Favorite (and Least Favorite) Gay-Themed Movies

[marylander1940]

[+ ursalex]

There are three movies I love, one of which hasn't been mentioned.

Big Eden. It's an endearing fairy tale that brings home the sadness of the closet. One particular scene always has me devolve into tears, especially when remembering my father (watch the film; you'll understand why.)

Latter Days. Love, redemption and good acting.

Make the Yuletide Gay. A funny film that always leaves me with a happy glow.

 

Bad films: too many to mention.

[marylander1940]

[marylander1940]

[body2body]

No one has mentioned "Sunday Bloody Sunday" directed by John Schlesinger. The film starred Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, and Murray Head in a tense drama in which Finch and Jackson were both in love with Murray Head's bisexual character. I remember the audience in the theater gasping when Finch and Head kissed passionately on the screen (with "Cosi fan Tutti" as the score) it was 1971 and two men kissing was so shocking. The film had a superb screenplay by Penelope Gilliat.

[+ WilliamM]

 

Apartment Zero has not been mentioned yet, I believe. It's Hart Bochner's best film. Argentina during "the disappeared" with a strong gay subtext. also starring Colin Firth. Great in its day -- late 1980s.

[+ WmClarke]

 

Apartment Zero has not been mentioned yet, I believe. It's Hart Bochner's best film. Argentina during "the disappeared" with a strong gay subtext. also starring Colin Firth. Great in its day -- late 1980s.

Saw that years ago. Enjoyed it a lot!

[+ quoththeraven]

There have been movies listed here that I've seen and didn't think of as gay-themed, like Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sunday Bloody Sunday, which I tend to mix up with Women in Love. (Saw them around the same time and Glenda Jackson is in both.) So thanks for jogging my memory! There are others I've heard of (or not) that sound interesting. At any rate, thanks for all the input.

 

Rod Hagen -- I know how much Brokeback meant and means to a lot of people, and from that perspective, I'm sorry to have harped on the ways in which it didn't work for me. But that doesn't mean I should change my mind, just that I should have expressed myself less vehemently, at less length, and fewer times. There are reasons Maurice, which also explored the ways in which man-to-man love is repressed and the price one pays for not following one's true inclinations, was my top pick and not Brokeback.

[+ WilliamM]

Rod Hagen -- I know how much Brokeback meant and means to a lot of people, and from that perspective, I'm sorry to have harped on the ways in which it didn't work for me. But that doesn't mean I should change my mind, just that I should have expressed myself less vehemently, at less length, and fewer times. There are reasons Maurice, which also explored the ways in which man-to-man love is repressed and the price one pays for not following one's true inclinations, was my top pick and not Brokeback.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emW5SOJergk

 

QTR:

 

You must have missed Pasolini's "Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom," the worst gay film I have seen. Salo is the city in Italy that the Nazis controlled after most of Italy fell in World War II. If the film was about Mussolini's last days as head of a puppet regime, it might have been interesting. Too because, Pasolini was a great director in his prime.

[Rod Hagen]

 

Apartment Zero has not been mentioned yet, I believe. It's Hart Bochner's best film. Argentina during "the disappeared" with a strong gay subtext. also starring Colin Firth. Great in its day -- late 1980s.

 

Oh that movie was so sexy. loved it.

[Rod Hagen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emW5SOJergk

 

QTR:

 

You must have missed Pasolini's "Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom," the worst gay film I have seen. Salo is the city in Italy that the Nazis controlled after most of Italy fell in World War II. If the film was about Mussolini's last days as head of a puppet regime, it might have been interesting. Too because, Pasolini was a great director in his prime.

 

Salo isn't my favorite Pasolini movie, but it is important and it is very well made. He's staged Marque De Sade in fascist Italy. Some people think it's hard to watch, "Hell On Earth" said the tagline, but to me the effects are so bad, thank goodness, I can't take the violence seriously.

 

My favorite Pasolini film is Arabian Nights, it's pretty gay, with a cute boy lead. I actually love the film. It's hard to find.

 

 

But Mamma Roma, not particularly gay, may be his best film. Anna Magnani is amazing, of course.

 

[Rod Hagen]

Rod Hagen -- I know how much Brokeback meant and means to a lot of people, and from that perspective, I'm sorry to have harped on the ways in which it didn't work for me. But that doesn't mean I should change my mind, just that I should have expressed myself less vehemently, at less length, and fewer times. There are reasons Maurice, which also explored the ways in which man-to-man love is repressed and the price one pays for not following one's true inclinations, was my top pick and not Brokeback.

 

You're very right to like Maurice, it's wonderful, glad you like it too:

 

The book is definitely worth reading too.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Maurice-Novel-E-M-Forster/dp/0393310329

[+ quoththeraven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emW5SOJergk

 

QTR:

 

You must have missed Pasolini's "Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom," the worst gay film I have seen. Salo is the city in Italy that the Nazis controlled after most of Italy fell in World War II. If the film was about Mussolini's last days as head of a puppet regime, it might have been interesting. Too because, Pasolini was a great director in his prime.

 

I think what made it terrible was that it was an adaptation of de Sade's book, 120 Days of Sodom, which is full of gratuitous sexual cruelty. I should know; I tried reading it and was simultaneously bored and repulsed. Pasolini used Mussolini's last days as a setting.

 

Rod - I keep forgetting to look for the book, but it is on my "to be read" list.

[+ Hoover42]

Absolutely loved Maurice, primarily because of Rupert Graves.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've watched the scene where Alec climbs up the ladder to Maurice' bedroom.

[AdamSmith]

Ah! And not to forget 'Night of the Iguana' for Grayson Hall's masterful turn as the repressed lesbian.

 

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/11386794/1300992453940/grayson+gardner.jpg?token=OcUDnnDNWV2NTaOomNkk66ZE19k%3D

 

...I confess an evil notion to script a mash-up of this + her other great role. The title would of course be 'Night of Dark Iguanas.'

 

http://welovesoaps.com/wls34/barnabas-and-julia.jpg

[JC954]

I just watched this last week. While not an evening out with your favorite escort, it was still somewhat entertaining.

 

[+ WilliamM]

 

ABC 1985 film "Consenting Adult" starring Marlo Thomas and Barry Tubb is somewhat out-dated but worth watching the full-length version on YouTube for Barry Tubb, who comes out to his parents and has sex with guys for the first time. For younger members of the forum, it shows what gay films on TV were like 30 years ago. This clip is just a preview, not the entire ABC film.

[+ Robster]

It's probably already been mentioned, but in case it hasn't, I highly recommend "The Wedding Banquet".

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Ca-SPeJw4

[ZhenXBear]

I recently watched "North Sea Texas", it was the first gay themed movie I'd watched in a long long time, taking a break from my normal Transformers, Maze Runner, Star Trek, and action flic mantra

 

Not because I don't enjoy them, but I think you have to be in the right mindset for them, as they do open up your heart to both past reflection and forward looking vision. I haven't been in this space for a long time and it really reminded me of all the things I wish could have come to fruition when I was in high school

 

[+ WmClarke]

Ah! And not to forget 'Night of the Iguana' for Grayson Hall's masterful turn as the repressed lesbian.

 

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/11386794/1300992453940/grayson+gardner.jpg?token=OcUDnnDNWV2NTaOomNkk66ZE19k%3D

 

...I confess an evil notion to script a mash-up of this + her other great role. The title would of course be 'Night of Dark Iguanas.'

 

http://welovesoaps.com/wls34/barnabas-and-julia.jpg

I would read that script. And if I won the lottery, build a time machine so we could film it with her.

[Zman]

So I'm resuscitating this thread to mark the 20th anniversary of Clueless. It's not a "gay" movie but it has a (fairly cute) gay character getting along just fine with the rest of the cast. And it is a good movie that I'm sure others remember fondly.

 

For the serious fans you can check out this interview with the movies' creator: http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2015/07/15/43654/clueless-director-amy-heckerling-on-the-teen-class/

[N13]

Just watched "Eastern Boys" and think it is a very well-done film. The acting is superb! The twists and turns are surprising but not unbelievable.

 

No one has mentioned Fellini's Satyricon. Loved it at the time, but on later viewings actually found it boring. Hiram Keller was beautiful to look at.

 

My favorites include:

Latter Days

Big Eden

Shortbus

Mysterious Skin

Torch Song Trilogy

[AdamSmith]

Agree re Fellini. Fell asleep in the theatre the last time Satyricon was on a double bill with something else I wanted to see at the local art house (actually Harvard's Carpenter Center retro flick series).

 

(The thing I was there for, I Walked with a Zombie, was strangely riveting.)

[Tonyko]

Last one..."Making Love." Disclaimer: At the time I really liked that film, but not a gay friend I knew on the planet liked it, or ever has liked it. Hate is such a strong word, but they really hated it...I gave up defending it years ago, after getting verbally beaten up at many a dinner party. I don't care, I still liked it...so there.

 

THIS film (yes I agree under-rated) HAD a lot of support but between wrapping production and the final edit the studio changed hands and heads. The new head after asking to see the releases ready to go was quoted as saying "you made a goddamn faggot film! Bury it!" Oddy the TV version (not literally but the same story) was a Movie Of The Week a decade earlier with Hal Holbrook and Hope Lange as a long married couple w a son and HE leaves her for Martin Sheen. And it did quite well ratings -wise.

THE WORST ONE EVER??? "PARTNERS". Ryan O'Neal and John (now SIR John) Hurt as str8 cop/gay cop forced to partner up and live together on stake-out. He's LITERALLY in the kitchen in oven mits making caseroles ugh.

[Tonyko]

The Boys in the Band....no one? Am I that old?

 

In many respects it broke barriers, and was one of the first. I remembering watching it and not completely understanding the dynamics between all the characters. Age has allowed a look back, and I realize how brilliant it was.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/The_Boys_in_the_Band-1970_movie_poster.jpg/215px-The_Boys_in_the_Band-1970_movie_poster.jpg

 

http://www.mattfind.com/12345673215-3-2-3_img/movie/j/y/h/the_boys_in_the_band_1970_500x409_724265.jpg

Prolly THE most important (non blackmail/villian etc) film ever, because it was the FIRST that went mainstream. My PARENTS told me they went to see it lol! It was the FIRST ALL GAY Play/Film that garnered a str8 audience, I'm sure more out of curiousity than anything. I know it gets a lot of flack today re some sissy stereo-types and a self-loathing main character, BUT there was balance, a basketball playing jock and a gay version of the screw every chance you get skirt-chaser etc. This wsas the FIRST, and had their NOT been the flaming sissy - looks obsessed narcissist - self hating wants to change lead etc it wouldn't have gotten an audience because a 1967/1970 audience would have said WHERE'S the homos these aren't homos etc ??? Sadly the only remaining cast members are the str8 ones, the gay actors did not survive the plague years. BUT to this DAY it has influence. two weeks ago I was with buds at dinner all of us born post 1970 and I mentioned a guy I grew up with and a bud screamed and pointed to another bud who confessed "He was my Delbert Botz". I got it we all got it :-)