The Outs: Season 2
The Outs – Season 2 is one of the very best queer web series since… The Outs first season. I think it’s that good. It’s fun, humorous, poignant, and real. Sometimes it goes where you think it will, but other … Continue reading The Outs: Season 2
Those People
Those People (2015)
Falling in love with your best friend generally has one of two extreme conclusions. The one we would hope for is the most amazing love affair in the history of humankind. The other is the complete and utter destruction of a friendship. In this case it’s worse because the destruction extends out past the initial blast zone.
Synopsis: “On Manhattan’s gilded Upper East Side, a young painter, Charlie, finds the man of his dreams in an older pianist from across the globe. If only Charlie weren’t secretly in love with his own manipulative best friend, Sebastian, who is embroiled in a financial scandal. In the wake of Sebastian’s notoriety, their tight-knit group of friends must confront the new realities of adulthood.”
Charlie’s BFF Sebastian may or may not know in the beginning how Charlie feels about him. Really I wonder if he knows until Charlie tells him in the most awkward encounter of the movie. It seems like Sebastian is just too caught up in himself, and everything that Charlie perceives as want is just Sebastian’s non-malicious wanting of Charlie’s continued attention. Unfortunately, this makes Sebastian a little hard to like. Continue reading “Those People”
Limited Partnership
Limited Partnership (2014)
In business terms, the definition of a limited partnership is that “…a limited partnership must have at least one General Partner and at least one limited partner.” I think the business definition is pretty accurate in describing the unfair situation in this documentary, except that this partnership is much deeper than business.
IMDB gives us this quick synopsis: “The love story of Filipino-American Richard Adams and his Australian husband, Tony Sullivan.” Of course, its focus is on how their relationship weathers marriage inequality as it relates to immigration to the US. Even as Richard and Tony were in a long-term, committed relationship, they were unable to get the needed documents from then INS to be able to live openly together in the US.
One of the first eye-opening facets of this film is that Richard and Tony were among the first gay couples in the country to be issued a marriage license. And that was in 1975! I honestly was unaware that this situation had taken place in Colorado, and that the struggle for marriage equality had gone back so far. Of course the reaction to their situation was far more abrasive and nasty than many of us faced in the 2000’s. Continue reading “Limited Partnership”
Paternity Leave
Paternity Leave (2015)
Accidental pregnancy isn’t something that most gay men worry about. But in Greg and Ken’s case, a medical miracle turns their lives upside down as they deal with having a baby. Continue reading “Paternity Leave”
Out in the Lineup
Out in the Line-Up (2014)
All it takes is one person to change things. In much of history, we look at one person and one moment that is the pivotal symbol of dynamic change. In reality, there often is one person, but then there are many that follow to push the tide of change forward. Continue reading “Out in the Lineup”
The Moment Series
The Moment Series from Buzzfeed Yellow
I happened across this the other day, and thought it was interesting. Each of the videos is only about 3-4 minutes long, and the each focus on a specific part of a relationship. It happens that these moments are gay-themed, but they really apply to relationships in general.
It starts out with these two guys who are hooking up, but one starts to want more. As things progress, they hit snags along the way and negotiate their way to a relationship. Finally one is leaving and they contemplate their relationship turning into a long-distance one.
It’s obviously not as deep as a feature length film, but it packs more than one would think with simplicity. Worth a watch. Episodes below the jump.
Hunting Season: Season 2
Hunting Season – Season 2 (2015)
In my post about the first season of Hunting Season, I said that one of the main things the show focused on was sex. Again we see this in the second season, but the theme has been expanded on in several ways.
The synopsis: “A New York city writer and his friends traverse the gay world, exploring their ever-evolving sexuality, relationships, and what it means to be a true friend.”
Evolution is the first theme that comes to mind watching the second series. Not only in terms of the series itself (although I think it is), it’s about Alex and his conflict between good Alex and bad Alex. It’s about him trying to figure out what he really wants – does he want more hook ups and screw ups or is he looking for something more meaningful?
Hmm.. Looking. This seems to be a theme for series lately. Now that I’m thinking about the show “Looking,” Hunting Season has many parallels in terms of the struggle of the main character. Even some of the self-destructive behaviors are similar. But I digress…
Now his blog is starting to catch up with him, but at the same time he wants to write something different. Hooking up is getting weird, and he seems like he’s looking for something more. But with who? There is a pivotal moment that I thought was very poignant when Alex hooks up with a guy, but runs into his ex who now has a husband and a kid. Continue reading “Hunting Season: Season 2”
Hold Your Peace
Hold Your Peace (2011)
Aiden finds going to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding a complicated task. While some of us might find that awkward, in this case it’s a dramatic tale.
The scoop from Pointed Films, Inc: “Hold Your Peace is the story of Aiden, a man asked to be the best man at his ex-boyfriend’s commitment ceremony. Rather than risk going alone, he finds the most unlikely of dates in his roommate’s more ‘stereotypical’ friend, Lance. As time goes on, he discovers that things are far more complex than he thought he could handle. A gay romantic comedy with a lot of heart, it explores how we all decide who we’re going to spend our lives with, and what happens when we try to deny what’s really in our hearts.”
Snails in the Rain
Snails in the Rain (2013)
There are many types of snails… Some snails have lungs and some have gills. In this film I’m not sure what kind of snail Boaz would be; however, he needs to figure out who he is before he suffocates. Continue reading “Snails in the Rain”
Romeos
Romeos (2011) Lukas is going through the biggest change in his whole life while he is in a new place meeting new people. One of those new people is Fabio. But are these Romeos fated to be together or will … Continue reading Romeos
Grace and Frankie
Series: Grace and Frankie (2015)
I think it was somewhere during one of the first episodes when Frankie was talking about having sand in her vagina that I got hooked. Strange place to start, but the series also starts out with life throwing a curve at two women who thought they had it all figured out. It’s touching and hilarious as Grace and Frankie figure out how to deal with their new lives together. Continue reading “Grace and Frankie”
Dog Tags
Dog Tags (2008)
Life can sometimes seem claustrophobic – like we are stuck moving in a certain direction with no choices. But there are always choices, and sometimes we have a chance to make exactly what we want of it.
Synopsis from IMDB: “Abandoned by his father and raised by a single mother, Nate Merritt joins the Marines to support his soon-to-be fiancée. While on leave in Palm Springs, Nate meets a seemingly free spirited young gay man, who leads him on a path of discovery–and to the surprising identity of the father he never knew.”
In one of the first scenes of the film we see Nate with his girlfriend. This sets the stage for Nate as she berates and is practically emotionally abusive. She tells him that basically he’s a failure that no one would be proud of. Nice relationship right? Contrary to the progression of the story, she says, “Don’t forget that that.. It’s a tiny little world.”
One of the themes here is a universal one: that life can be a blank slate that is what you make of it. Sometimes serendipity can lead us in one direction or another, but it’s up to us to make of it what we want. Sometimes the problem really is that we’re not sure what we want. Continue reading “Dog Tags”
