The Graffiti Artist (2004)

Nick (Ruben Bansie-Snellman) is a teen-aged post-modern graffiti artist who decorates exterior walls in downtown Seattle and Portland using the tag name "Rapture". He is a loner, keeps journals of his drawings, photographs of his graffiti, stays alive by shoplifting cans of spray paint and his vegetarian diet foods, and gets around on a skateboard. Nick is a man against the world and is arrested for his art. When released, he meets a fellow tagger Jesse (Pepper Fajans) and finally speaks--to this point there has been no dialogue from Nick--and follows him around, sharing art and tagging. A "tagger" is a graffiti artist who spray-paints his name or symbol on a public wall. Jesse has some money and provides Nick with food and shelter. They travel to Seattle to tag, create some beautiful grafitti art, and bond to the point where Jesse invites Nick into his bed. There is an impressive sexy yet understated gay sex scene. By morning Jesse has conflicts about the gay sex. Nick appears satisfied yet anxious about Jesse's response. They continue to tag, using their new partnered tag name "Elusive". Jesse eventually distances himself from Nick and returns to Portland. Nick tries to maintain his lifestyle but living in the streets and tagging in dangerous places results in problems with the law. But primarily because he misses Jesse, the only person with whom he has bonded, Nick returns to Portland, leaving tag messages signed "Rapture" wherever he sees Jesse's signature "Flip". At last Nick finds Jesse, who doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Alone again, Nick returns to his solitary life and the way he deals with his dream ends the movie.

There is almost no dialogue in this film. It relies on body language to tell the story of why Nick and Jesse like each other, what the sex meant, and what the long-term impact is likely to be. The magnetism of the actors' body language and especially eye language is more effective than dialogue. Ruben Bansie-Snellman creates a character so convincingly simple in his complexity that he pulls us into the strange world of the graffiti artist subculture. The music score is by Kid Loco. Written, produced, and directed by Peter Paige.

Say Uncle (2006)

Paul Johnson (Peter Paige) is a nerdy gay artist, innocent and reclusive, living in Oregon. He loves children and has a close relationship with his godson, the child of his best friends. When his godson moves to Japan, he attempts to replace the loss by baby-sitting, working in a toy store, and playing with kids in playgrounds. Paul is not a pedophile, but is playing with fire. His best friend Russell (Anthony Clark) advises caution, because people will talk and he could get into big trouble. Local mother Maggie Butler (Kathy Najimy) concludes that he fits the classic profile of a child predator. She embellishes the truth for what she considers the safety of innocent children. Together with some other mothers, Maggie starts a neighborhood witch-hunt to "bring Paul in" before he commits a crime. Because Paul is gay and kindly, we are supposed to regard him as the victim. However, his creepy Peter Pan complex, grossly inappropriate behavior, and his anger at the bad world of grown-up people does not arouse my sympathy. Why doesn't he grow up? Frankly, I have more sympathy for the parents, although the movie demonstrates that it is wrong to become hysterical and jump to conclusions without evidence.

Filmed in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 2005, "Say Uncle" had a production schedule of 18 days, and filming took place at 19 different locations. Production values are not the best. New York Times reviewer Jeannette Catsoulis wrote that the film's R rating is based on "two boys kissing, one naked-toddler photograph, some naughty words and a lot of bad art." Written and directed by Peter Paige, who also stars in the film as Paul.

Boys' Shorts: The New Queer Cinema (1993)

This feature-length movie showcases six gay shorts produced in the early 1990s. The program features the work of filmmakers from the USA, Canada, England, and Australia. First is "Resonance", directed by Stephen Cummins, a story of a gay bashing in the back streets of Sydney, using dance and music. It is obscure, difficult to follow, and 11 minutes long.

Second is "RSVP", directed by Canadian Laurie Lynd, a powerful and moving portrait of loss, punctuated by the haunting recording of "La Spectre de la Rose", performed by Jessye Norman. It explores the range of emotions felt by a group of people toward an AIDS victim, and is 23 minutes long.

Third is the American "Anthem", directed by Marlon Riggs, a collage of erotic images and a call to arms, with a feverish hip-hop energy that celebrates the lives of African-American men. It's a 9 minute long kaleidoscope of black gay expression, MTV style, with repetitive chants, male celebrations, and tribal scenes.

Fourth is "Relax", directed by Christopher Newby, an elegant film about one man’s fears and fantasies regarding HIV testing. Interesting not for what it says--that one can't relax in the face of AIDS--but for how it says it. Cinematic techniques reflect the protagonist's worries about his HIV test. For example, vigorous bathing becomes the flow of the bloodstream. It is 25 minutes long.

Fifth is "Billy Turner’s Secret", directed by Michael Mayson, an upbeat, slickly produced, energetic comedy about a young black man coming out to his homophobic roommate. A straight, homophobic black man asserts, "I will fuck a buck-toothed, bald-headed, stinky-breathed, 108-year-old, droopy-tittied bitch in her old crusty pussy before I get together with the bend-over boys," until his closeted black roommate enlightens him. Runtime is 26 minutes.

Last is "The Dead Boys’ Club", directed by Mark Christopher, a charming and poignant tribute to the 1970s world of promiscuity and glitter balls, firmly rooted in the American cinematic tradition and in gay life in the 1990s. It pays tribute to "The Wizard of Oz". An awkward young man coming out in the AIDS era gains confidence as well as gets transported to the freewheeling '70s whenever he puts on the shoes of his older cousin's dead lover's shoes. The runtime is 25 minutes.

The actors are: Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Norman, Scott Renderer, James Lyons, J. Evan Bonifant, Barbara Garrick, Julie Halston, Robert Pall, Daniel Schlachet, Craig Chester, and Michael Kirby.

Most viewers do not like this movie, usually with the exceptions of "Relax" and "The Dead Boys’ Club". The main comment is "boring"--"Very boring, it drags and it drags..." Another is, "Clearly well-intentioned, the films just aren't all that interesting. In mostly uninspired ways, it rehashes general aspects of gay life that most people are probably familiar with." A third comment: "A few of these directors have fallen into the arrogant trap of believing that their work is so good that it needs neither plot nor momentum. It's not." However, B. Ruby Rich wrote in Sight & Sound: "These works are irreverent, energetic, alternatively minimalist and excessive. Above all, they're full of pleasure."

Together Alone (1993)

Bryan (Todd Stites) is blond and gay. Dark-haired Brian (Terry Curry) describes himself as bisexual. They meet in a bar one night, go back to Bryan's place, have uninhibited unsafe sex, sleep for a short while and then wake up to get to know each other. The pair spend the entire evening in an epic conversation about: sexual identity, role-playing, homosexuality, heterosexuality, the gay liberation movement, feminism, loneliness, Emily Dickinson, philosophy, and so on. Ultimately, AIDS becomes the prime topic of the evening. Bryan and Brian debate their conflicting values, recall key events in their lives and slowly, reluctantly reveal themselves. Why was the sex unsafe? Bryan, who says this was his first sexual encounter in a long time, initially blames Brian for not taking precautions. Brian refuses to say whether or not he has tested positive. When Bryan ridicules Brian's claims of being bisexual, Brian expresses impatience with "militant drag queens" who insist on dragging everyone out of the closet. "People shouldn't be so obsessed by labels," he says. By the film's end, it's clear that Bryan is both lonelier and stronger than Brian. He doesn't fool himself about the way things are. At the same time he is a romantic, and says, "I like to think that every time you do the right thing, you become a little better." Brian, leading his double life, appears headed for disaster.

Bryan and Brian are different aspects of the same personality. This is reflected in their names and also in their having had the same dream while they slept. Though all of the sex occurs off screen, the sex-oriented discussions between the two are quite explicit. The carefully choreographed dialogue is set entirely in one room, probably because the film's budget was $7,000. Considering the movie's claustrophobic setting, it defines political positions, social questions, and emotional problems very nicely. Incidental music was composed by Wayne Alabardo. Written and directed by P. J. Castellaneta.

As Is (1986)

Rich (Robert Carradine), a writer in NYC, learns that he has AIDS. He is frustrated, and alternates between "it doesn't get any better than this" and a raging anger about his own fears and the prejudiced reactions of others to his condition. Recently he broke up with his long-time lover Saul (Jonathan Hadary), but they reconcile because Rich needs emotional support and sanctuary. Saul is the only person who loves him enough to argue with him when he doesn't appear to love himself. Characters are portrayed realistically, and not white-washed. The bar scenes are particularly funny in their self-consciousness, and we get the gallows humour of the gay men. Rich's brother (Alan Scarfe) visits him. There is no gay moral superiority and we are touched by the brother's efforts to empathise with someone he does not want to lose. Joanna Miles as Rich's actress friend Lily is warm but has little to do except introduce him to her cousin Chet (Doug Annear). Lily's farewell to Rich in the hospital is reminiscent of the way gay men abandon their infected partners. Coleen Dewhurst as the hospice worker brightens things up with her humor, sensible attitude, and comments.

"As Is" does not preach, but suffers from staginess. It is not rated, but is adult in nature, with some coarse language. This made for cable TV movie is a version of the stage play by William S. Hoffman, adapted by the author. The theatrical origins of the play are still evident in this film. Studio sets reveal how underbudgeted the project is, but it is the eloquence of Hoffman's dialogue that rises above it all. The depth of the film comes from the observed detail of gay lifestyle. Peter Matz composed the incidental music. Michael Lindsay-Hogg directed.

Unconditional Love (2002)

Lawyer Max Beasley (Dan Aykroyd) leaves his middle aged wife Grace (Kathy Bates), and she impulsively decides to live her life the way she wants to. Her favorite pop star, Victor Fox (Jonathan Pryce), a crooner in the style of Tom Jones, is murdered by the "Crossbow Killer" serial killer in her home town of Chicago just as she's about to meet him on TV. She takes a plane to London to attend his funeral. On the flight, Julie Andrews has a cameo as the person sitting next to Grace who comforts the other passengers during a turbulent storm by getting them all to sing, "Getting To Know You". When she arrives she meets Victor's secret lover and "valet" of 20 years, Dirk Simpson (Rupert Everett), who is determined to avenge Victor's death. Grace convinces him to come back to Chicago with her to find out who killed the singer. Together, along with Cathy's dwarf daughter in-law, the trio eventually find the cross-bow killer and turn him into the police. In the process, Grace gradually begins to understand what it means to live life on one's own terms, the value of unconditional love, and the evils of sexism and homophobia.

The film ends with the trio being celebrated on a TV talk show as heroes who have tracked down the serial killer. Dirk announces that he is turning Fox's home into a halfway house for gay youth who are kicked out of their homes by their bigoted parents. Maudey Beasley (Meredith Eaton) reports that a cell phone company is having her sponsor their new line of phones. Finally, after all is said and done, Max appears in the audience and asks for Grace to start her singing career right now on national television. Celebrity Barry Manilow walks onto the stage and joins Grace in a song that sums up the major political message of the film: in life we all belong to the human race and must respect the human rights and human dignity of all men, women and children.

The main theme is about being different from everyone else and how society treats unusual people. It's an off-the-wall zany film, touching, funny, crazy, and surreal. For some inexplicable reason the real Julie Andrews keeps popping up at random times to sing. Critics give it mixed reviews, and ignore the film's political commentary and simply see it as a quirky comedy. Film critic Jason Bovberg wrote: "As a dark comedy, Unconditional Love can be occasionally effective. There are a few moments in this film that had me laughing quite hysterically. Merely the sight of Jonathan Pryce shuffle-dancing through clouds over the opening credits loads the film with promise. And Meredith Eaton as Maudey steals every scene she's in. But in the end, you can't escape the fact that Bates has difficulty carrying this movie and in fact, doesn't seem to really understand the type of film she's in." Written by Jocelyn Moorhouse and P. J. Hogan, who also directed.

Mala Noche (1985)

Walt Curtis (Tim Streeter) is a homosexual liquor-store clerk attracted to two younger Mexican boys, Johnny (Doug Cooeyate) and Roberto Pepper (Ray Monge), who are illegal immigrants. Walt and his friend Betty (Nyla McCarthy) convince them to come over for dinner, but Johnny and Roberto have to return to their cheap hotel because another friend is locked out. Obsessed with Johnny, Walt says, "I wanna show this Mexican kid that I'm gay for him." However, Johnny doesn't speak English and finds Walt strange and undesirable. Walt offers hustler Johnny $15 to sleep with him, but Johnny refuses and runs to his hotel room, leaving Roberto locked out with nowhere to spend the night but Walt's. Settling for second best, Walt lays down next to Roberto and allows him on top for sex. The next morning, Walt is full of regret as he realizes that Roberto probably feels like he has just out-manned Walt, as well as stealing $10 during his stay. However, he doesn't give up on Johnny. The story progresses from there into unclear relationships--unbalanced by age, language, race, sexuality, and money.

Based on the autobiographical novel by Walt Curtis, this movie was shot in16 mm, mostly black-and-white, entirely on location in Portland, Oregon. Long unavailable and now fully restored, it is arranged into vignettes around Portland's skid row. Mala noche is Spanish for "bad night". This low budget drama was written and directed by Gus Van Sant, his first feature film.

A Touch of Pink (2004)

Alim (Jimi Mistry) is an Ismaili Canadian, a young South Indian movie photographer who lives in London, thousands of miles from his family, for one very good reason--he has a boyfriend. His ideal gay life begins to unravel when his mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew) shows up to find him a suitable Muslim girlfriend and convince him to return to Canada for his cousin's wedding. Nuru was born and raised in Africa. She was fond of watching Cary Grant and Doris Day movies, and wanted to be like her. After the death of her husband, Nuru leaves her four year-old son Alim in Africa with her sister Dolly (Veena Sood) and immigrates to Britain to start a new life. Nuru returns after suffering racism in England. She and her sister emigrate to Canada with their families and Alim grows up in Toronto. Fast-forward to the present. Nuru is going to attend her nephew Khaled's (Raoul Bhaneja) wedding and wants Alim to attend. She longs for him to marry a nice Ismali Muslim girl and raise a family in Toronto, and travels to London to convince Alim to come home. He lives with his boyfriend Giles (Kristen Holden-Reid), as well as the ghost of Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan), whom only Alim can see. Pursuing the ideal world presented in the films of Grant-era Hollywood, Alim seeks and then follows the advice of the ghost. This works out pretty well until his mother shows up. Screwball confusion ensues as Alim tries to keep his gay relationship from being discovered by his mother, all the while trying to maintain composure in the style of his mentor. Nuru finally gets to meet her son's boyfriend.

This charming and delightful romantic comedy is driven by the humour of the cultural divide between characters who are young and old, Indian and Western, gay and straight, real and imaginary, and alive and dead. Suleka Matthew as the mother is a very gifted comedian, and Kyle MacLachlan's performance as Cary Grant has the vocal intonations and mannerisms just right. A must-see for fans of old Cary Grant movies, who will pick up all the references to his films. Written and directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid.

101 Rent Boys (2000)

From the makers of "Party Monster" comes this lurid documentary about the seamy world of street hustlers. The producers recruited 101 hustlers from the Santa Monica Boulevard area in West Hollywood and paid each of them $50 for their time. All the hustlers, who were from diverse ethnic, racial, regional and economic backgrounds, were interviewed in various motel rooms on such topics as how they entered into prostitution, their sexual orientation, drugs, homelessness, and their first johns. They also explain how they dress, speak, act, think, give head, receive head, increase cash flow, keep safe, walk, eat, smoke, flirt, get turned-on, feel about love, and plans for the future. Viewers are introduced to a sadist, an ex-gang member, a transsexual, and many others. It focuses on a few of the boys more extensively than others and longer interviews with about two dozen expose the transient lives of men who sell their bodies to other men, with surprisingly little guilt or shame. Each rent boy was assigned a number--but not each one is identified in the film. While some of the men are interviewed in various states of undress and the talk sometimes becomes sexually explicit, the film itself contains no sexual activity.

The DVD has a feature where each of the hustlers were left alone with the camera for five minutes to do whatever they choose. In this feature, several participants masturbate. A companion book, also called "101 Rent Boys", was published featuring photos and excerpts from the interviews. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato directed.

That Certain Summer (1972)

Fourteen-year-old Nick Salter (Scott Jacoby) lives in LA with his mother Janet (Hope Lange). He cannot understand why his parents divorced. During the summer he visits his contractor father Doug Salter (Hal Holbrook) and his much younger "best friend" Gary McClain (Martin Sheen) in San Francisco. Gary moves out temporarily in order to keep Nick's possible suspicions at bay. Eventually Doug tells his son the truth, encouraged by Janet to reveal to Nick that he has a gay lover. Nick is filled with shame and disgust, and runs away. Once reunited with his son, Doug attempts to explain his sexual orientation and alternative lifestyle to him, with mixed results.

Originally broadcast as the ABC Movie of the Week on November 1, 1972, "That Certain Summer" was the first TV film to take a mature and somewhat uncritical approach to the subject of homosexuality. Like many "firsts", the film seems a bit timid when seen today. Emmy-winning writers Richard Levinson and William Link were forced by the network to include short speeches describing the gay life as something of a sickness. In an interview with the Dallas Voice, Martin Sheen said, "I thought it was wonderful. There was a great deal of freedom in it because it wasn't about advocating a lifestyle or a sexuality. It was about two people who adored each other, and they weren't allowed to have a relationship that involved their sexuality." Holbrook said, "I was an actor clearly not afraid of controversy...Anything that would make the audience think was worthwhile...That's a good reason for being an actor, when you can do something decent that touches people's hearts and their minds, so you feel like you actually accomplished something." Directed by Lamont Johnson.