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-
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Chemicals &
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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.
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