Queer Cinema

[My favourite film in the whole entire universe!]
Gus Van Sant's masterpiece, My Own Private Idaho, is a surreal character study/road movie that follows the lives of two street hustlers - Mike Waters (River Phoenix), our narcoleptic hero on a quest to find his mother who abandoned him as a child, and gay-for-pay swashbuckler, Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves), the mayor's rebellious son, who chooses to live on the streets and whore himself about town. Set in Portland, their days of wandering aimlessly around the city consists of a little recreational drug use, picking up a few johns, (no matter how repulsive), and not to mention quoting healthy paragraphs of Shakespeare. Personally, I've never been really big on Shakespeare, but what Van Sant has taken from his play Henry IV, (which is fairly minimal), creates a sort of dream-like atmosphere that becomes very hypnotic at times, but not over the top.

The one person who makes this film really come to life is none other than the brilliant River Phoenix, who was essentially the James Dean of his generation. (And my favourite actor of all-time!) His portrayal of Mike Waters is so raw and moving, that the film actually becomes terribly depressing to watch. Mike's earnest search for his long-lost mother leads the pair to his childhood home in Idaho. Along the way, Mike declares his love for Scott during the classic campfire scene, in which River Phoenix actually wrote. Scott, who insists he only has sex with men for money, brushes him off with a hug, and the two remain best buds. That is, until their pilgrimage lands them in Rome, where Scott falls in love with a nice Italian girl. The two of them get married, Scott reforms himself, inherits his father's fortune, and wants nothing more to do with Mike or his old life.

What makes My Own Private Idaho so marvelous is the fact that it is truly one of a kind. I guarantee you will never see another film like this.

Have a nice day.

I love everything about this film!

A pure classic. It is just as beautiful as the novel. I love when a film stays true to the book. The casting for all the characters were spot on. It not only deals with the tender subject of homosexuality in the early 1900s, but also with the upper and lower classes of English society.

Best musical ever created? I think so! It always brings a smile to my face.

I enjoyed this far more than Capote! The acting was ten times better, and it showed a more gentle side to Truman. Daniel Craig was absolutely fantastic! I really sympathized with his character.

This is the first film where I actually realized how good of an actor Colin Farrell is. I was completely shocked by his performance. It is the most natural I've ever seen him. All of the characters are so unique. It is a really great story. Like most films I enjoy, it has a very sad ending.

This is a wonderfully sweet and sincere 'coming out' film. Happy endings are nice to see, especially when they're not forced. What a fabulous soundtrack as well! Who doesn't love Mama Cass?

Undoubtedly a new favourite of mine!

This was so cheesy! I loved every minute of it! Even the little details of the film are amusing. The lead character is a detective in New York, who is originally from Sicily, and he, along with the entire New York cast (including the president of the United States), speaks only German. I was laughing the entire time! What a perfectly fucked up film! I was only disappointed by the fact that the killer condoms weren't from outer space. I had anticipated them being a hostile alien race coming to Earth to ensure the destruction of mankind. Still highly entertaining though! What more can you expect from Troma, right?!

If you were to tell me you didn't enjoy this film I would not believe you. It's not just a "Priscilla" rip-off! It's funny and has a good heart. Plus it's amusing to see Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes in drag!

I really do prefer the film version to the written biography. At times the book became quite taxing to press on. Don't get me wrong, I love Oscar Wilde, but Richard Ellmann's biography on him was a little excessive. On another note, Stephen Fry was clearly born to play Oscar Wilde! I couldn't think of a better fit. This is one of the few films where I can actually stand Jude Law. His usual arrogant charm totally befits his character. Unfortunately though, this film brings about the beginning of Orlando Bloom's "acting" career.

A very powerful story that needed to be made. Tom Hanks gives the best performance of his career.

A surreal and truly haunting thriller from the genius who brought us The Exorcist. This film has everything. From a gripping soundtrack and vivid imagery, to an ending that will leave you thinking for hours. You really can't help becoming completely engrossed in this film. Friedkin makes sure of that. From the very beginning, you are lured right into the story. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, and you have absolutely no idea where it is taking you. Little do you know, you are about to dive headfirst into one of the most graphic and eerie tales that will leave you utterly speechless. The subtle use of horror and the realistic vibe you get from the S&M leather scene, make your eyes pop with glee! Al Pacino gives a staggering performance, and personally, watching him dance in this film makes me all giddy inside!

Cruising did leave me a bit bewildered. Even after multiple viewings, there are still some unanswered questions. That doesn't make me dislike it in any way. I think that was what was intended.

Wow! I cannot believe I came across this: http://www.evil-g.com/boytoysmain.html - An action figure version of William Friedkin's Cruising! Hah!

This was exactly what I wanted it to be! A mindless slasher flick with some super cheesy moments! Just like the good ol' days! It's not meant to be scary or intelligent. Just fun! Everyone's brain needs a rest every now and again! The slasher genre should be proud of this lovely little addition! There should be more gay slasher flicks anyway!

Such a well-rounded cute film.

"Chuck & Buck, Suck & Fuck!" Oh wow, what a unique film! Buck is such an intriguingly ominous character! You really can't help but fall in love with him, even if he is stalking his childhood bud. It's innocent enough, from an audience point of view. I'm sure that Chuck fellow found it a bit unsettling being persued day-in and day-out. I couldn't believe how calm Chuck was by the end of this film though. Totally creepy! I love it! Three cheers for ultra dark humour!

It's a nice heartwarming story, but the whole murder/money subplot is rather annoying. The character development is the film's strongest point. The performances by both Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman are topnotch.

This had the most annoying music I've ever had to put up with in a film! However, the story and acting did make up for that. It's a low-budget film with a few historical inaccuracies, but it is certainly worth a watch. Plus, John Greyson is genius in a little Canadian gift-wrapped package. <3

I was expecting a bit more, but I still really enjoyed it.

This film was quite different from what I had in mind. There wasn't nearly enough incest to even warrant these two a spot on the Jerry Springer show!

It wasn't a terrible film, just average. At times though, it felt like this script was written by a kid. The use of language is really poor. The plot also took a bunch of detours that made absolutely no sense. Basically, the film is about two brothers who continue reminiscing about the one time they fucked in Bermuda. Rando! And seriously, if you're going to make a film about incest, you may as well go all the way! Those of us who actually rent this film have no problems watching some incestuous relations.

BEST TELEVISION SHOW EVER!!! Period. End of discussion.

Ben Affleck really grosses me out.

WHAT IN THE FUCK?