The new queer cinema of the 1990s gets reborn courtesy of one of its OGs, Todd Verow. With his micro-budget new thriller, You Can’t Stay Here, co-written by longtime collaborator James Derek Dwyer, that raw, confrontational, punk sensibility feels like a breath of fresh air in our current stale, over-processed cinematic environment. Harkening back to... Continue Reading →
I’m of the opinion that every year can be a really good year for movies if you’re willing and able to do a little digging. But transcendent, formula-defying, unforgettable work seems to come along much less frequently. In 2023, I repeatedly saw a rare level of greatness, almost a rewriting of cinematic language. I think... Continue Reading →
Whenever filmmaker Jonathan Glazer releases a new film, and he has only made four in the past 23 years, I sit up and take notice. Sexy Beast, Birth, and Under The Skin made lasting impressions, and his latest, The Zone Of Interest, has profoundly affected me more than any other film I’ve seen this year.... Continue Reading →
People love moviegoing for so many different reasons. Whether it’s the adrenaline rush, the exploration of different worlds and cultures, the pure fantasy, a good laugh or cry, or perhaps just the air conditioning and popcorn, seeing a film in a cinema can feel beautifully communal. Take the talkers and texters out of the equation... Continue Reading →
Who would have ever expected a film set in the ultra macho, extremely homophobic world of lucha libre wrestling to serve as a celebration of women and effeminate gay men? Director Roger Ross Williams along with co-writer David Teague have crafted such an experience with their biopic, Cassandro, the true story of Saúl Armendáriz, an... Continue Reading →
For me, anything remotely socially redeeming has always felt like the death knell for comedies. Whenever Hollywood has a lesson to teach me, I would prefer to skip school, thank you very much. I like my teenage movie heroes dazed, confused, and taking days off if they want to make me laugh. Well, thank goodness... Continue Reading →
Ira Sachs’ films tend to examine the complexities of adult relationships using a quiet, dry naturalistic tone which has often reminded me of the style of French New Wave cinema. So it feels fitting that his latest, Passages, his fifth collaboration with writing partner Mauricio Zacharias, would have Paris as its background. Featuring three stellar... Continue Reading →
Studio One in West Hollywood, one of the first gay discos, operated from 1974-1993 and proved to be an oasis for so many at a time when the world treated the community like second class citizens. With a capacity of over 1000, this cavernous club and adjoining cabaret called The Backlot attracted hordes of mostly... Continue Reading →
Some of my favorite filmmakers say or show things nobody else will dare expose to the world, whether it’s the dark underbelly or something as commonplace yet rarely seen as graphic nudity and sex. They let their characters have flaws, outsized egos, mood swings, and make mistakes, all parts of the human experience which cookie... Continue Reading →
Drawing inspiration from his own awkward teen years, writer-director Corey Sherman makes his feature debut with the sweet and slyly perceptive Big Boys. Much like Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade or Todd Solondz’s Welcome To The Dollhouse, Sherman has chosen to announce himself as a champion of the invisibles, the ones who typically don’t find themselves... Continue Reading →
