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

Madonna Is Turning Director Again With Ballerina Drama Taking Flight

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Madonna and the world of film haven’t exactly had an easy relationship. While she seems to love cinema, she’s been derided for her acting (particularly for 2002’s Swept Away, directed by then hubby Guy Ritchie) and as a director (her royal drama W.E. has a 13% rating on RottenTomatoes). However, she doesn’t give up and to be fair she’s shown more promise as a director than an actress.

Now she’s planning to get back behind the camera for Taking Flight, according to Variety.  The film will be based on Michaela and Elaine DePrince’s memoir, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. As the title suggests it’s about Michaela, who was orphaned in her native Sierra Leone, but was brought to the US and adopted. She fell in love with dance and is now a professional ballerina for the Dutch National Ballet. DePrince was also seen in Beyonce’s Lemonade video.

Madonna comments, “Michaela’s journey resonated with me deeply as both an artist and an activist who understands adversity. We have a unique opportunity to shed light on Sierra Leone and let Michaela be the voice for all the orphaned children she grew up beside. I am honored to bring her story to life.”

It’s not known when we might get to see the film.

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Ian McKellen Will Be The Good Liar Alongside Helen Mirren

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Ian McKellen has had a long and successful professional relationship with director Bill Condon, which has include Gods and Monsters (for which McKellen received his first Oscar nomination) and the more recent Mr. Holmes. The duo are now planning to get back together for an adaptation of Nicholas Searle’s novel, The Good Liar. Helen Mirren is also onboard as the other main lead, according to Deadline.

Searle’s novel is about, ‘career con artist Roy Courtnay (McKellen), who can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.’

Jeffrey Hatcher wrote the script for the movie, which should shoot later this year. There’s no news on when it might arrive in cinemas.

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The Florida Project (DVD Review) – A young girl lives a precarious existence next to the Magic Kingdom

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Director Sean Baker had a significant success with Tangerine, which followed two transgender sex workers as one of them looks for the man who broke her heart. With The Florida Project he stays with people living a precarious existence, this time in the shadow of Disney World in Orlando.

The movie is largely set at a budget hotel managed by Bobby (Willem Dafoe), where six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) lives with her young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite). It’s an insecure, day-to-day existence where there’s no security and where they must move out for a while once a month, as they’re not permitted to officially become residents. [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…]

Only The Brave (Blu-ray Review) – Hotshot firefighters risk it all

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Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) of the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department is an expert at fighting forest fires, but he and his team have to take a backseat when ‘hotshot’ Type 1 front line firefighters, even if they don’t know as much as he does. He plans to become the head of the first municipal firefighting team to achieve Type 1 status.

Marsh’s Granite Mountain Hotshots are amongst the best there is. However, they also have their own issues to deal with, such as Eric’s dedication to fighting fires interfering with his marriage to Amanda (Jennifer Connelly). There’s also Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a young wastrel who uses drugs, sleeps around and has been in trouble with the law – but with an accidental child on the way, he decides it’s time to shape up and join the team. [Read more…]

Win The Acclaimed, Oscar-Winning Call Me By Your Name On Blu-ray!

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Call Me By Your Name is one of the highest profile and most acclaimed gay-themed movies since Brokeback Mountain, and one of the few to make the crossover to mainstream success. That includes winning an Oscar, with veteran filmmaker James Ivory (Maurice, Remains Of The Day) picking up Best Adapted Screenplay for his take on Andre Aciman’s novel.

The film is out on Blu-ray & DVD in the UK now, and we’ve got three Blu-ray copies to give away!

It’s the summer of 1983 in Italy, and Elio (Timotheé Chalamet), a precocious 17-year-old, spends his days in his family’s villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading and flirting with his friend Marzia. One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father, an eminent professor. Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

Read our 4.5 out of 5 review here

For your chance to win Call Me By Your Name on Blu-ray, answer the question below and fill in your details, then press submit! The competition closes on March 22nd, 2018, so get answering and good luck. [Read more…]

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120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) UK Trailer – Get a taste of the acclaimed tribute to HIV/AIDS activism

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Robin Campillo’s movie has gained a lot of buzz since its Cannes debut. At the festival the movie won the Queer Palm for the best LGBT movie, the prestigious Fipresci award for the best film at the festival from the International Federation of Film Critics, and second biggest award at the fest, the Grand Prix. It was then chosen as France’s Oscar contender for the Besti Foreign Language Film Academy Award.

Most recently it picked up six gongs at France’s top film awards, the Cesars, including Best Film, Best Original Screenplay for the movie’s writer/director, Robin Campillo, and Best New Actor for Nahuel Perez Biscayart.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A beautiful, stirring call to action about the AIDS epidemic of the 80s and early 90s, it follows a new romance within a chapter of ACT-UP Paris, the activist group going to battle for those stricken with HIV/AIDS taking on major Pharma companies and the lacklustre government response with bold, invasive protests – embracing their mission with literal life or death urgency. Amid rallies, protests, fierce debates and ecstatic dance parties, the newcomer Nathan falls in love with Sean, the group’s radical firebrand, and their passion sparks against the shadow of mortality as the activists fight for a breakthrough.’

The movie will be released in UK cinemas April 6th. Take a look at the new trailer below. [Read more…]

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Blade Runner 2049’s Mackenzie Davis To Star In New Terminator Movie

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The various efforts to get people interested in a post-T2 Terminator franchise have largely foundered, but there’s been more interest in a new attempt, which will bring James Cameron back as a producer/creative force, as well as original stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. Now they have some company in the form of Blade Runner 2049 star Mackenzie Davis, according to Variety.

There’s little info on the plot of the new instalment, bit it’s said that Davis will be ‘a solder-assassin on a mission.’ She will apparently be human rather than android though (unlike her role in Blade Runner 2049). One other thing we know about the movie is that it’s likely to either ignore everything after Terminator 2, or reset the timeline so it can do just that. There are also conflicting reports about whether Davis will be the new ‘face’ of the Terminator franchise, or whether someone else will be the lead, but it does appear she plays a central role in the movie.

The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips scribe Billy Ray is writing the latest version of the script, with Deadpool’s Tim Miller set to direct. The movie is due for release July 2019.

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Lee Pace Affirms That He’s ‘Happily Owning’ His Place In The Queer Community

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Pushing Daisies and Halt & Catch Fire star Lee Pace raised a few eyebrows a few days ago when an interview was printed where he kind of came out as LGBT, but seemed to suggest there was something wrong with being asked about it. He said, “I’ve dated men. I’ve dated women. I don’t know why anyone would care. I’m an actor and I play roles. To be honest, I don’t know what to say—I find your question intrusive.”

Many felt it was the wrong response, especially considering his latest role as a closeted Mormon in the Broadway revival of Angels In America. He seemed to underline the issues with his own response as in the interview he also mentioned the importance of gay actors playing the gay roles in the two-part Pulitzer-Prize winning play, but then slightly stepped back from including himself in that.

However, he’s now clarified his remarks and say that it was more clumsiness than anything else that had led to his previous response. On Twitter he writes, ‘In a recent phone interview, I was asked questions that I wasn’t expecting and found myself momentarily at a loss for the right words. My privacy is important to me, so I protect it. When interviewed by the media, I keep the focus on my work… As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of living openly, being counted, and happily owning who I am. That’s how I’ve always lived my life… just as it’s been important to me to portray queer characters with dignity for my entire career: A Soldier’s Girl (Showtime. 2003). The Normal Heart (Broadway. 2011). Halt and Catch Fire (AMC. 2014-2017). Angels in America. (Broadway. NOW.) Onward, with Pride.’

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A Fantastic Woman & Call Me By Your Name Pick Up Oscars

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Although there wasn’t quite as much LGBT success at the Oscars as some may have hoped, there were two awards that went our way. Out filmmaker James Ivory won Best Adapted Screenplay for the gay-themed Call Me By Your Name. It’s the first Oscar for the man who’s directed everything from Maurice and A Room With A View to Remains Of The Day and Howard’s End.

And while those hoping Timothee Chalamet would win Best Actor for CMBYM ended up being disappointed (it went to the hot favourite, Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour), Chalamet did get to go up on stage vicariously, as Ivory had a drawing of the young actor painted on his tuxedo shirt.

The other major LGBT winner was the Chilean trans-themed movie, A Fantastic Woman, which picked up Best Film Not In The English language. The film follows a trans mourning the death of her boyfriend, but who is confronted by anger and prejudice from his previous family. The movie’s star, Daniela Vega, also made history as the first trans Oscar presenter when she stepped on stage to introduced Sufjan Stevens’ performance of his Best Original Song nominee, Mystery of Love, from Call Me By Your Name.

Its also been revealed that after last year’s Best Picture mix-up, the Academy offered the cast and crew of Moonlight another chance to pick up their award, without the confusion of La La Land thinking they’d won first. However, they turned the opportunity down.

The big winner of the night was The Shape Of Water, which picked up four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Guillermo Del Toro. Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Three Billboards and gave a barnstorming speech about inclusion, while the Best Supporting Actress and Actor awards went to Alison Janney for I, Tonya and the hotly tipped Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards.

Another standout moment was British cinematographer Roger Deakins finally winning for Blade Runner 2049. Long considered one of the best in the business, this was his 14th nomination but the first time he’s won. His first nomination was for The Shawshank Redemption back in 1995, so it’s long overdue.

Take a look at the full list of winners below. [Read more…]

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