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

REVIEWS

Cinema, DVD and Blu-ray reviews

The Last Straight Man (DVD Review)

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I have to say when I read the synopsis for The Last Straight Man I was a little concerned. It all seemed a tad gimmicky, with the kind of ambition that few low-budget, gay-themed movies can live up to. Thankfully though I was pleasantly surprised when I actually saw the movie.

There aren’t many gay films that open with a scene in which a female stripper is dancing for a bunch of guys – indeed you’d think it was anathema for this type of flick – but it’s Cooper’s (Scott Sell) bachelor party and so strippers are the order of the day. At the end of the evening Cooper is left with his best friend Lewis (Mark Cirillo), talking about their lives and loves – however Cooper doesn’t know Lewis is bisexual (on his way to accepting he’s gay), and when he admits that fact, Lewis is pleased that Cooper is surprised but not horrified. [Read more…]

The Book Of Life (Blu-ray Review)

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Comparing The Book Of Life to Fifty Shades Of Grey may seem od, but there is one thing that brings them together – in my head at least. If Fifty Shades had been written by a man, I can’t help but feel it would have been thought of as horrifically sexist, and with The Book Of Life, I couldn’t help but wonder if some would have accused it of racism if it hadn’t been directed and co-written by people from Mexico.

I’m not necessarily criticising the film, but the movie doesn’t have many qualms about delving into Mexican stereotypes. However the fact is that behind the scenes it had a massive Mexican influence, not just from director Jorge R. Gutiérrez and co-writer/producer Guillermo Del Toro, but also many of the crew, who may infuse the movie with sombreros and bullfighting, but they do so with snarking or belittling, instead attempting to pay tribute to the rich culture. [Read more…]

Rabid (Blu-ray Review)

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After bringing Shivers to Blu-ray last year, Arrow Video continues to release David Cronenberg’s early work in HD with his follow-up, 1977’s Rabid. Despite the success of the earlier (if controversial movie) it’s in many ways a simpler movie, although still an interesting and effective one.

After a horrific motorcycle accident Rose (Marilyn Chambers) is in need of plastic surgery. Her doctors decide to try an experimental skin graft technique, despite it never being tested before. However things don’t quite go as planned, as when Rose wakes up, she has an insatiable lust for human blood – in fact she can’t eat anything else. [Read more…]

Love Is Strange (Cinema Review)

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Just in time for Valentine’s day, a film that genuinely shows the complexities, subtleties and nuances of us complicated human beings. It happens to be about two men of advancing years, but really its central themes could apply to anyone of any age. It’s a rich, rewarding experience that will haunt you for a long time.

John Lithgow and Alfred Molina are the central couple, two hugely liked and popular men who decide to get married after being together for so long. The story opens with their marriage day, a happy occasion with lots of laughter, wine and song. This bliss doesn’t last for long. [Read more…]

The Way He Looks (DVD Review)

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I’m always wary when a really good short film get turned into a feature-length movie. It seemed a particular concern with The Way He Looks, as the original short that it’s based is so perfect and complete in its own right, that a 90 minute version could easily have either felt bloated or been so different from the original it betrayed its roots. However director Daniel Ribiero has managed the rare feat of taking everything that was great about the short and spun it out into a sweet, tender teen romance that’s a really great film.

Leo is a blind teenager who is in a mainstream school but has issues with some of the other kids. However he has his best friend Gi, with the two of them spending all their time together. Indeed it’s rather co-dependent set-up, with Gi enjoying that Leo needs and seems to rely on her, while Leo has the comfort of someone looking out for him. However he also yearns for independence, feeling that because he’s blind everyone around him is trying to control and prevent him from being his own person. [Read more…]

Date and Switch (DVD Review)

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Michael (Nicholas Braun) and Matty (Hunter Cope) have been friends since they were little kids, but now it’s coming to the end of high school. In time honoured film fashion, they decide to make a pact to lose their virginities before prom – after which they’ll celebrate by eating a tray of pot brownies.

There is one wrinkle though, as Matty hasn’t told Michael that he’s gay. When he does – and after a bit of an initial freakout – Michael gets on board with the idea and even tries to help Matty get into the swing of the gay world. However Matty finds that difficult, as he’s still a bit of a stoner dude and isn’t sure how to be gay in a world where he doesn’t fit into any of the stereotypes he’s seen. [Read more…]

The Maze Runner (Blu-ray Review)

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After the success of The Hunger Games it’s not too surprising that Hollywood rushed to put similarly themed movies into production, such as Divergent and now The Maze Runner.  While nearly all the knock-offs of Twilight, and indeed Harry Potter, were pretty rubbish, The Maze Runner isn’t bad at all.

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up in a metal cage that’s rising out of the ground. He has no idea who he is or how he got there but finds himself thrust into the strange world of The Glade, where every month for three years a new young man has arrived, also with no idea what they’re doing there. A society led by Gally (Will Poulter) has arisen, bound by rules supposed to keep them alive. [Read more…]

The Best Of Me (DVD Review)

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Have you ever had the sensation where you weren’t sure whether to be emotionally moved or whether to vomit? Well, I do now after watching The Best of Me.

After surviving an oil rig disaster, Dawson (James Marsden) gets a call to say that an old friend of his has died and he needs to travel back to his hometown to help sort things out. When he arrives he discovers he’s not the only one who got a call, as so did Amanda (Michelle Monaghan), a woman who has a history with Dawson and isn’t initially pleased to see him. [Read more…]

The Rewrite (DVD Review)

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In The Rewrite Hugh Grant is Keith Michaels, a man who several years ago won a Best Screenplay Oscar. However his last few films have flopped and he’s lost his way. He agrees to teach screenwriting at an East Coast college, where he intends to do as little work as possible. However the college has other ideas, forcing him to actually engage with his students.

Keith finds himself getting closer to a single mother in his class, Holly (Marisa Tomei), whose plain-spoken wisdom cuts through all of his Hollywood bull. Despite his initial disdain for the whole idea of teaching, Keith begins to find value in what he’s doing. [Read more…]

Inherent Vice (Cinema Review)

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If you demand coherent plots and comprehensible dialogue from your movies, look away now. There is not one scene of Anderson’s sprawling behemoth of a movie that makes any sense whatsoever. It’s a stoned, fug-smoked, labyrinth of a film noir that takes pleasure in its baffling structure and dares you to go along with it. Frankly after an hour it’s too much effort, and the pleasure switches in watching great actors revelling in show-off roles soaked in dreamy Californian sunshine. [Read more…]