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

New Fifty Shades Freed Trailer – It’s not all wedded bliss for Jamie Dornan & Dakota Johnson

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The acting was terrible, the plot virtually non-existent and they weren’t even particularly sexy, but between them, the first two Fifty Shades films pulled in over $900 million at the global box office. Now to finish things off we’re getting Fifty Shades Freed, which it appears might actually have a storyline.

And thankfully Jamie Dornan is still taking his shirt off!

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Freed, the third chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015 and 2017’s blockbuster films that grossed almost $950 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day 2018.

‘Fifty Shades Freed is directed by Fifty Shades Darker’s James Foley (Fear) and once again produced by Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi, alongside E L James, the creator of the culture-spanning blockbuster series. The screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the novel by James.’

Taking a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

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Gay Short Film Showcase: The Definition of Lonely – A dog brings two unlikely strangers together

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Actor Leon Lopez has been seen on UK TV screens in the likes of Brookside and Eastenders. However, he’s also been showing the world he has talent as a director, including the gay-themed feature film Soft Lad. His first film was the short , The Definition Of Lonely, which found plenty of success, winning best gay short film at OUTWEST Film Fest, and Best Script & Best Actor at KINO FEST!

Now that short has been released online so everyone can take a look at the rather sweet and hopeful film. The Definition Of Lonely follows a young Londoner contemplating his solitude, and trying to figure out a life that seems to have little connection to others or even a routine apart from going to a park each day. Then, sitting on a bench, he gets an unexpected visitor in the form of a dog called Charlie, which helps introduce him to Charlie’s owner and a potential, unexpected bond.

Take a look at The Definition Of Lonely below. If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

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The London Short Film Festival Announces Its LGBTQ Strand

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Although there are lots of truly brilliant short films made every year all around the world, they don’t tend to get love they deserve. One fest out to help give them some kudos is the London Short Film Festival, which will be running its 15th edition from January 12th-21st. Amongst the many short screening there will be an LGBTQ strand, led by long time LSFF collaborators New Queer Visions.

The first film programme, New Queer Visions: Don’t Look Back In Anger on January 13th at 6pm at Moth Club, is a selection of tales that looks at the nature of hate and positivity, with touching stories about queer characters dealing with ups, downs, and everything in between. This is accompanied by, New Queer Visions: Medium Rare on January 21st at 4:50pm at ICA, another film programme of medium length shorts exploring the mixed-up minds of impressionable young men.

Also programmed is Radical Softness Through A Haptic Lens: Barbara Hammer & Chick Strand, a retrospective of the works of Barbara Hammer, a feminist filmmaker and one of the pioneers of lesbian film, as well as the avant-garde documentary filmmaker, Chick Strand. The films examine the idea of ‘radical softness’, the power that can be found in being both abrasively feminine and openly vulnerable, through a soft and kinesthetic style of filmmaking. Following rare screenings of Superdyke and Soft Fictions, there will be a Skype Q&A with the legendary Barbara Hammer. That takes place on Saturday January 13th at 4pm at ICA,

In association with MUBI there will be Cruelty and Crime: Chris Kraus on Thurs 18 Jan, 8:30pm at ICA, a showcase of the key works of American writer Chris Kraus; from feminist readings of Antonin Artaud to Cold War sleeper agents, via dominatrices and New York City crime scenes. Another LGBTQ highlight will be 2007’s Tearoom, a reworked and re-presented collection of 1962 police footage documenting men cruising in a public toilet by William E Jones. Prior to the screening London Short Film Festival will also be showcasing Robert Yang’s game The Tearoom, a cruising simulation made in direct response to the film. This will take place on January 21st at 1pm at ICA.

You can find out more about the full London Short Film Festival programme on the official website. [Read more…]

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Saturday Church Trailer – A gay, genderqueer African-American teen finds escape in the new musical

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After getting great reviews at film festivals – including Tribeca, the BFI London Film Festival and Outfest – Saturday Church is getting ready for a wider release. It’s a good time then to take a look at the movie.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘SATURDAY CHURCH tells the story of 14-year-old Ulysses, a shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as “man of the house” after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses’ journey takes a turn for the better when he encounters a vibrant transgender community, who take him to “Saturday Church,” a program for LGBTQ youth.

‘Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart; appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene, and voguing, until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is, all while risking losing those he cares about most.’

Saturday Church is out in US cinemas, on demand and via digital platforms from January 12th, 2018. Take a look at the trailer for the movie below. [Read more…]

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Hidden Kisses (Baisers cachés) (US DVD Review) – A secret gay kiss leads to major problems for two teens

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At a party teenagers Nathan and Louis share a secret kiss. What they only realise later is that someone saw them, took a photo and put it on Facebook. Only new boy in school Nathan is recognisable in the picture, leading to plenty of speculation about who the other boy is. It also means that Nathan has now been outed, including to his unsuspecting father and his classmates, who soon start making life difficult for him.

With his teachers prevaricating over how – or even whether – to help him and the abuse getting worse, Nathan also has to deal with the fact his dad is struggling with the realisation he has a gay son. Louis isn’t helping either, as he says the kiss was just an experiment. However, he may only be saying that because he has deeply homophobic parents who he knows would reject him. [Read more…]

New Queer Visions: Men From The Boys (VoD Review) – The gay film festival strand brings us a short film collection

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For several years New Queer Visions has been presenting programmes of LGBT short films at various film festivals. Now some of the shorts that have been screened by NVQ have been brought together into a package available for us all to watch via Filmdoo (worldwide) and Amazon (in both the UK and US).

While a previous New Queer Visions collection we covered concentrated on female-led films, this one is all about the boys. They range from how sexuality touches race and ethnicity to dating someone deep in the closet. Take a look at what we thought of the films below. [Read more…]

First Look At Bumblebee In The Upcoming Transformers Spin-off

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Paramount is hoping that despite an underwhelming response (and box office) for Transformers: The Last Knight, audiences still like the bots enough that they’ll turn up for a spin-off concentrating on Bumblebee. It’ll also be the first Transformers movie now helmed by Michael Bay, with Travis Knight (Coraline, Kubo & The Two Strings) taking the director’s chair.

The first official image from the film has been released (shown above, click on it for a larger version), showing Bumblebee in his classic Volkswagen Beetle form, alongside the movie’s human lead, Hailee Steinfeld.

Here’s the synopsis for what sounds like a more action-packed version of Herbie: ‘On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.’

Pamela Adlon, John Cena, and Stephen Schneider also star. The film is due out December 26th 2018.

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Big Gay Picture Show’s Top 10 LGBT- Themed Films Of 2017

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It’s hard to believe that 2017 is coming to an end. Indeed, it’s somewhat hard to believe we managed to get through the year without the apocalypse happening, considering the likes of Trump and North Korea. Alongside the political tumult, there have been some great LGBT-films doing the rounds, and it’s time for us to round up what we think are our Top 10 of the year. There are certainly plenty of films below that are worth checking out.

To be in for consideration the film needed to be released in either the US or UK in 2017, or to have been seen by us in connection with a recognised film festival. It should also be noted it’s not based purely on the score out of 10 we gave the movie at the time we saw or reviewed it, but also how we view it in hindsight and whether it’s stuck with us over the months. So take a look below to see what we think is the best of 2017. [Read more…]

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Boys On Film 17: Love Is A Drug (DVD Review) – Get your fill of gay short films

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There are far worse ways to say goodbye to an old year and hello to a new one than with a brand-new Boys On Film release. The DVD/VoD series is the most successful short film collection in the world – not just gay short films, that’s any short films at all. The series is now on its 17th instalment, once more bringing us a mix of sweet, sexy and thought-provoking gay-themed tales, adding up to over two-hours of entertainment.

So does this one match-up to the great Boys On Film releases that have gone before? Take a look at what we thought of the shorts below.

And if you want to check out our reviews of earlier Boys On Film releases, click here. [Read more…]

Ryan Murphy’s Record-Setting LGBT Drama, Pose, Gets A Series Order From FX

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Back at the end of October, Ryan Murphy’s planned TV series, Pose, caused a lot of interest due to the news that it was set to feature five major trans roles in the show, all of them to be played by trans actors – that’s more than any mainstream US series before it. However, at that point the American Horror Story, Feud and Scream Queens producer had only got the go-ahead to make a pilot show. Now it’s been announced that the FX network has given the show a full-series order.

Murphy has also revealed that the series isn’t done setting records, as he’s revealed, “Along with being a dance musical and an affirming look at American life in the 1980s, I’m so proud that Pose and FX has made history right from the beginning by featuring the most trans series regular actors ever in an American television production. Additionally, the first season Pose will feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters – a record in American television history. I can’t wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast.”

The show itself has been described as a period piece set in the mid-’80s in New York City, examining the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in Manhattan: the emergence of the luxury Trump-era universe, the ball culture world, and downtown social and literary scene. The trans and other LGBTQ characters will mainly feature the the ball culture section of the show, which will focus on the the LGBT subculture that emerged in the 1980s, and sees different ‘houses’ and people competing against one another in balls.

MJ Rodriguez (Blanca); Indya Moore (Angel); Dominique Jackson (Elektra); Hailie Sahar (Lulu) and Angelica Ross (Candy) are playing the major trans roles, with James Van Der Beek, Kate Mara, Evan Peters, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Billy Porter, and Dyllon Burnside also set to star (however, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) won’t be in the show, despite starring in the pilot). Pose will start shooting in February, with plans to have it on TV by the summer.

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New Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Pics Give A Fresh Look At Jude Law’s Dumbledore

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In mid-November we got our first look at the cast of Fantastic Beast 2, along with the news that it would officially be titled, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. That included Jude Law as a younger Dumblebore.

Now a couple of new pics have been released, including a better look at Law’s future Hogwarts headmaster – or as some people have already taken to referring to him as, ‘Hot Dumbledore’. There’s also a new image featuring a mad-haired Johnny Depp as the evil Grindelwald, but as it’s currently feeling like it would have been better not to have him in the franchise at all, the less said about that the better.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

‘In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.’

The film is due out November 2018. Take a look at the new pics below. [Read more…]

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Logan Lucky (Blu-ray Review) – Steven Soderbergh takes Channing Tatum on a blue collar heist

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Director Steven Soderbergh hasn’t done very well at retiring. After a career that’s ranged from Sex Lies & Videotape, Erin Brockovich and Traffic to the Ocean’s 11 trilogy, Out Of Sight and Magic Mike, he announced that his last feature film as a director would be 2013’s Liberace biopic, Behind The Candelabra. However, just four years later he’s back with Logan Lucky.

What appears to have brought him back wasn’t just the story and script, but that they managed to find a way to essentially cut out the usual mainstream film machine by pre-selling foreign distribution and TV/streaming rights and then releasing the movie in the US himself. [Read more…]