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

NEWS

All the news from film and the world of the gays

Simon Pegg Is Gonna Man Up Alongside Lake Bell For A New Rom-Com

By Leave a Comment

Simon-PeggWith the success of Star Trek Into Darkness and The World’s End, Simon Pegg has had a good 2013. Now he’s lined up a movie he’ll be hoping will make 2014 a good one too, Man Up. Variety report he’s teaming up with Lake Bell for the StudioCanal romantic comedy Man Up, according to Deadline.

The film is about a single woman called Nancy (Bell). She gets mistaken for a stranger’s blind date, en route to her parents’ anniversary, and in the process she unexpectedly find the perfect boyfriend – although presumably there are going to be complications. Simon Pegg’s character hasn’t been confirmed, although it seems likely hell be the stranger.

Tess Morris wrote the screenplay. Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners) is set to direct.Shooting is set to begin in January.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: ,   

Queer As Folk Creator Russell T. Davies Returning With Two Gay-Themed TV Shows & An Online Series

By Leave a Comment

russell-t-davies15 years ago Russell T. Davies skyrocketed to the top of the pack of British TV writers with the hit Queer As Folk, which led to the likes of Bob & Rose, The Second Coming and overseeing the phenomenally successful re-emergence of Doctor Who. However we haven’t had much new from him for the past few years, largely because shortly after he went off to the US for an American co-production Torchwood mini-series, he returned to the UK due to the fact his partner was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

However it’s now been announced he’s coming back, and for the first time since Queer As Folk, gay life will be the main subject rather than just a subplot. Channel 4 has announced he’s returning with Cucumber and Banana – two new drama series exploring the passions and pitfalls of 21st century gay life. Alongside that is Tofu, a factual web series that is an anarchic online guide to sex, inspired by the dramas each week.

Cucumber follows 46 year old Henry and his long-suffering boyfriend Lance.  Life for Henry and Lance is comfortable and settled.  But after the most disastrous date night in history – involving a death, a threesome, two police cars and the Glee Christmas Album – Henry’s old life shatters, and his new life begins.

Banana meanwhile follows the lives of characters orbiting around Henry in Cucumber.  From young lesbian Scotty’s first love, to 19 year old Dean’s mysterious family secrets, Banana covers 50 shades of gay, and beyond.

Both series will have eight episodes, with Cucumber having 60-minute instalments, while Banana is a half-hour series. It’s been promised that ‘Cucumber and Banana will explore the heartbreak and joy of modern sex lives – from gay to straight, and anything in between.’

Tofu, meanwhile, extends the experience online with eight factual episodes navigating the landscape of 21st Century sex.  Offering real people the chance to share their unique stories of sexual experiences, Tofu is set to be an anarchic and entertaining look at sex.

Russell T Davies comments, “I once read about a scientific institute which had studied the male erection. It divided the hard-on into four categories, from soft to hard. One, tofu. Two, peeled banana. Three, banana. And four, cucumber. Right there and then, I knew I had my drama. And it’s a joy to be back with Channel 4 and RED [who backed Queer As Folk], to tell these stories.”

The shows will air next year, but there’s no news on the cast as yet.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS: , ,   

Sherlock Star Andrew Scott Opens Up About The Fact He’s Gay

By Leave a Comment

andrew-scottLast month Andrew Scott took part in the special 50th Anniversary National Theatre Live, in which he played a scene with Dominic Cooper as a gay couple in Angels In America. It’s not the first time he’s played gay, but generally he’s kept his own sexuality private.

However he’s now opened up, slipping into an interview with The Independent the fact that he’s gay, as well as how it affects him and his art. The interview was about Legacy, a BBC2 drama about spying between the UK and USSR during the Cold War years.

When asked about how the Irish actor perfected his Russian accent, “There isn’t a huge amount of footage of Russians speaking English as a second language, so I started looking at Vladimir Putin videos on YouTube. But then Putin introduced anti-gay legislation this summer – so, being a gay person, I switched to Rudolf Nureyev videos instead. It was another Nureyev defection of sorts!”

He adds about his sexuality, “Mercifully, these days people don’t see being gay as a character flaw. But nor is it a virtue, like kindness. Or a talent, like playing the banjo. It’s just a fact. Of course, it’s part of my make-up, but I don’t want to trade on it. I am a private person; I think that’s important if you’re an actor. But there’s a difference between privacy and secrecy, and I’m not a secretive person. Really I just want to get on with my job, which is to pretend to be lots of different people. Simple as that.”

Scott is best known for playing Moriarty in the BBC’s Sherlock. He’ll be seen next year in Pride alongside Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine & Dominic West, which is about a group of LGBT activists trying to give money to striking British miners in 1984.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   

Kevin Smith Shows Off Tusk Walrus Designs

By Leave a Comment

tusk-walrus-design
A few days ago director Kevin Smith shared the first pic from the set of Tusk, where the helmer posed with stars Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment. However missing from the image was Justin Long, who plays a man turning into a walrus – yes, really.

We still don’t have a pic of Long but we do have an idea what the walrus-man will look like thanks to another pic Smith has posted, which you can see above. On this evidence it’s gonna be weird.

Smith has previously said of the film, “It’s about a guy who turns another guy into a f**ing human walrus. As weird as it is in my head when I talk about it, they finally sent me the costume designs by Robert Kurtzman, and I was like, ‘Holy s**t, it’s a monster movie, I had no idea.’ I thought I was making a kind of sister thriller to Red State. As soon as I saw the designs, I go, ‘Of course this is a monster movie and he’s Dr. Frankenstein.”

Justin Long will be the human walrus, with Osment as his long lost friend Teddy, who teams up with his girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) to try to find him. Michael Parks also stars.

It’ll be out next year.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

It’s A Wonderful Life Sequel Planned, Only 66 Years After The Original

By 1 Comment

James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life

James Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life

Normally Hollywood likes to make sequels as soon as possible, although sometimes there’s a few year to wait. However after the success of Disney’s sort-of prequel to 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz, it appears people have been looking at what other old films they can make new instalments of.

Now Variety reports that 66 years after It’s A Wonderful Life was made, a sequel is in the works. I think it’s fair to say a lot of people will already be thinking this is sacrilege.

Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions are the companies behind the plan, which will follow the grandson of James Stewart’s George Bailey (who shares the same name). Karolyn Grimes, who played Bailey’s daughter Zuzu in the original film (she was the little girl who said, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!”) will return for as an angel ‘who shows Bailey’s unlikeable grandson (also named George Bailey) how much better off the world would have been had he never been born’. So it’s slightly the other way round to the original, where Stewart was shown how important his life has been.

“The new film will retain the feeling of the original, and it simply must be shared,” Grimes says. “I’ve probably read close to 20 scripts over the years suggesting a sequel to It’s a Wonderful Life, but none of them were any good. The script by Bob Farnsworth and Martha Bolton was wonderful, and I wanted to be involved with his version of the film immediately.”

The producers have also approached other original cast members such as Jimmy Hawkins, who portrayed Tommy Bailey, and Carol Coombs, who played Janie Bailey, about whether they’re willing to return. It’s not known how likely they are to come back.

The plan is to have the movie ready for a Christmas 2015 release.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:

Dustin Hoffman & Steve Buscemi Up For The Cobbler

By Leave a Comment

Dustin-HoffmanHoffmThe Cobbler has come together very quickly, with Adam Sandler and Dan Stevens signing up in the last few weeks and the shoot already started. Now they’ve got some company, as Dustin Hoffman, Method Man and Steve Buscemi have joined the cast of The Cobbler, according to TheWrap.

Adam Sandler plays the title character, a shoe repairman blessed with the ability to enter the lives of his customers. No details have been given about Dustin Hoffman and Method Man’s roles, although Steve Buscemi plays a character named Manny.

Thomas McCarthy is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Paul Sado.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: , ,   FILMS:   

New Need For Speed Trailer – Revving things up with Aaron Paul

By Leave a Comment


When DreamWorks announced they were making a movie version of the videogame Need For Speed, it sounded like they were trying to cash in on the Fast & Furious audience, and that certainly seems to be true from the evidence of this first trailer. That doesn’t mean it won’t be worth a look though!

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Fresh from prison, framed for a crime he didn’t commit, street racer Tobey Marshall (Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul), is hell bent on settling the score.

‘With revenge at the forefront of his mind, he gears up for the ultimate cross-country race heaving with adrenaline-charged muscle machines and high-octane super cars. When his powerful rival (Dominic Cooper – The Devil’s Double) places a massive bounty on his head, the wheels are set in motion and the race is finally on.

‘Based on the most successful racing game franchise of all time, bursting with explosive action and exhilarating stunts, NEED FOR SPEED accelerates into UK cinemas on MARCH 14, 2014 by Entertainment One.’ [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: , ,   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Thor: The Dark World Tops The US Box Office Again

By Leave a Comment

thor-the-dark-world-poster2As most box office watchers expected, Thor: The Dark World stayed on top of the US box office, taking another $38.4 million for a gross so far of $147 million. The 55% drop from the last weekend is about in line with other big movies, and should ensure it ends up with a North American total somewhere around $250 million.

However the real surprise was the movie in second place, The Best Man Holiday, a follow up to the 1999 movie The Best Man, which took just over $30 million. By now the success of films aimed at African-American audiences shouldn’t be a surprise anymore, but every time it happens even veteran watchers treat it like some bizarre anomaly, mainly because the film hasn’t been marketed to them and so they don’t know much about it.

Best Man Holiday was the only new movie in the top 10, as it was a quiet weekend before things gear up this Friday in the run up to Thanksgiving with the likes of Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of November 15th-17th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Thor: The Dark World $38.4 $146.9
2 The Best Man Holiday $30.5 $30.5
3 Last Vegas $8.8 $46.9
4 Free Birds $8.3 $42.2
5 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa $7.6 $90.2
6 Gravity $6.2 $240.5
7 Ender’s Game $6.2 $53.7
8 12 Years A Slave $4.7 $24.9
9 Captain Phillips $4.5 $97.6
10 About Time $3.4 $11.5
CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
FILMS: , , , , , , , ,   

Gay Surfer Documentary Out In The Line-up Seeks Funding

By 1 Comment


While gay people are seen in more and more walks of life, there are some where they are still pretty much invisible. This includes surfing.

However the documentary Out In The Lineup wants to challenge that perception, and it’s launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign that it hope will help ensure the movie gets finished and can be submitted to film festivals around the globe.

The movie hopes to challenge stereotypes, connect people and raise awareness.

The movie is, ‘is a feature documentary about two gay surfers, David and Thomas, who set off on a global journey to uncover the taboo of homosexuality in surfing. They travel from Australia to Hawaii, California, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands to speak with people from all corners of the surfing community, from former world champions through to everyday surfers. Stories of fear, isolation and self-doubt emerge alongside ones of hope, self-empowerment and transformation. As their journey unfolds, Thomas and David  are inspired to promote change within the existing culture by looking to surfing’s grassroots values of freedom of spirit, open-mindedness and love for the ocean.’

Take a look at the campaign video above, and if you’d like to help, head over to Kickstarter.

out-in-the-line-up-pic1

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:

John Apple Jack Trailer – A gay man doesn’t want his sister to marry his childhood crush

By Leave a Comment


John Apple Jack recently premiered at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, and if this trailer is anything to go by, it’ll be well worth a look. After all, a lot of gay men will know the irrational jealousy when you find out one of your female friends is dating the straight guy you have a major crush on.

Here’s the brief synopsis: ‘When John discovers his sister’s fiancé is Jack, his childhood crush, passions ignite and his life spirals out of control… losing his job, his playboy reputation and his underwear – all while rushing to the altar to finally confess his love.’

Take a look at the trailer for the movie above. It should be screening at more film festivals in the coming months. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES: