The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Tim Curry stars as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, "a sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania" in this kinky sci-fi/horror cult musical comedy. It is based on a flop stage musical and is narrated and commented on by the Criminologist (Charles Gray). Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), a normal couple, are stranded in a rain storm and take refuge in an isolated creepy old castle filled with degenerate weirdos. Handyman Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien) invites them in and they spend the night. The engaged couple try to cope with the madness, which centres on Frank N. Furter's experiment with creating Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood)--a blond homoerotic muscular boytoy. Frank says, "So come up to the lab, and see what's on the slab. I see you shiver with antici...pation."

Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and Riff-Raff remove the couple's wet clothes and give them lab coats. Frank animates the body of Rocky, who "is good for releaving my tension". Eddie (Meat Loaf) emerges from a freezer storage vault on a motorcycle. Half of his brain is now in Rocky's head. Frank murders Eddie with a pickaxe, then after a bridal procession takes Rocky to his boudoir. Later that night, Frank disguises himself as Brad and has sex with Janet. Then he disguises himself as Janet and has sex with Brad. Magenta and Riff-Raff watch the seductions on TV monitors, then torment Rocky. Janet sees Rocky crying and seduces him. Dr. Everett Von Scott (Jonathan Adams), Brad's former science teacher and Eddie's uncle, pays an unexpected visit. During an awkward dinner, Dr. Scott says he has come for Eddie. Frank reveals that Eddie was the main course of their meal.

There is a chase scene around the castle with all the main characters. It ends in the lab where Frank uses a "Medusa Ray" to turn them into statues. Frank dresses them for a show, releases them from suspended animation, and they perform a cabaret act. Then they plunge into a swimming pool. Magenta and Riff-Raff arrive and announce they are returning to planet Transsexual in the galaxy Transylvania without Frank, whom they kill with a ray gun. The castle blasts off, taking Magenta and Riff-Raff back to Transsexual. Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott are left lying in an empty field where the castle once stood.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was one of the first movies to be shown at special Midnight screenings. It quickly developed a phenomenal subculture of audience participation. Patrons dressed up as their favorite characters, spoke and sang along with the movie sound track, tossed popcorn around the theatre, and so on. This film is fast paced, trashy, weird, subversive, and great fun. It's certainly not for everybody, and for some it is probably more entertaining in a theatre as a participation movie. The lips in the opening song "Science Fiction - Double Feature" belong to Patricia Quinn and the singing is by Richard O'Brien, who wrote the original stage play. The screenplay was written by O'Brien and Jim Sharman. Tim Curry originally auditioned for the role of Rocky by singing Little Richard's song "Tootie Fruity". Director Jim Sharman was so impressed he cast him as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

Adam and Steve (2005)

In 1987 teen-age goth couple Adam Bernstein (Craig Chester) and obese Rhonda (Parker Posey) are at the Danceteria, a NYC club where timid Adam meets gay Go-Go dancer Steve (Malcolm Gets) and they have a disastrous one night stand. Steve cut his cocaine with baby laxative, causing a scatological end to his precoital striptease. Adam cleans up the mess. In 2005 Adam meets psychiatrist Steve Hicks and they fall in love, fail to recognize each other from years before, and become lovers. The couple never actually say anything interesting to each another. Adam is insecure, in recovery from cocaine addiction, and leads bird-watching expeditions in Central Park. Eventually he realizes that promiscuous Steve is the gay dancer, and ends the relationship. The movie's funnier jokes revolve around Rhonda, now a svelte stand up comic whose act consists of fat jokes delivered to a bored audience of five. Other laughs come from Adam's accident-prone family, who are propped around the dinner table in casts and braces.

"Adam and Steve" is a movie about movies. It takes the romantic comedy genre and shows how a straight couple is similar and different compared to a gay couple. The film deals with universal themes, and is not a political or issue movie, or about being gay. It's a film about two gay guys who fall in love that is actually acted by two out gay actors. The opening fifteen minutes of the film are the best, as Adam and Rhonda strut their stuff in the night club--him in full goth makeup and her in a fat suit. There's also a bizarre country and western dance number that seems like it's from a different movie, except it's a showdown between the estranged lovers in the form of a cowboy line-dance. Roddy Bottum composed the music. Craig Chester wrote the screenplay, directed, and stars as Adam.

Longtime Companion (1990)

This movie chronicles the first years of the AIDS epidemic as experienced by several gay men. It's a drama about the interconnected lives of 7 gays in NYC in the early 1980's, and takes an unflinching look at the reality of the disease. The film is organized into sections by dates. On July 3, 1981, Willy (Campbell Scott) a personal trainer, and his friend John (Mulroney) spend time with rich gay couple David (Bruce Davison) and Sean (Mark Lamos) at their house on Fire Island for the 4th of July. Sean is a screenwriter and David has a large trust fund. Back in the city, Howard (Patrick Cassidy) prepares to audition for Sean's soap opera show. His boyfriend is Paul (John Dossett) and their next-door neighbor is Lisa (Mary-Louise Parker), who is also friends with Fuzzy (Stephen Caffrey), a lawyer who represents Howard. The New York Times publishes its first article about the rise of a new "gay cancer." Howard gets the role.

On April 30, 1982, John is the first among the group to be diagnosed with the new disease, contracting pneumonia. Howard is given a script in which his character is the first openly gay character on daytime television. He's concerned about typecasting, fearing that he won't be offered non-gay roles in the future. Willy and Fuzzy move in together and John dies shortly after his admission to the hospital.

On June 17, 1983, Willy, Fuzzy, Lisa, David and Sean gather back on Fire Island with friends Michael and Bob to watch Howard's character come out on the soap opera. The group also discuss a sick neighbor who has become a pariah on the island. That evening, Sean and David argue over Sean's fears that he's going to get sick.

On September 7, 1984, Paul is hospitalized with toxoplasmosis. Sean is also hospitalized. Willy visits Sean and dons a surgical mask and protective gown. When Sean kisses him on the neck, he goes to the washroom to clean the spot. Michael is also visiting Sean, bringing with him homeopathic remedies and a book by Louise Hay. Howard visits Paul and breaks down sobbing.

On March 22, 1985, Sean has deteriorated to the point of dementia. David is deceiving the studio into thinking that Sean is still able to work. Fuzzy tries to get Howard a movie role but the producer refuses to cast him because of a rumor that he has AIDS. Paul is back in the hospital following a seizure. David takes Sean for a walk but has to take him home when Sean urinates in a fountain. That night Willy catches Fuzzy checking himself for swollen glands and they talk about their fear of dying. "What do you think happens when we die?" Fuzzy asks. "We get to have sex again", Willy replies.

On January 4, 1986, Sean has deteriorated and is in constant pain. David sits with Sean and tells him that it's all right to let go, and Sean dies. Willy and Lisa come by to help David and they pick out a suit for Sean to wear to be cremated. Fuzzy calls Gay Men's Health Crisis to find a funeral home. In a moment of levity, Lisa and Willy stumble across a dress in Sean's closet and consider giving it to the undertaker. "What could they say", asks Willy, "if we said we knew him and we knew that's the way he wanted to be remembered?" They decide against it, since "it needs a hat". The four write Sean's obituary and include David as his "longtime companion".

On May 16, 1987, David dies and this is the day of his memorial service. Bob and Willy eulogize him. On September 10, 1988, Fuzzy and Lisa volunteer answering phones at GMHC. Willy is a "buddy" to a GMHC client, Alberto (Michael Carmine). Howard has been diagnosed as being HIV positive. Presumably Paul has died. Howard exploits his fame as a former soap opera star to raise money for AIDS' causes by hosting a benefit which includes a performance of the Village People song "YMCA".

On July 19, 1989, Willy, Fuzzy and Lisa walk along the beach. Presumably Howard has died. They talk about an upcoming "ACT UP" demonstration, and remember a time before AIDS and wonder about finding a cure. The film ends with a brief fantasy sequence, with the friends and others lost to AIDS appearing with them on the beach, before they disappear and the three are left to walk off the deserted beach while the song "Post-Mortem Bar" by Zane Campbell plays on the soundtrack.

"Longtime Companion" was the first narrative film to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic. The film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of someone who had died of AIDS. The film was criticized by some at the time for focusing almost exclusively on white gay men. Only one character with AIDS, Alberto, is a person of color, and he appears only briefly. Madonna disparaged it as an arthouse movie that nobody saw. Original music is by Greg De Belles. Craig Lucas wrote the screenplay from his own stage play. Norman René directed.

Making Love (1982)

Zack Elliot (Michael Ontkean) is a successful young doctor in LA married to Claire (Kate Jackson), a TV network executive. They have been married for eight years, are happy in their relationship, and they recently bought a big house with plans to start a family. If they have a boy, his name will be Rupert. Zack has been struggling with feelings of attraction to other men. He picks up men in his car and frequents gay bars in West Hollywood on his lunch hour, although he does not follow through sexually. This changes when he meets Bart McGuire (Harry Hamlin), a novelist who comes to see him for medical reasons. They become lovers, but Bart ends the relationship because he cannot commit. Claire finds out about Zack's gay life and eventually is willing to share him. But Zack wants a job in NYC and a divorce. The film ends a few years in the future, with the death of former neighbour Winnie Bates (Wendy Hiller). Zack is living in New York in a committed relationship with another man. He returns to LA for the funeral. Claire has re-married and has a young son named Rupert. After the funeral, Zack and Claire discuss their lives and express their gratitude that they are both happy.

This is one of the first Hollywood movies to take a positive view of homosexuality, and the first mainstream drama to address coming out and the effect that being closeted and coming out has on a marriage. According to gay film historian Vito Russo's book "The Celluloid Closet", straight critics found the film boring while gay critics, glad for any attention paid to the subject, praised the film. Leonard Rosenman composed the incidental music. Barry Sandler wrote the script based on A. Scott Berg's story, and Arthur Hiller directed.

Get Real (1998)

Steven Carter (Ben Silverstone) is a gay introverted 16 year-old in the middle class English suburb of Basingstoke. Bullied at school and misunderstood by his parents, Steven's only confidant is his neighbor and classmate Linda (Charlotte Brittain), and his only outlet is cruising the local park toilet. He plans to come out to his parents and perhaps at school. But his big problem is that he fancies jock John Dixon (Brad Gorton), a rich hunk who is the school's head boy and sports idol. Steven is anonymously propositioned in the park, and the man turns out to be John Dixon. What seems like a dream come true for Steven is a nightmare for John. Eventually John shows up drunk at Steven's house while his parents are away, and admits he's attracted to Steven. The pair kiss and spend the weekend together consummating their relationship. While both Steven and John grow very attracted to each other, John is paranoid and insists it must remain a secret. The stakes are raised when Steven submits an anonymous essay to the school magazine about being gay. In the end, John is unable to come out and their relationship is over. Steven tells him to be happy in life and walks off to Linda waiting in a car with her new driving permit.

"Get Real" is a British drama film directed by Simon Shore, adapted from Patrick Wilde's play "What's Wrong With Angry?" by screenwriter Wilde. Original music was composed by Barrie Vince. It was shot in and around Basingstoke, England, and is similar to the movie "Beautiful Thing".

The Adventures of Priscilla (1994)

"The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" is an Australian film about 2 drag queens and a transexual. They take a road trip to a remote town in a bus called "Priscilla". Anthony "Tick" Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra (Hugo Weaving) is invited to perform in Alice Springs, so he recruits flamboyant young stud Adam Whitlery/Felicia Jollygoodfellow (Guy Pearce) and the legendary Bernadette Bassenger (Terence Stamp) to join him. The trio lip-synch songs on the bus, create fabulous costumes, and meet many colorful characters along the way. They also have to cope with the less accepting attitudes of rural Australia, sexual violence, and the problems of vehicle breakdowns. The trio eventually arrives at their destination with costumes and dance routines prepared. Before they arrive, Tick reveals that he is married, and that the trip is a favor for his wife, who runs the casino where they will be performing. Upon arriving, they learn that Tick and his wife also have a young son. They perform a truly fabulous show, but it is not well received.

An uncomplicated comedy, this film takes its characters at face value and the plot is straightforward. Terrence Stamp is excellent, treading a fine line between over-acting and sentimentality. He usually portrays masculine characters, often villains. "Priscilla" is regarded in the gay community as a camp classic, and was ranked as number 11 on Logo's 50 Greatest Films. Guy Gross composed the music, and Stephan Elliott wrote the screenplay and directed.

An Early Frost (1985)

Michael Pierson (Aidan Quinn), a successful lawyer, discovers he has AIDS after his lover Peter Hilton (D. W. Moffett) confesses that he had sex outside the relationship because Michael is a workaholic and is living in the closet. Michael goes home and discloses the news to his parents. Michael's father Nick (Ben Gazzara) is a lumber company owner, and his wife Kate (Gena Rowlands) is a former concert pianist, housewife, and grandmother. Nick's reaction is extreme anger, but Kate attempts to adjust. The most famous scene in the film occurs when Nick says, "I never thought the day would come when you'd be in front of me and I wouldn't know who you are." His sister Susan Maracek (Sydney Walsh) is pregnant and refuses to see Michael, saying that she "can't take that chance," and Nick explodes when Michael tries to kiss his mother. Michael eventually winds up in the hospital and meets a fellow patient named Victor (John Glover), a stereotypical flamboyant gay with AIDS who says things like "It's getting almost impossible to put together a dinner party these days." The film deals with the inevitable death of Victor with a scene showing Victor's few possessions being dumped into a garbage bag by a nurse out of fear that they could be contaminated. As his health deteriorates, Michael finds that his physical agony is secondary to his mental anguish.

"An Early Frost" was the first TV movie to deal with the AIDS crisis. Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman wrote the screenplay from Sherman Yellen's story. It was two years in development and underwent at least 13 rewrites before the standards division at the network would clear it for airing. The film was broadcast a month after Rock Hudson died of the disease. John Kander composed the incidental music and John Erman directed.

Bent (1997)

"Bent" is about the the persecution of gays who were rounded up under Hitler's regime in 1934. The main character is Max (Clive Owen), a homosexual who comes from a wealthy family. At the beginning of the film we see Max cavorting with other gays in an all-night Cabaret party that includes Mick Jagger (Greta/George) as a singing, black-stockinged transvestite on a swing. One evening, much to the resentment of his boyfriend Rudy (Brian Webber), he brings home a handsome SA man. Unfortunately, Hitler has just decided to get rid of the Sturmabteilung, which was known for homosexuality among its ranks. The SA man is discovered and killed by SS men in Max and Rudy's apartment and the two flee Berlin. Max and Rudy are found and arrested by the Gestapo and put on a train headed for Dachau concentration camp. On the train, Rudy is beaten to death by the guards and calls out to Max when he is taken away. Max is forced to have sex with a dead girl to prove he is not homosexual. He lies to the guards, telling them that he is a Jew, believing his chances for survival will be better if he is not assigned the pink triangle. In the camp, Max makes friends with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau), who shows him the dignity that lies in acknowledging what one is. After Horst is shot by camp guards, Max puts on Horst's jacket with the pink triangle and commits suicide by grabbing an electric fence.

This screen adaptation of Martin Sherman's award-winning play about the persecution of homosexuals by Nazis during World War II tends to trivialize the gay Holocaust. The stage play is considered superior to the movie version. Its greatest flaw is that it seems too theatrical with stylized sets, a small number of people in the concentration camp scenes, the monotony of watching two prisoners moving rocks back and forth, the repetitious dialogue, and the overwrought ending. It all contributes to making the film seem stagy, artificial, and the scenes don't flow together very well. Philip Glass composed the music score and Sean Mathias directed.

The Boys in the Band (1970)

The film is set in an Upper East Side apartment in New York City in the late 1960s. Michael (Kenneth Nelson), a Roman Catholic and recovering alcoholic, is preparing to host a birthday party for his friend Harold (Leonard Frey). His other friend Donald (Fredreick Combs), a self-described underachiever who has moved from the city, arrives and helps Michael prepare. Alan (Peter White), an old and presumably straight college chum of Michael's, calls with an urgent need to see Michael. He reluctantly agrees and invites him to his home. The guests arrive: Emory (Cliff Gorman) is a stereotypical flamboyant interior decorator; Hank (Laurence Luckinbill), a married schoolteacher, and Larry (Keith Prentice), a fashion photographer, are a couple, albeit one with monogamy issues; and Bernard (Reuben Greene) is an amiable bookstore clerk. Alan calls again to inform Michael he isn't coming after all, and the party continues in a festive manner. However, Alan does appear unexpectedly and throws the gathering into turmoil.

Cowboy (Robert La Tourneaux), a hustler and Emory's gift to Harold, also arrives. As tensions mount, Alan assaults Emory and in the ensuing chaos Harold finally makes his appearance. Michael begins drinking again. As the guests become more and more drunk, the party moves indoors from the patio. Michael, who believes Alan is a closeted gay begins a game in which the objective is to call the one person you truly believe you have loved. With each call, past scars and present anxieties are revealed. Michael's plan to "out" Alan with the game appears to backfire when he calls his wife. As the party ends and the guests depart, Michael collapses into Donald's arms, sobbing. When he pulls himself together, it appears his life will remain very much the same. This movie in a nutshell is about 8 New York City gay men who've gathered together for a birthday party--only to spend the evening humorously savaging each other and their way of life.

"The Boys in the Band" is a landmark film version of the Broadway stage play by Mart Crowley, who also wrote the screenplay. The ensemble film cast also played their roles in the play's initial stage run in NYC. Time magazine considered it to be a “humane, moving picture”, but Variety thought it had a “perverse interest”. Directed by William Friedkin, this dated treasure was unavailable for years but has now been released on DVD.