Editorial Review

Jeremy Irons gives another superb and underrated performance in Read more

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Reviews (17)

Completely implausible plot
I fail to understand what the true story could have been that the film is supposedly based on. The plot is completely implausible. Leaving aside the basic premise of the film that Gallimard can sleep with a man without noticing this man was in fact a man and not a woman... just one example: does anybody really believe that the French police (perhaps with the exception of Luis de Funes) would transport two suspects together so that they can conveniently discuss a common strategy of hiding their former spying activiites? Preposterous if you ask me. Not to mention that there were absolutely no bumps on the road during the whole scene in the police van... (was that perhaps a hovercraft?) And there are also more improbabilities that the average European or American eyes fail to see but that left my Chinese wife totally flabbergasted... I wonder if David Cronenberg ever bothered to consult experts in the field as is the good practice with movies that involve distant regions, long-gone periods of history or special fields of human activity. Now back to the basic premise of the film, and I am not spoiling the final surprise for anyone because you figure out Butterfly is a man as soon as you have a look at the photographs on the box of the videocasette... my only explanation is that Gallimard was in fact bisexual and because of that decided to play the part of Butterfly himself in this weird relationship... be this a postscript to the dicusssion in the previous reviews as to whether John Lone was sufficiently female to be persuasive... All that having been said, the movie has its good moments and an intensive atmosphere, maybe too theatrical at times, but overall worth watching if you are a fan of things oriental or like to explore sexual ambiguities...

Breathtaking
I don't think anyone could have done justice to writing the screenplay to M Butterfly (based on David Henry Hwang's stage play) than Hwang himself.While it is a bit of a departure from the 1988 play based on the true story of a French diplomat who falls in love with a Chinese opera singer and the disastrous outcome of their affair, as a film it could not have been done otherwise. Who's French??
Yet another spectacular tale of love and maddness with a Freudian twist by the great David Cronenberg. There are some slight flaws with the film such as a cast portraying French people, none of which sporting French accents. But I suppose thats better than trying to do a French accent and it being inconsistant. All-in-all though, a really great, really strange (though not as strange as some of his other work) surprisingly poetic movie. Definately a must see for fans of Cronenberg and Jeremy Irons alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Motion Picture Video    4. Movie   

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Reviews (8)

A superb gem of the German filmography!
This is -under any perspective you analyze it- the bravest and boldest film around the lesbianism. But this approach will allow you to explore the most dark corners related with the feminine loneliness and ontological desperation.
Platonic love at a Prussian Boarding school
I have watched this movie in a class that I am taking now entitled German Film:Beyond Faschism. A Different Love
The way the intense, loving relationship between the young schoolgirl and the teacher was portrayed and developed was very moving.However, I didn't get a sense of sexual love or tension between the two.Instead, I felt more like the movie showed me the different kinds of love possible between two people, regardless of gender.The girl loved her teacher almost like a mother, but not quite.There was definitely something more to it than that type of strong yet simple and easily understood love.There was a sense of longing and forbidden love mixed in with this maternal love.I saw this movie not as an illustration of lesbian love, but rather as a sort of wake-up call that made me question my previous notions regarding love and what it meant to me.And if you ask me, saying that a movie can make you question these types of things is the highest form of praise I can think of. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film - German    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

A sensitive yet humorous adaptation of the stage play, this 1970 film directed by William Friedkin (Read more

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Reviews (47)

"Who do you have to (bleep) to get a drink around here?
Luke and myself love this movie...it's one of our favorites...or as we would say, "A Classic"!But where's the dvd? There's a line-up around the block waiting for its release.
NEED DVD
Why hasn't this been released on DVD? I know at least three of my friends who want this in their collection.

Need DVD
Please hurry & release this on DVD!!This is one of my favorite movies!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (100)

Philadelphia
Denzel Washington is probably my favorite actor. Even in that dog of a movie called THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, he shone. Tom Hanks? Well, lemme quit hating the guy. This is a well-intentioned movie, Tom did a creditable job, and we had extreme close-ups with funny colors to camouflage the spots where he overreached. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Antonio Banderas fly in the face of his Latino studliness by playing a gay guy. A passionate one, though, since he's still a Latino, after all.
Certain times I like it, others I don't
How do you separate a socially important film from a great film? Sure this film tackled the AIDS/homosexuality issue head-on but that doesn't automatically make it a great film. I'm not knocking this film, of course not. But there's a lot of parts in it that I didn't like which maybe made it appear to be a lesser film than what it wants to be, it is or what everyone makes it out to be.
it's not about the acting...
Two of my best friends were living their last days when Philadelphia was made. One of them went to the Dr. whose office was used in the opening scenes, and was receiving an experimental drug that was the precursor to today's more successful cocktails. I watched them struggle at a time when Reagan wouldn't even say the word AIDS to the public. Bush wasn't much better. So to have a film come out that tried its best to tackle the most tragic disease in our lifetime, one that touched me personally, well, I was and am willing to forgive a couple of shortcomings. It was a monumental film for anyone struggling with AIDS, and for those who helped support them, giving us all one of the first voices that permeated the psyche of our country, beyond the boundaries of NY and SF.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

A superior, made-for-cable film, this Home Box Office adaptation of Randy Shilts's chronicle detailing the emergence of AIDS in America and the fight against bureaucracy and society for a cure is a taut, outrageous, and affecting true-life drama. Matthew Modine (Read more

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Reviews (46)

And the Band Played On
I received this product on time and in perfect shape. I enjoy the high quality of Amazon's site.

Important message and strong performances
This movie was excellent. I have a degree in public health so this was a smash hit to me. You can gain appreciation for it on many levels.
See how it began
It's been 25 years and so much in the gay community has changed and so much hasn't. A quarter century ago it seemed unthinkable that Love and Death could ever co-exist. Now we live in the midst of an uneasy truce. See this film and see how the first generation dealt with the unthinkable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie    4. TV Shows   

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Reviews (16)

DVD release 11/7/06 exclusive to Boxed Set
This title will be included the next Marlon Brando Collection set from Warner's. It has not been announced for separate release.

Bizzare, Grotesque, Disturbing...And Yet Strangely Brilliant
Reflections in a Golden Eye is a film based on the Carson McCullers novel of the same name. It surrounds the lives of Major Penderton (Brando) a repressed homosexual married to an unsympathetic, emasculating woman-Lenora (Liz Taylor), who is having an affair with Lt. Langdon whose wife Alision, has descended into self-mutilation-cutting off her nipples with garden shears-unable to come to terms with the loss of her child. As the movie begins the audience is greeted with an eerie musical score and is introduced to Private Williams a loner who seems to have a predilection for horses-among other things.
A Daring Film Classic
"Reflecions in a Golden Eye" is a deliberately slow moving, moody, atmospheric rendition of a literay classic. Critics and audiences were not impressed in 1967, when it was first released. But to compare it to international masterpieces such as Luis Bunuel's films, Carl Theodore Dreyer's (The Passion of Joan of Arc)masterpieces, and even Ingmar Bergman's unforgetable views into the dark psyche of "normal" and "abnormal" people, is to realize how close to the mark John Huston was. The acting by the four principles is truly moving. I'll never forget Brando's expression after his wife's horse throws him. Gives this film a chance. It is sad and quietly passionate at the same time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Gus Van Sant's often-beautiful 1991 film stars River Phoenix as a narcoleptic, Seattle male prostitute and Keanu Reeves as the rich friend who agrees to help him find his mother. After a solid hour or so of the two traveling on this quest through Idaho and Italy, Van Sant throws a wrench into the works by conjuring a gay version of Shakespeare's Read more

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Reviews (94)

I Love You, And You Don't Pay Me.
My Own Private Idaho is Gus Van Sant's 1991 art house motion picture featuring Keanu Reeves and the late River Phoenix; it is an extremely loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I & II. Long before his critically applauded Drugstore Cowboy, Van Sant had wanted to produce My Own Private Idaho, but studios would not even read the script due to its possible debate. However following the success of Van Sant's 1989 Drugstore Cowboy, curiosity was shown towards the project generally because of Van Sant's attachment and his earlier triumph. The filmmaker received a $2.5 million budget from New Line Cinema and even got the two male leads he had anticipated, Reeves and Phoenix. Both of the actors' agents were fiercely adamant against their participation in the picture, but both were ready for the challenge. Like others in the genre, the feature didn't get a suitable release and went mostly unnoticed by mainstream audiences, only recognizing it for its taboo subject matter.
Have A Nice Day
An interesting film that looks at the lives of two street kids and their travels to find a true home and adoration.The cast is wonderful with River Phoenix (Mike) giving a heartbreaking performance as a nomad in search of his mother, and the deep longing for love and acceptance from a slumming rich kid, Scott (Keanu Reeves).The direction is mellow and passive in rich oranges and pastels with shots framed on the subject matter in bare form.The film never bows down to a perfect ending nor does it make victims or violators of the characters.It was a breakthrough art film that has aged well and avoided stereotypes immersing itself in the human characteristics everyone shares.

Phoenix is good, but the script is not.
Look, that part where the hustlers and low-lifes hang around in their abandoned building and quote Shakespeare and jump around making theatrical gestures, that part's just terrible. Especially when the Shakespearean lines are punctuated by profanity, come on, that's just a sign of a bad screenplay. Sure, you can use a seedy setting to illustrate a Shakespearean theme. But actually lifting whole passages just creates an air of artificiality, it forces the symbolism and looks really silly. Some years ago, I knew this guy who really wanted to be a film maker, more than that, he believed in art and wanted to make thoughtful, meaningful art films. But the thing was, he had nothing to write about, so he'd just take bits and pieces from Shakespeare's plays or other far superior stories, and then he'd move them to a modern setting and add lots of trendy pop culture references. That's what this reminds me of, even when the actors caper around and recite the lines, it's like a film student's idea of what Shakespearean acting is like.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

When Brandon Teena, a young man with an infectious, aw-shucks grin andan angelic face that's all angles, wanders into Falls City, Nebraska, he takes to the town like it's a second skin. In little time he's fallen in with a gang of goofy if temperamental redneck boys, found himself a girlfriend, and befriended enough people to form something of a small family. In fact, it's the best time Brandon's ever had. However, there are shadows looming over Brandon's life: a court date for grand theft auto, a checkered criminal record, and a seemingly innocuous speeding ticket that could prove to be his undoing. Why? Because as it turns out, Brandon Teena is actually Teena Brandon, a woman masquerading as a man. Read more

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Reviews (240)

Awesome Movie
I saw this for the first time about a year ago and I'm extremely happy that I own it now. It is a very powerful and moving film that is defenitely worth seeing (and owning).

Good film, but there are issues!
Hillary Swank gives a great performance as the doomed victim, Brandon Teena.She deserved the Oscar!However, there are problems with this film.As a drama, it works well.But as a docudrama, the facts don't measure up.For starters, there were three people who were murdered that night, not two, as portrayed in the film.The third victim was Philip DeVine, a black disabled man who was staying at the house.Second, the story also doesn't explain about the two men's affilliation with a white supremacist organization.They may have been targeting both Teena or DeVine or both.The movie purpose seems like it has an ajenda towards the advancement of gay rights.If that's the case, it should have been explained in the credits at the beginning or end of the film.For those who study the case history, you'll be either disappointed in the story like myself or enthraled by it's purpose.Despite that, it's a good drama.

Disturbingly good
This is another of those movies that makes you quiet and lost in your thoughts. Its a true life story of Brandon Teena, a person with a sexual identity crises and how she tries to deal with the awkward situations that she faces. Boys Dont Cry is definitely a movie to be seen, for it addresses some rather serious issues, not by focusing on them, but by focusing on the trials and tribulations of this poor confused soul.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

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Reviews (81)

I... Wanna... Die. LET'S ALL DIE.
Nowhere is, director/screenwriter, Gregg Araki's 1997 conclusion to his nicknamed "Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy". Araki, himself, has asserted that the feature is, "a Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid." Alas, critics and moviegoers weren't that keen on seeing Araki's extremely frank representation of urban teenagers; critics wrote it off as vile as well as lackluster and the audience just wasn't there.
dogs eating people IS cool
arraki's teen apocalypse triology ends in the wonderfully lovely "nowhere".
One of my favorites
Shocking portrayal of teen angst and lust done by some of America's most famous teen icons.PUNK ROCK!If you're into sex, drugs, music, or just cult movies of that sort, view this independent gem.This film has so many cameo's it'll make your head spin.John Ritter as the televangalist is CLASSIC.The humor is well-worn, but it's wittingly done.Psychosomatic sexuality and imagery prevail here.Where?Nowhere.But alot closer than you'd like to admit YOU FREAK.So go pick this up and stop floggin your puppy in the shower! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

The damage caused by long-kept secrets lies at the heart of Read more

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Reviews (16)

Where is the DVD
When is this treasure going to be released on DVD?I'm waiting!!!

A Movie Well Worth Seeing More Than Once
I have seen this film two or three times and find that it holds up well in spite of obvious flaws. Based on a novel by David Leavitt by the same name, the movie has a straight forward plot. A young gay Londoner Philip, in love with an American, struggles about how to tell his parents that he is gay. Since the viewer learns in the first few frames of the film that Philip's father is gay also, I'm not giving the plot away. The actors all do credible jobs although I would give an A to Brian Cox who plays the father. I cannot remember how the mother is drawn in the novel; but, unfortunately for her she generates little sympathy in the movie. While her position is not an easy one, it is almost impossible to care much for her since she handles all the family relevations so badly.
The movie that cannoned me out.
I, like the Father in this picture, came out when approaching middle age.I also experienced the atomic wars as my carefully constructed "straight" life crumbled under my feet.This movie hit home to me and taught me that there is no turning back, and no hiding from the Self.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

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Reviews (59)

Movie Entertainment or Art Piece? How about both?!
I love this movie. I can't say how many times I have seen it. It's one of my absolute favourites. Director Patricia Rozema made this a masterpiece. It has all the ingredients: Great story, beautiful cinematogrophy, thoughtful dialogue, talent, emotion, wonderful contrasts; the list goes on and on.
In the top 5 of BEST LESBIAN FLICKS
I'll have to admit..I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body!
Where to find a DVD of this movie?
Can something give me suggestion please? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Editorial Review

Readers of John Berendt's bestselling novel were bound to be at least somewhat disappointed by this big-screen adaptation, but despite mixed reaction from critics and audiences, there's still plenty to admire about director Clint Eastwood's take on the material. Readers will surely miss the rich atmosphere and societal detail that Berendt brought to his "Savannah story," and the movie can only scratch the surface of Georgian history, tradition, and wealthy decadence underlying Berendt's fact-based murder mystery. Still, Eastwood maintains an assured focus on the wonderful eccentrics of Savannah, most notably a gay Savannah antiques dealer (superbly played by Kevin Spacey), who may or may not have killed his friend and alleged lover (Jude Law). John Cusack plays the Read more

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Reviews (139)

Not Bad... but Not Great
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was a good crime movie that kept me watching til the end, although it was way too long.John Kelso (John Cusack), a reporter from New York, is sent to Savannah to write a story about the Christmas Party given by Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey).It all turns bad when Spacey's character kills somebody and he'll have to face trial for first degree murder.Just like in the novel, Eastwood tries to re-build the atmosphere and the life style from Savannah, the people living there and their habits.
A beautiful film, languidly paced, and a very subtle message of tolerance...
I really liked this film.It's a bit long for most people, but most of Mr. Eastwood's films generally run a bit on the long side.I loved the languourous pacing of the whole thing.The film takes its time showing us Savannah, its people, its character, and its dark side.Kevin Spacey gives a performance that should have won an Oscar.John Cusack is excellent as well, but the most surprising performance here goes to Jack Thompson as Spacey's lawyer.Thompson is actually an Australian actor (who was in Breaker Morant years ago), yet he does the Southern style so well you'd think he was raised in Savannah.The most intriguing performance, if you can call it that, goes to The Lady Chablis, an actual transvestite performer who resides in Savannah.The scene where she goes to the cotillion is one of the best scenes in the entire film.She has grace, dignity, and mystique, and Clint lets the camera linger on her.Along with The Lady Chablis, Spacey's character is homosexual.In Thompson's final argument during the murder trial, he talks about his client's homosexuality, but says if God thinks it's a sin, then God should judge it.The generally positive portrayals of Spacey's character and Chablis show that a film can contain a message, yet be subtle about it and not hammer you over the head with it.Most Hollywood films that have gay characters in them always have that "tolerance" speech in them, as if the viewer is an idiot (well, some viewers are) and has to have everything spoon fed to her or him.Eastwood reportedly got some flack from right wing commentators over this film, primarily for his portrayal of the homosexual characters.Eastwood has identified himself generally as a Republican, but he seems more of a libertarian than anything else.Eastwood's films have always had digs at people who try and dictate your conduct (Bridges of Madison County has a powerful scene in a diner commenting on this), and this film is consistent with that point of view.Some have argued that this film is a horrible adaptation of the book.I haven't read it, but the film itself is very well done.

Interesting Movie
My husband and I had seen the movie several times before I ordered it from Amazon. We never get tired of it even tho the movie is of a different sort! It has love,murder and lots of things to keep you interested. It isn't a movie just for the girls but I would keep it to adults or older teens! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

The pieces in Read more

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Reviews (4)

Ugg. Don't Waste Your Time
Sorry...five short films -- all either are, or seem like, student films...I'm sure these guys graduated -- everything is lit, the editing is orderly, the shots aren't sideways or misframed -- but that doesn't mean the films are worth seeing.Mostly terrible/dull.The best is just "okay". Average compilation, some gems, some pits
It is just too bad that most short film compilations contain wide variance in quality. This selection is no better nor worse than most of the others. It seems the more shorts in a collection , the greater chance for mediocrity. But then this makes the gems pop out even brighter. This is definitely a collection worth seeing, even though some of the films are a little too long for short films. Of course, what constitutes good or bad is very subjective. For me, the short Boychick is probably the most charming of the bunch, and in a very short time with relatively little dialogue it can disarm the viewer. At the opposite end is the self-indulgent Rainbow Avenger. The rest fall somewhere in between. But don't take my word for it; get this collection if you collect gay films, or at least try to rent it. It is pretty much a miracle to get a gay film made and distributed, so show your support.And you're bound to find something to your liking.

Five Entertaining Short Films
"Boxer Shorts" is a compilation of five award winning gay-oriented films.They last from twelve to twenty-eight minutes each, and all have a director's commentary track.As an extra bonus there is an eight-minute black & white film without commentary.Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)    2. Gay/Lesbian-Themed Film    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education, she moves into a ranch belonging to Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) and tries to keep to herself. But Parker's beautiful, sassy tomboy of a stepdaughter proves to be quite a distraction, and a love affair slowly blossoms. Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) refuses to be bound by convention or by expectations of how a nice girl should behave, and her devil-may-care attitude both attracts and terrifies the nervous professor. Read more

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Reviews (64)

86 Was A Very Good Year!!!
Despite the fact that this movie was released the same year that I was born, it hasn't dated a bit. This due to the fact that is was set in the 1950's, and the music and scenery represent this era beautifully.
An Excellent movie. Worth seeing more than once.
I will not detail on character development or who did what. This movie is worth the money to see it. I have watched it several times. My girlfriend cried a little. I wish that there was a sequel to deal with the change to New York.
Good Story but slow moving
The cast was good, the people were decent actors, just moved kind of slow for me. Not sure I would spend the money on the video again if I had it to do over. It's just hard to rent gay movies, it's easier to buy them. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

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Reviews (42)

A film not to miss
Whether you agree or not with the following reviews after you've seen the movie, it remains a film to see and enjoy, given its cast, writer and director.