January 27th 2014 Archives - Big Gay Picture Show

Free Fall (Freier Fall) (DVD)

January 27, 2014 By Tim Isaac 2 Comments

Starring: Hanno Koffler, Max Riemelt, Attila Borlan, Katharina Schuttler
Director: Stephan Lacant
Running Time: 100 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: January 27th 2014

After finding a lot of success at film festivals, Free Fall makes it way to DVD in the UK. It’s been described as the German Brokeback Mountain, and while there are similarities, they’re more on the surface than going deep. Indeed this is more a morality tale than an examination of forbidden love in a deeply homophobic society.

Marc (Hanno Koffler) seems to have it all – he’s set to be part of an elite police squad, he’s moved in with his girlfriend and has a baby on the way. While training he meets Kay (Max Riemelt) and they start to go on jogs together. After a brief sexual encounter in the forest, Marc runs off and decides it was just a one off. However soon he comes back for more and he starts exploring new parts of himself – although he’s still insistent that he’s isn’t gay or even bisexual. [Read more…]

Celluloid (DVD)

January 27, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Daniel Booth, Jody Latham, Olivia Sweeney, Janet Bamford
Director: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
Running Time: 106 mins
Certificate: 18
Release Date: January 27th 2014

Lloyd Eyre-Morgan’s directorial debut, Dream On, hit DVD last summer, and now he’s back with Celluloid, a movie that’s part kitchen sink drama, part thriller, with a little bit of horror movie thrown in as well. It sounds like an odd mix, but it works surprisingly well, thanks to interesting characters and a well-observed look at life.

Our protagonist is Josh (Daniel Booth), a 15-year-old boy who’s coming to terms with his sexuality. He has a major crush on his straight best friend – who shares his love of making films – but has yet to tell anyone he’s gay. However coming out isn’t his first priority as his homelife is tough. His mother, Dawn (Janet Bamford), has mental health issues and seems poised for another breakdown. [Read more…]

Rush (Blu-ray)

January 26, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino
Director: Ron Howard
Running Time: 122 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: January 27th 2014

There were quite a few people who were expecting Rush to get a few Oscar nominations, but in the end it was shut out. It’s a shame as it’s a damn fine movie and should have got some kudos, even if it was only in the production design and cinematography departments, as it does such a great job of recreating 1970s Formula 1 racing.

The film tells the true story of the intense rivalry between the British James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austria’s Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). They first meet in Formula 3, where it’s clear they are very different people. Hunt is a playboy whose life is about sex, drugs, partying and being everyone’s friend. Lauda meanwhile is far more serious, seeing racing as being about business. He spends his time learning the mechanics of the cars, as well as showing off an arrogant streak that ensures none of the other drivers like him that much. [Read more…]

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (DVD)

January 26, 2014 By Tim Isaac 1 Comment

Starring: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Jemima West
Director: Harald Zwart
Running Time: 122 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: January 27th 2014

The people behind The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones must have thought they had a major hit on their hands. While it’s common for sequels to be put into development before the first movie is released (in Hollywood terms, paying a screenwriter for a first draft of a script is comparatively cheap), but in this case they’d already started casting the likes of Sigourney Weaver in City Of Ashes. However when City Of Bones only grossed $90 million around the world, the likelihood of adaptations of Cassandra Clare’s other books seemed far less likely. [Read more…]