Every year, instead of making a Top Ten List of my favorite movies, I like to pay homage to a long-discontinued but influential annual column called “Moments Out Of Time” from Film Comment magazine. Their critics would cite their favorite scenes, images, or lines of dialogue, even from films they may not have liked. As... Continue Reading →
"They wanted her", performer Jim Caruso—who made his Broadway debut in Liza’s At The Palace! alongside Liza Minnelli—recalls his friend having observed after spending an evening at a party where she could tell that those gathered wanted to be around Liza! the effervescent red sequined star, not simply Liza the person. Director Bruce David Klein's... Continue Reading →
Kaye Adelaide's debut feature, The Rebrand, takes the frightening world of queer influencers and transforms it into a literal horror show, all while sporting a sly twinkle in its eye. Through what is framed as a found-footage documentary, we discover what “really” happened to Blair and Thistle (Andi E McQueen and Nancy Webb), a lesbian... Continue Reading →
Just when I thought I'd seen enough biopics about musical artists in recent years to last me a lifetime, The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey's remarkable Better Man brings us the story of Robbie Williams and thrillingly breathes new life into the genre. All of the ingredients are there for a compelling narrative. A self-absorbed... Continue Reading →
William S. Burroughs’ unfinished novella, Queer, tells the story of an alcoholic, junkie American writer named William Lee, who, while escaping legal issues in the States, finds himself among other expats in Mexico City circa 1950. He spends his time at a local watering hole or cruising for men in the streets. There he meets... Continue Reading →
Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian’s anarchic experimental sci-fi documentary Doppelgängers³, which received its world premiere at SXSW and was nominated for Best Documentary at Frameline, had me questioning whether it was a parody at times. If the quote “microbes may have rights”, said with a completely straight face, doesn’t set your eyes rolling then welcome to an... Continue Reading →
Greyson Horst’s relationship dramedy Throuple is looking to play, but finds it difficult to balance the needs of all its players in its 90-minute running time. Brimming with directorial flare, terrific sound, and cinematography, the result is charmingly frustrating in its exploration of the emotional complexity of three-way love. Michael (Michael Doshier, who also wrote... Continue Reading →
Director Markus Stein’s searing documentary Baldiga – Unlocked Heart (Baldiga - Entsichertes Herz)—which world premiered at the 2024 Berlinale, went on to win the Mix Mexico Jury Award, and receives its Australian premiere at this month's Melbourne Queer Film Festival—is, in many ways, a familiarly tragic tale. A young queer artist finding their voice and... Continue Reading →
If you’ve not heard of 60s R&B drummer and vocalist Jackie Shane, it’s not surprising. A Black trans performer who drew crowds and performed with the likes of Little Richard, a young Jimi Hendrix and more, she completely disappeared from public view after 1971. Most assumed she had died, but the documentary, Any Other Way:... Continue Reading →
Actor-turned-filmmaker Brian J. Smith’s gently probing documentary, A House is Not a Disco, takes a loving look at the gay community on the famed Fire Island. Letting the locals do the talking, he unwraps the island’s mystique and issues with a nonjudgmental eye. Fire Island Pines is as much a self-perpetuating legend as it is... Continue Reading →
