How Did I Miss This One?

Last evening hubs and I watched "Spoiler Alert" with Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, Sally Field, and Bill Irwin. It's on Netflix (the only streaming service we subscribe to).

Why this movie wasn't mainstream is not a mystery...the mainstream media is still afraid of gay love stories. And this was a gay love story that portrayed a realistic relationship between two complex characters - two men with their own baggage. They are a somewhat unlikely pair, no, perhaps a very likely pair in the real world of gay men - not the "typical" pairing of perfectly gorgeous male specimens. 

They navigate the difficulties and tensions in their relationship and find that despite all their hangups and differences, or maybe because of them, they really do love one another. 

Highly recommended. Spoiler Alert: have a box of tissues handy. 

Nuovo Olimpo - a New Gay Film on Netflix

 Leon and I watched Nuovo Olimpo on Netflix yesterday. An Italian film but you can choose the English audio which is very well done.

This is a gay love story, but a somewhat different kind of love story. It explores the various kinds and depths of love/attraction that individuals might experience and what happens when "space and time get in the way".. I won't say more than that. There is some very nice nudity, but it's not gratuitous. The three men in the film, the main characters, are almost too good looking...but well, I guess that's one reason for watching.

The story begins with two men, Pietro and Enea meeting at the cinema Nuovo Olimpo in Rome in the 70s. The cinema is a gay meeting/cruising place. Pietro and Enea begin a relationship and frequent the cinema as a rendezvous location. It happens to be in the vicinity of a major political protest against fascism and when the protest becomes violent the police raid the cinema and the two men become separated. (not exactly sure why the police target the cinema - perhaps I'll have to watch it again!)

All the characters are believable and realistic for the time period and culture. I was impressed with the fact that even the cinema's cashier, Titti, was portrayed with dignity and depth of character. I want to say more but don't want to give away too much of the story.

Good Grief

 We just watched “Good Grief” on Netflix. Good grief! Starring Dan Levy of Schitts Creek (a TV show I found forgettable) as a gay artist whose famous writer husband died in a car accident. It takes him a whole year before reading the Christmas card his husband left him on the night he died which revealed that his husband had a boyfriend (and a luxury apartment) in Paris. 

That could have been a workable story line but what the movie turned into was improbable dialogue among/between pretentious artsy characters that was often difficult to understand. I found none of the characters likable; which is to say I didn't like any of them. Ruth Negga's character could have been speaking Greek for all I got out of it.

It was like someone’s failed thesis on existentialism with privileged characters constantly experiencing angst and little if any genuine grief. It almost gave me a headache trying to follow the dialogue and plot (not sure the word “plot” is accurate). Throw in an extraneous stranger at a London bar who just happens to be from Paris...and a few other characters who appear with no rhyme or reason...and some improbable circumstances...

Too bad it was such a dud because there are so few gay or LGBTQ dramas out there.

Look, I can cry watching Magnum, P.I. But I had dry eyes during this entire movie and it was supposed to be a tear jerker, I think.

It might have been OK if it were about Charlie Brown and Lucy and Linus.

Another One From Netflix

We've been watching a series called "Smiley" the title of which would have had me skip on by. I think Leon chose it based on the preview. 

It is a Netflix series made in Spain, set in Barcelona, (it is dubbed in English - and I think the dubbing was well done) about a gay 30-something guy who gets a "Smiley" emoji after a hookup with another guy. He feels insulted, so sends back a voicemail rant, but to the wrong number. Mr. Wrong Number then takes it from there.

There are a number of gay and lesbian characters, a wise drag queen, parents, friends, and assorted others, all of whom make for an interesting menagerie. It kind of reminds me of a cross between Queer as Folk, Tales of the City and Boys in the Band. 

There is quite a bit of bantering and arguing (which may be a bit much for some viewers), but also a lot of humor in the interactions. The characters are generally likable and the English dubbing is well done with expressiveness, inflection and good timing.

The generous use of split screens is clever and lets you in on conversations that are going on between people and sometime between different people simultaneously. Very well done.

It's a fun series. We still have a few episode to watch and have been doing 2 or 3 at a sitting. Enjoy. Looks like there may be a Season 2 coming.

Odd that I cannot find a YouTube English language trailer but go here to Netflix for one (scroll down to the trailer - you may need a subscription to access it):

https://www.netflix.com/title/81445999

Here is one in Spanish.

A Holiday Popcorn Movie on Netflix

 A new Netflix movie for the holidays - "Single All The Way" - is cute and sentimental, and a little hokey and has a plot that seems familiar. Not a blockbuster but a nice light Rom-Com to get your mind off of the daily news of COVID, violence and politics. Here's the trailer:

 

I could offer a commentary (like what the movie would have been like had Nick brought Peter home to his family instead) but I'll let you all decide for yourselves whether it rings your sleigh bells.

Going With A Theme

 This is Sigourney Weaver as Debra Moorehouse, a character loosely (?) based on Louise Hay, I believe.

 

And if you've never seen the movie "Jeffrey" with Patrick Stewart, Sigourney Weaver, Steven Weber, Michael T. Weiss, Olympia Dukakis et al. give yourself a treat and watch. It's worth the $2.99 rental fee on YouTube.

Cucumber - A British Gay TV Series

OK, HAPPY NEW  YEAR. And that's all I'm going to say about that. We'll see.

An Amazon Prime pick for binge watching this weekend.

We have Amazon Prime for another week or so until our free month runs out. We probably won't renew as there doesn't seem to be a lot of good stuff to choose from and we don't order a lot of stuff for free delivery to make the subscription price worth it.

But while we have it, here is one pick that some readers might enjoy. "Cucumber"

 

The series follows two middle aged gay men Henry and Lance who have been together for nine years but have never been on the same page sexually. Which gives the writer the premise to explore gay sexuality among a group of ordinary gay men in, non-romantic, and often non-erotic contexts. 

The series exposes some real-life complexities, hang-ups and fears and fetishes men have about sex in contrast to their ideal fantasies, desires, and hopes about what might be. There is humor as well as some darker moments in the lives of the characters. This is more true in later episodes.

The Brits' penchant for reticence or politeness often gives way to very strong, pent-up emotions and shouting matches between Henry and Lance as they try to alternately mend and end their relationship. Very well written, great dialogue, good acting, interesting cinematographic techniques and an intriguing theme.

My only negative is that for some of the characters their accents, both English and various other ethnic-English accents are often difficult for me to understand. Add fast talking and throw in references to pop English culture and other specifically English slang, you may have to concentrate a little harder to follow some of the conversations/arguments.

Recommended.

Remembering Marcus D'Amico - Michael Tolliver/Mouse

The actor Marcus D’Amico has died at the age of 55. D’Amico is best remembered for playing the role of the beloved gay character, Michael ‘Mouse’ Tolliver, from the 1993 TV production of Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. 

I am feeling like I've just heard that a best friend has passed away.

The books, Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, etc. came into my life just as I was embracing and celebrating my gay identity in the eighties. 

My first trip to San Francisco in 1984 or '85 for an AIDS Conference was one of the most exciting events that ever happened in any job I'd ever had. San Francisco, from the moment I left the airport, seemed like being home. But of course I had to return to Connecticut where reality consisted of holding a job, being self-sufficient and not dreaming too big, let alone even thinking of moving across the country.

But when the TV series, Tales of the City aired on PBS, it was like being transported to OZ. Back to San Francisco!

Very soon, it was like I knew all these amazing characters and knew them personally. They were a temporary but significant part of my early gay life. They all became acquaintances, and some, like Michael Tolliver and Mona and Mary Ann became like friends I'd known for years. They helped make my being gay a positive, life-affirming reality.

I was an invisible tenant at 28 Barbary Lane and secretly watched all the drama. I lived vicariously through all of them and their many misadventures, loves and intrigues.

Funny, I never even knew the actor Marcus D'Amico, never knew his name until now. But his character Michael Tolliver was sweet and shy and fun and cute and vulnerable and sincere and loving. The actor Marcus' passing is also the death of Michael (despite the title of one of Maupin's later books, Michael Tollive Lives.)

 This has truly been a year of sadness.

 If you have never seen the series (the original PBS and Showtime series 1994. 1998. 2001) treat yourself. It is available on Netflix and possibly some other platforms. Here is Season 1, Episode 1. 

Letter from Michael Tolliver to his Momma as read by the cast of the 2019 Tales of the City Netflix update: (Italian captions were not intentional on my part, it's the only version I could find)

Popcorn and Kleenex on Amazon Prime

I was ordering a few odds and ends from Amazon this November and December, a few food/flower gifts for mom and family back east, and just stuff we need  that I am too paranoid to risk getting in person, like face masks, some containers to keep the mice away from the stuff in the garage pantry, chimney brushes which were not in stock at our local hardware stores...so I took advantage of ONE MONTH FREE of Amazon Prime. (At $119 per year I will not renew as I won't make up the cost in shipping and their free movies/TV series are not worth it in my opinion.

 But...here are three gay-themed entries I would recommend if anyone has Amazon Prime. 

RETAKE: POPCORN

The first, Retake, Starring: Devon Graye, Tuc Watkins follows a middle age gay man who picks up hustlers on the street in San Francisco and pays them to "role play" a past lover so he could re-live a past memory. 

The first hustler didn't satisfy his needs but the next one not only "gets it" but is adept at taking on a new identity and acting out his required role. The two take off to recreate a trip to the Grand Canyon. (not sure why it took so long to get there, but that was the only flaw) 

The dynamics and relationship between the two men is quite artfully portrayed by Graye (Brandon/Adam) and Phillips (Jonathan). Graye delivers an often delicate balance between the his role as Brandon and his real self Adam.

I'll give this one 5*stars because as gay-themed movies go, they are mostly kind of amateurish and poorly acted. This one was not only great acting but it was certainly not a "run-of-the-mill" plot. No murders, no cops chasing criminals, no guns, no loud music. Just good acting, interesting plot development and dialogue.

 

 

 AFTER FOREVER: KLEENEX

This is a series that I hope to finish before our free month expires. The episodes are short but packed with intensity. 

This is about two older guys (but much younger than me and in much better shape) which is told in present-day vs flashbacks. I won't be a spoiler except to say I could only get through three episodes and had to take a break. It's a tear-jerker.

 

And how could I forget the new movie "UNCLE FRANK" (Popcorn) About Frank, a gay Southerner and his niece, Beth. They return to the family home with for his dad's farewell. Husband Wally follows them and the long delayed coming out at the funeral is punctuated by undercurrents of Frank's father's rejection of him which are played out and take center stage.

Movie Review - "Call Me By Your Name"

Call Me By Your Name (I still find the premise of the title a bit contrived)
A story of same sex attraction and dynamics between Elio, a very intelligent 17 year old and Oliver, a nearly 30? year old doctoral student who comes to Italy for a summer internship with Elio's father and lives in their Italian villa. Elio is infatuated with Oliver and wonders if Oliver even likes him. They occasionally spar intellectually and eventually share some romantic moments until Oliver must return to  the States.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino; Screenplay by James Ivory; based on the book by André Aciman; starring Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg

I have reviewed the book by Andre Aciman here. (It was not a stellar review as I found the book full of ennui and very tedious despite the rave reviews of others.)

Suffice it to say that there were changes in the location, minor changes in character and action and the elimination of Elio's obsessive self-reflection. All of which, in my opinion, improved, rather than detracted from the story.

I will not go into critiquing the actors and the screenplay and the filming and editing all of which were very good and/or well done.

But just from a subjective point of view, I enjoyed the movie so much more than the book. It seemed more realistic, more sensual, more romantic, and so much less cerebral, especially on Elio's part, than the book.

I was somewhat disappointed that the setting was in northern Italy and not along the seacoast near Naples. But the setting did work well and while in many respects very beautiful, it was not unrealistically idyllic. The setting and scenery did not upstage the story or characters.

One might find the switching between languages (English, Italian and some dialectical French with a bit of German) a bit distracting with the subtitles, but it works to convey the very natural European way of life and of interacting with others.

Both Elio and Oliver were so much more likeable in the film, whereas in the book I found Elio's incessant self-relection and rumination to be annoying, tedious and masturbatory. In the book I thought Oliver was distant, arrogant and mean toward Elio much of the time.

Here the main characters seem more real, more natural. Elio, while precocious, was not obnoxiously so. He was simpatico, and his confusion was so very adolescent. Oliver's and Elio's relationship develops more realistically and, for the gay audience I think, more satisfactorily. The actors are well cast and suited to their roles. I liked Elio's father, who was not a major character but had some great scenes.

Also, some interesting music throughout.

Bottom line: A nice movie to escape the craziness of the evening news and the real world, if you know what I mean. Recommended.

Another Gay Popcorn Movie from Netflix - Hurricane Bianca

OK. We all need a break from the daily reports about the disaster in the White House and all the depressing news about how our world and all its safeguards are being dismantled by executive order and draconian legislation....

So here is a Campy Netflix Movie to warm your heart and bring a smile to that troubled countenance.

A gay male science teacher gets fired in Texas, of course, (sorry Russ) and somehow is able to return - in outrageous drag - as a female science teacher and get his revenge.

Yes, this is so over the top. The drag outfits are over the top, the situations are over the top, the whole premise is preposterous.

But if it doesn't make you laugh or at least root for Bianca, then you are worse off than I am.

Link here

A Gay Popcorn Movie - ANY DAY NOW

- A Netflix Movie for SCOTUS

Just finished watching Any Day Now, a Netflix movie that exemplifies the importance of Friday's SCOTUS ruling making marriage equality the law of the land...in case there are a few Justices and a slew of Republicans who still don't understand that LOVE MAKES A FAMILY, I would suggest they view Any Day Now.

Highly recommended. The stars are not typical drop dead gorgeous men, rather very ordinary guys in 1979 who become lovers and do their best against all odds to care for child with Down's syndrome who was all but abandoned by a drug-addict mother.

Advice: Popcorn during 1st half of movie, Kleenex during 2nd half.

In the 1970s, a gay couple fights a biased legal system to keep custody of the abandoned mentally handicapped teenager that comes to live under their roof.

Director:

 Travis Fine

Writers:

 Travis Fine, George Arthur Bloom

Stars:

 Alan Cumming, Garret Dillahunt, Isaac Leyva  |See full cast and crew »

Gay Popcorn Movie 6 - And Netflix Binge Picks

2/20/2014 Update: Just watched Cloudburst on Netflix. With Olivia Dukakis, Brenda Fricker, Ryan Doucette (eye candy). This is a cool lesbian film. Dottie and Stella have been together for 31 years and due to family interference in their lives as Dottie's health fails, the two decide to go to Canada to get married. This all takes place in our neck of the woods - well close enough - Maine and Nova Scotia, with some great filming locales. Olivia is brilliant as usual. And there are some priceless lines and a little male frontal nudity for good measure. Don't expect a great artistic film - it is very outrageous, the character of Stella is over the top and there are some stupid scenes, but it is certainly entertaining on a cold winter day.

Satellite Reception on a Stormy Day

We pulled the plug on our our Satellite TV in December and cut that bill by 100%. (which was about to go up to over $120/mo for 5 thousand channels of mostly crap).

Now we have no Cable, no Dish, no Direct, no Uverse, no PAY.

We get 30 or more channels over the air and that includes the major networks, PBS, and a few sub-channels like COZI, Create (love Lydia Bastianich) and others that offer mindless entertainment and old TV shows like Maverick, McMillan and Wife, etc.

The only thing we really miss is HGTV (Homo and Garden) and USA (White Collar and a few others)

Leon purchased a TiVo for $49 special offer which does require a modest monthly subscription ($15) for your local guide and is configured for Netflix, YouTube, and a bunch of other streaming sources. This allows you to record several programs at once IN HD (unlike AT&T Uverse) while watching TV or streaming Netflix. Obviously you cannot record a Netflix show.

We have had Netflix streaming (currently $7.95/mo) for several years and while they do not offer a great selection of movies, they do have a number of award winning TV shows.

What makes watching TV shows on Netflix nice is the ability to "binge" - that is watch back to back episodes until you can't take it anymore. Doing this during the long, long, brutally cold winter makes the practice somewhat forgivable.

This winter we have been hooked on three shows in particular that we binged on: Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards. Leon has a couple of others, mostly UK shows that I often find I can't follow because of the language barrier.

The three I mentioned have something in common that disturbs me. We watched them, like we did OZ and Dexter, and Damages, thinking we must be sick and depraved to be watching, to be wanting to see more.

It is very disturbing to find one's self routing for the serial killer (Dexter) or the sexier prisoners (OZ) or the less bad bad guys vs the more bad and the most bad bad guys (Breaking Bad). There is something disturbing about one's fascination with ugly power and corruption (House of Cards, Damages) or the power of corruption to break someone (Orange is the New Black).

What does our addiction say about us? What do these dramas say about our world? How much more cynical can we become? Yes, these stories are fiction (mostly), but there is some truth running through them all. And it is scary. They are the New Horror Shows.

I'd hope these TV shows would have a chilling effect - one that helps us put a brake on those whose money and power has got us by the balls, but I don't think that beyond "entertainment" these shows really have an impact. That is sad, if true. I'm not really sure how I feel about watching these Hollywood depictions of the world, but disturbing is the best I can come up with.

For a little less serious tone or when you need a break from the intensity of power mongering and criminality, we've binged on The Glades (eye candy), The Finder (eye candy, but if you make it to the last episode, you will be pleasantly surprised I think), Emily Owens, MD, Bomb Girls, Land Girls, (kind of chick flicks) Orphan Black (sci-fi) and a few others that we watched in previous seasons, United States of Tara, Drop Dead Diva, among others.

OMG we watch a lot of TV. Can't wait till all this snow melts and we can get outdoors a bit more in the evening. We just looked out the window and the 2 feet of snow is now covered with a nice sheet of ice, as is the driveway and the cars.

Back to the TV, I guess.

Gay Popcorn Movies 5 - (not so gay) Marriage Italian Style (1964) "Matrimonio all'italiana"

A Netflix movie. One that is definitely NOT "TRENDING" - god that's a word I hate.

This past Saturday Leon had gone to the camper show in Boston with Dave and I was home with Benni. It was cold, damp, snowy and a rather good day for a Netflix movie. Benni doesn't care what movies we watch - he is so agreeable on that score and doesn't insist on Lassie re-runs - so it was my choice.

I was in the mood for an Italian classic - one I hadn't seen - Marriage Italian Style with Sophia Lauren and Marcello Mastroianni. The movie is in Italian (actually Neapolitan dialect) with English subtitles.

I'd seen Divorce Italian Style and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, many years ago and loved Sophia Loren from the first. Why are women like Sophia Loren admired by gay men so often. Is it because she is her own person and this comes across in her films?

In this movie, Sophia as Filumena, portrays a woman who is strong and determined. Even though Filumena lives in a society where women have strict, very traditional roles, she is able to transcend the confines of the culture, misogyny, and the often limiting roles of prostitute, mistress, mother and wife by turning her subservience into power.

I am reminded of the movie, Before Stonewall and what I saw as the depiction of some gay men who wore the roles they were relegated to like badges of honor. They too turned their oppression into power by proudly being themselves; and their ability to be their own person took power away from their oppressors.

Perhaps these symbols from the past still have plenty to say to us today.