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

Ferdinand (Blu-ray Review) – A little bit gay or just a load of old animated bull?

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I sometimes think the people who panic about ‘the gay agenda’ really ought to pay more attention to kids’ movies. If you’re looking for queer narrative – which never say they’re queer – you don’t have to look much further. For a start, nearly every animated movie revolves around the theme of being true to yourself. You also have numerous movies about parents finding it difficult to accept difference in their child, that child being a misfit who’s not the same as others and is often bullied for it, and who will eventually win by accepting themselves and being proud of it.

All that could just be coincidence, but then there are things such as the fact that a lot of animated movies consciously deal with ideas about chosen families, something you normally only hear about in a queer context. It was this that got me considering the queer side of Ferdinand. Partway though the film, the titular character is insisting the dog he grew up with is his ‘brother’, while the dog says he can’t be the family of a bull because that’s not the way things work. Ultimately that becomes the main theme of the movie – a bull rejecting the toxic masculinity that the other bovines believe is their only choice, and learning that you can choose your own way and your own family, and it doesn’t matter if others think it’s ‘queer’. [Read more…]

Wonder (Blu-ray Review) – Important life lessons for young and old

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God bless young Jacob Tremblay. The Room and Book Of Henry star is impossibly cute, something that comes through even under the large amounts of makeup he has to wear for Wonder. Although it might seem a little creepy to be talking about a young boy’s cuteness, in this case it’s vital to the film, as Tremblay’s talents are so central to the movie. The makeup is potentially a real barrier for an actor though, and a tough one for somebody so young to overcome. Jacob does it though with aplomb.

Tremblay plays August ‘Auggie’ Pullman, who was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, which has left him with significant facial deformities. He’s been home-schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts), but will be going to mainstream school for the first time when he joins the fifth grade. Auggie is a shy and sensitive child, very aware of how others treat him because he looks different. [Read more…]

A Wrinkle in Time (Cinema Review) – Disney magic or misfire?

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Disney are having a huge amount of financial and critical success with live action remakes of their classic animated features, but not so much with original properties. For example, I was hyped at the prospect of Tomorrowland (2015), but was disappointed with the result and, unsurprisingly, it was a flop. This is a shame as big studios with big budgets need to take risks in order to bring fresh stories to the screen. There are successes such as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), but also some misfires along the way and unfortunately this movie is one of them.

A Wrinkle in Time is apparently a passion project for director Ava DuVernay who has been developing it for a number of years. It is based on a bestselling book series which I have never heard of. Maybe it’s that the book was huge in America or that I’ve never heard of it simply due to the fact it hasn’t already been translated to the big screen before. [Read more…]

Paddington 2 (Blu-ray Review) – Ben Whishaw’s bear is back and he’s heading to prison!

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Before the first Paddington movie, a lot of people were convinced Michael Bond’s classic character couldn’t work as a live-action film. Not only was it a major success, but the sequel was even better received, with Paddington 2 becoming the first film ever to get more than 190 ‘Fresh’ reviews on RottenTomatoes, without a single negative notice. That doesn’t mean it’s the best film ever made, but it does mean it’s one that’s very difficult not to be charmed by.

Paddington (Ben Whishaw) is happily living in London with the Brown family. He wants to get his beloved Aunt Lucy a special 90th Birthday present, and sets his sights on a unique pop-up book. Just when he’s nearly got enough cash, the book is stolen and the police think the small bear is the one who took it. As a result, Paddington ends up in prison, at the mercy of a scary brute known as Knuckles (Brendan Gleeson). [Read more…]

Coco (Cinema Review) – Pixar takes us into the Mexican Day of the Dead

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Pixar have an amazing track record for producing excellent films that are both commercial successes and critically praised. As I write this I haven’t seen a film released by them that I would consider bad, and this sets them apart from all the other studios producing computer animated films.

One reason for Pixar’s strength is the fearlessness of creating unique worlds and telling self-contained stories without the desire to build franchises. Yes, I know that a few of their films have spawned sequels (and a prequel), but unlike a lot of studios in general they take their time with each project and spend it developing the story at its heart. As such one of my most anticipated films of 2018 is The Incredibles 2, and as long as Pixar continue not to rush their projects in order to reach release dates, then I welcome all of their future films with open arms. [Read more…]

The Darkest Hour (Cinema Review) – A Golden Globe winning Gary Oldman takes on Churchill

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If you need an actor to play Winston Churchill look no further than Harry Potter. The great Gary Oldman is the fifth man to play the wartime PM relatively recently after Timothy Spall, Robert Hardy, Michael Gambon and Brendan Gleeson, and he certainly has the gravitas to carry it off. That’s evidenced by his recent Golden Globe win and BAFTA nomination (the film also scored another eight nominations). Despite that, what he doesn’t have is a script that helps him out much, or a director who brings the story to life. A shame, as it could have been so much more, set during a pivotal month in WWII.

This is apparently the passion project of writer Anthony McCarten, but quite what he is trying to tease out of the well-worn story remains something of a mystery. He also plays fast and loose with history – the idea that Churchill was befriended by his best mate the King seems a stretch, as does the idea that most of Parliament wanted to do a deal with Hitler – some did certainly, but not the majority. Another idea, that a doubting Churchill was buoyed by taking a tube train and is roused by the voices of the people, is frankly ludicrous. Some truly dodgy acting by extras doesn’t help. [Read more…]

Jabberwocky (Criterion Blu-ray Review) – Terry Gilliam’s first directorial fantasy returns (including its little gay Easter Egg)

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In 1977 Monty Python had made their TV series and their first film, The Holy Grail, but hadn’t yet brought us Life Of Brian or The Meaning Of Life. In amongst this came Jabberwocky, which wasn’t a Python movie (although their production company was involved), but marked Terry Gilliam’s first movie as a solo director, and starred Michael Palin and Terry Jones.

The result is a movie that’s semi-Python, with echoes of the zany, off-the-wall humour, but which is still its own beast.

Palin plays Dennis, an apprentice cooper in a fantasy medieval kingdom. He’s desperately in love with Griselda (Annette Badland), and so to prove himself – and after a falling out with his father – he sets off to the city to make his fortune. [Read more…]

Power Rangers (Blu-ray Review) – The teen superheroes go big budget & one (almost) comes out

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I’m a bit confused. It’s called Power Rangers, but no one is wearing spandex, there are no men in slightly cardboard looking suits, and no CGI that looks like it was made in 10 minutes on a ZX Spectrum. Perhaps most confusing is that Rita Repulsa’s mouth now moves in time with what she’s saying. It’s all very strange.

It’s time for an origin story though. The film opens with Bryan Cranston causing the end of the dinosaurs. Well, Cranston’s alien Power Ranger, Zordon, does anyway, dying himself in the process of stopping evil former ranger, Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks). [Read more…]

Moana (Blu-ray Review) – Disney has a lot of fun in the Pacific

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A few years ago it seemed that Disney animation was slightly heading into the wilderness, but more recently they’ve come back with a vengeance, and a series of major hits including Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen and Zootropolis. That has continued with Moana, which brings us a new Polynesian Disney Princess.

Moana is the daughter of the chief of her island. While her grandmother talks of her people’s proud seafaring past, the Chief has banned people from going too far from the island, due to the dangers of the deep. However, the crops are failing and they can’t catch any fish. The reason for that is that years before, the demigod Maui caused the blight by stealing the heart of the goddess, Te Fiti. [Read more…]

Smurfs: The Lost Village (Cinema Review) – The little blue creatures are back and totally animated

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After a couple of part live-action outings, Sony has decided that a bit of a reboot and a fully animated adventure is the direction they want to take The Smurfs. They’d have probably done better to have gone this root from the beginning, as the little blue creatures never seemed like they fit in the real world, and this fully animated adventure allows it to be closer to the tales of Peyo and the early 80s Hannah-Barbera cartoon.

As well as the fact there’s no Neil Patrick Harris or Hank Azaria, the voices of most of the Smurfs have changed too. Not that kids will care though, and quite frankly why they decided they needed names like Demi Lovato, Joe Manganiello and Julia Roberts involved is a mystery, as it’s not like anyone is going to buy a ticket because of it. [Read more…]