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

Maleficent (Cinema Review)

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At long last one of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2014 has arrived. However it’s one of those films that could either have been excellent or a total mess. Thankfully Maleficent is in fact magnificent!

Disney has released a few very expensive live-action movie in the Spring and Summer in the last few years – Alice In Wonderland, John Carter, Lone Ranger etc – some more successful than others. However this time they will have the jackpot, despite a budget of an estimated $200M. If there’s any justice Maleficent will make that back in spades. [Read more…]

Johnny Depp In Talks To Star In The Secret Life Of Houdini

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johnny-deppIn the past few years there have been several movies about Harry Houdini in the works, but they’ve all been stuck in development hell. Now one of them is moving forwards as THR reports that Johnny Depp is in talks to play the title role in The Secret Life Of Houdini.

The movie has had numerous directors since it was first mooted in 2009, such as Jeff Nathanson, Gary Ross and Joe Wright, but it’s now got Dean Parisot (Red) set to helm.

The film ‘which is said to be in the vein of Indiana Jones, recasts Houdini as not just a master escape artist but an investigator of the world of the occult’.

The Secret Life Of Houdini is based on a book written by William Kalush and Larry Sloman, with a script by Noah Oppenheim, which claims that world-famous magician Harry Houdini also led a double life as a British spy. The book also goes deep into his world of magic and mystery, as well as how his legacy was later threatened by a group of fanatical Spiritualists led by esteemed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Depp’s involvement seems dependent on when the fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie will shoot. Johnny is currently shooting Black Mass and then moves onto Through The Looking Glass. Lionsgate would want want Houdini to come next, kicking off its shoot in November, but that would mean Pirates can’t get underway until 2015.

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Gay Lives of Straight Guys – What happens when straight guys take on stereotypically gay professions?

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In the world of stereotypes, there are a few professions where there’s a presumption that if you’re man doing it, you’re gay – such as hairdressing or fashion design. However as you’d expect, while there may be more gay men than the average in those jobs, straight people take them up too.

The documentary ‘Gay Lives of Straight Guys’ takes a look at a selection of straight men who’ve taken on what are often considered gay professions, and now we’ve got a trailer for it. After all, there’s no law that says you’ve got to prefer the same gender to work in gay bar.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A new generation of men is turning the tables on the catch phrase “That’s so Gay!” feeling free to explore professions, friendships and lifestyles once considered strictly off-limits to the hetero-male. In careers such as hairstyling and fashion design to personal appearance, straight dudes are finding a new freedom to express their true talents in areas often reserved for gay men, making friends for the first time across the sexual divide and discovering a new emotional freedom. “Gay Lives of Straight Guys” is documentary that explores these changing attitudes and more through the compelling and intriguing stories of men brave enough to break down barriers and become pioneers in the melting pot of cultures.

Gay Lives of Straight Guys premieres in the US on Tuesday, June 10th on LOGO TV. [Read more…]

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Hairspray’s Adam Shankman Plans 1960s Gay Rights Drama For HBO

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adam-shankmanHBO has certainly been on an LGBT roll recently, winning ratings and awards for Behind The Candelabra, backing the TV series Looking and documentaries such as The Case Against 8 and making The Normal Heart, which debuted to above average viewing figures for the pay-cable network last weekend.

Now it’s getting back in the gay business and it’s teaming up with Hairspray, Wedding Planner and Rock Of Ages director Adam Shankman to do it, according to THR. The former choreographer has sold Open City to the network, based on a script by feature writer David Kajganich.

The project ‘is set in the vibrant, turbulent John Lindsay-era New York of the late 1960s and explores characters from disparate corners of Manhattan as they navigate the cultural revolutions and political turmoil of the era. The drama will also examine the unlikely alliance between the Mafia and the city’s gay community in the opening of a West Village nightclub.

It has the potential to be an interesting look at the pre-Stonewall world, a time when, as that synopsis suggest, the mob was heavily involved in gay venues. It’s not because they liked gays, but because those wanting to start gay bars and nightclubs knew getting into business with the mob could actually help prevent the police shutting, due to the ‘protection’ they offered, which the Mafia would get a heavy chunk of the cash the place made.

Open City is getting some help from someone who was there at the time, as Ronnie Lorenzo, one of the original owners of the Stonewall Inn, will serve as a consulting producer.

It’s not clear exactly when the project will air.

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Dark Blood Trailer – River Phoenix’s final film arrives 20 years after he died

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It’s over 20 years since River Phoenix died of a drugs overdose outside the Viper Room in LA. At the time he was shooting the movie Dark Blood, which had to be abandoned in the wake of his death.

At least it was initially, but a few years ago director George Sluizer (Vanishing) picked up the footage again to see whether there was anything he could do with it. That involved completely reworking the story as only about 65% of the movie was ever filmed, as well as trying to explain Phoenix’s absence from chunks of the movie.

The film premiered last year to a mixed response, and should now be getting a release we can all view soon.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Dark Blood tells the story of Boy (River Phoenix) a young widower who retreats to the desert after his wife dies of radiation following nuclear tests near their home. Boy is waiting for the end of the world and carves Katchina dolls that supposedly contain magical powers. Harry (Jonathan Pryce) and Buffy (Judy Davis) travel to the desert on a second honeymoon in an attempt to save their marriage. Their Bentley breaks down in the middle of nowhere and the couple is rescued by Boy. Boy holds them prisoner because of his desire for the woman and his ambition to create a better world with her.’ [Read more…]

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Inside Llewyn Davis (Blu-ray Review)

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It just goes to show how useful it is to have a ‘name’ in the film world. If most filmmakers had said they wanted to make a movie about a misanthropic 1960s folk singer who spends the first 25 minutes of the film trying to get a cat back to its owner, they’d have been laughed out of the room. However the Coen Brothers have the sort of clout that can get things done.

And while not one of their best, Inside Llewyn Davis is not a bad movie at all. [Read more…]

Queer Filmmaker Xavier Dolan Picks Up Jury Prize At Cannes For Mommy

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xavier-dolan-cannesXavier Dolan may have missed out on the Queer Palm at Cannes for Mommy (that award went to the Brit flick Pride), but at the main awards ceremony he had more to smile about, as his movie tied for the Jury Prize with Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye To Language.

And Godard is certainly not bad company to be in! Some have already commented on whether it’s Cannes almost passing the baton, as the precocious Dolan is often said to be one of the most interesting new voices, while Goodbye To Language may be the legendary Godard’s final film.

In Mommy, ‘A widowed single mom finds herself burdened with the full-time custody of her explosive 15-year-old ADHD son. As they try to make ends meet and struggle with their impetuous and unpredictable ménage, the new girl across the street, Kyla, benevolently offers needed support. Together, they find a new sense of balance, and hope is regained.’

25-year-old queer filmmaker Dolan previously picked up the Queer Palm a couple of years ago for Laurence Anyways, and two awards at Cannes for his directorial debut, I Killed My Mother.

He wasn’t the only 2014 winner though, as Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep picked up the big prize, the Palm d’Or. Bennett Miller added to the excellent reviews for Foxcatcher with a Best Director win, while Julianne Moore picked up Best Actress for David Cronenberg’s Map To The Stars. The wonderful Timothy Spall meanwhile, won Best Actor for Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner. [Read more…]

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The Equalizer Trailer – Denzel Washington Helps Chloe Moretz take on the Russian mob

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Sony is pretty confident about The Equalizer. It doesn’t arrive in cinemas until September in the US (and October 10th in the UK), but they’re already developing a sequel.

Of course the sequel is reliant on the first movie being a success. Now we can get a proper feel for the movie with a trailer.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Starring Denzel Washington, it tells the story of a former black ops commando who faked his death and is now living a quiet life and returns to action to rescue a prostitute from evil pimps; his actions cause the Russian mob to send rogue CIA agents to kill him; he battles back against overwhelming odds, defeating them and becoming “The Equalizer.”’

Richard Wenk (16 Blocks) wrote the screenplay, based on the hit TV series The Equalizer, which ran for four seasons between 1985 and 1989.

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Gay-Themed Miners’ Strike Brit Flick Pride Takes The Queer Palm At Cannes

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pride-new-slideA few days ago we posted the first clip from the gay-themed Brit flick Pride, ahead of its May 23rd premiere as closing film of the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2014 International Cannes Film Festival.

If that weren’t honour enough, it’s now picked up the Queer Palm, handed out each year to the best LGBT themed movie showing at the festival. Previous winners include the excellent Stranger By The Lake, Laurence Anyways, Beauty and Gregg Araki’s Kaboom!.

Based on a true story, Pride is set during the summer of 1984, with Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.

But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village in deepest Wales and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. This brings together two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

The likes of Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Andrew Scott and Paddy Considine star, with Tony Award-winning theatre director Matthew Warchus making his feature helming debut with the movie.

Pride was one of 13 movies up for the Queer Palm, including previous winner Xavier Dolan’s Mommy, Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent, Melanie Laurent’s Respire, and Thomas Cailley’s Love At First Sight. It’s the first time a British movie has picked up the award.

Organiser Franck Finance-Madur tolc AFP, “It’s important here in Cannes to think together about problems inherent to the production of queer films that promote sexual diversity.”

Pride is due out in the US in September.

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Daniel Radcliffe To Host Gay Trailblazers Special, Honoring DOMA Champions Edie Winsor & Roberta Kaplan

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Daniel-RadcliffeThe US network Logo TV has announced that they will be hosting a special event called Trailblazers, set up to honour those who have helped the progress of LGBT people over the years.

The event on June 26th will be hosted by long-time gay-ally Daniel Radcliffe and comes almost exactly a year after the Supreme Court ruling that started to dismantle the Defense of Marriage Act (the law that banned federal acknowledgement of gay marriage), and 45 years after the Stonewall riots. Fittingly, the first Trailblazers event will honour Edie Winsor, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, and her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan.

“Through their courage, Edie and Roberta redefined an institution to make it open to everybody,”  said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV and Logo. “Like the greatest civil rights pioneers, they secured a basic human freedom for all of us.”

Trailblazers will also include a performance by A Great Big World, along with special appearances by Jared Leto, Kylie Minogue, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, Iggy Azalea, Tyler Glenn and Mary Lambert. Logo hopes this will be the first of what will become an annual event, allowing them to honour other important names in LGBT rights.

Alongside the starrier side of this initiative, Logo has also launched the ‘Hometown Trailblazers’, designed to pay tribute to local heroes who have made a difference in their community. Nominations for Hometown Trailblazers are being invited from the public, with a call for a picture or video, alongside an explanation of why the person is meaningful. You can find out more about that here.

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