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

Vivant! (Alive!) (BFI Flare Review)

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Vivant covers the week of training undergone by five HIV+ men leading up to their first solo parachute jump, and documents the development of unlikely friendships that develop between such a disparate group.

The Director’s decision to focus quite evenly between the interpersonal relationships of the five men and on the quite intense training for the parachute jump makes for an interesting mix. The training is obviously both physically and mentally demanding, and there are points when these men visibly struggle to assimilate all the information needed to make a successful jump. [Read more…]

Cucumber & Banana (DVD Review)

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Cucumber arrived on British television with huge amounts of fanfare. After all it was a return to gay Manchester for writer Russell T Davies more than 15 years after Queer As Folk. Plus it came with the interesting idea of having a secondary show, Banana, which aired on E4 and told a half-hour story about one of the characters from the main Cucumber episode.

However after the first episode the critical response was somewhat muted, and while many viewers hung around hoping Cucumber would suddenly become great, a lot of people gave up partway through. However now that the whole thing is complete and has been released on DVD, should everyone have stuck around until the end? [Read more…]

Interstellar (Blu-ray Review)

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The world is on the brink of disaster as extreme climate change has left much of the planet a dust bowl, with civilisation pretty much collapsed and many convinced that humanity only has a short time left to live. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is scratching out a living on a farm, but discovers that not far away is a facility that’s hopes to find a future for mankind.

A wormhole has been discovered near Saturn, which leads to another galaxy where there may be habitable worlds. Years before scientists were sent to each of those planets, and now it’s time to send another ship to discover what happened to them and whether one of the worlds could be humanity’s new home. With his ace piloting skills Cooper is selected to go on the mission – much to the anger of his young daughter Murph – alongside scientist Brand (Anne Hathaway) and two other crew members. [Read more…]

Penguins Of Madagascar (Blu-ray Review)

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I’m becoming increasingly convinced that DreamWorks Animation have given up on making films and have instead decided to make a series of 90 minute chase scenes. With some of their output this strategy has resulted in a giant mess, but with others it’s worked surprisingly well, and that’s the case with Penguins Of Madagascar.

Despite the title, this doesn’t really have much to do with the Madagascar films bar the presence of the military-minded penguins and a few jokey references. In the new film Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private come up against a surprising opponent when they meet Dr. Octavius Brine, who seems to be a brilliant human scientist, but is actually an octopus called Dave. The purple cephalopod harbours a hatred of the penguins due to the fact that they used to be loved far more than him at the zoo. [Read more…]

Network (Blu-ray Review)

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There are plenty of contenders, but in my opinion the best scripts Hollywood has ever come up with are All About Eve and Network. Perhaps surprisingly – or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it – they could both be accused of biting the media hand that feeds them, with All About Eve taking on Tinsel Town itself, while Network is a scathing satire of TV.

Indeed it was seen as so scathing back in 1976 that it nearly didn’t get made at all, as studio executives were worried no television station would ever air it after its theatrical run had ended. However they obviously hadn’t read the script closely enough or they’d have realised that it doesn’t matter too much what the subject is, as long as it produces ratings/profits TV will show it. [Read more…]

No Good Deed (DVD Review)

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Sometimes getting two really good actors to take on a rather run of the mill script can raise the whole thing to new levels. There must have been hope No Good Deed could do the same, but it doesn’t really work.

Colin (Idris Elba) is a very bad man, who police believe is a serial murderer but who they’ve only managed to lock up for manslaughter. After a parole hearing he escapes custody and heads for the house of his girlfriend, whom he promptly kills (just in case we were wondering just how bad he is). [Read more…]

Spectre Teaser Trailer – James Bond’s secrets are going to be revealed

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SPECTRE-Teaser-Poster-slideAfter the gargantuan success of Skyfall there is huge amounts on anticipation for Spectre, and from this teaser trailer it looks like they’ll be keeping the style and feel of that movie. It’s also clear that unlike many previous Bond adventures, it will genuinely continue the story rather than being a completely standalone adventure.

However it’s also keen to show it’s not completely dispensing with what has gone before, most notably with the re-emergence of the evil SPECTRE organisation, which Bond went up against in several 60s and 70s movies, but which copyright issue have kept out of the official movie series since then.

What this trailer continues to tease though is whether Christoph Waltz’s baddie, Oberhauser, is really the infamous Blofeld (although the way it’s set up suggests he is). There’s also a hint at some 007 secrets, which appear to have something to do with his family.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.’

Spectre is set for global release on November 6, 2015. [Read more…]

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Will Star Wars’ First LGBT Character Appear in Rogue One?

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star-wars-lords-of-the-sithThere was a lot of interest a few weeks ago when it was revealed that the Star Wars universe was getting its very first officially LGBT characters – or at least the first one it was going to openly admit wasn’t straight (apparently, despite there being thousands of planets with aliens on them, they’re all straight, except one person).

Now though a rumour has surfaced – and it has to be said that it is very much a rumour at this stage – that the new, lesbian character Moff Mors won’t just appear in Paul S. Kemp‘s novel Star Wars: Lords of the Sith, but will also pop up int the planned Star Wars movie spin-off, Rogue One, which Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards is set to direct.

Cinelinx has the rumour, and as this stands it’s difficult to know whether they have got the inside scoop or not. In the last few weeks they’ve dropped a few Star Wars titbits, but so far they’re all unconfirmed.

Moff Mors has been described as ‘an Imperial who has made some very serious mistakes but she is an incredibly capable leader and spends much of the book working hard to prevent absolute failure. She also happens to be a lesbian.’

It would be great if she does appear in Rogue One, and that if she does they acknowledge her sexuality. However I have a horrible feeling that Moff Mors won’t be in Rogue One at all, and that like Star Trek, properly LGBT characters will be left to the expanded universe where only a few will know they even exist.

If you do want to get to know her, Moff will definitely be in Paul S. Kemp‘s upcoming novel Star Wars: Lords of the Sith, which is due to be published soon. Whether she also appears in the Rogue One movie when it arrives December 2016 is yet to be seen.

It’s believed that Rogue One will be set between Episodes III and IV, and will follow a group of bounty hunters/pirates who set out to steal the plans to the Death Star.

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Southpaw Trailer – Jake Gyllenhaal gets ripped to play a boxer

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southpaw-movie-pic1Believe it or not, this ought to have been Eminem. When Southpaw was originally put into development the rapper was going to star, with the story being a metaphorical take on his life. However after Eminem left the film lived on and now it’s Jake Gyllenhaal who’s got completely ripped to play a boxer in the movie.

Eminem is still involved though as a producer and it was through his Youtube that the trailer was released.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and starring Academy Award® nominated Jake Gyllenhaal (NIGHTCRAWLER, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) comes a story of tragedy, loss and the painful road to redemption… Billy “The Great” Hope (Gyllenhaal) is the reigning Junior Middleweight Champion whose unorthodox stance, the so-called “Southpaw,” consists of an ineloquent, though brutal, display of offensive fighting…one fueled by his own feelings of inadequacy and a desperate need for love, money and fame. With a beautiful family, home and financial security, Billy is on top both in and out of the ring until a tragic accident leaves his wife dead and sends him into a downward spiral. His days now an endless haze of alcohol and prescription drugs, his daughter taken by Child Services and his home repossessed by the bank, Billy’s fate is all but sealed until a washed up former boxer named Tick agrees to take the bereaved pugilist under his wing so long as he agrees to his strict ethos. Relentless and utterly committed to a fighter that thinks as much as he throws punches, Tick rebuilds Billy into a new man: one that is agile, fearsome and uncompromising in the ring while thoughtful, loving and disciplined outside of it. Now, as he works to regain custody of his daughter and mounts a professional comeback, Billy must face his demons head-on as he learns that, sometimes, your greatest opponent can be yourself.’

The film hits cinemas in July. [Read more…]

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Ryan Reynolds Gets Inspired By Burt Reynolds In The First Official Deadpool Pic

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deadpool-pic1It’s a year until Deadpool hits cinemas, but to prove that after years of Ryan Reynolds saying it was still going to happen, that this time it really will, the first pic of the actor in his costume for the movie has been released, which you can take a look at above.

We’ve also got a brief synopsis: ‘Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.’

If the image seems oddly familiar to you it’s because it was inspired by Burt Reynolds infamous nude Playgirl spread, which saw him similar posed on a bearskin, but with fewer clothes.

The movie hits UK cinemas February 2016.

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