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

I Am Michael (DVD Review) – James Franco goes ex-gay in a true-life story

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Michael Glatze (James Franco) is a gay man who really wants to help people. Initially working for XY Magazine before increasingly becoming an activist and launching YGA (Young Gay Americans), he becomes a prominent figure advancing the gay cause. However, Michael still feels something is missing. That’s despite having a loving boyfriend, Bennett (Zachary Quinto), and the sometime addition of a third into the relationship, Tyler (Charlie Carver).

After a health scare where he’s convinced he has the disease that caused his father to drop down dead, Michael increasingly turns to religion. What initially seems like an attempt to find meaning and reassurance that death is not the end, takes an unexpected turn when Michael leaves Bennett and publicly announces that he no longer identifies as gay. This causes a bit of a sensation, but Michael is determined he must live his own ‘truth’. That includes his new belief that homosexuality leads people away from being their ‘true selves’, which is the only way to find God. Eventually that takes him into a relationship with a woman. [Read more…]

I Am Michael Trailer – James Franco & Zachary Quinto star in the long-delayed ex-gay drama

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It’s almost two years since I Am Michael premiered at the Sundance Film Festival – enough time for director Justin Kelly and producer/star James Franco to have made and released another movie, King Cobra. However, it’s only now that the movie is coming to VoD and a few cinemas in the US in January.

Even the promised threeway between Franco, Zachary Quinto and Charlie Carver couldn’t get it released sooner.

Adapted from Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ New York Times Magazine article ‘My Ex-Gay Friend, I Am Michael tells the real-life story of Michael Glatze (Franco), formerly a leading US journalist for prominent gay magazine XY, and also an activist working for LGBT rights. After a profound and life-changing epiphany, Glatze gradually renounced his homosexuality and turned to Christian ministry, becoming outspokenly opposed to queer lifestyles.

Zachary Quinto plays his ex-boyfriend, Bennett, with Emma Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Charlie Carver also starring.

The film got a rather mixed reaction at cinemas, which perhaps isn’t surprising for a movie that takes on the difficult subject of ex-gay ministry, and makes its ‘hero’ a man who went from gay to outspoken homophobe, and who to this day is married to a woman.

Finally a trailer has been released. Take a look below. [Read more…]

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King Cobra Trailer – James Franco, Garrett Clayton & Keegan Allen get involved in a gay porn murder

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king-cobra-slide2One of the more interesting LGBT films of the year is King Cobra, the James Franco produced take on an infamous real-life murder that took place in the gay porn industry. It’s been playing festivals since April, including upcoming screenings at October’s BFI London Film Festival. Now a trailer for the movie has arrived.

The film is about how porn actors Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes (Keegan Allen and James Franco) savagely killed porn producer and head of Cobra Video, Bryan Kocis (Christian Slater). They thought by doing so they’d be able to make it big behind-the-scenes of the porn world, and lure adult star Brent Corrigan (Garrett Clayton) to work for them in order to make a massively successful movie.

Corrigan, who now generally goes by his real name, Sean Paul Lockhart, has been adamant about the fact he didn’t want to be involved in the movie, instead writing his own book at will include his take on the events. King Cobra will be released online and in select cinemas in the US on October 21st. Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

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King Cobra Director Says The Actors Took Gay Sex Beyond The Script, Plus A New Clip

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king-cobra-slide2Last week the first clip from King Cobra debuted, giving us a brief taste of the James Franco produced (and starring), based on a true story of murder in the gay porn industry. Now director Justin Kelly has been talking about the film, which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival, and has suggested his actors weren’t shy when it came to the sex scene.

He told TheWrap, “We wanted to make it as unapologetic as possible. I didn’t have a desire to shock – it’s a part of the story. Myself and the actors discussed from day one that you can’t shy away.”

It appears the performers took that to heart, as Kelly adds, ‘“A few times, the actors took things further than the script.”

‘He referenced an early scene in which Slater’s middle-aged character wants to sample the goods of his barely legal young star, played by Clayton. “Please, make me feel wanted,” he says as he half begs and half forces himself on the young man.

‘In the script, the encounter “was far more mild, just kissing on the couch,” Kelly said. “But they decided it had to go further. Christian takes him up against the closet. That is what would have happened.”’

The film is about how porn actors Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes (Keegan Allen and James Franco) savagely killed porn producer and head of Cobra Video, Bryan Kocis (Christian SLater). They thought by doing so they’d be able to make it big behind-the-scenes of the porn world, and lure breakout porn star Brent Corrigan (Garrett Clayton) to work for them in order to make a massively successful movie.

Kelly was well aware that the subject matter could make it difficult to get a fair rating from the MPAA, saying, especially if he did want to be unapologetic about gay sex, saying,“It’s a complete fact that graphic gay male sex will get you an NC-17 rating. Straight men can [appear] completely naked and be choking a woman, and that’s PG-13. There are crazy rape scenes that get by, it’s mind-blowing.”

A new clip from the movie has also debuted, featuring Franco and Allen working up a sweat, which you can take a look at below. [Read more…]

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Garrett Clayton Takes A Shower In First Clip From James Franco’s Gay Murder Movie, King Cobra

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king-cobra-clipLast October it was revealed that James Franco was continuing his fascination with everything gay by producing and starring in King Cobra, based on a real-life case of murder in the gay porn business. Director Justin Kelly has worked quickly, as the film is due to premiere shortly at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Ahead of that comes the first clip, via EW, which features Garrett Clayton as Sean Paul Lockhart, aka gay porn star Brent Corrigan, and Christian Slater as porn producer, Bryan Kocis.

The film is about how porn actors Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes (Keegan Allen and James Franco) savagely killed porn producer and head of Cobra Video, Bryan Kocis. They thought by doing so they’d be able to make it big behind-the-scenes of the porn world, and lure Brent Corrigan to work for them in order to make a massively successful movie.

The film premieres on April 16th. Take a look at the clip below. [Read more…]

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Keegan Allen, James Franco & Garrett Clayton Strip Down On The Set Of King Cobra

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james-franco-keegan-allen-king-cobra-slideIt’s only a couple of days since we discovered the movie King Cobra existed, and it seems producer/star James Franco, along with actors Keegan Allen and Garrett Clayton, are keen we get get to see the set, and that as it’s set in the world of gay porn, it’s gonna feature a bit of skin.

Allen posted a pic of him and Franco, where he’s just in his undies and Franco in shirtless, while Clayton (who’s playing Brent Corrigan) posted an image where he’s in some very brief boxer briefs.

The film is about how porn actors Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes savagely killed porn producer and head of Cobra Video, Bryan Kocis (to be played by Christian Slater). They thought by doing so they’d be able to make it big behind-the-scenes of the porn world, and lure Brent Corrigan to work for them in order to make a massively successful movie.

Take a look at the hot pics below.

And yes, James Franco has once more found a way to be around a lot of naked men and to head into a gay-themed world. It should keep him happy for a while.

[Read more…]

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I Am Michael (BFI Flare Opening Night Film Review)

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Chosen as the Opening Night Gala film for this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival, this is an angry-making film. It’s supposed to be as it’s probably the first Going In movie, in that it’s a reversed Coming Out tale: I am Michael tells the story of how Michael Glatze went from out gay activist and editor of San Fransisco-based gay magazine XY to a straight, married Pastor in Wyoming.

The film opens with James Franco as Michael and Zachary Quinto as his loving-yet-bland boyfriend Bennet. Apparently they’re happily in love in San Francisco, both running a gay magazine and helping gay youth in 2001. We watch as Bennett and Michael go from being happy together to being happy in a three-way relationship with Tyler (played by the ab-tastic Charlie Carver). At least, we assume they’re happy together – at no point does anyone say “I am happy being gay with you”, which is about the level of some of the exposition this script has in places. Michael is moody. Bennett is bland. Tyler is pretty. That’s about it. [Read more…]

James Franco & Zachary Quinto’s I Am Michael Will Open The BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival

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i-am-michael-new-pic1After its world premiere at Sundance, I Am Michael, starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto will make its jump across the pond, making its UK debut as the Opening Night film of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. The BFI has also announced is a new pilot mentorship programme for emerging LGBT filmmakers which will launch at the Festival in partnership with Creative Skillset.

Adapted from Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ New York Times Magazine article ‘My Ex-Gay Friend, I Am Michael tells the real-life story of Michael Glatze, formerly a leading US journalist for prominent gay magazine XY, and also an activist working for LGBT rights. After a profound and life-changing epiphany, Glatze gradually renounced his homosexuality and turned to Christian ministry, becoming outspokenly opposed to queer lifestyles.

BFI Head of Cinemas and Festivals Clare Stewart says, “We’re thrilled to be opening BFI Flare with such strong new work from Justin Kelly straight from its highly applauded and hotly discussed debut in Sundance. This is provocative, probing cinema that avoids easy assumptions and judgements and it’s sure to be a major talking point at the Festival.”

The BFI’s Deputy Head of Festivals Tricia Tuttle adds: “We can think of no better film to open the 2015 edition of the Festival than I Am Michael, Justin Kelly’s audacious and assured directorial debut. This follows the great success of last year’s Opening Night, the European Premiere of Hong Khaou’s Lilting which went on to earn Hong a BAFTA nomination. I Am Michael is an equally powerful new work, and it’s a real testament to the growing regard within the industry for BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival”.

The full programme of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival (formerly London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) will be announced on 18 February. The Festival’s 29th edition will run 19 – 29 March 2015 at BFI Southbank with over 50 features and 100 short films representing the best in contemporary and archive LGBT cinema from around the world. BFI Flare is  the UK’s longest running and most popular LGBT film festival with over 22,000 admissions.

As mentioned BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival, in partnership with Creative Skillset, is launching a mentorship pilot that will offer five emerging LGBT filmmakers from the UK the opportunity to develop industry knowledge, professional connections, their passion for cinema and an overview of LGBT features entering the marketplace. From March to December 2015, selected filmmakers will have one-to-one support from a senior industry figure who will act as a mentor over the nine-month programme. They will also have access to a one-of-a-kind package that includes a wide range of BFI festival screenings and BFI Flare events, as well as filmmaker-focused events and talks.

The programme is open to writer/directors/producers who have previously screened a short or a feature film in any of BAFTA’s qualifying film festivals or in BFI Flare (formerly LLGFF). Filmmakers will be chosen by an invited panel of industry professionals. The first events in this programme include a series of talks and events within an expanded BFI Flare Industry programme for all of the Festival’s accredited industry professionals.

The deadline for receipt of applications for the 2015 scheme is 23rd February 2015 and applications are available here: http://www.jotformpro.com/LFF/BFI_Flare_Film_Mentorship

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Things Get Steamy Between James Franco, Zachary Quinto & Charlie Carver In New I Am Michael Pics

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i-am-michael-new-pic1With the Sundance Film Festival about the kick off, a lot of indie filmmakers are preparing to show off their movies for the first time, and that includes Justin Kelley, who’s taking I Am Michael to Robert Redford’s Utah-based fest.

With the premiere only a few days away, a new batch of images have arrived, some of which show things getting a bit sexy, including James Franco kissing Zachary Quinto (of as Franco describes him on Facebook, ‘the legendary’ Zachary Quinto). However the one that’s really likely to get your pulse racing is one of the ones below that features a threesome between Franco, Quinto and Teen Wolf star Charlie Carver.

Rumours of the threesome scene have already surfaced, with it previously described as ‘very hot’, with trio  ‘intertwined and kissing’, and that ‘You see their asses.‘

Based on a true story, in I Am Michael, James Franco plays Michael Glatze, who went from being a prominent gay rights advocate to becoming one of the poster-boys for the ex-gay movement when he found God, renounced his homosexuality and married a woman. Quinto plays Glatze’s onetime boyfriend, with Emma Roberts, Darryl Hannah and, of course Charlie Carver, also starring. [Read more…]

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New Pics Of Zachary Quinto & James Franco In The Gay-Themed Michael Arrive

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michael-pic1A couple of weeks ago the very first picture from Michael arrived, and now a few more pics of Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts and James Franco in the gay-themed movie have arrived, which you can take a look at above and below.

Based on a true story, in Michael Franco play Michael Glatze, who went from being a prominent gay rights advocate to becoming one of the poster-boys for the ex-gay movement when he found God, renounced his homosexuality and married a woman, after a health scare made him reassess his life. Quinto plays Glatze’s onetime boyfriend, with Emma Roberts, Darryl Hannah and Charlie Carver also starring.

The film may be changing its title to I Am Michael, as that IMDB listing has recently been changed to suggest that alteration.

Expect it in cinemas sometime next year. (Pics via Attitude)

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