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

Looking: The Book (Book Review)

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TV’s Looking had a slightly rough ride, getting as many detractors as fans, partly because we’d finally got a gay-themed show that took its characters seriously, but by treating its characters as flawed people, it couldn’t represent everything to everyone. And when it didn’t match up to what people’s own conception of exactly what a gay-themed show should be (who often seemed to want plaster saint gays), it got bashed. That translated into the fact it never found a huge audience, so we got two seasons of the show and a movie to wrap things up, but that’s it.

However, it has got a big enough following that it’s inspired a hardback coffee-table book, limited to 1,000 first run copies. [Read more…]

Legends Of Tomorrow – Season 1 (Blu-ray Review)

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While Marvel has had great success in cinema but struggled more on TV, it’s generally been the other way around for DC. Arrow was soon joined by The Flash, then came Supergirl, online animated series and now Legends Of Tomorrow, with more shows planned. Legends certainly came with a lot of promise when it was first announced – a sort-of time-travelling equivalent of The Avengers – filled with lesser-known heroes (and villains), most of whom had been introduced in other DC shows.

Arthur Darvill plays Rip Hunter, who’s had a promotion since playing luckless companion Rory in Doctor Who, as he’s now a Time Master (not Lord), with his own equivalent of the TARDIS. Hunter comes from a future that has been taken over by the evil Vandal Savage, a 4,000-year-old immortal. Although he’s been banned from meddling in the past, Rip goes rogue, commandeering a time ship and heading to the 21st Century to put together a band of heroes, who will travel through time with him, trying to find Savage at various points in history so they can destroy him. [Read more…]

Boys On Film 15: Time & Tied (DVD Review)

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Having taken us all around the world, Boys On Film returns to Britain for its 15th outing, Time & Tied. However, while sticking with one country, it doesn’t skimp on the quality, showing there’s a hell of a lot of good gay-themed short films being made in the UK.

Boys On Film 15 presents nine shorts which range from the award-winning Closets and the sexy, provocative G’Oclock, to time capsule of Polari that is Putting On The Dish, and a film many thought we’d never see, Trouser Bar.

But are they worth watching? Take a look below for our thoughts. And you can see what we think of other Boys On Film releases here. [Read more…]

Boy Meets Girl – Series 2 (DVD Review)

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Boy Meets Girl broke new ground last year as the first British sitcom with a transgender lead character, played by a transgender actress. It quickly showed that it was more than just a bit of token inclusivity by the BBC, with its witty and warm look at the blossoming love between 20-something Leo (Harry Hepple) and 39-year-old Judy (Rebecca Root).

Now it’s back for a second season, with six more episodes following Leo, Judy and their eccentric families. In the first episode, Leo decides it’s time to up the ante by proposing to Judy, with the rest of the series covering the run-up to their wedding. As well as plenty of worry about venues and whether Harry’s mother, Pam (Denise Welch), is being too pushy, there are quite a few other issues to deal with. [Read more…]

11.22.63 (DVD Review)

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For decades now, Stephen King has been getting away with premises that in most other people’s hands would have people rolling their eyes and saying it’s ridiculous. However, he manages to pull it off more often than not. That’s certainly true of the idea behind 11.22.63, where there’s a closet that takes people back to 1960. Why? Well, just because there is, of course.

That’s just one of a series of arbitrary rules around which this JJ Abrams produced eight-part adaptation of King’s novels weaves a story of time-travel, love, espionage and the Kennedy assassination. Jake (James Franco) is a high school teacher who discovers that there is indeed a portal to 1960 in the back of a diner. The owner of the restaurant (Chris Cooper) has been using it to try to prevent JFK’s assassination, something he believes will makes the world a better place. [Read more…]

New Queer Visions: Lust In Translation (VoD Review)

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The Boys On Film DVD releases have been a great showcase for gay male-themed short films (indeed, it’s the most successful short film series in the world). While there has been one Girls On Film release, it’s generally not been as easy for the general viewer to find the best in lesbian-themed shorts. Thankfully though New Queer Visions: Lust In Translation – a collaboration between UK short film festival New Queer Visions and VoD platform, Filmdoo.com – has stepped forward with a variety of well-made and stimulating lesbian shorts.

Take a look at what we thought of each of the short films: [Read more…]

Supergirl – Season 1 (Blu-ray Review)

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DC Comics may be having a slightly bumpy ride building a cinematic comic book universe, but it’s certainly having plenty of success on the small screen. Arrow was joined by The Flash, which last season was joined by Supergirl and Legends Of Tomorrow, all taking place within the same universe (and there’s also Gotham slightly off to one side).

As you may have noticed, Supergirl is the first of those that has centred around a female hero. She’s a character that hasn’t had much luck on the screen before, partly because there’s previously been a tendency to treat her like the pretty damsel in distress, even though she’s got lots of superpowers. This new series tries to reverse that, and early on spends a bit of time commenting on the potential sexist problems, from that fact she’s a Super ‘girl’ rather than ‘woman’, to journalists asking her whether she’s going to start a family. [Read more…]

Grace & Frankie – Season 1 (DVD Review)

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When it was announced that Netflix was reuniting 9 to 5 co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin for a new online series, it was difficult to see how it could be anything but good. Indeed, the only downside was the lack of Dolly Parton. However, the series itself, Grace & Frankie, turned out to be better than we could have hoped, giving both Tomlin and Fonda plenty of space to show off their talents, while also telling a fun and timely story.

Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) are longtime frenemies, whose different outlooks on life – one a rather high-strung retired businesswoman the other a bit of an earth mother – have meant that the only thing that’s held them together is the fact their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) are longtime friends and business partners. Or at least that’s what the women think, until their hubbies sit them down to explain that actually they’re gay and in love with each other, and plan to move out so they can be together. [Read more…]

Boys on Film 14: Worlds Collide (UK DVD Review)

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The world’s most successful short film collection is back once more, offering another selection of bite-sized, gay-themed movies for us to enjoy. But is this collection as good as earlier offerings? Take a look below to see our breakdown.

And you can see what we think of other Boys On Film releases here. [Read more…]

Iris Prize Festival LGBT Shorts 2015 – Part 2 (Reviews)

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Vessels – Winner, Iris Prize 2015

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, Vessels follows Diamond, a young, Latina, transgender woman living in Los Angeles. Diamond works at a garment factory for little pay, and is unable to afford healthcare, let alone the breast implants she desperately desires.

When her friend Hope shows off the new breasts she obtained through illegal black market silicon injections, Diamond is presented with an opportunity to gain the more feminine physique she has wanted her entire life. The girls go visit the “pumper,” Prayleen, who helps Diamond sculpt the body of her dreams. [Read more…]