Blog from Lubbock, Texas, Author Duane Simolke.
Dare2Care provides resources, ideas, news, poetry submission, and much more to create supportive environments in place of bullying and fear. Read the results from their Poetry Competition.
Preview the Degranon sequel, with more chapters coming soon.
The brilliant scientist Taldra loves her twin gay sons and thinks of them as the hope for Valchondria’s future, but one of them becomes entangled in the cult of Degranon, and the other becomes stranded on the other side of a doorway through time. Can they find their way home and help Taldra save their world?
Visit the Goodreads Degranon page to discuss diversity-themed scifi.
Science Fiction, Trailer #2 has received 2031 and Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure, Trailer #3 has received 298.
Preview the upcoming sequel, with more chapters coming soon.
Sons of Taldra, Chapter 1 Draft
Sons of Taldra, Chapter 2 Draft
Sons of Taldra, Chapter 3 Draft
Sons of Taldra, Chapter 4 Draft
A new scifi epic from the Wachowskis, with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. The effects look great!
In this Italian comedy, a gay man can’t manage to come out to his family. His boyfriend plans to visit them and share his plans for marriage.
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Mattia (Josafat Vagni) can’t force himself to tell his Italian family he’s gay. He tries, but one of them makes a homophobic remark or changes the subject.
Mattia’s friends in Rome know he’s gay. Mattia plans to move to Madrid to start a new life with his boyfriend, Eduard (Jose Dammert). After an embarrassing confrontation between Eduard and Mattia’s father, Eduard pressures Mattia to come out to his family.
When he lies by saying he finally went through with it, Mattia accidentally helps create a situation where Eduard might stop by to ask the family for Mattia’s hand in marriage. The comedy keeps increasing from there.
Director Ivan Silvestrini and screenwriter Roberto Proia use nonlinear storytelling, with the basic plot happening over a day but constant flashbacks informing viewers of what led to the current problems. In many cases, Mattia’s own insecurities and self-loathing obviously contributed to his not coming out even more than anyone else’s cruelty or insensitivity. However, that cruelty and insensitivity both occur often.
This constant mixture of past and present evokes a sense that Mattia keeps finding himself in a repeating situation he needs to resolve. To paraphrase U2, he got stuck in a moment and couldn’t get out of it. Some viewers will find the structure annoying or confusing. While I got lost a couple of times, I still think the heavy use of flashbacks was a good choice.
All the characters suffer from flaws, some more than others. Yet the actors give all the characters depth and humanity, making viewers understand why Mattia would care about them and what they think of him. Tell No One is in Italian, with English subtitles.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Please also read about THE ACORN STORIES.
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.
SciFi Gay Science Fiction Satire Gay Marriage
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.
