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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2000)
november 17.2000 * FILMS Queenly digital Model 2000 Year End These three DVDs would make terrific gifts by A ndy M angels Ul» V • BjI H oliday season is just around the com er, and if you’re looking for som e cool presents for the techno logically advanced gay m an in your life, check out this trio o f queer-themed D V D s (all available on video as well, without the extras). GODWMONSTERS November 17-19! G ods and M onsters Columbia/TriStar his is the story of Hollywood honor director James W hale (played by gay actor Sir Ian M cKellan), who is living a life of semiretirement in 1957, no longer politically welcome in Tinseltown despite his earlier successes with Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. H e’s doted on by his cranky religious housekeeper, H annah (Vanessa Redgrave), but his world reawakens with the anival of a hunky new groundskeeper, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser). The flamboyant filmmaker begins a process of slow seduc tion for the simple-minded gardener, but the younger man’s angry heterosexuality— and the aftereffects from W hale’s strokes— lead to an unexpected climax. Backed by producer and gay horror writer Clive Bark er, queer director Bill Condon has created one of the most poignant gay films ever made. (His screenplay adaptation won an Academy Award.) M cKellan is riveting, while Redgrave is compelling— and almost unrecognizable. But Fraser, whose past film roles never hinted at this kind o f depth in his abilities, remains the most arresting presence. Highly recommended, this DVD has a commentary track by Condon, a documentary about W hale and the making of the film, production notes, trailers and cast bios. T T he B est of B oys in L ove First Run Features onsisting o f seven gay short films from previous video com pilations, this D V D features som ething for every gay man. T h e story o f “A ch illes” is told with astonishing stop-m otion anim ation (and 1 do mean jaw- dropping). “ Boot C am p ” starts out as a leather bar fan tasy but devel ops into a musi cal number. T h e longer “ D eath in Venice, C A ” is a predictable encounter between a repressed teacher and his stepnephew that still m anages some haunting imagery. “ Dirty Baby Does Fire Island” features a stop-m otion baby doll exploring sex and drugs amid the gay beach scene. “Karen Black Like M e” is the disc’s biggest disappointm ent, spoofing one o f the dark diva’s 1970s horror flicks. “S P F 2000” loses its charm after a while, but the purposely badly dubbed sexploitation aspects will get more than a few chuckles. Rounding out The Best of Boys in Love is the black-and-white “Twilight o f the G o d s,” a love story between a Maori warrior and a soldier who has slaugh- C Great Prices on Spas all Five Locations Discounts on Chemicals & Accessories 6 Months Same as Cash, O.A.C. tered his friends. Beautiful but haunting, it’s a sad note to end the collection on; thankfully, the D V D allows you to shuffle the short films around to create your own minifestival. With only 1 1/2 duds out o f seven, this disc still car ries some amazing power in its bite-sized pack ages, lending credence to the old saw, “It’s not the size, it’s how you use it.” T he G ay D eceivers Image very now and then, you’ll see a classic movie that shows how little our society has changed. Originally released in 1969, this film features two straight boys who are trying to dodge the draft and avoid going to Vietnam. They tell the Army they’re gay lovers, but when C ol. Dixon begins spying on them, they must move in together to an all-gay apartment com plex to complete the illusion. Their girlfriends and parents begin to get suspicious, and matters aren’t helped by the flamboyant landlord who keeps letting himself in to borrow something or cook a meal. Although he is a major “queen for a day” stereotype and the fashions and hairstyles (what were they thinking.7) are dated, The Gay Deceivers easily could be remade today with few plot changes; the issue of the draft could be replaced by “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Starring almost no one you’ve ever heard of, this film is surprisingly funny and, at its heart, positive in its portrayal of gay men. The DVD is no-frills, except for a completely crisp digital image, but this is one historical landmark you'll want to track down. E jn To find these queer DVDs and others, visit Port' land’s Gai'Pied, 2544 N .E . Broadway, or Movie Madness, 4320 S.E . Belmont St., or order them through gay'owned Wolfe Video, 800'G E T ' W OLFE, or TLA Video, 8 0 0 '3 3 3 '8 5 2 l. A ndy M angels is a media hound who’s glad to put his television to use as an entertainment writer. He just wishes there leas a way to lose weight while reviewing film s. You can write him at AM angelsSW @aol. com. Re-Conditioned HotSpring Spas Available Come Visit our New Warehouse Location \ Oregon HotSpring Spas Owt of Life's Rewards Visit our website at www.orhotspringspas.com or call us toll-free at 1-877-533-7772 ext.105 Now Shipping Chemicals! BEA VERTO N : 10367 SW Canyon Rd. (503)643-5002 C LA C K A M A S : 16112 SE 82nd Dr. (503)650*8242 SA LE M : 3966 Silverton Rd. NE (503)363-4000 B EN D : 61249 S Hwy 97 (541)388*0905 W A REH O U SE: 16305 NW Bethany C t Ste.103 (503) 533*5603 ••*3 9
