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

Wentworth Prison – Season 1 (DVD)

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There’s no doubt that Prisoner Cell Block H (originally just called Prisoner and known as Caged Women in Canada) is an Aussie camp classic series. With its wobbly sets, OTT plots, women calling each other ‘slaaaaags’, evil prison warders and villains with upturned collars, it gained fans around the globe who loved its women’s prison antics, but also appreciated that it was a show that really cared about its characters. [Read more…]

Love Bytes – New gay web series says dating has never been so queer

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A new gay web series has launched online with its first two episodes now available. And you can watch them above and below. The show is called Love Bytes, and it centres around three housemates and their disastrous dating lives.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Housemates Jade, Michael and Stacey are the Neapolitan ice cream of sexuality. Young, sexy and single, they search for love and happiness in Sydney’s modern hetero-flexible dating scene, but instead they often find humiliation and hilarious misadventure. But no matter what happens, they always have each other.’

Take a look at the first two episodes, and if you like what you see, make sure you subscribe for the other episodes over on Youtube when they’re released.

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Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale & Nick Kroll Join Brother’s Keeper

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Rose-ByrneThe indie comedy Brother’s Keeper has pulled itself together, with THR reporting that Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale have signed on to star. Ross Katz, who has Oscar-nominations for producing In the Bedroom and Lost in Translation, is directing.

The movie is ‘about a young, narcissistic entrepreneur who crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s launch. He leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged, pregnant sister and his brother-in-law (to be played by real-life item Byrne and Cannavale) and his 3-year-old nephew, only to end up becoming their nanny.’

Katz will direct from a screenplay by Jeff Cox and Liz Flahive, based on an original story they came up with alongside with The League’s Nick Kroll. The movie is due to begin shooting in January in New York.

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Jason Bateman To Helm The Family Fang, With Nicole Kidman Set To Star

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jason-batemanJason Bateman’s directorial debut, Bad Words, recently debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, and while it’s yet to reach cinemas, he’s already looking towards his next trip behind the camera, as Deadline reports that he’s signed up to direct and star in The Family Fang.

Nicole Kidman is already attached to star in the adaptation of Kevin Wilson’s book, which is about married performance artists who suck their kids into being a part of their work. When the adult children return home, they are forced to help their parents with one final piece. This brings out all sorts of resentment over how their lives turned out because of their strange upbringing.

David Lindsay-Abaire adapted the screenplay adaptation. The hope is to shoot sometime next year.

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Ender’s Game Tops The US Box Office Despite Boycott Calls

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Enders-Game-Poster1Despite calls for boycott from gay groups angry at Ender’s Game author Orson Scott Card’s virulent homophobia, the adaptation of the novel has landed at the top of the US box office with $28 million. It’s difficult to tell whether the boycott calls had any effect, as while tracking has suggested a $30 million+ opening for the film, many have suggested the publicity around the planned boycott may actually have acted as free advertising for the film.

Last Vegas came in third at the box office on its debut with $16.5 million, which isn’t a triumph but could certainly have been worse. It’s also believed the Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro has had a good audience reaction, suggesting it should hold up well over the coming weeks.

The animated comedy Free Birds took the fourth spot with $16.2 million. Some have suggested that the film could have done a lot better if the marketing has focussed on the story rather than generic hi-jinks, but there’s still time for the film to find more success, as its Thanksgiving theme may help it in the run up to the holiday later this month.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of November 1st-4th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Ender’s Game $28.0 $28.0
2 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa $20.5 $62.0
3 Last vegas $16.5 $16.5
4 Free Birds $16.2 $16.2
5 Gravity $13.1 $219.1
6 Captain Phillips $8.5 $82.5
7 12 Years A Slave $4.6 $8.7
8 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 $4.2 $106.1
9 Carrie $3.4 $31.9
10 The Counselor $3.2 $13.3
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Boy On Film 10: X Trailer – The gay short film collection returns

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The latest in Peccadillo Pictures’ gay short film DVD series, Boys On Film, is coming soon, as the 10th outing is due to arrive in UK stores on November 25th.

It’s coming with the promise that ‘All boundaries will be broken as BOYS ON FILM X promises to take it further than ever before, showcasing some of the most sexy, unique and brilliant filmmaking from around the world’. Now the trailer for the collection can be seen above, and if you want to know more about what will be in the DVD, take a look below.

Boys-On-Film-X-dvd-coverBLINDERS – Dir. Jacob Brown (USA) 10mins 2011
One night a young couple (Enter The Void’s Nathaniel Brown & Byrdie Bell) visit a bar one where they meet a young creature of a boy (Luke Worrall). This boy possesses an otherworldly physical beauty that could attract anyone; man or woman. And indeed, the young lovers are attracted, one more so than the other. What does this chance meeting mean for their relationship?

A STABLE FOR DISABLED HORSES- Dir. Fabio Youniss (UK) 13mins 2012
When Kanoute decides to move back to Norway his best friend Benny throws him a surprise party – a party just for two. It soon becomes apparent that Benny has a secret that he has to get off his chest before Kanoute leaves, but is it a secret Kanoute wants to hear?
Official Selection; Iris Prize Film Festival, East End Film Festival, Cornwall Film Festival

LITTLE GAY BOY, CHRIST IS DEAD – Dir. Antony Hickling, Amaury Grisel (FRANCE) 30mins 2012
Jean Christophe dreams of becoming an international model, but in reality lives with his mother, an English prostitute in Paris. Over the course of one unusual day, JC endures a series of abusive encounters that will change him forever. His youthful innocence is changed to hardened experience as his dreams are destroyed by those around him.
Official Selection; BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

BOYS VILLAGE – Dir. Till Kleinert (UK/Germany) 22mins 2011
The Boys’ Village was once a holiday home for coalminers’ sons, boasting a pool, sports yards and even a chapel of its own. Not much remains of its former glory, though. Shattered glass and debris are all over the place; graffiti on the walls. There are countless trap falls and opportunities for injury. This is a parent’s nightmare and yet it can be heaven on earth for a certain kind of child. It more or less is for Kevin. He has been eleven years old for quite some time now. Has it been years or decades?
Official Selection; Iris Prize Film Festival, The Chicago Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Outfest

HEADLONG  – Dir. Lukas Dhont (Belgium) 17mins 2012
On the night of a dance competition a young ballet dancer (Jelle Florizoone – North Sea Texas) is in a foreign place. He finds himself alone in his hotel room and when this emptiness overpowers him, he meets a stranger that could change everything (Thomas Coumans – North Sea Texas).
Official Selection; New York City International Film Festival, Palm Springs Shortfest, Next Generation Shortfest, Outfest

YEAH KOWALSKI! – Dir. Evan Robert (USA) 10mins 2011
Gabe Kowalski is a late bloomer and all-around misfit whose dad still cuts his hair. When Gabe’s ‘anonymous’ question about his still smooth armpits is selected to be read aloud in sex-ed class, Gabe goes to great lengths to impress his classmate crush, Shane, at Penny Foster’s birthday party.
Official Selection; Iris Prize Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival, Roze Filmdagen

INFLATABLE SWAMP – Dir. William Feroldi (UK) 14mins 2010
Matt, a gay man in his late twenties, navigates the lonely intersection of carnal sex and human closeness. With the arrival of Luke, a new man in his life, he finds a way to reconcile pleasures of the flesh with the new aroused imperatives of the heart. INFLATABLE SWAMP is an unusual exploration of gay male psychical intimacy.
Official Selection; Frameline Film Festival, Iris Prize Film Festival

TEENS LIKE PHIL – Dir. Dominic Haxton, David Rosler (USA) 20mins 2012
Phil, a shy, insecure teenager growing up in an affluent American suburb, is trapped in the painful throes of adolescence and the internalised struggle in coming to terms with his sexuality. At his elite private school, Phil is bullied by Adam, his former friend and love interest. Adam frequently lashes out against Phil and enjoys humiliating him in the locker room. When Phil can no longer tolerate the situation he takes drastic action to bring it to an end.
Official Selection; Frameline Film Festival, Iris Prize Film Festival, QFest: Philadelphia LGBT Film Festival

boys-on-film-x-INFLATABLE-SWAMP

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Attack The Block’s Joe Cornish May Helm Star Trek 3

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joe-cornishAfter JJ Abrams agreed to make Star Wars Episode VII it became clear he probably wouldn’t have time to make Star Trek 3. Now we know who might be replacing him, as Paramount is apparently courting Attack The Block helmer Joe Cornish to direct the film, according to Deadline.

It’s not clear whether the filmmaker is in talks yet, but the studio reportedly considers him their top choice. Rumours about Cornish’s involvement first emerged in May, when it was reported that he was a contender for the Star Trek 3 job (alongside the like of Jon M. Chu and Rupert Wyatt), but it’s only now that it appears he’s actually been chosen for the job.

Abrams is still on board as a producer, with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman writing the screenplay. As well as directing Attack The Block, Cornish also co-wrote the screenplays for The Adventures of Tintin and the upcoming Marvel movie Ant-Man. Paramount is hoping to shoot Star Trek 3 sometime next year, for release in 2016.

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I Do (DVD)

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Often when a film decides it wants to take on an ‘issue’, it’s painful to watch. The story get twisted and hammered in order to serve the exploration of the problem, so that it feels more like a heavy-handed lecture than a movie. I Do however manages bring in all sorts of points and ideas about how lack of LGBT equality in the US has effected bi-national couples, and yet makes it feel organic and simply as if it’s telling the truth about the characters. That’s perhaps even more impressive as it’s the first feature script of David W. Ross, who also plays the lead role (and is, incidentally, a former member of 90s British boyband, Bad Boys Inc.). [Read more…]

Five Dances (DVD)

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I had a film studies teacher at university who insisted that Michelle Pfeiffer taking off a glove in Martin Scorsese’s The Age Of Innocence was the sexiest moment in cinema. At the time I assumed this must be someone who’d only heard about having sex the previous Tuesday and therefore couldn’t actually tell what was sexy (or who had some sort of major glove fetish). However Five Dances makes a good argument that watching dance on screen can be a lot sexier than most movie sex scenes (even though the film also has a decent one of those). [Read more…]

Triple Crossed (DVD)

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Once upon a time Sean Paul Lockhart was Brent Corrigan, who got a massive following in gay porn due to his cute boy-next-door face and the fact that what he has between his legs was able to generate fans of its own. However he gave up porn several years ago and has become an actor, appearing in several gay-themed movies. Now he’s moved behind the camera with Triple Crossed, as well as giving himself a plum co-lead role. [Read more…]

Orson Scott Card ‘Won’t Make Money’ From Ender’s Game, As The Author Rejects All Criticism

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Orson-Scott-CardIt can be little coincidence that in the week Ender’s Game arrives in US cinemas, following much controversy and calls for a boycott over author Orson Scott Card anti-gay views, that a story has emerged saying that he will make no money from the film. Many of the boycott calls have focussed on the idea that the deal Card signed for Ender’s Game to be made into a movie would include some sort of cash for him based on the film’s box office performance.

However TheWrap says Card’s deal, signed almost a decade ago, included no part of the back-end, although it did promise him a producer credit. He had no creative input either. It should be noted though, that even though his pay won’t increase with the film’s box office , it’s almost certain he got paid handsomely when the film went into production. Most deals for book adaptations pay a relatively small amount for an option (essentially a guarantee that producers can hold the rights to a book for a certain amount of time while they try to develop a movie version). Then there will be more money paid at key points in the process, with the biggest cash reserved for when the movie gets the greenlight and goes into production.

Therefore the closer the movie got to the screen, the more money he got paid. So while buying a ticket at this point may not help his bank balance, the fact there’s a film at all, rather than just the idea of one, has. It’s also true that he still makes money from every copy of the book sold, and the film certainly acts as a giant advert for that.

While Card has deliberately been left out of all promotion of the movie, that doesn’t mean he’s just going to sit in a corner and shut up. In a new interview, he’s got up on his high horse and is utterly dismissive of all criticism. He told Deseret News, ‘I’ve had no criticism. I’ve had savage, lying, deceptive personal attacks, but no actual criticism because they’ve never addressed any of my actual ideas. Character assassination seems to be the only political method that is in use today, and I don’t play that game, and you can’t defend against it.

‘All you can do is try to offer ideas, and for those who want to listen to ideas, great. For those who simply want to punish you for not falling in line with their dogmas, there’s really not much you can do about it. [The criticism] won’t affect my work. Will it affect the reception of my work? Of course, but not in ways that they expect. My sales go up with such attacks.’

Delightful, isn’t he? And it’s interesting that in denying he’s been criticised but has unfairly had his character assassinated,  he decides to assassinate the character of everyone who disagrees with him rather than criticising them.

Where do you stand on the Ender’s Game boycott?

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Michael Lucas Plans Documentary On Being LGBT In Russia & Wants Funding

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In the last couple of years Michael Lucas has moved himself from just being a producer of gay porn to becoming much more political, mainly defending Israel against it detractors. That includes making a documentary about gay life in Tel Aviv.

Now he’s planning another documentary, this one focussing on the situation for LGBT people in Russia, particularly now that recent changes in the law have made things increasingly difficult for gay people. Now he’s hoping to find funding for it on Kickstarter. It’s another subject that’s close to home for Lucas (his Jewish heritage has helped make him a fierce defender of Israel), as he grew up in Russian.

As Lucas says on the Kickstarter page, ‘I am currently finishing a feature length documentary “Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda” about gay life in modern Russia. Since growing up as a confused gay child in the former Soviet Union, it has been my dream to show the world a vision of what it is like to be a member of the LGBT community in my former homeland.

As most of the world moves forward toward gay equality, Russia is seemingly heading backward. Antigay sentiment and legislation are spreading rapidly throughout the country. Earlier this year, the Russian parliament passed a ban on so-called “gay propaganda” that effectively makes nearly any public discussion of gay equality a crime. The city of Moscow has outlawed Gay Pride parades for the next 100 years. Adoption of Russian children is forbidden to citizens of any foreign country that permits gay marriage. And legislation is now being considered that would permit the Russian government to remove gay people’s children from their homes. The Kremlin has chosen the LGBT community as its scapegoat in a populist campaign against supposedly decadent “Western” values, and there are ominous signs of much worse to come. Violent attacks against Russian gays or suspected gays are more and more common. Videos of young LGBT people being taunted and tortured have been widely distributed on the Internet.

‘Those are the stories that get the headlines, but there is much more to the Russian LGBT men and woman I have met. It is my hope that this documentary will educate viewers to their reality.’

Lucas is hoping to raise $70,000 to complete the film. If you’d like to help, head over to KickStarter. [Read more…]

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