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Showing posts from January, 2021

Kazoku konpurîto (Japanese) [The Family Complete]

This has got to be one of the weirdest plots and movies I have ever seen , if not THE weirdest. Science fiction meets gay incest story meets porn. I would not buy the argument that this may have some cultural references, because this film is pure utter nonsense and disgust (personally for me). In the Kanba household, the grandfather Koichi lives with his son Shusaku and his three boys. Shusaku’s wife reacts in horror after discovering him having sex with his father. Shusaku is a biologist and explains to her that his father is the carrier of a so-far undiscovered virus that has infected the rest of them and made them want to have sex with only the grandfather. Soon, incest is the norm, with everyone getting a piece of grandpa, especially the men. Well, everyone but the third son, who prefers to cruise for guys outside. At the same time, the virus also prevents any of them from growing any older. After she leaves, the men takes turns having sex with the grandfather. And this whole thing...

Yo, Adolescente (Spanish) [Memories of a Teenager]

Even though the broad theme of this film is that friends and families should let the teenagers in their lives know that they care, with the hope that teen suicides can be prevented, there is a lot of underlying theme of sexual awakening with prominent gay characters and bisexual lead that I think its ok to review the film on my blog. This Argentinian feature focuses on the introspection done by 16 year old boy who has just lost his best friend. Zabo has just lost his best friend Pol who committed suicide. Trying to avoid grief, he is trying to spend him time with his friends. Since he has also turned 16 recently, a lot of his thoughts are about partying, sex and drugs. He starts writing a blog collecting his thoughts and things happening with him, sort of memoir. He has dated a few girls but none of them have everything that he is looking for in love. He realizes that the only person who has all the qualities he is looking for is Tomas, one of his closest friends. But Zabo doesn't ...

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard? (Japanese series)

This Japanese series was a nice pleasant surprise. It was clunky but romantic, goofy yet charming and most importantly it was funny in parts too. There was overacting at certain places from a few characters but I think it worked well in the overall series. There are 12 episodes of around 20 minutes each, so it's a very easy breezy watch. The basic premise of the story is based on an urban myth that 30 years of virginity can give you powers to read people's mind when you touch them. Clumsy, awkward and virgin with notable low self-esteem, Adachi is the epitome of the overworked, office worker who is often taken advantage of by his co-workers. On his 30th birthday, he realizes that he cam now hear people's thoughts. Scared at first he has now learnt to love with it battings change, when he finds out that Kurosawa, the most popular, handsome and talked about guy in the office has romantic feelings for Adachi. Adachi is shocked and surprised to know that heartthrob of all girls...

Baek-ya (Korean) [White Night]

Even though the overall mood of the film is pretty dark and serious and gloomy, the film maker does manage to weave a story of human connection, warmth hand possibility of love in this story occurring over the course of a single night. I have always strongly believed that in life, you are destined to meet certain people who change and define the course of your life. A flight attendant returns to Korea after 2 years. He meets his ex-boyfriend in a cafe who is still upset about a past event because of which this guy left. The guy abruptly leaves the cafe without saying goodbye, when his friend goes inside the cafe. After sometime this man meets a guy in orange jacket through internet chat. Flight attendant wants a quick sex in a bathroom whereas the new guy wants something more tender and natural even though it is supposed to be a one night stand. When orange jacket notices a scar on the guy's back, our protagonist becomes touchy, and decides suddenly he does not want to do anything ...

Daydream Obsession 3: Legacy

Seriously!! Weren't the first two films torturous enough, that someone had the god awful idea of making the third film in the series. God help us. Following the pattern of the lead man daydreaming about naked men in their full glory, this film is just slightly better than its predecessors. 21-year-old Wylie is visiting his freshly divorced dad, who is enjoying walking around naked in the home and dating new girls and proudly announcing them to his embarrassed son. While his father is out, he finds the video blogs of Clayton and is soon questioning his own sexuality. Turns out Wylie has a crush on his room mate Greg. He invites Greg along with couple of other friends over for some R&R. For two straight nights, Wylie gets Greg drunk so he can have his way with him but something stops him feeling not right. When the secret is revealed, greg is shocked initially but he talks to Wylie that he should just have talked to him rather than doing silly stuff like that. thankfully the fath...

Daydream Obsession 2: Infidelities

This is the second installment in the three part Daydream Obsession series. The good thing is that after watching the first film, I knew what to expect and went in with very little expectations. The bad thing is that this film is equally bad, soft porn and nothing to much write home about. Clayton’s obsessions are in the past, he tells his video journal. He has moved on from Brian and has finally found love with Luke and they have dated for six months now. Mostly he is content, but something makes him think that Luke may be cheating. He decides to follow Luke around to see who he is cheating him on with so that he can punish those people as well. In the process he ends up threatening a homophobe, a girl who is Luke's colleague and finally a young friend of Luke. Clayton’s obsession and joy with overpowering those home wrecking victims lead him on a delusion filled path of naked men playing with themselves and plenty of full frontal nude shots.  Not much has changed in this version....

Stage Mother (Canada)

This film starring Jackie Weaver is a sweet little film trying to cash in on the drag culture, but unfortunately it leaves a lot to be desired. it tries to handle quite a few topics but having not gone into details with the right emotions ultimately makes it feel superficial. The comedy and drama both seem a bit forced but having said that, it's the charming performances that makes this film watchable. Ricky, a drag queen , ends up with ha tragic death because of drug overdose. When estranged parents back in Texas get the news, the father is not interested but the grieving mother decides to fly to SF for her son's funeral. She is met with hostility by Ricky's husband Nathan, who was also his business partner in the drag club Rickey owned and performed in, since in the absence of a will, the parents have inherited the club/bar. The mother also meets Ricky's best friend, single mother Sienna, who offers her a place to stay. Surprisingly, the mother decides to revive he fa...

Daydream Obsession

US and its early years low budget gay themed films justifies creating something so horribly bad and stupid that it's almost unbelievable. I mean why do we need such crap. This film can best be described as a soft porn where the main storyline is barely 10 minutes and rest of the duration is our protagonist watching different men dreaming about them in complete nudity. 25 year old Clayton is gay and virgin, and he is love with his straight room mate Brian, who, of course, has a girlfriend. Blinded by passion, every time he sees a guy, he visualizes him naked and  his desire for Brian is crossing limits. Seizing a perfect opportunity one night, he kills Brians girlfriend and kidnaps bBrian so that he can have sex with him and make him fall in love with him. The plan doesn't go very far as Brian refuses to ever love him like this except as his brother. eventually, Brian is successful is bringing Clayton out of his desire. If you like the kind of films, in which 5 or 6 HOT guys in ...

Takumi-kun Series 5: Ano, Hareta Aozora (Japanese) [That, Sunny Blue Sky]

This film is the fifth and last film in the Takumi-kun film series. After getting side tracked in the fourth film, the makers are back to focusing on the main couple Takumi and Gii. This film is actually a continuation of the surroundings and environments of third film where Misu is Takumi's roommate and Gii is the dorm head. June 15 marks the date of the death anniversary of Takumi’s older brother. In the past, Takumi had been haunted by bitter memories of the pain he suffered from his family. It was only after he met Gii did he find the strength to confront his fears. This year Gii tells Takumi that he wishes to visit his brother's grave with him, it makes Takumi very happy as he has intended to invite Guii too. However, on the same day, there is a snooker tournament organised by the school to welcome new students. When Takumi finds out that Guii will be taking part in the tournament, he feels betrayed and upset which sends Takumi into a state of utter disbelief and awaken fe...

1313: Haunted Frat

What was the purpose of making this film? I mean, come on!! I would love to hear what was the pitch that the story writer or the director gave to the producers to make the film. It took around 17 minutes watching the same guy take the same walk in an underwear. About three lines were said and noting until 25'ish minutes for the next. Film starts with a guy in a frat house dreaming of another guy who is walking around their house for almost 17 minutes. That really long wandering scene was immediately followed by a shower scene. Again...no dialogue. Then there are these other 2 guys who are either taking a dip in the pool or taking a shower and walking around in their underwear. There's a lady ghost wandering around rubbing the frat guys bodies throughout the movie and turning them into some sort of mindless monsters that wander around the house...so it doesn't change them at all. And thats pretty much it! If you think you are targeting this movie for gays, I feel insulted th...

Until We Meet Again (Thai Series)

Let me just say it, loud and clear. So far this is THE BEST BL Series i have seen so far. It will be really hard for me to put down all my thoughts in this review because I had all sorts of comments and observations in every single episode. 17 episodes and about 40 minutes each, this is one of the longer series, but every bit of it is so worth it. Its not every day when you watch something, it brings a smile on your face and it also makes you cry and lump in your throat, again and again, episode after episode. You cannot miss this one. Thank You Gerald From France for recommending this. If not, who knows when I would have ended up watching the show. Thirty years ago, Korn and Intouch were university students in Bangkok. Intouch entered Korn's life despite knowing that he was the son of one of the most influential people in Bangkok, the mafia. At first, Korn kept pushing Intouch away, but in the end, he couldn't resist the boy who was so full of life where he was the exact oppos...

Lass den Sommer nie wieder kommen (Georgian) [Let the Summer Never Come Again]

Holy Mother of God!! How can this even be called a film! I have seen a lot of crap out there and my blog would be a testament to it, but this film takes the cake. It hands out beats all kinds of weird experimental cinema that is out there. To top that it is over 3 hours long. Talk about the agoney and pain one has to sit through to just see and listen to maybe about 20 minutes of dialogue in the film mostly shot on a phone with really really bad photography and cinematography. I am baffled this film could win any award at all whatsoever. An aspiring dancer leaves his village for the city of Tbilisi, Georgia. But the audition has been cancelled. The man turns to working multiple jobs, from underground fighting to prostitution, and abandons his dreams of dancing. But the monotony of this new life is interrupted by love with ha man, who is an officer of some sorts whom he had met a couple of times before. After several chance meetings, that handsome military officer offers a large sum of ...

Takumi-kun Series 4: Pure (Japanese)

The fourth film in the series is quite different from the first three. This time the focus is not Takumi and Gii but instead we see how the relationship developed between Misu Arata (Takumi's room mate in third year) and Shingyouji Kanemitsu, his boy friend. We see their past, how they met, love blossomed and where they are today. Shingyouji comes to the boarding school for the entrance exam where he sees Misu and it seem that at least for him was love at first sight. He desperately wants to come to this school because entering at that college meant he could be away from his family issues at home. After he started his first year of high school he was like a puppy for Misu, following him around and always doing what Misu said all the time, including many times being snubbed and ignored by Misu. Things change when Sagara Takahiro appears again in their life two years later, he was Misu's friend couple of years back and seems like wants to be Misu's love. Shingyouji is now tir...

Wish You (Korean)

Wish you was originally aired as a 8 part web series and has now officially released as a full fledged movie on Netflix. I believe that the movie is all parts joined together , so whatever you see it, you are not going to miss it. This film is a true blue musical since the story is about a singer/musician combo, so plenty of songs to listen to and sit through. Personally, not my cup of tea, especially if the language is not something that I understand. Kang In Soo’s life revolves completely around music and singing. Supported by his best friend Choi Min Sung, who records his performances and uploads them on YouTube, he hopes to someday turn his love of music into a full-time career. A keyboardist working at a major record company, Yoon Sang Yi is always on the lookout for new talent. After stumbling upon In Soo’s videos, Sang Yi has become one of the singer’s biggest fans. You can see that he is not just a fan of Kang's voice but also maybe falling for him and dreams of maybe makin...

Takumi-kun Series 3: Bibō no Detail (Japanese) [The Beauty of Detail]

The third film in the series continues with the boy love tale of Gii and Takumi with romance, friendship and all that angst that comes with it in an all boys school. This came just one year after the second film and the leads actors continued to reprise their respective roles. A new school year begins and everyone comes back after the break but this year something changes. How will Takumi survive this? Talking on phone, the loving couple Gii and Takumi are both looking forward to spending third year together. Gii is now a dorm leader and gets a separate room. Through his friend Takumi finds out that there has been much change in Gii's appearance and behavior. Takumi is shocked since Giii hasn't even bothered to meet him yet. On top of that, when Takumi gets Misu as his room mate, who has been in a longstanding cold war with Gii since first year, worries Takumi even more. This prompts Takumi to confront his boyfriend only find out that the once affectionate Gii has turned aloof ...

Saturday Church

Saturday Church is a heartfelt mini-musical that takes us into exploration of sexuality and gender identity of a Bronx teenager. The interior monologue song and dance numbers is an icing on the cake and coming that from me, who is really not a musical fan at all, this is something. The concept of the movie is loosely based on the LGBTQ+ outreach program, Art & Acceptance, at St Luke in the Fields located in the West Village of New York City. 14 year old Ulysses lives with his younger brother and mother after his father recently passed away. His conservative aunt Rose is helping them out at home with chores and food while the mother is at work. Ulysses is constantly bullied for his feminine characteristics. One night Ulysses ventures out into the city and meets a group of transgender and gay individuals, who take him to 'Saturday Church' a program run at a local church to feed and provide shelter for LGBT youth. Ulysses gets attracted to Raymond and the feeling is mutual. Bu...

Bent (UK)

"Bent" is one of the more famous gay movies of all time that tells a heartrending love story, set against the backdrop of the Holocaust. I had seen this film long back before I started writing my blog, so it was about time I revisited this classic and pen my thoughts here. The film was adapted by a stage play, which is actually evident by t he very stagey feel of the film, but thanks to the wonderful performance of the two lead actors, its a befitting study of repressions, identity and love. Max is an avid gay party organizer in Berlin and seen with ever changing lovers in the decadent nightclub Berlin scene much to the dismay of his boyfriend Rudy. He doesn't care that under Hitler Germany is changing. After a tryst with a gay soldier from a Nazi militia, Max and Rudy find themselves being hunted by soldiers. With the help of his uncle, Max is able to procure papers to leave Germany but refuses to do so unless he gets papers for Rudy as well. Eventually they are captured...

Takumi-kun Series 2: Niji-iro no Glass (Japanese) [Rainbow Colored Glass]

The second film in this series came out in 2009, two years after the first one, with one big change. both the lead actors playing Takumi and Gii were replaced by new actors. The film making style has also matured and there is not so much OTT acting by the leads. As the first part, this film also  tenderly displays the romance of a young, gay couple, and all the complications of their relationship. Gii and Takumi are now a happy couple, very much in love, still in school and their group of friends is very happy for them. Takumi doesn't believe in PDA which upsets Gii a little bit. Things change when a new first year student Morita joins appears in the picture. Gii wants to host a party and asks Takumi to make sure to invite Morita. Takumi goes through hall emotions of jealousy, anger and despair and thinks that finally Gii is over him and is now interested in the new handsome boy. A couple of days after thhe party and the lovers rift, Their best friend Suzuki leaves school for hospi...

Takumi-kun Series 1: Soshite Harukaze ni Sasayaite (Japanese) [And The Spring Breeze Whispers]

Takumi-kun series is a series of 5 films based on the very popular Japanese novel series. The primary protagonist of this series is Takumi Hayama, a high school student at Shidō Academy, a private elite boarding school in the mountains. Set at Shidou Gakuin, a boys' boarding school situated off the beaten track, we are introduced to Takumi. Unlike the other students, Takumi is not from a prestigious background and attends the school to escape from a past psychological trauma that leaves him repulsed by people touching him, and as a result, he is perceived as emotionless and unsociable by his classmates. He tries to stay away from most boys, except his roommate and friend from first year. In the second year at school, Takumi Hayama is allocated a room in a dorm to share with Giichi "Gii" Saki. Gii was brought up abroad and is the school idol with his exceptional academic performance, as well as his good looks. One day, Gii confesses to Takumi that he has been in love with ...

Vestido de novia (Spanish) [His Wedding Dress]

There is very little that you get to hear about LGBT issues in a country like Cuba. The subject of this film is the understanding (or lack thereof) by Cuban society of sexual diversity, in particular of the problems and needs of transsexuals. I was glad to read that this film had the support of the Cuban government, in particular of daughter of Cuban leader Castro, who is a huge activist for LGBT rights in Cuba. Set in 1994 in Havana, Rosa, a nurse, is married to Ernesto, a construction engineer. they have a happy life with Rosa's ailing father, whom she takes care of. She is pretty much as good a person as nurses are supposed to be: Ernesto and his colleagues are pretty much as sexist as construction workers are supposed to be. One warm Havana afternoon, Rosa Elena checks up on a transgender friend, Sissy, who is suffering from the complications of a black-market breast augmentation. Rosa’s husband, Ernesto, expresses his disapproval of Sissy, and she pleads with him to understand...

Délivrez-nous du mal (Canadian French) [Deliver Us From Evil]

This movie can actually be excused for being a bad film, given that it came out in 1969. just about nothing in this film is worth talking about or worth watching. this French Canadian film was produced and shot in 1965 but remained unreleased until 1969 due to its sensitive subject matter. Andre, a young man, does not work but gets full financial support from his parents. He has a huge crush on a man named Georges. He works with Andre's sister Lucille, who also has a crush on Georges, even though she is married. It's time for Georges to take vacation and Andres goes with him, despite being constantly rebuked, insulted and pushed back for following him by Georges. But Andres is only too happy to sponsor and be with Georges at this time even though he constantly is being insulted. But when Georges ends up having sex with women and even find a rich girl to be his wife, André is driven to attempt both suicide and murder because of his inability to secure Georges' affections. Th...

BoyBand Love (Filipino) (Web Series)

There has been a plethora of BL series from Philippines in 2020. If I had to guess, its the stupendous success of Thai BL series (which even gets a mention in this show) thats responsible for this. But as expected, not every series can give you a good product. This series has every stereotype and drama that you would expect in a show: forced conflicts, love, separation and back to love; a boy and a girl fighting for same guy, a person exploring sexuality, a loud trans person etc etc. A pinoy Boys Band LMTLSS consists of 4 members: Aiden is the lead singer and most popular of them all, Danny is the other singer and other two are Rico and Jamie. Looks at the fact that the four don't particularly like each other, their company sends them on a 3 month forced time together. Danny has a crush on Aiden, even though they are supposedly rivals; Rico is trying to hide his sexuality behind a forced straight man facade and Jamie feels a bit misfit in the band. Primary story is about Aiden and ...

Sodom (UK)

This film is bound to remind you of one of my all time time favorite film "Weekend". Two guys, their connection and interaction over a period of one single night seems very close to what Weekend was all about, but unlike to that, Sodom is more focused on educating a younger guy on how coming out should be ok and is not going to be the end of the world. Will is an English twenty-year old wannabe soccer star who is in Berlin on his stag weekend. He ends up naked and handcuffed to a streetlight and is rescued by an older German Michael, who lives around the corner. Their physical chemistry is immediately evident, and within minutes Will and Michael are having sex in Michael’s gorgeous apartment. Only after that Will tells that he is straight, about to get married to his sweet heart in a couple of months. He occasionally enjoys company of men. Michael has recently been separated from his partner of many years. However, as their connection deepens and they begin to reveal more to ...

Né Giulietta né Romeo (Italian) [A Little Lust]

This film started off so well but somewhere mid way, I had lost much of my interest in the film. The plot was going nowhere and it felt like comedy was being forced and the film was bering stretched beyond it needed to be. Our primary protagonist here is 16 year old Rocco, who is struggling with his sexuality and how he gets through it with the help of his 2 best friends. Rocco is sixteen years old and his parents, although divorced, are present in his life. Rocco is nice and loyal, he loves his mother but he is always in conflict with his father, who happens to be a psychologist. Together with his best friends Maria and Mauri, he is a passionate fan of current rock star, Jody Mc Gee. At school he is constantly bullied for possibly being gay. When a cute guy joins his class he is caught with him which makes him come out to his parents Although very modern in outlook on paper, this news does not go down well with his modern parents. The family discussion turns into an awkward and useles...

Beautiful Something

Is it just sex or is there something more that our protagonists are looking for? Depicting the often erotically charged interactions among four gay men and assorted friends and lovers, this film could have been an interesting study but somewhere it failed to connect with me. Brian is a struggling writer who is in this writer's block moment who has a deadline to submit. He desperately needs human connection and love but for whatever reasons, every guy he meets wants ti just have hot passionate sex and nothing more afterwards. His many hookups include one fleeting moment with Jim. Jim is a young, beautiful, struggling actor who has just walked out on his lover Drew, an artist who fails to be able to connect to the world because he is too lost in his art. Finally we meet Bob, a talent agent from L.A. in his sixties who is being driven around in his white limo until he finds the right boy to pick up, well why not, he can afford it. In the process he ends up picking up Jim.  The film is...

Boys' Lockdown (Filipino / English) (Web Series)

My third Filipino series based in the time of pandemic and i have to say these are slightly better than Thai ones. These are not over dramatic, thankfully but yes they do have some OTT jokes for no reason but I guess, people enjoy it. This short sweet series is perfect to watch 2 strangers  falling in love despite COVID-19 protocols, the quarantine period, and social distancing. It gives all of us hope that new relationships can work out romantically despite us being stuck at home. The story is simple. Chen is a cute boy who uploads regular videos of himself online. Key is a huge fan and in fact has a huge crush on him. They both have a chance encounter one day at a grocery story. Not knowing who the other person is since they are both masked, they both feel a weird chemistry with each other. But Chen gets to see who Key is and it turns out that Chen had seen key almost a month ago and since then has been looking for him. Chen mistakenly posts a video online admitting his crush and...

Athlete (Japanese)

I am still under the assumption that LGBT films and the topic itself is still at a large taboo in the country. So it's always fascinating to look out for what kind of stories would the film makers come up with in such an environment. Kohei is a former competitive swimmer and these days train children. One day out of nowhere his wife asks for divorce, which surprisingly even their teenage daughter thinks makes sense. Kohei gets pissed drunk that night ends in an LGBTQ+ bar run by transwoman Priscilla. He wakes up in an apartment that belongs to Yuki, gay, polyamorous, making his living as a chat boy while aspiring to become an animator. At the same time, he is struggling to tell his father that he is gay and has issues of his own. They are both confused but eventually become attracted to each other. Coming out to himself makes Kohei feel more alive. Nevertheless, the ideal living together doesn’t last long, and jealousy sets a wedge between the lovers. Then, they have sex. One day t...

Wo willst du hin, Habibi? (German) [Where Are You Going, Habibi?]

Being a gay immigrant myself, stories about either of these topics always fascinate me (assuming that they are well made). This film talks about both in addition to the discrimination that some people have to face with this regard. At a runtime of almost 80ish minutes, the film thankfully doesn't over dramatize anything and tries to keep sweet and simple. Ibo is a second generation Turkish in Berlin who just got his university degree, but is facing the fact that his name and face make it more difficult to get a job than those from White-German families. To make some extra cash, he works as a cashier in a gay sex shop. He has excellent relations with his family including his father. One day Ibo meets a blond con man Alexander and somehow can't get him out of his head. He soon finds out that he is a wrestler, which Ibo eventually joins. When Alexander is beaten up and has both his arms broken, he discovers that Ibo is one of the few friends he has who seems to care. An unlikely r...

Bombay Boys (English/Hindi)

This film released way back in 1998. I was still in closet and this was first Indian film as far as I remember, which had a prominent gay character which was not normalized and not caricaturist. I secretly watched the film on dvd. So, even though the whole movie is not really queer, 1 of the 3 guys is gay and his story is equally important, so it was fun just reliving those moments.  Three young boys of India origin arrive in Mumbai at the same time. Krishna is a budding actor from NYC, Ricardo is here to find his long lost brother and is from Australia, and finally Xerxes, a musician from London, is here to discover himself. they meet at airport and decide to find a place together. In lure of movies, Krishna finds himself entangled in the underground world of Don Mastana. Ricardo, the serious-looking Australian, finds out the sad fate of his brother, but also manages to fall in love with Mastana's spunky moll Dolly, igniting further flames. Xerxes, who's a Parsi, is led to emb...