Synopsis:
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is the improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic conman’s journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal, who repeatedly finds himself in trouble with the law and on the lam, brilliantly escaping from the Texas prison system on four separate occasions – all in the name of love.

Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann), and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he’s gay and he’s going to live life to the fullest – even if he has to break the law to do it.

Taking on an extravagant lifestyle, Steven turns to cons and fraud to make ends meet and is eventually sent to the State Penitentiary where he meets the love of his life, a sensitive, soft-spoken man named Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts him to attempt (and often succeed at) one impossible con after another. Told with an uncanny sense of humor and a lot of heart, “I Love You Phillip Morris” is an oddball tale of what can happen when the legal system, a daredevil spirit and undying love collide.

“I Love You Phillip Morris” is an oddball tale of what can happen when the legal system, a daredevil spirit and undying love collide.

Our Thoughts:
I didn’t want to like this movie because I am not a huge Jim Carrey fan. I didn’t want to, but dammit this trailer had me laughing quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s because it’s labeled as a true story or if it’s because a seemingly romantic comedy about a homosexual criminal, but I have to see I Love You, Phillip Morris. I actually can’t wait to see this now that I have watched this trailer. Oh, and the penis cloud thing = awesome. Almost as awesome as the penis bagel setup. This looks to be a great flick.

Okay, I’ve told you mine, now you can tell me yours in the comments below!

Technorati Tags: I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Criminal, Homosexual, Trailer, Movie, Coming Soon, December Releases

On Performing w/ Kiss

Whataya Want From Me

Style Influences

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Technorati Tags: Adam Lambert, VH1, Interview, Music, Pop Star, Gay, GLBT, Homosexual, Music, Fashion, Icon, American Idol

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: May 3, 2008
DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $21.99

When I agreed to review Affinity I did not know anything about it other than it was a gothic, tragic romance of sorts that included issues of death, loneliness, and spirituality. I knew it was an MTV production, by way of Logo, but other than that I was more or less clueless. I watch Logo from time to time though, so I decided to check it out and try something new. I have to admit that I am glad that I did. Where MTV has gone wrong consistently lately, Logo seems to be making all the right moves.

Affinity is a film that was adapted from the novel of the same name by Sarah Waters. As I have not read the novel, I cannot comment on how close or far off it is from the film. What I can say though is that I found the film compelling enough to want to read the novel. Waters’ ability to write is obvious as she manages to produce multidimensional characters and a strong creative structure that made it a good pick for a movie somewhere down the road.

It should be stated though that parts of the film feel mismatched. My theory is that the entire novel could not be translated or scrunched into the 90 minute time frame, so things were left out, which gives that disjointed feeling. This does not make the movie bad, but it could have used some work. However, it is obvious to see that the writing ability on the part of Waters is there and the cast did a marvelous job at working with what they were given.

As this is a primarily British (or non-American) cast there were not too many names or faces that I recognized right off the bat. One person I did recognize though was Amanda Plummer. I recognized Plummer from her work in Pulp Fiction, The World According to Garp, and The Hotel New Hampshire. Hers was just one of the performances in this film that made watching it an enjoyable experience. I may not have known what to expect, but after seeing this I will certainly be looking out for the writers and cast in the future.

The Affinity Plot
Anna Madeley plays the roll of Margaret Prior. Margaret is a young woman in her 20s that is living an unsatisfying existence. She is living in a time (1870s Victorian era London) where most women have been married off by her age. However, Margaret lives with her mother. Her father just died and as if all of this wasn’t bad enough she has a male suitor (Vincent Leclerc) that makes unwanted advances. To make matters worse, her girlfriend, Helen (Ferelith Young) leaves her only to move on to to Margaret’s brother! From the looks of it, things could not get any worse for Margaret.

Oddly enough, Margaret decides that the cure for her is to visit the local prison for women, Milbank. While at Milbank, Margaret becomes friends with one of the women, named Selina (Zoe Tapper). Selina was convicted of being a fake medium and causing the death of a person during a séance. According to Selina, the spirits caused the person’s death, but naturally the court would not fall for something like that. The two girls find an affinity for one another, but with one in prison and the other in her own prison, it is hard to say what could become of such feelings.

As the feelings between the women grow, supernatural things begin to occur. Some of Selina’s hair ends up under Margaret’s pillow, flowers end up in Margaret’s bedroom, and things that simply have no explanation occur. Things continue along this course until the ending, which most will not find too shocking.

The acting is one of the best parts of this film. However, one cannot discount the moody, foreboding tone that looms in the background at all times. The costume design was not only beautiful, but right on par for what you would expect from a movie such as this. Despite its flaws, the good parts here far outweigh the bad.

Storyline/Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
There is absolutely nothing to complain about when it comes to the video quality of Affinity. Paramount offers this film in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and things come out looking good. The colors of the film are used to create a dark, rough, and unpolished environment. The prison scenes look excellent, having been shot in this manner. I did notice some grain and a bit of softness, but in the case of the former it appears that was the intention of the filmmakers. Otherwise, this received a good visual quality from Paramount.

Dolby Digital 2.0 is offered for the audio. The sound is not exactly dreamy, especially if you are interested in surround capabilities, of which there are not many. The sound is especially quiet for much of the picture though it is obvious that this is the intent of the filmmakers. The audio here is somewhere between stellar and mediocre. It’s not bad, but I have certainly heard better.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The bonus features start off with a six minute featurette, “The Making of Affinity.” It is nice that this was included, though I can say that I didn’t learn a great deal from watching the featurette. “Selina and Mrs. Lewis” is a additional scene that was left out of the film. Generally, parts that are left out are not added for a reason and that is exactly the case here. Interviews with the author, screenwriter, and the main stars are also included in the bonus section. Things are rounded out with a trailer and some previews.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
You do not have to be a lesbian (I’m not) to appreciate Affinity. If you like gothic romance, tragedy, the supernatural, or Victorian England this just might peak your interest. True, it’s not as good as it could have been, but it is still worth watching. I recommend trying to catch it on Logo or renting it for your first time watching. From then on, you should pick it up if you think it will be something that you would be interested in watching frequently.

Overall Rating: 3.64 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Anna Madeley, Zoe Tapper, Domini Blythe, Anne Reid, Amanda Plummer, Anna Massey, Sarah Waters, Affinity, Logo, MTV, DVD, DVD Review, Lesbian, Victorian England, Prison

Greenlight news comes on heels of release of Exes and Ohs: The Complete First Season DVD
New York, NY – May 21, 2008 – Through a special video message posted by Exes and Ohs stars Michelle Paradise and Marnie Alton at Logo’s AfterEllen.com, Logo today announced the greenlight of season two of Exes and Ohs, the first-ever scripted comedy about lesbian friends and relationships for a basic cable channel. The eight-episode, half-hour scripted series – based on the short film The Ten Rules: A Lesbian Survival Guide –will premiere in early 2009.

The announcement, made by series creator and star Michelle Paradise and co-star Marnie Alton, is now available for viewing at AfterEllen.com, the nation’s top-ranked lesbian-themed website, which helped propel Exes and Ohs’ first season success through video blogs about the show and a powerful community of fans who shared in the show’s experience. The news was announced on the heels of the availability of Exes and Ohs: The Complete First Season DVD at retail stores and at the shop at LOGOonline.com.

Exes and Ohs follows the adventures of Jennifer (Michelle Paradise), a documentary filmmaker and her search for Ms. Right, telling the story of lesbian survival in life and love in Seattle, WA. Jennifer tries to keep up with the high-drama dating world, fulfill her creative ambitions, avoid the danger of professional and romantic complacency and embrace the “rules” of lesbian life, love and community.
Jennifer is surrounded by a group of close and diverse friends: Sam (Marnie Alton), was Jennifer’s first love but is now her fun-loving, commitment-phobic ex-girlfriend; long-time partners in love and business Chris (Megan Cavanagh) and Kris (Angela Featherstone) are trying to run a home-based pet accessory enterprise while overrun by pets with whom they’re too in love to give up for adoption.

Exes and Ohs will air on Logo’s 24/7 television channel and significant features will be available at AfterEllen.com, home of the exclusive Exes and Ohs video blog and the largest and only community of Exes and Ohs fans. Exes and Ohs Executive Producers are Michelle Paradise, Lee Friedlander, Billy Grundfest and Blueprint Productions (Noreen Halpern & John Morayniss).

Technorati Tags: LOGO, GLBT, Lesbian, Television Show, Season Two, Second Season, New Season, Greenlight, Megan Cavanagh, Angela Featherstone, Michelle Paradise

On June 5, 2007, fans of this amazingly funny movie with a message will be able to add The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Extra Frills Edition DVD to their DVD collection. The re-release of the movie, which was first released in 1994, is bound to make new fans, in an era where life is slightly more tolerant. This film was ahead of its time, and is reminiscent of a better written and slightly earlier version of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar.

The Titillating Plot
Set on the continent of Australia, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert follows the lives of three, energetic drag queens as they travel from Sydney to the Northwest Territory (Australia’s Outback). Bernadette Bassenger is an aging transsexual who is not quite sure why she came on this trip. Her poise and grace is the butt of many a joke by the younger and more flamboyant Adam/Felicia Jollygoodfellow, who constantly calls Bernadette by her former name, Ralph, just to get a rise out of her. However, it is the increasingly nervous Anthony “Tick” aka Mitzi, who has gathered the girls together to go on this road trip.

Tick owes it to his ex-flame, who it is soon discovered is a woman. Considering the girls all believe Tick is a homosexual this comes as quite a shock! As the girls try to find transportation to take them on a continent wide quest, Adam shows up with a dilapidated bus he convinced his homophobic mother to buy for him “in attempt to get him over this silly phase”. He proudly christens the bus “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. Priscilla will be taking them through the various cities, towns, and the Outback (a stretch of desert that seems to go on forever) on their quest to get to the hotel where they will be performing their cabaret act.

Along the way, these three very diverse drag queens learn about life, love, experience several different types of prejudice, and break down in the middle of nowhere on their quest to find something more in life (as they run away from their present life in Sydney) while travelling to perform their show. Add to this an amazing soundtrack featuring the songs of Abba, The Village People, and Gloria Gaynor and the eye-catching costumes only a drag queen would be caught wearing, and you have the award winning The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

It is symbolic, that Priscilla, while covered in bright red, hate speech, written by locals in one of the towns they travelled through, is painted bright lavender. As Priscilla gets her makeover, so does Bernadette when she meets the eccentric small town mechanic, Bob, whose one night stand, foreign bride leaves him in the lurch. Bob decides to come along for the ride, to ensure Priscilla makes it to her destination. Meanwhile, Adam must deal with the excessive prejudice he faces, especially since he seems to exude femininity, and Tink must come to terms with the past and deal with the responsibility he left behind eight years ago.

The Fabulous Cast & Crew
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was directed by Australian director Stephan Elliot. Disillusioned Bernadette was played superbly by Terence Stamp. This role was incredibly out of the box for Terence and it shows how excellent his acting skills are as he shines on the screen. You may recognize (or not considering how drastically different he looks as a transsexual, transitioning woman who is taking female hormones) Terence from his role as Supreme Chancellor Valorum from Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Stick in Elektra, and General Zod in Superman II. Similarly, Nigerian born actor, Hugo Weaving will be near unrecognizable as Mitzi/Tick from his upcoming role as Megatron in The Transformers Movie. You may have also seen Weaving as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, V in V is for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies.

The trio is rounded out by the amazingly funny Guy Pearce. Pearce personifies the flamboyant drag queen in a way you will not forget. The toned and muscular Pearce seems remarkably dainty at times, making his role that much more believable. You may remember Pearce played Leonard in the thriller Memento and Detective Ed in L.A. Confidential, both characters that are drastically different from the gaily, delightful Adam/Felicia. As the movie runs, we see flashbacks of each of the characters in their childhood or important moments in their life, painting a much fuller picture and identifying certain neurosis’ for what they are in each character. These three men do an excellent job of learning from these montages and incorporating them into their characterizations.

Supporting roles are played by Australian actors Bill Hunter, as the eccentric but friendly mechanic Bob, Sarah Chadwick, as Marion, Tick’s jovial and accepting ex-flame, and Mark Holmes as Benji, the inquisitive yet non-prejudicial young boy. The combination of excellent direction, a great script (by Elliott as well), and this diverse cast are what have made The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert what it is today.

Extra Frills for Happy Fans
The Extra Frills edition of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert contains loads of extras. You will find your DVD chocked full of…frills the original disc does not have. You can turn on the director’s commentary, change languages, watch the original trailer and teaser, deleted scenes, what happened on set, bloopers, featurettes, and check out the awesome photo gallery. In fact, some of these features are nearly as enjoyable as the movie itself.

Even the casing is so befitting, in a bright pinkish plastic reminiscent of the brightness of Priscilla, this DVD will work its way into your heart, as you watch it again and again. You can purchase The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Extra Frills Edition on June 5, 2007, so pick up a copy. You will not want to miss owning this movie.

Note: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is rated R in the US and 13+ in Canada. You can access closed captioning features on this one disc special edition DVD.

Technorati Tags: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Extra Frills Edition, DVD, dvd review, movie review, GLBT

The faults that I have found were more with the Directing. Carrie Preston was the director and it was her first and last time directing role since this movie was made. Personally, I think it would be good for her to stick with acting. I couldn’t help but feel throughout the entire movie that it could have been so much better than what it ended up being. Many of the reasons for that had to do with direction and editing.

Many spots gave the feel of being a step off or a minute too late. Jokes that would have been funny got lost in the lackluster editing and ended up falling flat on the ground without hope of being picked up. It wasn’t the writing I had a problem with. I loved the year in the life, comedic look into the world of a gay man. Like the writing, the acting was wonderful. The characters were lovable or bitchy, depending on the role, and a good time should have been felt throughout. I guess two out of three isn’t bad.

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]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/20/dvd-review-29th-and-gay/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/16/dvd-review-boy-culture/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/16/dvd-review-boy-culture/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:48:22 +0000 Ashtyn http://li-reviews.com/2007/04/16/dvd-review-boy-culture/ Boy Culture has everything you could want in a gay film. You will see naked men, sex, tricks, and lack of commitment. However, there is much more awaiting you with Boy Culture. To find out what, you will have to keep reading.]]> So many gay films flaunt sex, naked men, and the pride of lack of commitment the men in the movie seem to feel when they have so many men who love them, rather than one. Boy Culture takes the path of many gay movies, but doesn’t end up where you expect it to go. The film centers on X, who is played by Derek Magyar. X is a male prostitute. He has two roommates named Andrew (Daryl Stephens) and Joey (Jonathon Trent). X is in love with Andrew but Joey has feelings for X. It’s one big gay love triangle.

Boy Culture explores the life of a trick and the constant need to avoid commitment for so many gay men. On its own, this wouldn’t equal too much, but when you add in Gregory (Patrick Bauchau) you have a whole new story. Gregory enlists the services of X, but rather than using him for what he’s worth he opts to wait until X wants to give it as much as Gregory wants to take it.

Throughout the film we begin to see a softer side of gay cinema and it leads to a profound sensuality that is unmatched by the average gay film. While unexpected, the love that is shown is one that is perfectly portrayed in every way. Boy Culture may start out like every film but it leaves us surprised and satisfied all at the same time.

I was expecting less when I watched this movie. However, what I ended up with were excellent performances and an interesting story that I wanted to see unfold. The characters were enlightening in that interesting way and the movie just had this appeal to it that others in similar genres seem to lack. While you will see some of the same old stuff there is enough newness in this film to keep you wanting to watch and to make you happy you did when it’s over.

[eminimall products="glbt, gay, lesbian, movie" height="250" width="250"]

Bottom Line: If you are a fan of gay and lesbian movies this is one you will want to check out. Of course, if you are not interested in intimacy, sex, and naked men you might want to fast forward to the more emotional touching and less physically touching scenes. All in all, this one is worth watching. If you are unsure of the premise you might want to rent this one first, but if you’re looking for something that steps out of the box, this is the movie for you.

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]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/16/dvd-review-boy-culture/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/01/09/dvd-review-the-longing/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/01/09/dvd-review-the-longing/#comments Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:46:42 +0000 Dom and Ash http://li-reviews.com/2007/01/09/dvd-review-the-longing/ The Longing is a movie about longing for something you do not currently have. Much like this theme, we too, were longing for something we didn't have....a decent quality movie. Hopefully we will have better luck next time.]]> The Longing is a homosexual drama set with the beautiful backdrop of Brazil. This movie, recently released on DVD by TLA Releasing, was written and directed by Jurgen Bruning. While the plot had potential and the story could have gone many places, I felt that it often stood still making you long for more but gaining little in return.

While the plot kept me interested, many things prohibited me from wanting to like this film. The camera work was poor, there were many unnecessary or just plain odd scenes, and too many questions went unanswered. In the end, the only real longing was done while waiting for the movie to end. The plot centers on three semi-attractive men that are vacationing in Brazil on holiday from Germany. It soon becomes clear that all of these men have their own agenda for wanting to be in Brazil and away from their homes. Of course, they are not just in Brazil to have fun; they are there to work, as well. All three of the men work together providing homosexual, semi-nude make-out sessions on webcam for a chat room membership audience.

The three men in the drama include Erik (Hendrik Scheider), Tim (Daniel Batscher), and Cyrus (Tarik Qazi). Each of the men is in Brazil because they are longing for something their homes do not offer. Erik wants to find love. Cyrus, the wealthiest of the three, has come to Brazil looking for his mother. Tim wants to find an original sound for his music.

These three semi-plots are what lead the story along though it is clear that Erik is the ringleader. This is because his sotry is the main storyline in this movie.

After a violent altercation that leads to one man’s death, Erik meets Miguel (Aldri Anunciacao). Miguel is a Brazilian soap star that is perhaps the most handsome of all this movie’s male stars. It would seem that he also is looking for love. However, Erik is stuck in the memory of what happened that violent night and despite loving Miguel he cannot manage to find happiness in that love.

A bad memory turns to worse and things are revealed that make it even harder for Erik to look Miguel in the eye without crying out in despair over his painful secrets.

The Longing had the opportunity, with this basic premise to be and do so much. So many things could have come from this. Three basic things need to be addressed in The Longing. However, two of the things are much more important than the third.

1. Can Erik sustain the relationship he desires despite one fateful night?

2. Will Cyrus find his mother, and what will happen if he does?

3. Does Tim find his sound?

Parts of these questions are answered, but the major issues are left without plot resolution. This leaves a potentially good plot without a true ending. This is one of the biggest problems with this movie.

Had the plot been fleshed out or expanded upon in reference to the characters lives, I could have ignored sub-standard camera work, bad pop-style music, and strange supplemental scenes touching on racism and drag queens. However, the plot was not fleshed out and this was what the viewer is left watching.

Bottom Line: While normally a fan of foreign movies, The Longing left a sour taste in my mouth. I like the general idea but too much was left out for me to say it was a movie worth embracing. The webcam scenes were a mesh of nipple licking and pseudo-foreplay and many of the other scenes involved beach shots, snorkeling, and bad music.

Once Miguel and Erik take over it becomes tolerable to watch but, it was definitely a lot less then I was hoping to receive. In short, if you have high expectations, or are looking for a wild homosexually based movie about men who do webcam shows, you might want to sit this one out.

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