UK and was most definitely not a tabloid. And that I really had to sit down with him tomorrow or the next day or next week so that I could have my picture taken and tell my story which was so inspirational! And that I really didn’t want to have someone from the National Enquirer following me around, did I? BTW—The Daily Mail is so definitely not a tabloid.

My sister Lana and I have largely avoided the press. I find talking about my art frustratingly tedious and talking about myself a wholly mortifying experience. I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. You know, when you’re living as an out transgender person it’s … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted—needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable.

But apparently I don’t get to decide this.

After he had given me his card, and I closed the door it began to dawn on me where I had heard of the Daily Mail. It was the “news” organization that had played a huge part in the national public outing of Lucy Meadows, an elementary school teacher and trans woman in the UK. An editorial in the “not-a-tabloid” demonized her as a damaging influence on the children’s delicate innocence and summarized “he’s not only trapped in the wrong body, he’s in the wrong job.” The reason I knew about her wasn’t because she was transgender it was because three months after the Daily Mail article came out, Lucy committed suicide.

And now here they were, at my front door, almost as if to say—

“There’s another one! Let’s drag ’em out in the open so we can all have a look!”

Being transgender is not easy. We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you’re transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you.

I am one of the lucky ones. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive. In 2015, the transgender murder rate hit an all-time high in this country. A horrifying disproportionate number of the victims were trans women of color. These are only the recorded homicides so, since trans people do not all fit in the tidy gender binary statistics of murder rates, it means the actual numbers are higher.

And though we have come a long way since Silence of the Lambs, we continue to be demonized and vilified in the media where attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the goddamn bathroom. The so-called bathroom bills that are popping up all over this country do not keep children safe, they force trans people into using bathrooms where they can be beaten and or murdered. We are not predators, we are prey.

So yeah, I’m transgender.

And yeah, I’ve transitioned.

I’m out to my friends and family. Most people at work know too. Everyone is cool with it. Yes, thanks to my fabulous sister they’ve done it before, but also because they’re fantastic people. Without the love and support of my wife and friends and family I would not be where I am today.

But these words, “transgender” and “transitioned” are hard for me because they both have lost their complexity in their assimilation into the mainstream. There is a lack of nuance of time and space. To be transgender is something largely understood as existing within the dogmatic terminus of male or female. And to “transition” imparts a sense of immediacy, a before and after from one terminus to another. But the reality, my reality is that I’ve been transitioning and will continue to transition all of my life, through the infinite that exists between male and female as it does in the infinite between the binary of zero and one. We need to elevate the dialogue beyond the simplicity of binary. Binary is a false idol.

Now, gender theory and queer theory hurt my tiny brain. The combinations of words, like freeform jazz, clang disjointed and discordant in my ears. I long for understanding of queer and gender theory but it’s a struggle as is the struggle for understanding of my own identity. I have a quote in my office though by José Muñoz given to me by a good friend. I stare at it in contemplation sometimes trying to decipher its meaning but the last sentence resonates:

“Queerness is essentially about the rejection of a here and now and an insistence on potentiality for another world.”

So I will continue to be an optimist adding my shoulder to the Sisyphean struggle of progress and in my very being, be an example of the potentiality of another world.

Lilly Wachowski

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  

Jupiter Ascending (Blu-ray Review)

June 28, 2015 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Sean Bean
Director: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Running Time: 127 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: June 29th 2015 (UK)

When Jupiter Ascending was moved from a prime Summer 2014 cinema release to early 2015, it didn’t auger well. And when the reviews finally rolled in, it looked like people were right to be suspicious of the Wachowskis’ $175 million space opera. However, while it’s far from being a masterpiece, there is just about enough fun peeking through the nonsense.

Mila Kunis is Jupiter Jones, a seemingly normal girl from a Russian immigrant family, who is working as a cleaner and unsure what to do with her life (or even if she should bother to do anything). However, it turns out she is the genetic reincarnation of a murdered space queen, and because of that, she should be able to inherit the queen’s vast wealth. [Read more…]

Sense8 Trailer – Take a look at the Wachowskis’ Netflix series (with a bit of LGBT interest)

May 7, 2015 By Tim Isaac 1 Comment

sense8-trailer2Andy and Lana Wachowski haven’t been having too much luck on the big screen, with the likes of Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending underperforming. However there’s high hopes for their new series Sense8, which brings a splash on high concept sci-fi to Netflix’s original shows.

You can take a look at the trailer below, which certainly has shades of The Matrix about it.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘One moment links 8 minds in disparate parts of the world, putting 8 strangers in each other’s lives, each other’s secrets, and in terrible danger. From the unparalleled creative minds of The Wachowskis (“The Matrix” trilogy, “Cloud Atlas”) and J. Michael Straczynski (Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling,” “World War Z”), as well as Grant Hill (“The Matrix” trilogy, “Cloud Atlas”).

‘The international cast includes: Brian J. Smith, Tuppence Middleton, Jamie Clayton, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Tina Desai, Doona Bae, Aml Ameen and Max Riemelt. Also, Daryl Hannah, Naveen Andrews, Terrence Mann, Freema Agyeman, Alfonso Herrera, Erendira Ibarra, Adam Shapiro, Ness Bautista and Joe Pantoliano. Unlike anything seen on television before, Sense8 pushes the boundaries in style, scope and story. For more information about #Sense8, follow the series on Twitter.’

Briefly hinted at with a shot of a bisexual orgy, the show does include some LGBT interest, including a gay couple, Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) and Hernando (Alfonso Herrera), with the former being an actor keen to keep his sexuality secret, including enlisting a woman to publicly act as his beard. There are also hints in the trailer that the characters being linked together will mean the series takes a look at gender identity.

The show premieres in Netflix June 5th. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski  FILMS: Sense8  

New Jupiter Ascending Trailer – Fresh look at Channing Tatum & Mila Kunis in the Wachowski’s epic sci-fi

September 26, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

jupiter-ascending-poster1-slideIt didn’t bode well when the release date for the Wachowskis Jupiter Ascending was moved back from summer 2014 to February 2015, but there’s no doubt the trailers look cool – rather weird, but cool.

Now another one has arrived, giving us our best look yet at the scope of the sci-fi saga – as well as Channing Tatum and his pointy ears.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix).

‘Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.’ [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis  DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  FILMS: Jupiter Ascending  

Bound (Blu-ray Review)

August 19, 2014 By Tim Isaac 1 Comment

Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano
Director: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Running Time: 108 mins
Certificate: 18
Release Date: August 18th 2014 (UK)

Back before they were the directors of The Matrix and when Lana was known as Larry, The Wachowskis took the indie film world by storm with the stylish neo-noir Bound. Now the film has come to Blu-ray with a crisp HD print, which is perhaps a little duller than you might hope for a film where splashes of vivid colour are so important, but stills looks extremely good.

Corky (Gina Gershon) is an ex-con working as a handyman in an apartment when she meets the next door neighbours, the Mafia-linked Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and his girlfriend Violet (Jennifer Tilly). The two women become lovers and hatch a plan to steal $2 million of the mob’s money that Caesar has in their possession. While they think they have everything planned out, the scheme starts to go awry when Caesar doesn’t act as expected. [Read more…]

New Jupiter Ascending Trailer – The Wachowskis get epic with Channing Tatum & Mila Kunis

March 27, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment


A new trailer for Andy and Lana Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending has arrived, which certainly makes the movie look pretty epic. However the jury is slightly out, as historically this sort of film, which takes sci-fi to the edge of fantasy, has always looked great beforehand but underwhelmed on release (e.g. The Chronicles Of Riddick or Dune).

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix).

‘Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.’

We’re definitely hoping the actual movie is as cool as it appears when it’s released in July. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne  DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  FILMS: Jupiter Ascending  

Mila Kunis & Pointy-Eared Channing Tatum Jupiter Ascending Character Posters Land

March 26, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Jupiter-Ascending-character-poster1The trailers for Jupiter Ascending may look cool but a little confusing, but these character posters certainly suggest Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis are gonna be looking incredibly good in the Wachowskis’ movie – even if Tatum is all pointy-eared.

You can see the posters above and below.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski.

‘Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

‘From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, is producing, together with Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.’

It’s due out in July.

Jupiter-Ascending-character-poster2

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: Channing Tatum, Mila Junis  DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  FILMS: Jupiter Ascending  

Do Andy & Lana Wachowski Have A New Matrix Trilogy In The Works?

March 2, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

matrix-posterAt the moment we’d file this in the drawer marked ‘Probably a load of rubbish’, but it’s an intriguing possibility so it’s worth reporting anyway. Latino Review suggests that Andy and Lana Wachowski are developing a new Matrix trilogy, with Warner Bros. eyeing a 2017 release for the first of the new films.

The rumour is that the filmmakers have already turned in outlines and treatments to the studio, and that Warner is keen to sign up for more Matrix movie, as they want to find a big blockbuster franchise that’s not reliant on superhero characters. Warner supposedly wants the first movie by 2017 so it can compete against the likes of Star Wars: Episode VIII and Avatar 3. While there’s a chance we’ll have Warner’s Justice League by then, that’s reliant on the Batman Vs Superman doing well.

There’s not much info on what the new trilogy will be about, although it’s suggested one of the early outlines explored how The Matrix was first created. However the direction the story will go is apparently still up in the air. It’s also not known if any of the original cast members will return or if the Wachowskis will direct or just oversee development of the films.

As we said, at the moment this could all be nonsense, but it’s not the first time more Matrix movies have been mooted, and it is known Warner is keen of finding movies from its back catalogue it can rejuvenate or remake in the hope of creating fresh franchises.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  

Channing Tatum Leaps Into Action In A New Jupiter Ascending Image

January 6, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

jupiter-ascending-pic2
Last month the first trailer for the Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending arrived, which showed us Channing Tatum looking surprisingly pixie-like. Now we get another look at him as he leaps into action in the movie, all guns blazing.

It’s certainly one of the most intriguing movies of the year.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski.

‘Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

‘From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, is producing, together with Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.’

It’s due out in July.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: Channing Tatum  DIRECTORS: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  FILMS: Jupiter Ascending  
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