Private Romeo

When I was in the 3rd grade, I got a copy of Romeo & Juliet from the school library.  As I returned the book two weeks later, the librarian gave me a puzzling look and asked "Did you understand what Shakespeare was trying to say?"  My father and I had discussed it on one of our outings, so my answer was more informed than my limited life experience had helped me to understand on my own.  My answer to her question resulted in more questions and ultimately, an onslaught of intelligence tests.  From the very beginning, I have loved Shakespeare's plays.  It has been a life-long obsession to read and/or watch every adaptation available, which for a Shakespeare enthusiast, can only ever be euphoric, or soul-draining.  Until watching this film, I have never had mixed feelings about any adaptation of Shakespeare.

Private Romeo is the brain child of Director Alan Brown, who uses the language of Shakespeare to tell a story about 8 young male students at a military school in Long Island.  They have been left with minimal supervision, while the other students and faculty are away on a four-day land navigation training excursion. Cadets Sam (Romeo) and Glen (Juliet), played by the Seth Numrich and Matt Doyle respectively, discover young love.  Though the director did not originally intend to make a political or social statement, the film's release coincided with a repeal of the "Don't ask/ Don't tell" policies of the 90s, and the gay community was overeager to make a connection between the two.  This is NOT a film about gay bashing, or gays in the military.  Simply, it is a story about love and friendship, youth and emotions.  While the love story transpires between two boys and their friends react to it, Alan Brown made no changes in the gender specifics of Shakespeare's original text.  None of the "she's" were changed to "he's", etcetera.  He also made the brilliant decision to use New York theater actors, which makes for a very interesting film.

Seth Numrich is a masterful young actor with an already impressive list of accomplishments, and a promising career ahead of him.  He exudes talent, and has a natural understanding of Shakespeare that combines intellect and passion.  Two other performances in this film are notable.  Hale Appleman's Mercutio is OUTSTANDING.  In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a better interpretation of that character.  Kudos to the casting director for giving the part of Benvolio to Sean Hudock, who really makes that character the way I have always felt about him.  Overall, the entire cast gives a wonderful rendition of this famous play.

The big disappointment about this film is Matt Doyle (Sorry Matt, if you ever happen to see this).  His performance is weak and lacking in so many ways.  He is unable to speak an entire line of dialogue without pausing every few words as if he's trying to remember what comes next, and has a less than sufficient understanding of basic inflection.  I know. I know.  This isn't a traditional performance of Romeo & Juliet; however, the interpretation and adaptation are irrelevant to Doyle's inability to give his character any credibility and substance.  He simply does not have a good understanding of the language, nor the stage presence for the character of Juliet.  In various interviews as well as the director's commentary, there is a lot of talk about the chemistry between Doyle and Numrich.  It's there, but it is uneven.  I attribute this  more to Seth Numrich's talent than to Doyle's obvious off-stage boy crush on his counterpart.  Perhaps this would not have been so obvious if Matt Doyle had been cast opposite someone less credible.  Feeling bad about my opinion of Doyle's performance, I did a little research to find some other examples of his work.  He's all over youtube, and has a decent singing voice.  He seems to be a nice kid, and I hope he continues to get opportunities for growth as an actor.

THE BOTTOM LINE - Generals, grab your privates and add this movie to your collection.  Overall, it's a great film, and a good example of how various parts can make a whole work.  Alan Brown's use of different camera filters to distinguish between the world of the military academy and the world of Shakespeare, combined with his use of youtube-style camera shooting are  only some of the wonderful extras you'll find in  Private Romeo.

Happy Endings!
Matthew
P.S. It's good to be back on the blog.  I've had to take a good amount of time away to work on publications...AND...I have a musical that is almost finished.  Don't worry, as soon as I know the performance details, EVERYONE will know them as well.

Bedrooms and Hallways

KEVIN MCKIDD and JAMES PUREFOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes yes yes yes, you're doin' it...two at once! That's right, together, and the fact that they are also in the HBO series, Rome, makes it even better. I don't need many other reasons to enjoy a film, although Hugo Weaving and Tom Hollander aren't bad either. This 1998 feature is incredibly funny.

The events leading up to Leo's (Kevin Mckidd) 30th birthday are nothing more than romantic calamity. He enters a men's therapy group where he meets Irish Brendan (James Purefoy). The sexual tension between them is intense, and they pair together very well. That is probably because it's KEVIN MCKIDD and JAMES PUREFOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The humor in this film is poignant and witty. My favorite scene is a parody of Jane Austen that I continue to pull up on youtube for a daily laugh.

Now I have taken to flipping back and forth from Bedrooms and Hallways to Rome for a little extra kick. It's kind of like mixing acid and exstacy. In fact, this film caused me to cheat on Tanner Cohen, about whom I have been fantasizing for some time, by lusting in my heart...and other places. Definitely watch this move. It's great all around.

Happy Endings,

Matthew

Defying Gravity

What is it about frat boys that makes them so delicious? I mean, if God made homosexuals, then she made frat boys to give homosexuals somebody to fuck with. Fraternal love is one thing, but the possibility of the love that dare not speak its name rearing its head within the confines of a secretive, trusted, order of bravado and testosterone...well that's another. Forbidden sins are always so much more fun. From my own personal experience I have learned that it's the apple that spoils the bunch which is the sweetest. Defying Gravity (1997) has a bit more substance than the shallowness I had hoped for.

I was drawn to this film the moment I read the description. The tag line is really more accurate, "Some pledges are for keeps." Griff (Daniel Chilson) and Pete (Don Handfield) are fraternity brothers who have fallen in love with one another. While Pete openly accepts this and moves out of the frat house, Griff is still reluctant to come out. When Pete becomes the victim of a hate crime, Griff must make a moral decision to come forth with the truth about himself in order to apprehend the people responsible.

This film also deals with racial issues among students in a profound way that delivers a realistic portrayal of something with which many of us can relate. I am reminded of the ways that the educational environment brings people of varying backgrounds and cultures together like a great equalizer. College can be a dangerous and a safe place for young homosexuals to come out. That age period is a time when one falls in love with the idea of beating the odds, and all things are possible.

Though it may have benefited from a better budget, this is a good film. The acting is well done, and the story is believable. Check it out.

Happy Endings,

Matthew

Gay Sex in the 70s

Gay Sex in the 70s is a 2005 documentary that takes a candid look at the years between 1969 and 1981 in New York. This is the period just after Stonewall up to the AIDS crisis. It has been described as comparable to the libertine years of the Roman Empire. Free love, drugs, and dancing made this a marking point in gay history.



Prior to the new found sexual freedom of the 70s, antiwar sentiments and the civil rights movement lead to a forcefully violent rebellion of sexual minorities. The Stonewall Riots began on June 28, 1968 at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, leading the way for the gay rights movement in America and around the world. In 1970, the first Gay Pride celebrationn was held to commemorate Stonewall. Open sexuality became rampant, and this documentary shows a golden age of decadence through interviews, pictures, and film footage.


Men were cruising long before the 1970s, but the open flagrant cruising of New York began when gay men started sunbathing on an abandoned pier. It is said that there were a few at first, but the numbers increased until thousands of men were having sex in and out of the abandoned buildings. There were also the empty truck beds on the loading docks, and the wooded areas of Central Park. One man describes the smell of grime and filth, but goes on to say that people didn't care. The most important thing was sex.


There were also the baths. You could spend an entire weekend in the baths without ever leaving. Man's Country and the Saint Mark's Baths, were all inclusive, and had everything one might need for a weekend stay, including Bette Midler, who got her start performing in the gay baths of New York. She would appear on stage with a basket of poppers (an inhalant sex drug), and throw them to the masses. Drugs, dancing, and sex could also be found in the night clubs. Paradise Garage is noted for being one the first mixed places for blacks and gays, but there were so many others like Harrah, Studio 54, and The Saint, where the air was always filled with the smell of poppers.


Drugs played a major role in the libidinous free love of the 70s. With combinations of LSD, cocaine, reefer, angel dust, and Valium, to name a few, it was important to balance one's drugs for the evening in order to stay out as long as possible. Then there were the orgies, wild groups of unbridled bodies, sweaty and taught, wadded together in a mass of...Excuse me. I almost lost control just thinking about it. Where were we?...oh yes, Fire Island, which became a popular vacation spot for homosexuals. The men who partied on the island are referred to as a brotherhood during this golden age of decadent exploitation. The fire Island Pines became a well known place for sexual vacation adventures.


So many good things come to an end, and so it was that the AIDS crisis halted growing open depravity. While the tragedy of this disease ravaged so many, it forced the gay community to come together in what may have been the first time in history "that the afflicted took charge of the epidemic." AIDS forced people to learn that great freedom requires great responsibility. Looking back, one man notes that all of the flagrant sexual behavior was necessary because "It replaced shame with great joy."


I was incredibly moved by this documentary. It is impressive that anyone thought to photograph this time period, much less film it. The images are astounding, and the nudity isn't bad either. This is a MUST SEE. It is candid, provocative, and truly amazing.


Happy Endings,

Matthew

The Eating Out Trilogy

Three films will be discussed in this posting. Three films, I will add, of which I was somewhat skeptical. After all it would not be the first time that someone produced a series of three really bad movies that were liked by a lot of viewers. Look at The Matrix. However, it is not the case here. Though these are not the greatest films I have ever seen, they are delightfully humorous, low budget films that will surprise you with their delivery.

In Eating Out (2004), Tiffani, Gwen, Marc, Kyle, and Caleb adventure on a comedy of errors when Kyle concocts a scheme to help his straight roommate, Caleb, get closer to Gwen, a hypersexual control freak who is seriously turned on by gay men. In order to do so, Caleb must pretend he is gay, and interested in Gwen's ex-boyfriend, Marc. In the end, Caleb gets Gwen, Kyle gets Marc, and Tiffani gets off.

The humor continues in Eating Out 2; Sloppy Seconds (2006) when a hot nude model named Troy enters the mix. After a quarrel, Marc and Kyle break up, and it's a race for Troy in order to make each other jealous. The depravity continues to unfold when Kyle and Troy attend a support group for young homosexuals who wish to become straight. After a series of looney debacles, Troy dispels the myth that there is no such thing as a bisexual when he and Tiffani get there jollies on. Marc and Kyle are reunited and Gwen decides to do the lesbian thing.

Eating Out 3; All You Can Eat (2009)probably had the highest budget of all three films. Oddly enough, it was my least favorite, though there are some great one liners in this film. After Marc and Kyle die in an oral sex/automobile accident, Tiffani is the only remaining member of the original cast. Fresh meat, Casey, is introduced to Zack at the Larry Kramer LGBT Center and it is yet another twist on the humor from the first two films. A nice addition to this film is Ryan, Tiffani's stripper friend, who has a scrumptious sex scene with Casey and Zack while Tiffani slaps the roast beef as she watches from an outside window.

Along with some hilarious jokes and funny situational comedy, these films have a few other treats. DICK! There is a good bit of full frontal male nudity, and some hot sex, although the angles and shots walk a fine line between implication and pornography. Also, for those of you who remember Penny Pengleton from the original movie Hairspray, Mink Stole makes appearances in the second and third movies as Helen, Kyle's mother. There are connecting elements that occur in all three films, like each one beginning with a sexual fantasy scene. They also raise the question, "Who needs friends that won't fuck friends?" These films are each around 80 minutes in length, which makes them good for a rainy day marathon.

Happy Endings,

Matthew

Latter Days

Latter Days (2003) is a beautiful movie wrapped around a sexy love story. When Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a Mormon missionary, arrives in Los Angeles, he remarks that it "looked like this mass of dots, all jumbled and disconnected." Outside the circle of his fellow missionaries, it is more than coincidence that his first connection is his gay neighbor, Christian (Wes Ramsey). The story takes an interesting turn after Christan bets his friends that he can seduce one of his new neighbors. When he and Aaron begin getting to know one another, Christian discovers that Aaron is gay. Aaron admits the truth about himself, but is quick to point out that Christian is the type of shallow person who "equates sex with a handshake." This revelation proves cathartic for Christian, and compels him to seek ways in which he can become a better person.


So now these two begin to fall in love, but they get caught kissing by the other missionaries. Aaron is sent home in shame, but Christian follows after him, and they are reunited during a layover in Salt Lake City. This film renders a beautifully steamy sex scene with gratifying nudity that may have you pressing rewind a few times. Christian awakens after a night of passion to find that Aaron has left to face the consequences that await him, and both of their lives nearly fall apart.


After a period of personal obstacles and emotional torment, Aaron returns to Los Angeles and rediscovers Christian, his true love. Everything is restored, and Aaron begins to see that "we're all connected, and it's beautiful, and it's funny, and it's good." I was triumphant with joy when the two lovers are rejoined. This movie has many delights, including Jacqueline Bisset, who plays Lila, the wise and witty owner of the restaurant where Christian works. Her role in this film is purposeful, heart warming relief. She tells Aaron "Your church doesn't allow alcohol or homosexuals. Well I'm definitely not joining. I can't imagine heaven without both."


It seems that the seeking connections with other people is a theme common to many gay and lesbian films. There is truth in it, and redemption. We are all looking for connections to one another. The world can be lonely, but not if when we are courageous to be true to ourselves. In my early adulthood, I was in love with someone who had to choose between me and his own religious beliefs. Though my situation had different results than those in Latter Days, I can relate to this film on a very personal level. If you watch this film, be prepared to laugh, cry, and rejoice!


Happy Endings,
Matthew

Mulligans

There are many wonderful movies in the genre of Queer Cinema, but few are as delightfully surprising as Mulligans (2008). In golf, a Mulligan occurs when a player is given a second chance to perform a move or shot. Appropriately titled, this movie is all about second chances. I recommend this film as enjoyable for viewers of any orientation, but you queens with daddy issues are going to love it.



When Tyler (Dereck James) invites his college friend, Chase (Charlie David), to spend the summer with his family on Vancouver Island the lives of the Davidson's undergoe a transformation that redefines them forever. Chase learns that Tyler is a product of teen pregnancy when he meets dad Nathan (Dan Payne), mom Stacey (Thea Gill), and little sister Birdie, who's inquisitive and frank nature provides comic relief in an otherwise drama.



Working together on the golf course, Chase tells Tyler that he is gay. Tyler wants to do the best thing for his friend and confides in his father, who tells him to continue acting the way he always has. Things take an interesting turn when Stacey, Tyler, and Birdie go away for the weekend, leaving Nathan and Chase alone. Nathan reluctantly confides in Chase that he has always had feelings for men, but "Things were different twenty years ago." His attempt to console Nathan results in a surprisingly romantic enterprise for Chase...at least until the rest of the family decides to return earlier than planned.



Nathan's feelings have been concealed for so long that they are now uncontrollable, and his carelessness with Chase results in Stacey and Tyler discovering the truth. The Davidsons face difficult choices that may tear them apart, and Chase leaves in lonely exile for the remainder of the Summer. Forgiveness equals a second chance for redemption; however, no one's life will be as it was before.



This film touched me deeply because beneath the story line is a message about our need for intimacy. The desire for human contact is basic to most people, and an important piece of a greater whole. There is a book available for those of you who prefer to read before you view. I hope you will see this film. It is beautiful.



Happy Endings,

Matthew