À toute vitesse (1998)

This French drama explores the complex relationships between gay and straight youths in multi-racial France. During the prologue, shy Algerian teen Samir (Mezziane Bardadi) and his best friend Rick (Romain Auger) rub bloody fingers together as they make a blood-brother's pact. Suddenly a shot rings out and Rick dies of a bullet wound in Samir's arms. Gang leader Jimmy (Stéphane Rideau) is best friends with sensitive writer Quentin (Pascal Cervo), who wants to turn his back on his friends to pursue his career. He won a writers contest and signed a contract to publish his first book, a chronicle of his friends' activities. Now he pays more attention to his career as an author than to his friends or his girlfriend Julie (Élodie Bouchez). Meanwhile university student Julie is becoming attracted to Jimmy, while bereaved Samir is in love with Quentin, who meets him at a party one night. Interested in finding more material for a second book, he gets Samir to tell about his relationship with the late Rick. It's difficult, but Samir complies even as he finds himself increasingly attracted to Quentin. When Quentin rejects Samir, it encourages him to reject his own past and enter into an intense relationship with Jimmy and Julie that will end up changing his life.

Out" magazine wrote that "À toute vitesse" "plays like a modern "Rebel without a Cause'" or "Splendor in the Grass", but this movie never really gets out of first gear. Although it was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, it is somewhat of a disappointment. Paying tribute to the rush associated with reaching the age of 20, this fast-paced sexually charged drama with the metaphor of speed to life lumbers a bit in its symbolism. It has its moments, but its aim seems to meander a bit, leaving a few loose ends. Cinematically the film is strong, especially as a debut film for its director, Gaël Morel--who also wrote the screenplay with Catherine Corsini. The English title is "Full Speed".

Taxi zum Klo (1981)

Frank Ripploh (Frank Ripploh) is a bearded and shaggy-haired teacher. He's gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films. Frank keeps his personal life and teaching separate, but he sometimes corrects student papers in public toilets as he waits to score. He cruises in porn cinemas, where one night he meets Bernd (Bernd Broaderup), a theater manager. They share a romantic relationship, but Frank's restlessness and need to cruise get in the way. Though he seems to enjoy Bernd's plans for retirement, he also wonders if he'll ever lose the urge to hunt the streets after dark, and have enough money after retirement to hire young boy prostitutes. While Bernd is attentive and caring, Frank gets bored and continues his promiscuous lifestyle. An explicit sex scene occurs mid-film and upsets Frank and Bernd's domestic bliss. How long will Bernd and Frank tolerate each other's habits, and for how long can Frank keep his sexual orientation out of the classroom? Ripploh's hairy bum crack plays a major role in proceedings--it's the first object we see in the movie, and he spends most of his home time in a T-shirt only, bending over and doing calisthenics with no underwear. One scene has Frank at the doctor for an anal wart examination, and nothing is left to the imagination. A lot of old black and white German gay porn is interspersed throughout. Things come to a head during Berlin's annual Queen's Ball and the morning after. The film ends with a pleasant party scene and everyone seems fairly happy with the free atmosphere and gay sex.

Director Frank Ripploh takes an autobiographical approach to filmmaking with this comic exploration of gay life in Berlin in which he plays himself. He also wrote the script. This edgy, intelligent movie has a high status in the history of gay-themed cinema. The Village Voice called it, "The first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life". Wayne Koestenbaum called it one of the greatest gay-themed films ever, and said it still blows his mind with its "happy explicitness, its cheerful liberatory politics". In German with English sub-titles, the English title is "Taxi to the John".

Dorian Blues (2005)

Dorian Lagatos (Michael McMillian), a small town young man in upstate New York, is in his final year of high school. He knows he's different and understands why when he reaches the conclusion that he's a "stereotypical gay." Dorian is a social outcast and the butt of his classmates' fag jokes at school. He meets another gay youth locally, but remains confused. So he tries "therapy" with an alcoholic counselor and a psychologist he comes on to, resorts to confession in the Church, and finally comes out to his athletic brother Nicky (Lea Coco). The latter teaches him how to fight and tries to have him spend a night with a prostitute to make him become straight, but it doesn't work. When Dorian decides to come out to his homophobic father Tom (Steve Fletcher), he gets kicked out of the house. He moves to NYC where he discovers a new world of coffee houses, sophisticates, and handsome men. Soon Dorian finds a boyfriend, but gets dumped after two months. His brother visits him and they learn their father has died of a heart attack. At the funeral, his mother Maria (Maureen Quigley) tells him she regrets not stopping his father from being angry with him.

A refreshing and witty coming of age comedy, "Dorian Blues" is a bright, cheerful film about a gay teenager coming to terms with his identity. This critically acclaimed gem won eight awards at the first nine film festivals it screened at and eventually won a total of 14 awards. Written and directed by Tennyson Bardwell, it is loosely based on Bardwell's college roommate.

Testosterone (2004)

Dean Seagrave (David Stucliffe) is a troubled and depressed gay novelist who found success with his novel "Teenage Speed Freak", which was a semi-autobiographical account of his teenage years. Suffering from writer's block, he hasn't written a book in a long time. His fans pressure him to write a new novel and his publisher Louise (Jennifer Coolidge) keeps hounding him and is mean to him. On probation for assaulting an elderly woman, he is also living with a low amount of money in LA. Dean misses his Argentine lover Pablo (Antonio Sabato Jr.), who left their California beach house saying he was going to get cigarettes, but disappeared. This troubles Dean because Pablo was the answer to all of his problems. Unable to work, sleep, or even shave, Dean throws some clothes in a bag and books a flight on Aerolineas, Argentinas. In Buenos Aires, Dean frantically tries to track down Pablo, but this is more difficult than he expected. In addition to the language barrier, Dean discovers that most people he encounters are not what they seem. By the time Dean and Pablo are re-united, the lines between art and life, resolution and revenge, man and maniac, have gone fuzzy. Dean abandons his better judgment, and with a broken heart and testosterone pumping through his veins, plans to have one last talk with Pablo. This comedy/drama is a film adaption from James Robert Baker's novel "Testosterone". It was filmed in Los Angeles, California at the beginning and later in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dennis Hensley wrote the screenplay and David Moreton produced and directed. The film is also known as "Clean Cut".

The Living End (1992)

Gentle film critic Jon (Craig Gilmore) hooks up with violent drifter Luke (Mike Dytri) in this HIV-positive road movie. Luke, a hunky gun-toting hitchhiker has just stolen a car from a pair lesbians and shot a trio of gay bashers. Jon lets Luke stay at his place and soon finds himself drawn into the stranger's world. Both are HIV-positive. Things get worse when Luke kills a homophobic policeman. The pair go on the lam, first to San Francisco, then all over the western United States. Their motto: "Fuck everything." Jon keeps his best friend, Darcy (Darcy Marta), apprised of his situation with infrequent collect calls. But as the road trip continues, Jon becomes increasingly disillusioned with Luke's belief that since they're doomed to die, they should lead consequence-free lives. The film ends on a Californian beach with the sun setting, and the two lovers lie down together. Luke ties up Jon, pulls down his pants and rapes him while holding a cocked gun in his mouth. The idea being, he’ll blow himself up as he climaxes.

Many references to rock bands and their members are made throughout the film. Joy Division's Ian Curtis is mentioned, along with Dead Can Dance, Echo and the Bunnymen and others. A Nine Inch Nails sticker is on the dashboard of Jon's car. The film's title comes from a song by The Jesus and Mary Chain, and a cover version of the song is performed by Braindead Soundmachine during the film's credits. In the movie, Luke is seen wearing a JAMC shirt. Braindead Soundmachine guitarist Cole Coonce is credited with scoring the film's original music. The many cameos include performance artist Johanna Went, director Paul Bartel, Warhol associate Mary Woronov, and Peter Grame, star of the obscure European film "Das Gluck Beim Haendewaschen". Gregg Araki wrote the script and directed.

Swoon (1992)

This film is the most homo-erotic version of the Leopold/Loeb case, a true story of gay lovers Richard Loeb (Daniel Schlachet) and Nathan Leopold Jr. (Craig Chester), who kidnapped and murdered a child in the early 1920s for kicks. Why did the two well-off 18-year-olds kill a 13 year-old boy by the name of Bobby Franks? "Swoon" answers that question in detail, using a style that is impressive but brings little emotion to the film's story. Shot in black and white, with some narration in the sequence of events, the movie provides us a look at the duo that is intriguing, but is tedious and dismal for some viewers. It starts out with a surrealistic reading of Leopold van Sacher-Masoch's "Venus in Furs." This sets the tone for the rest of the film. Told first through the journal entries of the two main characters and then with narration, "Swoon" presents the story of the murderers in a way that is accurate and cinematic. The film shows the relationship of Loeb and Leopold, whose sexual relationship serves as the drive for their crimes against others. Their murder of the Franks child was little more than a promise kept by Loeb to Leopold. In one scene, Leopold tells a psychiatrist of a slave/master fantasy, which describes his relationship with Loeb, who is a calculating intellectual. Leopold , an amateur ornithologist, is the emotional and weak one. In love with Loeb, Leopold is willing to do anything for him, and when Leob withholds sex, Leopold is even willing to commit murder to have sex. "Swoon" lacks energy. In the second half of the film, after their arrest and imprisonment, the movie loses what momentum it had and becomes somewhat boring. Leopold and Loebe escape execution due to a lack of understanding of homosexuality. They were declared mentally deficient according to phrenology and old Freudian neurosis theories. If the establishment of the 1920's understood homosexuality, Leopold and Loeb would surely have hanged, for they were certainly guilty. Scripted by Hilton Als and Tom Kalin, who also directed.

Being at Home with Claude (1992)

This French Canadian psychological drama begins as 27 year-old gay hustler Yves (Roy Dupuis) is having sex with his lover Claude (Jean-François Pichette). During the climactic moment, he grabs a knife and cuts the throat of his partner, then flees to the streets of Montreal where he pauses only long enough to make a phone call. Yves is captured and an Inspector (Jacques Godin) badgers him in search of a conventional motive. The dialogue, delivered in gutter Canadian French, ricochets between the two. Tempers flare, old ground is covered and recovered, yet still Yves refuses to cooperate. Next he is in a judge's chamber undergoing interrogation. He freely admits the crime but refuses to explain why he did it. Nor does he explain why he is in the judge's chamber or why he called the press. There’s not much of a plot, but it has several black and white flashbacks to illustrate Yves’ story. Then suddenly the pace changes, with a flashback of the night Yves and Claude met. Starting in a gay club, it progresses to a park where a sexually confused Claude tries to pick up Yves, then they go to Claude’s apartment. The experienced Yves guides Claude gently through the process with sensitivity and tenderness . It finally resolves into a half-hour monologue by Yves explaining himself, to make them understand the reason for his crime, resulting in a startling explanation--a mixture of horror and poignancy. Based on the play by René-Daniel Dubois, this very good film was directed by Jean Beaudin. In French with English sub-titles, the title is identical in English and French.

Le Temps qui Reste (2006)

Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a cocky 31-year-old fashion photographer, finds out he is terminally ill with a metastized brain tumor and has only three months to live. Keeping his illness secret, he breaks up with his boyfriend Sasha (Christian Sengewald), antagonizes his sister Sophie (Louise-Anne Hippeau), and goes against his doctor's (Henri de Lorme) advice to give chemotherapy a chance because it only offers him a slim (less than 5%) chance of survival. Staring in the mirror, he remembers the sea and himself as a child. Cruel facing death, Romain pushes people away, knowing his good looks give him the freedom to test the people who care for him. He visits his grandmother Laura (Jeanne Moreau) to tell her, and on the way he chats briefly with a waitress. He looks at old photos, visits a childhood tree house, and takes pictures. Returning from his grandmother's, he stops for food and sees the waitress Jany (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) again. She makes a request. Romain travels around with a small digital camera, capturing moments that are very different from the fashion shoots he is used to. Nearly everywhere he goes, Romain sees himself as a child (Ugo Soussan Trabelsi), as the past invades his temporary present. Wonderfully acted and intelligently written and directed by François Ozon, this is a challenging, compelling work with a great ending. In French with English sub-titles, the English title is "Time to Leave".

Fun Down There (1988)

Buddy Fields (Michael Waite), a shy young homosexual leaves his small-town home in upstate New York and moves to NYC for some "Fun down there". He settles into a hedonistic life in Greenwich Village where he aimlessly rambles through his journey of self-fulfillment with gay sex and love, but is baffled by the whole gay scene. The film is unrated due to some semi-explicit masturbation and full frontal nudity scenes. Humour is almost totally deadpan, and the brainless conversations between Buddy and his family are quite hilarious. Buddy's parent's are played by Waite's real-life parents, Harold Waite as Mr. Fields and Betty Waite as Mrs. Fields. This is a strange, unconventional, and funny gay movie made on a shoestring. It's not a slick Hollywood production. There are long takes that may try your patience, except they do set a very individual tone and style. It isn't glib, full of histrionics, loaded with messages, and does not try to shock. In short, it doesn't portray gays the usual way. The film quality and sound are mediocre at best. It may be a bit too boring and lacking in drama for some. There are scenes with no dialogue and no music, not even background sound. "Fun Down There" is a real homemade project from the days when "independent" meant something. Maybe it's not for everyone, but worth a look for those interested in the evolution of gay subject matter in films. The script was written by Michael Waite and Roger Stigliano, who also directed.

De Vierde Man (1983)

This Dutch murder mystery/horror film is about Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbé), a gay alcoholic writer who begins having visions warning him of impending danger. In his bedroom, a spider catches flies from its web affixed to a crucifix. He travels from Amsterdam to Vlissingen for a public lecture. His stories, he says, "lie the truth." A listener, Christine Halsslag (Renée Soutendijk), a seductive beautician, invites him to stay the night. When he sleeps with the petite Christine, he flattens her breasts with his hands and exclaims "You look like a boy in his glory, so slim, tender!" Next day, he sees a photo of her boyfriend Herman (Thom Hoffman), a plumber from Köln. He convinces her to bring Herman to town and sets out to seduce him. When Gerard flirts with Herman, he puts his hand on his thigh and says, "I could tell you stories. There's one bigwig bastard, when he throws a do all the neighbors lock their kids up behind locks so thick. Children of six or seven years old, girls and boys, no difference. Find that fun? Little boys!" He seduces the heterosexual Herman by a surprise fondling of him from behind. His visions intensify and begin to threaten his relationship with Christine, since it may be her the visions are warning against. Mary, the mother of Jesus, appears to him in visions to show that he is targeted as her fourth victim. Mary says, "Anyone given a warning must listen to it." Gradually, aided by visions and nightmares, he's sure Christine is a murderer who has killed three husbands. He or Herman will be the fourth man. Gerard believes his vision of Mary and his life is spared. He passes on the warning to Herman, who ignores it, thinking that Gerard is trying to scare him off so that he can have Christine for himself. The movie ends in a bloody climax with Herman's death. Scripted by Gerard Soeteman from Gerard Reve's novel of the same name, this movie was directed by Paul Verhoeven. The English title is "The Fourth Man".