Away from the today's film offerings—featuring soulful performances, android children, and gay long haul truckers—my self-made The Substance jacket caught the attention of its filmmaker, Coralie Fargeat, who posted a snap to Instagram that she'd been sent of me proudly sporting it as I scurried along La Croisette from one screening to the next. All... Continue Reading →
Early mornings and late nights is the way of things. Day three brings a special screening, a Cannes Premiere, Un Certain Regard, a midnight and Queer Palm eligibility. Tangles. Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival. Tangles ★★★★★Directed by Leah Nelson / Special Screening Selection / Queer Palm eligible Leah Nelson’s feature debut superbly adapts Sarah Levitt’s... Continue Reading →
Like most good students of a certain age, I read Albert Camus’ 1947 novella, The Stranger, in high school. Considered a classic of existentialist storytelling (but don’t tell Camus that!), I felt instantly drawn to its spare, distant approach. The 1967 film adaptation by Luchino Visconti, and starring Marcello Mastroianni, didn’t quite capture Camus’ elusive... Continue Reading →
Chilly day brimming with rich filmic opportunity. Five films on the docket today. All from different festival sections: Directors Fortnight, Un Certain Regard, In Competition, Cannes Classic, and our first Midnight Selection. We Are Aliens. Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival. We Are Aliens ★★★★1/2Directed by Kohei Kadowaki / Directors Fortnight Animated with a blissfully unique... Continue Reading →
There's a nice brisk wind today on the Riviera, the sun is shining, and cameras are flashing. After yesterday's official opening ceremony, everyone here in Cannes is eager for the next 10 days of film. Starting us off we have the opening film of the Director’s Fortnight, Butterfly Jam; the first of the films In... Continue Reading →
In 1992, the term final girl was coined by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women, and Chainsaws, a canonical work of critical exploration of gender and sexuality in horror. Subsequently, the final girl would go on to live so many lives and so many deaths, ultimately becoming this symbolic and monolithic being. Rehashed,... Continue Reading →
Writer-director Elliot Tuttle's provocative feature debut Blue Film announces the filmmaker as a bold new voice in queer cinema. In the opening frames, the audience is greeted with the words, "What's up faggots", as we're thrown into the midst of a steamy livestream by adult content creator Aaron Eagle (British Boots star Kieron Moore) connecting... Continue Reading →
As far as opening credits statements go, the on-screen words that begin Departures are pretty hard to beat: "This film is inspired by all the dickheads that fucked us over. You know who you are." Setting the tone for this raw, wry and confrontingly honest look at the pleasures and pains of contemporary British gay... Continue Reading →
When I heard that D'Arcy Drollinger had followed up his instant classic, Shit & Champagne, with Lady Champagne, I didn’t just jump at the chance to watch it, I hacked my way through dense jungles, leapt over deep crevasses, and walked barefoot across hot coals. It’s the least one should be required to do to... Continue Reading →
When I meet someone new and they start quoting The Comeback, I know we’re destined to get along. For me, it’s a perfect barometer of taste. Like many fans of the cult comedy series I've been craving more episodes. Thankfully, twenty years after the original season landed on HBO, The Comeback is making one helleva... Continue Reading →
