A Review of the Gay Short Film Collection Green Briefs.

Summary:

This collection features five award-winning short films about gay males and their families. The tone and subject matter vary within that concept.

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Guest House Films continues its series of gay short film collections. Green Briefs is not only my favorite in the series but also one of the most consistently strong short film DVDs I’ve seen. Each feature won critical praise and multiple awards separately. Together, they explore various ways family affects the lives of gay boys or men.

Pride. Director Marc Saltarelli presents a tale of contrasts, starting with a character played by Pauley Perrette of NCIS fame. After too much time tirelessly caring for her father, she asks her brother (Stephen, played by Perry Laylon Ojeda) to take over for a while. Because of their house’s location on the gay pride route, Stephen and his partner are hosting a big pride party. Stephen’s resistance stems from something other than a busy day, though. He can’t stop remembering when his father kicked him out for being gay, even if Alzheimer’s might keep his father from remembering.

The Commitment. Written, directed by, and starring Albert M. Chan, this drama examines the raw emotions of an interracial couple trying to adopt a newborn baby. They both want everything to work out and both worry about causing or facing disappointment. A mixture of cultures and a few sad moments can’t stop a hopeful undercurrent or the chemistry between Chan and co-star Jason Lane Fenton. Expectant mother Victoria (Kerri Patterson) wants to grant their dream of an Asian baby but the plot takes surprise turns.

Shabbat Dinner. Directed by Michael Morgenstern, this film takes a much lighter tone than the rest but still brings out family drama. It also looks satirically at hypocrisy. A teenager gets stuck entertaining another teen while the grownups visit, drink, and argue. The two teens learn more than they expected about each other and go much further than they expected.

Kimchi Fried Dumplings. This film from writer/director Jason Karman overlaps with some of the other stories, in terms of certain themes and elements. It involves a gay Asian man who drifted away from his family after breaking up with his boyfriend. He returns for Christmas, only to find that his younger gay brother now resents him for not being there to help their aging parents. While I enjoyed all the Green Briefs selections, I especially loved some of the tender moments in this one. The understated performances make it work.

The Symphony of Silence. Written and directed by San Antonio native Cedric Thomas Smith, this disturbing drama reveals the cycle of bullying. Each high school bully finds ways to justify his actions, often giving into pressure from others who mistreat or might mistreat him. The family angle comes from the fact that one of the victims is the brother of one of the aggressors. He lives in fear of taunts and violence both at home and at school.

Rob Williams, co-founder of Guest House Films, put together a treasury of stories that complement each other and challenge viewers to think about what family means for the gay community. The resulting DVD is entertaining and thought-provoking.

Green Briefs is distributed by Guest House Films.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please also read about Fat Diary and The Acorn Stories.

Working on Sons of Taldra Chapter 4

Long-range sensors detect something moving toward the human home world. Taldra fears an old enemy will return. This chapter contains more humor than most of the other ones, but it also starts the build toward the invasion.

SciFi Gay Science Fiction Satire Gay Marriage

Triple Crossed Gay Movie Review.

Summary:

A gay man falls for his potential assassin in Sean Paul Lockhart’s directorial debut. A script by Linda Andersson offers constant surprises.

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Sean Paul Lockhart, formerly known under the pseudonym Brent Corrigan, stars in and directs a gay thriller. The action takes surprising turns throughout, with betrayals that justify the film’s title.

Soldier Chris Jensen (newcomer Jack Brockett) returns from Afghanistan broken. Jackie Tonwsend (Laura Reilly) seizes upon his desperation by asking him to kill Andrew Warner (Lockhart), the boyfriend of her deceased half-brother, Tyler. Her beauty and sexual advances won’t work on Chris, but he needs money and a home.

He orchestrates encounters with Andrew, and the attraction between them quickly ignites. The mixture of romance and danger helps keep the movie unpredictable, along with the constant plot twists. Flashbacks to Afghanistan reveal much more about the characters and their motivations.

Tellier Killaby plays Andrew’s best friend, Kendra. She tries to help him move on from Tyler’s death. Killaby’s performance not only provides humor and some touching moments but also lets us see Andrew’s vulnerability and fears.

One scene near the end might make viewers ask, “How could he not see that?” I can’t say which scene without giving away part of the ending. Still, most other disbelief can easily remain suspended amid the fast-paced thrills, great-looking cast, and slick production.

The script by Linda Andersson puts openly gay characters in action roles, instead of just showing them as victims or comic relief. It also provides consistent excitement.

Chad Siwik (pronounced Civic) provides music for the soundtrack and performs during a scene set in a bar. Siwik’s polished dance style fits well here. His video for Love Crush appears on the DVD and includes scenes from the film.

Music Video From Chad Siwik:

Sean Paul Lockhart’s film credits include Welcome to New York, Judas Kiss, Chillerama, The Big Gay Musical, In The Closet, and Another Gay Sequel. He will appear in the upcoming thrillers Truth and The Dark Place. He is also writing his autobiography, Incorrigible.

Viewers who enjoy Triple Crossed might also like the films of director Ron Oliver, especially his Donald Strachey Mysteries.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure, Fat Diary, and The Acorn Stories.

Dream On Gay DVD Review.

An overbearing mother brings her teenaged son to a Welsh campsite, where he falls for a free-spirited Londoner. An initially light-hearted story takes dark turns in Lloyd Eyre-Morgan’s film adaption of his play. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

Monster Pies Gay Movie Review.

Summary:

This Australian import from writer/director/producer Lee Galea reveals the fear and confusion of gay first love in an unsupportive environment. Tristan Barr and Lucas Linehan give a tender and realistic performance as the young couple.

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Set in Melbourne, Australia during the 1990s, this drama reveals the romance and danger of gay first love in a hostile environment. I suggest it for fans of Beautiful Thing, Edge of 17, Get Real, and Watercolors, or just anyone who relates to coming out stories.

Mike (Tristan Barr) usually hangs out with his friend Jenine (Katrina Maree). She has a crush on him, and he’s not out to anyone—maybe not even himself.

The school bullies fling the usual homophobic taunts at Mike, but he finds male companionship with the new kid in town, Will (Lucas Linehan). The chemistry ignites immediately between them, though Will initially resists it. Both boys come from difficult home lives, and neither seems equipped with confronting their feelings.

Since they need to develop a project based on Romeo and Juliet, they draw from their love for old monster movies. The film’s title refers both to those films and to Mike’s memories of his brother.

The script leans toward tragedy, but with funny, tender, or inspirational moments. Without giving anything away, the story ultimately becomes hopeful. The two male leads give a tender and realistic performance, bolstered by a strong supporting cast. Writer/director/producer Lee Galea delivers an emotional story with well-developed characters.

The DVD includes Lee Galea’s short film Karmarama, which centers on some of the same themes as Monster Pies.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure, Fat Diary, and The Acorn Stories.

News from Gay SciFi Site doorQ about the Upcoming Thriller THE DARK PLACE

Shoreline Entertainment Acquires World Rights to THE DARK PLACE.

"The film focuses on Keegan Dark, a troubled young man cursed with the uncanny ability to remember his life in videographic detail. He returns to his family’s wine estate, boyfriend in tow, to make amends with his estranged mother, only to discover a conspiracy that frames him for murder and threatens his family’s lives and livelihood."

Read more at doorQ.

New Movie With Oscar Buzz

Dallas Buyers Club tells the true story of a Texan who refused to let HIV stop him from living a meaningful life. He found a way to help people with HIV/AIDS receive unapproved treatment. Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Garner star.