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Gay-Friendly Blu-rays (1 Viewer)

Mark-W

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This is an upgraded version of the long, previous thread from the DVD section which has been quiet for some time.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/17433/gay-friendly-dvds-version-5/840
There are enough films and programs available now on Blu-ray, that a thread covering films or shows with gay text, subtext, or other elements that are of particular interest to LGBT folks should have a handy all-in-one reference thread, even if it often refers to other topics at the Home Theater Forum.
 

Mark-W

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I should say here and now that I am red-green color blind, so, even though I resurrected this thread from the DVD incarnation, I will not be posting detailed reviews of Blu-rays and hope others, as before, do much of that along with bringing attention to films that others of us might have never heard of so we can check them out, (or, frankly, avoid, if they are horrible). :D
Olive Films just released Wachawski's neo-noir thriller Bound on Blu-ray last Tuesday.
I purchased my copy and while I am not amazed with the picture quality, it is an improvement over the long out of print Republic Pictures DVD. Unfortunately, it does not include the informative and funny commentary track with the directors, cast, and lesbian sexpert Susie Bright, so I am keeping my DVD for that reason alone.
I haven't watched this film in a couple of years and it is as amazing as I remember. I supposed the best defense that the explicit lesbian sex scene not being exploitative is that, as a gay man, I *only* love it for how beautiful it is and how it works in the film.
Chris Meloni, Joey Pantoliano, Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly give great performances in their respective roles.
Of course the film is a flat out fantastic mob crime drama with a fantastic twist on the usual tropes.
Photographed by Bill Pope, the film's imagery remains glorious shot after shot after shot.
As an aside, I have friends who were bothered that two men, the [then] Wachowski brothers, most famous for The Matrix Trilogy, had directed the film that felt so authentic in its presentation of lesbian culture. Years later, it makes all the more sense now that Larry Wachowski has become Lana Wachowski, meaning the Wachowski brothers are now just the Wachowskis.
I have read there are other Blu-ray releases of this film available (French version?), but reports seem to indicate that the Olive release has the best picture of all of them, which still just the best of the mediocre transfers available.
Cheers!
 

Matt Hough

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I'll be sure to pop into this thread any time a disc I review has gay-related plots, characters, etc.

Weekend released recently by Criterion was the most gay-themed film I've seen recently. That review can be found here.
 

Steve Tannehill

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I'm om the mailing list for TLA Video. Lots of gay videos available from them, some even on blu-ray.
http://www.tlavideo.com
The last thing I watched remotely gay friendly was Pillow Talk, with Rock Hudson and Doris Day.
 

bgart13

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I'd like to see PSYCHO BEACH PARTY, HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH, and all of John Waters' movies released.
 

Ejanss

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Mark Walker said:
As an aside, I have friends who were bothered that two men, the [then] Wachowski brothers, most famous for The Matrix Trilogy, had directed the film that felt so authentic in its presentation of lesbian culture.
You mean it's even MORE of a "lesbian movie" than Lily Tomlin in "The Incredible Shrinking Woman"? :P
(And its non-stop political-grudge blaming of the corporate white-male-reality for "forcing" 80's women into a conspiracy of consumerist oppression?)
It's a Wachowski movie even gayer than "V For Vendetta"?
(As in, Wachowski and Alan Moore combined? With Roger Allam playing the huffy, doughy, shouting-fascist figure of authority/majority again?)
And is it too early to put Baz Luhrmann's "Great Gatsby" up yet? Yes, it makes that same danged mistake half your literature class made in Freshman Lit, and call that just a tad of wishful thinking on Baz's part...
And how many Tim Burton movies should we put up on the list? I mean, the misogyny in "Alice in Wonderland" was one thing, and we expected sensitive Johnny Depp with a pale complexion, but the whole Wicked-fan faux-Oz confusion and that "The Queen wants the entire status quo to look just like her!" subplot was practically a May Day outing.
 

Reed Grele

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I wish someone would release SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS. This wickedly funny film by Paul Bartel hasn't even made it to DVD in region 1.
Twilight Time.... You listening perhaps?
 

Moe Dickstein

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Reed Grele said:
I wish someone would release SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS. This wickedly funny film by Paul Bartel hasn't even made it to DVD in region 1.
Twilight Time.... You listening perhaps?
If it's not present in a good HD master from Fox or already released on DVD with HD version prepped by Sony it's not going to come out through Twilight Time at this point in time.
Olive is possible, but they seem to have their hands full with the Paramount/Republic titles.
I'd say that Criterion is the most likely place for Scenes to show up. They like to do more than one film by directors when possible, so if the rights can be gotten from whoever owns them and Eating Raoul sells reasonably well, we could see Scenes. (or how many other films does Bartel have? If there are perhaps 3 more there could be an Eclipse set...)
 

Steve Tannehill

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Downton Abbey has a gay character who had his own subplot in Series 3 (available as a region B blu-ray in the UK, and set to air in the US in January). He is portrayed as a bastard, nonetheless a tormented soul who is easily misled (his gaydar does not function very well). As the show is set in the teens and twenties, being gay was punishable by prison time. Be thankful we live when we do.
 

Mark-W

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Steve,
If that character is the same one from Series 1 and 2, Thomas, I liked it when
he got softened up via taking care of the blind solider, finding true happiness and solace through caring for another, albeit a hunk I thought it was incredibly touching and heartbreaking.
It should be a given that any show with Dame Maggie is gay friendly. :)
 

Matt Hough

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Mark Walker said:
Steve,
If that character is the same one from Series 1 and 2, Thomas, I liked it when
he got softened up via taking care of the blind solider, finding true happiness and solace through caring for another, albeit a hunk I thought it was incredibly touching and heartbreaking.
It should be a given that any show with Dame Maggie is gay friendly. :)
Yes, your spoiler was one of my very favorite moments from Series Two, and I wish that storyline hadn't been dispensed with so quickly. It would have been nice to see that extended a bit instead of being so abruptly ended.
 

Steve Tannehill

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Yes, I was referring to Thomas.
In series 3, we see his sensitive side a couple of times.
The conniving O'Brien has it in for him. And despite the predicament he is in, the people of Downton come to his aid.
Great show.
 

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