March 5th Archives - Big Gay Picture Show

Nurse Jackie – Season 3 (DVD)

March 12, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Edie Falco, Eve Best, Peter Facinelli, Meritt Wever, Paul Schulze
Director: Various
Running Time: 334 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

It seems to be the current law of US cable TV shows, that the main character has to be empathetic but a bit of a bastard. Whether it’s Dexter, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire or pretty much anything else HBO or Showtime is putting out, love ‘em hate ‘em protagonists are the order of the day. That’s certainly true of Nurse Jackie, who’s loved by her colleagues, is great for the patients, but is also busy popping pills left, right and centre and will do anything to keep getting her fix.

Season 3 sees pressure coming down on Jackie to quit, with rumours reaching HR that someone in the hospital ER is abusing drugs, as well as increasing tension between Jackie and her husband. He desperately wants to believe she’s kicking the pills, which leads to lies upon lies and the cracks growing ever larger. [Read more…]

Chicago Hope – Season 1 (DVD)

March 6, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Mandy Patinkin, Hector Elizondo, Thomas Gibson, Peter Berg, Adam Arkin
Director: Various
Running Time: 900 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

For some reason in 1994, American TV decided that the world would only be interested in hospitals if they were located in Chicago. In the third week of September of that year, both ER and Chicago Hope debuted on different US TV networks, both set in the Windy City. While ER became a ratings sensation, Chicago Hope went slightly more under the radar, but nevertheless lasted a fairly impressive six seasons.

For the first time anywhere in the world, the first season of the show hits digital disc, taking us into the world of the surgeons at a private charity hospital, whose complicated personal lives are matched by a series of weird and wonderful medical cases. It’s a serviceable enough idea, and indeed it’s been done plenty of times before and after, however there’s not a huge amount about Chicago Hope that really makes it stand proud of the pack, even if it is fairly entertaining. [Read more…]

Tomboy (DVD)

March 5, 2012 By Tim Isaac 2 Comments

Starring: Zoe Heran, Malonn Levana, Jeanne Disson, Sophie Cattani, Mathieu Demy
Director: Celine Sciamma
Running Time: 83 mins
Certificate: U
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

A mother, father and their two children move house one summer, several weeks before the new school year is about to begin. The eldest child introduces himself to the local kids, telling them he’s called Michael, starting friendships and beginning a fledgling adolescent romance with a girl called Lisa.

However 10-year-old Michael is hiding something, as he was born a girl and his parents know him as Laure. Initially Michael manages to keep his secret well, with the local kids accepting him as a boy, but the truth inevitably emerges, especially as they’re all due to attend the same school and Michael will be enrolled by his parents as a girl. [Read more…]

The Slipper And The Rose (DVD)

March 2, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Richard Chamberlain, Gemma Craven, Margaret Lockwood, Michael Hordern, Annette Crosbie
Director: Bryan Forbes
Running Time: 137 mins
Certificate: U
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

While it may not be the greatest musical classic in history, it’s ridiculous that it’s taken this long to get The Slipper And The Rose onto DVD in the UK. Made in 1976 (at a time when musicals weren’t popular, irrespective of whether they were any good or not), the movie is an adaptation of Cinderella, although unlike most versions of the story, it concentrates as much on the prince as Cinders.

Richard Chamberlain plays Prince Edward, who believes people should marry for love, but who is trapped in a world governed by protocol, position and diplomacy, where his regal parents are obsessed with ensuring he makes a match that ensures an alliance with another country. [Read more…]

From Prada To Nada (DVD)

March 2, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderramma, Nicholas D’Agosto
Director: Angel Garcia
Running Time: 102 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

Over the years, Jane Austen’s tales have been adapted and moulded into all sorts of forms by the world of film and TV, but one we’ve haven’t had until now is Sense & Sensibility brought into the 21st Century and given a Latina spin! And let’s just ignore they called it From Prada To Nada, which is a spectacularly awful title.

Alexa Vega and Camilla Belle play sisters Mary and Nora Dominguez, who’ve grown up rich and pampered in the best bits of LA. However when their father kicks the bucket, they discover he was essentially bankrupt, which necessitates a move to the much poorer environs of their aunt’s house in East LA. The pampered princesses must learn a few lessons about living without endless supplies of cash, as well as that love isn’t just about finding a rich match, while reconnecting with their Latino roots. [Read more…]

Phineas and Ferb: The Movie – Across The Second Dimension (DVD)

March 1, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Vincent Martell, Thomas Sangster, Ashley Tisdale
Running Time: 73 mins
Certificate: U
Release Date: March 5th, 2012

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a latecomer to Phineas & Ferb, although in my defence 30-something men aren’t usually required to keep up with the latest developments in kids TV. However the cartoon stepbrothers are insanely popular, with Disney claiming that 1 in 2 kids watch the show, and that it reaches an insanely impressive 289 million viewers around the world. It’s not surprising therefore that it’s getting a movie, even if it is a straight-to-DVD one.

While it helps to have watched some of the show on Disney Channel before you see the film, it’s certainly not compulsory. If you don’t know, Phineas & Ferb are stepbrothers trying to enjoy their summer, who spend their days inventing all manner of incredible things. However what they don’t realise is that their beloved pet Platypus, Perry, is also secret agent P, who thwarts the plans of the evil but rather dim Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz. [Read more…]