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

Patrick Wilson Will Be An Aquaman Villain

By Leave a Comment

Patrick WilsonAquaman has found itself a villain, and it’s someone not unfamiliar with the world of DC characters. Patrick Wilson previously Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl in Zack Snyder’s 2009 adaptation of Watchmen. Now, with Snyder helping oversee the creation of the DC movie universe (having helmed Man Of Steel and Batman v Superman), Wilson has joined Aquaman.

Director James Wan announced the news on Twitter, saying, ‘In casting news that no one saw coming from 20,000 nautical miles away, I ordain @patrickwilson73 the Ocean Master. #KingOrm #Aquaman’.

Orm is Aquaman’s half-brother, although at the moment it’s difficult to know what direction the film will take him. There have been various takes on the characters, some with powers and some without, but all with a dislike/jealousy of Aquaman. Therefore it’s likely Wilson will be one of the movie’s primary villains (previous rumours suggested Black Manta would be the main baddie, but that’s never been confirmed).

The movie is due out October 2018.

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

Gay-Themed Documentary Southern Pride, From Small Town Gay Bar Director, Needs Your Help

By Leave a Comment

A decade ago Malcolm Ingram’s documentary Small Town Gay Bar found a lot of acclaim, screening at Sundance and winning awards at the likes of LA’s Outfest and the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The film, which focused on some small gay establishments in the US Deep South, is now planning a spiritual successor, Southern Pride.

However to do so it needs your help. The movie has set up a Kickstarter, hoping to raise $50,000 towards production costs.

So what will Southern Pride be about? Here’s some info from the Kickstarter: ‘Ten years ago we set out to document the life experiences of the people who frequented small town gay bars in the American South, specifically Mississippi. We had no idea what we’d find, the only thing we knew for sure was that the story of someone in a small town opening up a bar and putting up a rainbow flag, thus alienating themselves from at least 90% of the local population, was a story worth telling.

‘What we found during the shoot were proud, decent, intelligent people who understood the value of community and had an appreciation for these safe spaces that allowed them to be themselves.

‘”Why do you stay?” As we started filming this was the question that came up the most. Surely there must be easier places to be gay? Quickly I realized how ridiculous and borderline offensive people found this question. The fact is, this part of the USA is their home. It’s where they were born and raised, it’s where their families are, it’s where their lives are lived.

‘These were not people who flee. And that struggle is at the root of the new documentary “Southern Pride”

‘This new documentary will be an examination of a community facing a major transition in the world around them. How they cope and how they fight to maintain their freedom and rights.

‘The plan is to get to Mississippi and start shooting by the beginning of the new year. The money raised in this campaign will go directly to making that a reality. The shoot itself is set to take place over a 6 month period and will follow a narrative journey that we are unable to reveal at this time.

‘We are ready, bar owners Lynn and Tammy are ready and the patrons of the Just Us Lounge are ready…

‘…but we need your help.’

That does leave a little mystery as to what exactly it will be about, but if Small Town Gay Bar is anything to go by, it’ll be worth a look. If you want to help, take a look at the fundraising video below and head over to Kickstarter. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:

Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk Drops Its First Poster

By Leave a Comment

By the weekend we should have the first full trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, but before then a couple of posters for the movie have arrived. Warner Bros. is banking big on the war movie, with the studio giving it a prime July 2017 release date.

Although World War II movies have a mixed history at the box office, Warner is obviously hoping Nolan can bring a little of the magic he brought to The Dark Knight and Interstellar.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘‘”Dunkirk” features a prestigious cast, including Tom Hardy (“The Revenant,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception”), Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), Kenneth Branagh (“My Week with Marilyn,” “Hamlet,” “Henry V”) and Cillian Murphy (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy), as well as newcomer Fionn Whitehead.  The ensemble cast also includes Harry Styles (One Direction) making his feature film debut.

‘Christopher Nolan (“Interstellar,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy) is directing “Dunkirk” from his own original screenplay, utilizing a mixture of IMAX® and 65mm film to bring the story to the screen. “Dunkirk” opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.’ [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Tom Of Finland Trailer – Take a look at the biopic of the famed gay erotic artist

By Leave a Comment

After a couple of years where duelling biopics of Tom Of Finland were vying to get made. Now one is finally in the can and the first full for the movie about the artist, known for his images of musclebound and, err, well-endowed men in homoerotic poses, has arrived.

Born Touko Laaksonen, Tom Of Finland’s stylised images of hunky men with massive bulges, often wearing leather and/or uniforms, became iconic in the gay community. His popularity was initially helped by the fact that while many countries in the 1950s and 1960s saw photographs of naked and near-naked men as pornography, drawn pictures were classed as art and so Tom Of Finland’s images became extremely popular.

Despite the homophobic era his art came from, his stature has grown over the years to the point where the likes of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hold his images. The movie follow Laaksonen’s story, after he returns from the war to discover civilian life for a gay man is a battlefield in its own right. He finds refuge in his art.

Finnish and Swedish director Dome Karukoski directs the movie from a script by Aleksi Bardy. It should arrive in cinemas next year. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

James Franco Revealed To Be In Alien: Covenant

By Leave a Comment

Normally the cast of a movie is announced before it goes into production, but with Alien: Covenant, they’ve waited until several months after production wrapped to reveal that James Franco and Danny McBride will be in the movie. And with Franco’s role, it could turn out to be quite key.

As a result, we’re heading into spoiler territory, so if you don’t want to know more, stop reading.

According to AVP Galaxy, Franco is set to be the captain of the spaceship, Covenant. He’ll also be married to lead character Daniels, played by Katherine Waterson. Apparently though it’s a fairly small role, with Franco only appearing in the first 10 minutes, and then briefly later one. There are also rumours that he may be the father of Ellen Ripley.

The movie is due out May 19th, 2017, although we haven’t had a trailer yet (some expect one to be included with Rogue One or one of December’s other major releases).

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Set as the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus, Alien: Covenant connects directly to Ridley Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. It begins with the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy. There, the crew discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.’

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

The Pass (Cinema Review)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

The Pass is one of those movies that really shouldn’t work. While it was acclaimed on stage, you would initially think that would be the only place it would succeed. It’s setup doesn’t immediately seem to lend itself to being opened up for cinema, as it by necessity it retains a very stark three-act structure, only has four speaking roles, and just three locations. However, despite that, it’s a really good film.

The movie opens in a Romanian hotel room, where two young footballers, Jason (Russell Tovey – who also originated the role on stage) and Ade (Arinzé Kene) are preparing for what could be a career-making game the next day. While they chat, bond, and perhaps subconsciously compete for status – both just in their underwear – they also slowly flirt towards something more intimate. There may be a lot of ‘lad’s talk’ about banging chicks and hot women, but that increasingly covers their true feelings. [Read more…]

Megan Mullally Says A 10-Episode Will & Grace Reunion Has ‘A Very Good Chance’ Of Happening

By Leave a Comment

After 10 years off air, the early Autumn gave us both a new mini-episode of Will & Grace, and shortly afterwards, the news that NBC was interested in reviving the show. While all the cast made noises that they wouldn’t rule it out, it still seemed like a fairly distant hope if would happen.

However, things may have become more likely, as talking to Pridesource, Megan Mullally has said, “Well, OK. All I can say is that there is a very good chance that that might happen. It’s not happening right this second. I mean, we’re not rehearsing or anything like that. But there is a very good chance that something is going to materialise. But can’t really talk about it or say anything, because you know how it is.”

That makes it sound like a ‘yes’, except she’s not allowed to say that.

She also lets us know what form it might take, adding, “So speaking theoretically, in a completely made-up world where Will & Grace is coming back to NBC for 10 episodes – just in that made-up world – it couldn’t be a better time. I mean, it couldn’t possibly be better timing. I think more so now than even when we started! And who would have ever – I mean, it’s heinous that it’s because Donald Trump is the president-elect. That’s just a crazy sentence that nobody would have ever thought they’d utter. But having said that, at the same time, that just gives us carte blanche”.

That certainly suggests she thinks it’s more than theoretical, but until there’s an official announcement, it’s a case of ‘watch this space’.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   FILMS:   

Kate McKinnon Gets Her First Lead Role In Amblin’s The Lunch Witch

By Leave a Comment

Out actress/comedienne Kate McKinnon has gained a lot of fans thanks to Saturday Night Live, and this year she got her biggest movie role yet in Ghostbusters. However, she’s never had a lead role in a film, until now.

Variety reports that Kate has signed up to play the central part in The Lunch Witch, Amblin’s planned movie based on the book by Deb Lucke. She will play, ‘Grunhilda, who has inherited generations worth of magical recipes. But when no one believes in magic anymore, she is forced to apply to be a school lunch lady, thanks to her knack for cooking up foul dishes. While she spends most of her time scaring the children at the school while serving them lunch, Grunhilda accidentally befriends a shy girl who needs help both at school and at home, given her timidness, something a witch like Grunhilda has a tough time following through on.’

Clay Kaytis is set to direct the movie, although it’s not clear when the movie might shoot.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   DIRECTORS:   

New Retake Trailer – Tuc Watkins hires a young male escort in the gay-themed movie

By Leave a Comment

Retake premiered last Summer at San Francisco’s Frameline Film Festival, and now it’s heading towards its DVD/VoD release, courtesy of Breaking Glass Picture. It’s certainly got a good cast, including Tuc Watkins (Desperate Housewives), Devon Graye (American Horror Story: Asylum), Derek Phillips (Friday Night Lights) and Kit Williamson (Mad Men).

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Jonathan (Tuc Watkins) — a handsome businessman — flies into San Francisco and hires a young hustler (Devon Graye) to accompany him a road trip to the Grand Canyon, with a catch: he must role-play as someone named “Brandon.”

On the road, “Brandon” comes to realize he’s playing a vital role in the recreation of Jonathan’s lovelorn past.  As the hustler digs for clues, Jonathan insists that he stick to the role he was hired for. Eager to leave his own past behind and feeling a strange connection with his unique client, he sheds his own identity and plays the part.  An amorous game of obsession and manipulation commences, as these two broken souls get closer to their destination.’

The film will be released next year. Watch the new trailer below. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:

Greg Berlanti To Direct Little Shop of Horrors Musical Reboot

By Leave a Comment

It seems like out producer/director Greg Berlanti may be moving away from being so actively involved in TV’s Arrow-verse (as well as producing Life As We Know It and the upcoming Riverdale – he’s a really, really busy man) and back towards the movie world.

He’s already putting together Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which we reported yesterday has Jurassic World’s Nick Robinson attached to star, and now he’s got another movie in development, a new version of Little Shop Of Horror. The film will be a musical, presumably using the classic songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken from their 1982 stage version, which became a movie starring Rick Moranis. (Oddly though, the Deadline story that first reported the news doesn’t 100% specify it’ll be the Menken/Askman music).

Little Shop started out as a low budget 1960 Roger Corman b-movie, about a young man who comes across an unusual plant. However, it turns out the plant is carnivorous and wants human flesh, and so the man begins to kill to feed it. He gains fame for his emornos flora, but has to murder to get it. The 1980s musical added plenty of great 50s style tune, with the plant gaining a wisecracking, mischievous voice, courtesy of Levi Stubbs.

Matthew Robinson is writing the script for the movie, although there’s no info on when we might see it. Although the 80s version is brilliant and even now has special effects that are truly astonishing, it’ll be interesting to see what a new version might be like.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS: