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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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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James Franco Talks Being Thanked By The Ex-gay Michael Glatze (With Bonus Zachary Quinto Make-Out Video)

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zachary-quinto-james-franco-kissJames Franco has had a busy couple of weeks. He’s announced the cast of his adaptation of John Steinbeck’s In Dubious Battle, premiered his starring role in I Am Michael, and as you can see below, he got in a booth at Sundance with Zachary Quinto to have a make-out session.

He also took time while in Park City to talk about how he got an unlikely thank you from Michael Glatze, the man he plays in I Am Michael. It’s perhaps surprising as it chronicles how Glatze went from being a gay activist working to help LGBT youth to becoming an ex-gay poster-boy and married to a woman.

However PinkNews reports Franco as saying, “I haven’t had that many conversations with him [Glatze]… I met him in person for the first time here at the festival. He made a point to come up to me and thank me, and he said he loved the movie. I think it was very healing for him.”

The actor continues, “In a way, we had to show to him we were going to have a very even-handed, non-judgemental approach, but we also had to say to ourselves, ‘We’re not telling this story just to make Michael happy, we’re telling the story to get both sides.’ The best we could do was say to him, ‘We have good intentions. We’re not going to crucify or judge you but we also need to tell the story from the other side as well as the side you’re on now.'”

Indeed, many have expressed frustration at the film for how even-handed it is, with many reviewers seeming annoyed that it doesn’t completely skewer Glatze and vilify him after he turns his back on his gay life, with some even saying this lack of a strong pro or anti viewpoint could limit its success. It’ll be interesting to see how others react as the movie expands beyond Sundance.

Take a look below for Franco and Quinto having a snog. [Read more…]

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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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‘Very Hot’ James Franco, Zachary Quinto & Charlie Carver Threesome Promised In Michael

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michael-franco-quinto-pic1Michael is already shaping up to be one of the highest profile gay-themed movies of 2015. But often when LGBT movies are hoping for a bit of mainstream appeal, all the actual full-on gay content gets scrubbed out. However if E! Online is correct, Michael is set to offer the extremely enticing prospect of a ‘very hot’ James Franco, Zachary Quinto & Charlie Carver threesome.

A source told E!, “They first meet in a club. The music is pumping. It’s the eighties! When Charlie’s character questions Franco about having a boyfriend, Franco says, ‘He’d like you, too.'”

The scenes then cuts to the bedroom, where the guys are naked, ‘intertwined and “kissing,” the source said. “You see their asses.”‘

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. Quinto plays Glatze’s onetime boyfriend, with Emma Roberts, Darryl Hannah and, of course Charlie Carver, also starring.

Expect it in cinemas sometime next year.

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James Franco & Zachary Quinto Get Loved-Up In The First Official Pic From The Gay-Themed Michael

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michael-franco-quinto-pic1Back in August both Zachary Quinto and James Franco released a few pics of themselves on the set of their new movie, Michael, but it’s only now that we’re getting the first proper image from the film, which accompanies a THR article about movies that are for sale at the American Film Market.

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. Quinto plays one of Glatze’s former lovers, with Emma Roberts and Darryl Hannah also starring.

The movie will be looking for international distribution at the AFM, so that hopefully we’ll all be able to see it when it’s released sometime in 2015.

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James Franco’s Ex-Gay Activist Movie Gets Teen Wolf’s Charlie Carver

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charlie-carver-teen-wolfIt seems Charlie Carver can’t get enough of playing gay characters on screen. In Teen Wolf he was Ethan, who got involved in a relationship with the openly gay Danny, and now it seems he’ll be having an all-male threesome in Michael, the James Franco starring movie that tells the real-life story of Michael Glatze, who went from LGBT activist to ex-gay poster boy.

Deadline reports that Carver has joined the already filming movie as ‘Tyler, who gets involved in a relationship with Michael and Bennett (Zachary Quinto) and is heartbroken when Michael rejects his homosexuality’

As a young man, Glatze launched the magazine Young Gay America after working at XY, becoming a leading voice in the gay rights fight. However in 2004 he had a health scare involving a possible heart defect, which caused him to turn to conservative Christianity. Shortly afterwards he completely renounced everything he had previously stood for and said that he was now ‘ex-gay’. The 38-year-old is currently married to a woman.

Charlie Carver’s career until now has largely been in roles that call for twins, which saw him starring alongside his identical brother Max in the likes of Desperate Housewives, Teen Wolf and most recently the TV series The Leftovers, however it appears he’ll be getting a solo outing without Max in Michael.

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