The queer film event of the year has finally arrived. Following a rapturous reception at Cannes in May, and a US festival and press tour that lit up our social feeds, writer-director Jane Schoenbrun's third feature, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, opens in select theaters this Friday, August 7th before expanding nationwide on... Continue Reading →
Growing up in small town Ohio, I didn’t dare attend, let alone go anywhere near the theater, when 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show held its midnight screenings for fear of being perceived as “different”. I didn’t see the film until after moving to Los Angeles where I felt more free to be myself. That... Continue Reading →
As the series opens we meet privileged Los Angeles prep schooler Bret Ellis (Igby Rigney) as an alluring aerial shot tracks him driving his father's sporty Mercedes—"a tank" of a car, Bret scoffs—through the Hollywood hills, echoing the establishing shots of the film he is about to watch on its opening weekend, Kubrick's The Shining.... Continue Reading →
The 1970s brought about many paradigm shifts in cinema, prominent among them were those exemplified in Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. Sylvester Stallone defied the studio by insisting on starring in the little $1 million indie he wrote and, despite the prevailing wisdom, the film earned $225 million and won the Best Picture Oscar. With... Continue Reading →
I’ve always admired how filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz has dedicated much of his career to shining a light on so many untold queer stories, including I Am Divine, The Fabulous Allan Carr, Tab Hunter Confidential, and Vito. In his latest, Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, he takes a multi-pronged approach to the real murders which inspired the... Continue Reading →
My coverage of OutfestNext continues with filmmaker Gary Jaffe’s feature debut, Before I Do. I confess that I approached this film with great trepidation due to the fact that I am often allergic to the genre in which a bunch of people gather in one spot to air out their dirty laundry. Unless you’re Who’s... Continue Reading →
Welcome back Outfest! Now rebranded as OutfestNext, this legendary queer film festival went through some down time in recent years, but has returned with an incredible slate of films. I’ll post several reviews starting with En El Camino (On The Road), from writer-director David Pablos (Dance Of The 41, The Chosen Ones). Blending neorealism with... Continue Reading →
Charlie: "Everyone thinks teenage relationships don't last." Nick: "I never really thought that about us." Heartwarming and healing, as well as heartwrenching at times, creator-writer Alice Oseman and director Wash Westmoreland deliver a pitch-perfect, tenderly-crafted finale to this beloved series that feels like a hug from your best friend when you need it most. Heartstopper.... Continue Reading →
I’ve lived in West Hollywood for years and the Holloway Motel sat just a few steps from me. Walking by it every day, I grew accustomed to seeing an elderly man presiding over his second floor balcony. With a little chihuahua, Sam, by his side, a laptop perched precariously on the balustrade, he served as... Continue Reading →
From the outside, Maddie Ralph (John Early) seems to have it all. She's a natural beauty with a handsome devoted husband, Jake (Eric Rahill), who cherishes and supports her, and an adoring fun-loving best friend and co-worker, Deena (Kate Berlant). With a passion for cooking and a flare for producing inspired vegetarian dishes, often involving... Continue Reading →
