Adept Adaptations

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:41:31 GMT

"One of the most underrated gay movies in recent history is INFAMOUS. Screw Capote! Infamous was wonderful and really got into the heart of the relationship between Truman Copote and Perry" Just saw this movie today and i agree with everything you said.

(sorry for the spoilers{for those who have not seen the movie} but i just wanted to mention my fave scenes)

I loved a lot of the jail scenes with truman and perry.My fave jail scenes are when truman asks perry to go to the corner of the cell and truman whispers/softly talks to perry in calming down,almost a meditation;The proximity between perry and truman was so close that i thought , that truman was going to make a move/pass to perry but he did not.Anothr jail scene i liked is when perry accuses truman of being a liar due to the title of his book(Cold Blooded).At first i thought,perry was seriously going to beat him up and then i thought perry was definitely going to rape truman but he did not .What perry did was definitely scare truman and given him an inside look was humiliation feels like.Something perry felt when he heard the title of the book from one of the guards.The third jail scene i liked was the conversation between truman and perry about what is punishment?My fave quote (by perry)is "I'll tell you what punishment is for me.It's hoping theres someone for you. And after yrs. of no one, you find him and you can't have him." Very touching scene!!

Other scenes i liked is when dick got hanged ,and he was not quite dead yet.The doctor repeatedly checked his pulse for signs of life .And dewy kept looking at his watch .It took over 25 minutes for dick to die and truman was beginning to look distraught. I felt disturbed with the scene

To a lighter note, a funny scene i liked is when harper and truman approaches perry's home and harper hands perry's wife a housewarming christmas present.Truman says the present is a fruitcake, not me(not a direct quote)

I liked the movie so much that i saw it again with the directors commentary;Very lively and informative commentary

there's only 1 small thing i did not like about the movie,i did not like gwyneth paltrows dress at the beginning of the movie;it looks like gold giftwrapped wallpaper on her body;It looked liked the dress did not fit her well and the gold-bow-front -bustier looked like it was coming off her chest. But overall,the movie is generally great

the movie reminded me a bit about a jail flick i saw a couple mths ago.It is called jailbait(2004) with micheal pitt and stephen adly guirgis.It is about two prisoners,a seasoned prisoner sentenced for life for murder and a newbie prisoner sentenced for 25 yrs. for car theft(25 yrs.because of the 3 strike law and probably because of not a very good lawyer)and their relationship as cellmates.Infamous is still a better movie than this because it gets more through the heart of the character(what they feel ,and what they think)and a more original script compared to jailbait but it is worth a honorary mention for movies about homsexual jail relations

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 21:21:53 GMT

"Unfortunately still haven't seen Infamous, definitely on my short list of to see films"

I second that!!! discussions about this flick make me curious enough to put this movie on my queue or maybe just renting it instore after i finish watching a couple of online rented movies(to exchange in blockbuster)

"Adam & Steve"-i will add this to my queue too

thanks

Re: most overrated gay movie

unemployedwaif — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:21:29 GMT

Hehe, awesome, I love debates!

About Kissing Jessica Stein. As I've stated before in a post about coming out of the closet, I felt that Kissing Jessica Stein was a good movie. I know from the aspect of a queer audience viewing it the film does get reach that point of "oh gosh . . ." but I do have to say that it is what it is and it is a well made romantic comedy that showcases a queer subject matter in a positive light. I think that depending on ones station they will perceive it differently, i.e. - how I was able to relate to the coming out process of the films main character and the struggle to accept her newfound sexuality because I was getting to do the same at the same time I viewed the film. But I also can understand how others might view it in a negative light.

Imagine Me & You was just alright in my opinion. I suppose the sitution and wedding scenario was just unidentifiable to me and left me rather blaise about the film in general. Not that it was bad, just not for me.

Totally agree about Another Gay Movie. It was definitely just going for the gay American Pie and nothing more. But granted, I laughed just as much as American Pie but was finally able to identify a lot more. So I loved it.

Adam & Steve, again totally agree. Great romantic/gross-out comedy.

Unfortunately still haven't seen Infamous, definitely on my short list of to see films.

YES! She's The Man is hilarious!

Re: most overrated gay movie

Ravie13 — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:23:58 GMT

My title for most overrated gay movie is Kissing Jessica Stein. I *HATE* that movie. Bisexuality is one thing but Jessica Stein is another. The experiment might be interesting but the character herself was just a big waste of time.

I loved Imagine Me and You though... I just think it's wonderful when a movie like that can exist. It's your typical mid-budget romantic comedy... but about lesbians and with a happy ending!!! That's just perfect.

In the same way... it's good that Another Gay Movie can exist but I thought that it tried too hard to be "the gay American Pie" and didn't take the opportunity to be it's own thing. It was just... bad parody. Meanwhile Adam & Steve (which I didn't love but it had it's moments) was labeled "the gay Something About Mary" and really was it's own story. It didn't feel like any kind of rip off.

One of the most underrated gay movies in recent history is INFAMOUS. Screw Capote! Infamous was wonderful and really got into the heart of the relationship between Truman Copote and Perry.

I love that "She's the Man" is being discussed.. I enjoyed that film.

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:26:25 GMT

Three Bewildered People In The Night - That is great you got to see an older araki film that is hard to acquire;In time,and with some luck ,i hope to see this movie too;thanks for the positive recommendations

Re: most overrated gay movie

slipofthetongue — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:03:04 GMT

Glad to be here. Thanks for starting this group! TBPITN was very low budget to the extreme and I'm sure a lot of people found it to be a big bore but for some reason I liked it quite a bit. Araki spoke after the screening and he seems like just the nicest, most intelligent guy. I guess the thing that you could say against TBPITN is that it doesn't really go anywhere in the way a typical narrative film does but it does make you feel like you are part of the lives of these kids and it doesn't pander to stereotypes or really to your expectations, which I like. Yes, I keep meaning to buy tickets to things at Outfest way in advance and never do. I really should just join this year. I like your comment about how we need certain types of movies during the evolution/progression of gay culture over time. It's true that Boys In The Band probably doesn't hold up to modern standards of movie making but it was ground breaking and important for its time.

Re: most overrated gay movie

unemployedwaif — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:04:40 GMT

Hey, thanks for accepting!

I'm still rather torn on Big Eden. Part of me despises it for pandering to the cliched "gay fairy tale" yet some other part of me kinda likes that and realizes the necessity of it.

Yes, I definitely agree with you about Love, Valor and Compassion. Not that I need to type it all, but I will, the film follows the same ideas that gay men are all image-obsessed and slowing dying of AIDS, referring to one another as queens and faggots yet being greatly offended when someone else even slightly hints at a homophobic remark. Being that I am younger and am not immersed in the gay community, I do believe that the film probably did typify a subset of the gay population at the time (and undoubtedly still today) that eludes me so I can't be totally harsh against it.

Wow, how was it (Three Bewildered People In The Night)? I have yet to talk to anyone that has seen it. The only event I was able to attend at last years Outfest was one of the panels, but it was definitely worth it. Found out that John August was gay (don't know how that one slipped past me) and got a chance to talk to Guinevere Turner for a bit. Hopefully this year I won't wait until the day before to try and get tickets to some of the films!

Re: most overrated gay movie

slipofthetongue — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 05:34:23 GMT

I guess it's a question of what one considers raw and real now isn't it?

Politics never entered my mind.

Re: most overrated gay movie

joem18b — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:54:00 GMT

Big Eden is a movie where Arye Gross comes back to a little town that has somehow been transported from next to the Castro up into the mountains. If he'd driven a little farther, he would have come to Bushcheneywesupportourtroopsville, where things would definitely have been more raw and real.

But I liked it anyway.

Re: most overrated gay movie

slipofthetongue — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:50:58 GMT

Hello everyone! Thanks for the invitation. One vote for Big Eden as most overrated (sappy, cutesy, over the top, Northern Exposure ripoff). God I hated this movie. I'll also go out on a limb to say that the award winning Love, Valour and Compassion is a button pushing festival. I think we're supposed to feel it is the quintissential gay movie but I found it to be full of contrivances. Not the worst movie I've ever seen, just overrated. I tend to like things a bit more raw and real. I love Gregg Araki! Got a chance to see one of his older films (Three Bewildered People In The Night) at Outfest last year and enjoyed that too!

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:45:03 GMT

gregg araki films i've seen and liked The Doom Generation, and Mysterious Skin;i am also af fan of james duval and rose mcgowan from doom generation;And i like joseph gordon lewitt from mysterious skin

In the ending of doom generation;i saw amy being tortured and it looked like xavier was dead or dying;I do not understand how both xavier and amy survived without a scratch or the fact that they survived at all;Only jordan did not make it and die??Can you explain to me that ending on your viewpoint?I watched this movie with my nephew and a friend and we were all perplexed with the ending

I use to think that james duval was related to robert duvall but they have no blood relations whatsoever;the spellings of their last name is different;james last name has one L and roberts has two L's;And i always thought that james was much younger in age(because of the roles he plays and the way he looks):He's actually 34:this are just trivial things i found out about james recently; Anyway that must have been the coolest...... feeling seeing james in person and brushing shoulders with;I know i would be in heaven seeing a fave thespian in real life!!!

As i read the script,reviews of Nowhere, i realized that i have seen this movie on tv;I never realized that this was the title of this movie ;All icould remember was that it had james duval in it;So i started looking for james duvall in imdb and was amazed with to see all the many movies to his credit. Nowhere was a crazy teen(all-star cast)movie that starts out as a few teens in a car pick up this guy and asks him if they wants to cut school and hang out them;It was a very interesting movie

Splendor ,i found in my local blockbuster and available online for rent;I put it in my queue

The Living End and Totally F***ed Up(they are n/a on blockbuster online) I will probably catch it on tv(ifc,sundance,etc..) ;Same way i found mysterious skin and the doom generation

Since you like greg araki,you probably/may like movies that deal with young adults/teens in very disturbed situations/ disturbed subject matter:or the young in very unique,one -of-a-kind situations;I like movies that deal with this subject;A few flicks that i liked are:The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things(2004) or anything with asia argento,SLC Punk(1999),The Chumscrubber (2005),The Dreamers (2003)or many movies with micheal pitt,Niagara Niagara (1997),Party Monster (2002),Rosetta (1999),Freeway (1996),Better Luck Tomorrow (2002),Black and White(1999),Dazed and Confused (1993),Go (1999). You might have seen most of them ,since you have hundreds of movies listed on your page just like me

Re: most overrated gay movie

unemployedwaif — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:41:01 GMT

Gregg Araki is a personal favorite of mine. I own The Living End, Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation, Nowhere, and Splendor. I haven't been able to see two of his earlier films; I can't wait until Smiley Face is finally given a theatrical release. And I'm normally not a fan of celebrity culture but I did get a little giddy when I managed to get tickets to the AFI premiere of Mysterious Skin at the Arclight Theater in Los Angeles. The film was great but the best part was after the film when exiting the theater I brushed shoulders with James Duval and nearly had a heart attack. I recommend all of his films whenever someone asks, but most people get turned off by his style of filmmaking and subject matter which tends to be "in-your-face" than most. Mysterious Skin and Splendor seem to be his most approachable (or "Hollywood") films, but I tend to push people towards seeing Nowhere or The Living End.

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 06:21:33 GMT

writing your recent release faves is really helpful and informative

thanks for putting up your recent release gay themed movie faves:i would definitely look into 20 Centimeters, and Another Gay Movie,at the closest blockbuster near my home;I remeber seeing this 2 movies on the shelf

Evening is still out the theaters but i will put it on my queue for when it becomes available for rental

Shortbus,i definitely wanted to see but is not in blockbuster online but is available in netflix

Nowhere,a greg araki movie starring ryan phillip(my fave director and actor): i almost saw on tv;i recorded it but then then the recorder broke and was replaced by a new one(tivo-style directv plus);I am thinking it will come on tv again in ifc or sundance and i will watch it then;Most of g.araki movies are hard to come by;Have you seen any other g.araki movies you would recommend?

i saw kissing jessica stein and i liked it

She' the man is not a bad teen movie

The hours ,i did not like too much

Re: most overrated gay movie

unemployedwaif — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:44:19 GMT

Recent releases that I have enjoyed:

- Evening, which doesn't exactly center around gay characters but is loaded with queer themes (thanks to co-screenwriter Michael Cunningham).

- Shortbus, highly entertaining and arousing film about sex in all its various forms. Extremely explicit yet remains focused on the story.

- 20 Centimeters, while not technically a new release, however it is still in the new release section of my local Blockbuster Video so I guess it counts for me. Great dramatic musical from Spain. I guess it's being toted as the Spanish version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which is a fair statement.

- Another Gay Movie, yet again, not too recent but close enough, this campy gross out comedy is in the same mind-set as American Pie and other teen sex comedies, but with a gay cast. If you take it for what it is and not too seriously, it is highly enjoyable.

My favorite queer films . . . that's hard.

- Nowhere, help start the New Queer CInema Movement and greatly affected me when I first watched it in high school. Amazing cast, great soundtrack, and definitely one of my favorite films. Still gets me teary eyed at the end . . . make sure to watch through to the end of the credits.

- The Hours, just one of the most emotionally charged films I have ever seen and bring my to tears every time I watch it. All around great cast, score, cinematography, everything.

- Kissing Jessica Stein, film that helped me finally come out to my parents and come to terms with my sexuality when I first viewed it in college. One of the few films about bisexuality that doesn't pander (for the most part) to stereotypes.

Favorite crossdressing film:

- She's the Man, primarily due to the fact that it wasn't loaded with horrible stereotypes and homophobic comments when the subject arose. Cutesy teen comedy remake of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night that actually made me laugh.

Lastly, Stage Beauty. Thought it was a decent film about the subject matter. Though I do think that Billy Crudup's characters was primarily gay since his reaction to his male lover's rejections seemed to affect him so deeply.

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:44:35 GMT

joem18b "gentle smiles"

i like that description : >

Re: most overrated gay movie

joem18b — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:37:14 GMT

Transamerica has gentle smiles.

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:47:01 GMT

"I liked Transamerica, if transgender films count.";it definitely counts as a fave gay movie

transamerica, always been on my want to see list but i never gotten around to watching it;thanks for reminding me of that movie and a thumbs up for that movie:does this movie have some comedy in it??if i watch this ,this will be the first trangender movie i would see that is not mostly drama;that is good ;it will give the movie a lighter fare and not so serious compared to others i have seen in the same genre

As for transgender movies ,my faves would be beautiful boxer,it is thai true story movie,much better than most of the muay thai thai movie available to rent in mainstream rentals;the story/script is much better, less action ,more drama

One of adrian grenier earlier flicks is The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998)adrien's stepfather in this movie plays a very good role of a transgender/positive role model father ;I believe this is the first transgender movie i have seen and i highly recommend this one as the best transgender movie i have seen

Also Normal (2003)an hbo original movie about a man about to transform into a full transgender and its impact on his family,his love,his work etc..;the movie goes the different steps he has to go through before he can have complete transformation;i like this movie too but i liked the 2 movies mentioned above much better

As for shakespeare in love, i saw that a while back but should probably see it again to give it a proper comparison to stage beauty;i do not recall much about shakespeare in love due to the many movies i have seen

Re: most overrated gay movie

joem18b — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 18:17:32 GMT

lukasblu:
Talking about gay movies,what is some of the more recent release gay films have you seen are your faves or recommend????mine is Imagine Me & You
what is yor all time fave gay flick???A Home at the End of the World , The Object of My Affection ,Imagine Me & You ,Beautiful Boxer (thai), Before Night Falls (spanish),Chasing Amy , Flawless, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (australian)
what non-gay flick but have to dress like the other gender to get ahead in life,or more opportunities in life ,or get attracted to a special someone film are your faves??Some of my faves are of my faves is tootsie and yentl
And i am not sure if this is a gay movie or not because at the beginning he was playing a gay character in a play and had a lover and then later on he played a guy playing a guy and fell in love with a woman.I guess he is bisexual;Any way it is underrated movie that deserves more credit and a second look;It had a script that i have never seen and it is also a love story.It is Stage Beauty (2004).Has anyone else seen this flick????Loved this movie!!!

I liked Transamerica, if transgender films count.

Stage Beauty is about the days in England when men were required by law to take the female as well as the male roles onstage. Billy Crudup is one of the female stars, but I don't think it's clear what his own preferences are. He does have a royal male lover but I took that as part of his job. As you point out, the plot has him go straight at the end. I liked the movie, though I really liked Shakespeare in Love, which has some of the same themes.

Re: most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:11:26 GMT

unemployedwaif ,"phenomenon within the realm of queer cinema. "
joem18b,"crossover hits". similar to music crossovers but this time in the movies?

strangeframe ,"Believe it or not, producers and executive producers are still afraid of films that might be perceived as gay films. maybe the content doesn't justify the best movie ever, but it does move the broader acceptance of gay stories, does it not? "

i believe everyone here is right;thanks for the insight/new perspective of looking at brockeback,making of mainstream gay movies;i hope, in the future,that hollywood or mainstream movies make movies that are more varied,/from different spectrums,with great quality and script ,positive outlook of the gay community, no stereotypes,and get great appraise,awards and promotion much like brockback.

Talking about gay movies,what is some of the more recent release gay films have you seen are your faves or recommend????mine is Imagine Me & You

what is yor all time fave gay flick???A Home at the End of the World , The Object of My Affection ,Imagine Me & You ,Beautiful Boxer (thai), Before Night Falls (spanish),Chasing Amy , Flawless, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (australian)

what non-gay flick but have to dress like the other gender to get ahead in life,or more opportunities in life ,or get attracted to a special someone film are your faves??Some of my faves are of my faves is tootsie and yentl

And i am not sure if this is a gay movie or not because at the beginning he was playing a gay character in a play and had a lover and then later on he played a guy playing a guy and fell in love with a woman.I guess he is bisexual;Any way it is underrated movie that deserves more credit and a second look;It had a script that i have never seen and it is also a love story.It is Stage Beauty (2004).Has anyone else seen this flick????Loved this movie!!!

Re: most overrated gay movie

joem18b — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:05:16 GMT

Yes, it's that question of how you approach crossover hits.

Re: most overrated gay movie

unemployedwaif — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 01:56:33 GMT

Instead of using overrated, I would probably say that Brokeback Mountain was more of a phenomenon within the realm of queer cinema. I think because of the publicity it received with the Oscar nominations and the young, straight celebrity cast it was able to reach out into the mainstream to those people that would never consider viewing a "gay" movie before. From there it became a reference point to those individuals and has continued to be the acceptable "gay" movie to mainstream society (more or less). Until another film with a queer subject matter is able to break into the mainstream, Brokeback Mountain will continue to receive such adulation.

most overrated gay movie

lukasblu — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:03:11 GMT

i think brokeback mountain(2005) is the most overrated gay movie i have seen;Just because it was more publicized and won awards,that doesn't mean its the best gay movie ever made;it was just an ok movie for me;i believe there are other movies out there that potray gay/family movie better ;it is mainly the script /story that could be better;I liked A Home at the End of the World (2004) much better;And for a lighter fare (a little more comedy,a little less serious)Object of My Affection (1998);And if you switch it around and you have two girls with affection for each other i like Imagine Me & You (2005),although there is no children involved in this film;And as for documentary i like All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2006);I can not think of any foreign gay/family though;if any one has any suggestions or recommendations let me know

brockback mountain seemed to have a script like a daytime soap opera and or a spanish novella,minus the big name young and talented adult cast and the beautiful cinematography