There’s been a bit of speculation about the sexuality of Garrett Clayton, the young actor who first got noticed in Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Party. Clayton has played several queer roles, most notably playing gay porn star Brent Corrigan in King Cobra, and on several occasions has suggested he’s gay, while refusing to actually say it – leading some to suggest he was the latest inhabitant of the glass closet.
Indeed, in 2016 he defended not coming out, saying, “I just don’t think it’s pertinent to talk about my personal life. I don’t think it adds to the work; it just distracts from it.”
However, he has now decided to come out publicly and reveal that he’s also in a long-term relationship. Writing on Instagram he says, “With the release of my new movie REACH coming up, I thought it was important to explain why I took on this project in the first place. REACH deals with some very serious and timely topics that have affected me personally, and have likely influenced many of your lives as well. (I also prefer to share things that are particularly important for me here on my IG) instead of in some random magazine or online article – because you are the ones that have been rooting for me and following me on my professional and personal journey in life.
When I read the script for REACH, I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of. I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and – on top of it all – myself and the man I’ve been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events. These topics – not always easy to discuss- are all close to my heart, and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all. This film has come from the perspectives of people who care deeply about these issues, and if watching it helps even one person… then it was all worth it. ♥️”
Welcome to the club, Garrett!
Synopsis: ‘A tribute to cinema from award-winning writer/director Dominique Choisy. Johnny Rasse, Mickael Pelissier, and Nathalie Richard star in MY LIFE WITH JAMES DEAN – Available on DVD/VOD August 28. My Life with James Dean (2018) Official Trailer | Breaking Glass Pictures | BGP Indie Movie
Synopsis: Tom is a troubled, lonely young man- with a penchant for breaking and entering. In the midst of a burglary one day he spots Lars, a young history lecturer, and promptly becomes obsessed with him. Secretly observing Lars, and tracking his every movement without detection quickly becomes a daily pursuit.
London-based writer/ director Mikko Makela is attending a number of special Q&A summer screenings in UK cinemas for his new Finnish gay drama, A Moment In The Reeds, starring Janne Puustinen (Tom of Finland), Boodi Kabbani and Mika Melender. Having been studying in Paris, Leevi (Janne Puustinen) returns home to Finland for the summer where he helps his father renovate their summer house in the city. An extra pair of hands is required so Tareq (Boodi Kabbani), a Syrian asylum seeker is hired. However, when Leevi’s father head back to the city, the two boys develop a closer friendship that offers a summer of love.
Reinventing Marvin comes with a great pedigree, including a casting featuring the wonderful Isabelle Huppert (Elle, 8 Women), and winning the Queer Palm at the Venice Film Festival. Now a new trailer has arrived ahead of its UK release.
Synopsis: From Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”), comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. “Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities.
As so often seems to happen with Hollywood, as it takes a step forward it also seems to be taking a step back. It’s been revealed that Disney is including its first openly gay major character in the upcoming, The Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson.
It’s a bizarre thing, but for several years the 2000 Mel Gibson movie What Women Want was the highest grossing rom-com ever. Its $374 million worldwide means it remains one of the most successful romantic comedies in history.
For quite a few years The Jim Henson Company has been working on The Happytime Murders, but despite plans to shoot in 2010 and 2012, and stars likes Katherine Heigl, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx linked to it at various times, the project remained stuck in development hell. Now though it’s in the can with Melissa McCarthy starring, even if it did have a few troubles after the first trailer and poster was released, when the owners of Sesame Street sued them as they felt this very grown-up puppet movie was trying to link itself to the kids programme.
Every year in October in Cardiff, Wales, the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival presents an array of fascinating films. The centrepiece of the event is the Iris Prize, which has been justifiably been called the ‘Oscars of LGBT short film’. Filtering in the best shorts from LGBT films festivals around the world as well as those submitted directly to Iris, it offers the winning filmmaker £30,000 to make their next short film here in the UK, supported by the Michael Bishop Foundation.