Gay-Friendly Blu-rays (2 Viewers)

[Moe Dickstein]

It was a really wonderful night and having Will there made it that much more special, felt like an old friend was there to support me and represent all the wonderful folk I know at HTF and other places online. I love how we can build real friendships from far flung locales.

Hope to have the chance to screen more places and meet more friends from here.

 

[Will Krupp]

Hope to have the chance to screen more places and meet more friends from here.

I second that!

 

[Konstantinos]

Just announced!


http://www.criterion.com/films/28044-my-beautiful-laundrette

 

[cinerama10]

I actually rewatched this recently (bought it in HD on iTunes, never dreaming there would be a Blu-ray!) and I don't find it comedic in the least. To me it's a straight drama. Are you thinking of some other film like La Cage Aux Folles?

CRITERION list the film as a COMEDY - so I am not the only one who regards MBL as a comedy.

 

[Konstantinos]

Still wonder if it deserves a blind buy.

I'm not particularly fond of British cinema..

(except for period films)

 

[Bob Cashill]

Laundrette, which is terrific, is a period film now.

 

[cinerama10]

Still wonder if it deserves a blind buy.

I'm not particularly fond of British cinema..

(except for period films)

Nothing wrong with British cinema. They generally have the best English speaking actors in the world and their diction is tops. A British home in a film will looked lived in whilst in the USA they are mostly all upper class apartments with nothing out of place. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA was a classic British film.They are far superior to USA cinema. Personally I prefer Asian and European cinema .

 

[Konstantinos]

Laundrette, which is terrific, is a period film now.

well, I meant mostly early 20th century and back.

 

[Mark-W]

I would not blind buy this film, particularly if you do *not* like British, post-kitchen sink drama influenced films, even ones that are both dramatic and comedic in tone and plot.

well, I meant mostly early 19th century and back.

 

[Konstantinos]

I would not blind buy this film, particularly if you do *not* like British, post-kitchen sink drama influenced films, even ones that are both dramatic and comedic in tone and plot.

Thanks, I probably won't.


And I edited my post above: I meant early 20th century and back.

 

[cinemiracle]

Whatever happened to the brilliant British film OSCAR WILDE with Robert Morley in the title role? I saw this film in the cinema but it was never released on dvd or video, Surely it is not a 'lost' film? It maybe be the only film with Robert Morley that has never been released in any medium for home viewing.

 

[bujaki]

Whatever happened to the brilliant British film OSCAR WILDE with Robert Morley in the title role? I saw this film in the cinema but it was never released on dvd or video, Surely it is not a 'lost' film? It maybe be the only film with Robert Morley that has never been released in any medium for home viewing.

Although you may be right that this film has never been released for home viewing, it is not lost. I caught it at some point on TCM, where The Trials of Oscar Wilde also plays.

 

[cinemiracle]

The British film A TASTE OF HONEY is long overdue on bluray.

 

[Mark-W]

Just quickly posting two films to be aware of now out on Blu-ray or DVD.


No one has mentioned that Bruce LaBruce's Hustler White was released on Blu-ray.

While I cannot say that I am a fan, I also cannot say that I was ever bored (or regretted) watching a LaBruce film. Your mileage may vary.


Link to the Blu-ray on Amazon is here.


It is currently cheaper at Wolfe Video, and I would rather support a less corporate business if possible, particularly one that is not riddled with complaints of employees allegedly not being treated particularly well.


Link to Wolfe Video Blu-ray here (which is currenty $7 cheaper than Amazon, too.)

I also just watched The Circle (Der Kreis) which is a film that I very enthusiastically recommend. The plot posted on Netflix [streaming] held little appeal for me: "A naïve teacher and a transvestite cabaret artist fall in love but face social and legal victimization in the intolerant climate of 1950s Zurich."


Someone at Netflix REALLY has NO CLUE what they're talking about.

The film is more aptly described as the retelling of gay life in Zurich from 1940s through 1960s as told by the first gay couple to legally wed in Switzerland, Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp.

The film inter-cuts documentary footage with the dramatization that has the aesthetics of Mad Men as if set at a European Stonewall. Our gay John Hamm in this film is an aspiring teacher, Ernest, who meets and falls in love with The Circle gala's star performer (Röbi), who works as a hairdresser who does drag for occasional performances but is not a transvestite. He dresses and presents as a cisgender male unless he is performing.

The film gets its title from, The Circle, a gay male magazine that was founded in the late 1930s. In 1942 the magazine's bimonthly circulation was around 200 copies, and by 1957 this had increased to 1,900, including 700 subscribers throughout Europe and the United States. The magazine's publisher hosted balls that were elaborate and well attended.

Things get complicated when a string of murders occur triggering the Zurich police department to stop looking the other way (It was not a crime to be gay at the time.) and pressure the publishers of The Circle to hand over its list of subscribers, which could be catastrophic for those living in the closet. As folks are investigated, arrested, and taken in for interrogation, it all starts to remind us of when Jews were first registered in neighboring Germany.

While the film was Switzerland's entry for the 2015 Academy Awards, those who give the film modest ratings usually cite the juxtaposition of documentary footage with the dramatization as a flaw. I find it to be a strength of the film, giving its the truth of this historical drama weight.

The film is available on DVD, Wolfe Video on Demand, Netflix streaming, and Blu-ray in some non-USA regions. I am in inquiring if a code A Blu-ray release is coming, as this is a film I will heartily buy on physical media.


The trailer can be seen at the following link:




For more information, below is a link to the film's site:

thecircle-movie.com


Here are some review statements for the film:

OUTFEST GRAND JURY STATEMENT:
“The Jury’s selection is a film that redefines the form of documentary filmmaking. With seamless integration of fiction and nonfiction, it elevates the craft of storytelling to new emotional heights. For its innovative techniques in overcoming the unique challenges of telling the little known history of a courageous pre-WWII underground gay movement, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to THE CIRCLE (DER KREIS) directed by Stefan Haupt.”

“A chapter in history well worth bringing to light.” – Nicolas Rapold, The New York Times

“★★★★” – Robert Croan, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

“Richly absorbing” – The Los Angeles Times

“The Circle attains richness and authenticity that mainstream movies like The Imitation Game and Brokeback Mountain rarely do.” – Out.com

“Oscar entry gives powerful love story” – Washington Square News

“This is a fascinating and often tumultuous story…” – Abby Garnett, The Village Voice

“The Circle has a sincerity and an honesty that shames far more expensive but over-polished dramas . . . shows you both the happy ending and the incredibly hard work it took to get there.” – James Rocchi, The Wrap

“Affecting and informative, it’s one of the best foreign language films of the year.” – Shane Slater, Awardscircuit.com

“The drama’s urgency gives The Circle the feel of a bombshell.” – David D’Arcy, Screen International

“The romance between Ernst and Röbi acts as a microcosmic example of a larger debate whose broad terms remain familiar.” – Vadim Rizov, AV Club

“A solid telling that spans several fascinating periods of 20th century life.” – Ian Freer, Empire Magazine

“Stefan Haupt’s conscientious and engaging film makes clear right off the bat that, no, there was no place in Europe that was a gay utopia in this period and that even the most progressive-minded of societies had their growing pains.” – Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

“Very strong, historically intriguing and important gay document. . .” – David Noh, Film Journal International

“The film refuses to tease us with suspense, overwhelm us with sentimentality, or defy us with nuance.” – Diego Costa, Slant Magazine


I would be surprised if this film does not remain in my top ten LGBT films of 2015.



Cheers!

 

[Matt Hough]

Most informative and interesting. Thanks for giving us the lowdown on these two films.

 

[Will Krupp]

Thank you Mark, like you I read the plot on netflix and thought...meh, maybe some other time but, unlike you, I didn't investigate further. Thanks so much for the tip I will check it out!

 

[Konstantinos]

I guess Criterion will be releasing My Own private Idaho?

This is from their Instagram!

 

[Mark-W]

This is very good news. I was just wondering were Gus's best work was on Blu-ray.


(This, and Drugstore Cowboy are my favorite Van Sant films.)


Thanks for the tip, Konstantinos!

I guess Criterion will be releasing My Own private Idaho?

This is from their Instagram!

 

[Mark-P]

Here's a coming out movie about an African-American high school girl from 2011 called Pariah. Somehow I missed hearing about it when it first came out. I only discovered it when it was featured and recommended on Leonard Maltin's podcast here. As the Blu-ray was only $6 and change at Amazon, I snagged a copy. It's a well-made film with very good performances. However, it you are burnt out on coming out movies dealing with severe parental rejection, then I would stay away. I admit it is probably time that the movies got past coming out stories and started to focus more on LGBT people just living their lives.

 

[Will Krupp]

So I finally got a chance to see Mark Christopher's Director's Cut of 54! Not only is it gayer (it would have to be!) than the theatrical cut it's a much richer, more balanced and more "complete" experience all around. Motivations are much clearer, the narrative actually flows and things that were puzzling or ambivalent before now make sense (case in point, the awkwardness between Breckin Meyer and Ryan Phillippe when they meet in the basement on New Year's Eve now makes perfect sense as they haven't seen each other since their Christmas Eve kiss, which went missing in the released version.)


The really rotten re-shoots of the theatrical cut also robbed us of much of Salma Hayek's really appealing performance (some of which was re-dressed in the ten minutes longer home video version which restores a good amount of her footage.)


Phillippe's Shane is now a much more ambivalent operator, which was the original intent and designed to mirror the wanton ambivalence of the era Christopher is recreating. The re-shoots were not only designed to "straighten" his character up they were designed to make him more "likable" and noble by making poor Breckin Meyer the 54 money thief with good guy Shane taking the fall for his friend. Now, properly, Shane is allowed to be the actual thief, "borrowing" from Rubell's secret stash to get into the fast money drug business.


It's also nice to see Mike Meyer's Steve Rubell put into his proper, non-inflated place in the story and not turned in to a gay 70's version of the hooker with a heart of gold/ultimately benign father figure.


The ending is blissfully free of the inept moralizing of the theatrical cut, with all three of the leads allowed to wander off together scot free to pick up the pieces and (presumably) fuck each other silly for years to come (not necessarily indicated but it's what I choose to believe )


If I have any quibbles it would be the really roughly edited opening sequence (much better in the theatrical cut, IMO) and the fact that Sherry Stringfield is STILL relegated to what amounts to a two-line bit part (in the original script, she first meets Shane on his first night at the club, starts a literal back alley affair with him that night and is responsible for getting him a job, only to have him throw her over almost immediately.) I also wish we could have seen more of the late Ellen Albertini Dow's "Native New Yorker" dance as I think it fades out much too soon and I wanted more. Small quibbles, to be sure.


All around it's far more interesting than it was before. They all should have sued Miramax in 1998 for career assassination.