Movie Info:
Writer: Andrew Davies, Sarah Waters
Director: Tim Fywell
Cast: Anna Madeley, Zoe Tapper, Domini Blythe, Anne Reid, Amanda Plummer, Anna Massey
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: MTV/Logo/Paramount

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.

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LOGO GREENLIGHTS SEASON TWO OF EXES AND OHS WITH SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STARS MICHELLE PARADISE AND MARNIE ALTON

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.

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It’s the night before Halloween in WeHo (West Hollywood) and Jorge and Mikey are alone in a cruising park when they decide to have a little “fun” in the car. Just as things are heating up, Mikey finds a more comfortable position by hanging a quarter of his body outside the passenger side window only to meet up with a sickle to the head.

Thus begins HellBent, a slasher/horror film aimed at a gay audience. The movie didn’t do too well at the box office and rumor has it this was supposed to be a sequel to the Halloween franchise. (Late producer Joseph Wolf was an executive producer and had executive produced Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch.)

HellBent takes all of the elements of previous thrillers and loads them into this 85-minute scare fest.

Everyone in WeHo is getting ready for the annual carnival and friends/roommates Eddie (Dylan Fergus); Joey (Hank Harris); Chaz (Andrew Levitas) and Tobey (Matt Phillips) are all in the Halloween spirit. Eddie, an assistant at the police department, learns of the murders from his sister who is a cop.

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I wouldn’t say recent Emmy winner (for Outstanding Reality Series) Kathy Griffin has ever really been on the D-list. I’d say she always hovered somewhere in the B range.

For those of us who don’t have cable television (yes I admit it) or a satellite dish (again I admit it) and want to know what all of the fuss is about, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Season One is now available on DVD.

What’s disappointing about this two disc set is there are only six episodes of the reality show. It’s probably one of the best shows around and it would have been nice if Bravo! Television had done more with the show.

I’m also confessing that I’m not a fan of reality television, but I do like the behind-the-scenes type of shows. This series does a great job at showing Griffin working for a living. One minute she’s at her (what I wouldn’t do for her house!) home then it’s off to New York, Las Vegas or Chicago for a show. It’s a repeated process but you get the idea of what life’s like in her shoes (and you can almost feel her exhaustion).

There are three main events which we get to witness: her yearly Toys for Tots fundraiser; the red carpet arrivals at The Grammys and the tension just before The Oscars when she can’t find her credentials.

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It’s very rare to find movies with a major actor who willingly will bare all for the camera and that’s exactly what Daniel Craig does for the 1998 film Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon.

The publicity wags tout the film with Daniel doing full frontal (and he does near the end of the movie) but for those you who just want a quick glimpse, then this movie really isn’t for you. You’d probably be better off finding the scene on a male celebrity nude website.

Of course curiosity killed the cat here and I shelled out the money for the film which was a bad mistake since it’s a very slow moving film.

As a period piece it works well, and this is the story of British painter Bacon (Derek Jacobi) and his lover George Dyer in the 1960’s. Their relationship begins when the small time crook breaks into the painter’s studio.

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The hot guys and gals from Dante’s Cove are back again for a second season with the release of Dante’s Cove- The Complete Second Season.

Five episodes are contained in this two disc set and the focus this season is between good and evil, plus the fight between Toby (Charlie David) and Ambrosius (William Gregory Lee) for the affection of Kevin (Gregory Michael).

In the first season, (which really should have been a two hour movie) there were a lot of questions which needed to be answered. This season picks up where the original season ends. For those who expect continuity, be warned that the Hotel Dante is set in a different location so don’t expect the creepiness of the first season. Instead you will find a luxurious house looking over the ocean. Also, the producers must have received more money for season two since theres some “clever” special effects.

The original characters return for this second go round, but one will end up dead and with Van’s (Nadine Heimann) tampering into Tresum, her character is expanded to the evil side when she becomes Grace’s (Tracy Scoggins) pupil. Also added into the mix is the character of Diana Childs (Thea Gill) who has a secret regarding Ambrosius and Grace.

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I’ve always hated people who can write comedy and keep it going. That’s one of the fun things about the movie Girls Will Be Girls, a hilarious look at three actresses in various stages of their careers.

Leading the pack in this Richard Day film are Evie Harris (Jack Plotnick), a washed up ‘70’s actress living in a modern day world. Evie, who still lives in the’70’s, reminds you of an alcoholic Carol Brady; bad hair and polyester.

Then there’s Coco (Coco), Evie’s best friend and maid who’s banished to the Bicentennial room when the two take in younger roommate, Varla (Jeffery Roberson) who happens to be the child of Evie’s deceased rival Marla. Roberson looks and acts a lot like Catherine O’Hara, so don’t get confused.

Within a day of being in Hollywood, Varla meets a “producer” Laurent (Hamilton von Watts) and it’s up to Evie’s son Stevie (Ron Mathews) to show her what Laurent is really up to. Not only is he a lawyer (and Evie’s agent who can’t get her work), things start to get ugly when he gets Varla a lucrative job in infomercials.

Not wanting to sit and take Varla’s up and coming career, Evie hatches an inventive idea: a speci-mercial which will showcase her career and put her back on the map.

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It opened to controversy in the winter of 1982 and for many of the Hollywood A list at the time they turned down the roles fearing it was a sure sign of death to their careers, but, when Making Love did hit the big screen it also brought in sizeable audiences. It wasn’t just gay men coming to the theater to see two men kiss, but, they were bringing female dates, as well.

I remember when my friends and I saw it in the theater. The women behind us were uttering “gross” under their breaths while their boyfriends were engrossed with the kiss that made movie history.

Making Love is about what appears to be a happily, successful married couple Zack (Michael Ontkean) and Claire (Kate Jackson) who find their ideal dream house. While planning for the future, Ontkean begins to question his sexuality as he leaves work and finds himself in the West Hollywood bars during cocktail hour.

When semi famous author Bart McGuire (Harry Hamlin) comes into the office for a physical, young doctor Zack becomes smitten with the rugged writer and after announcing he’s going to lunch, Hamlin decides to tag along.

Bart’s no stranger to the gay scene (a new trick every night) and something inside of him starts to care for Zack. He denies his feelings while the two of them continue to “hang out” giving wife Claire cause for concern since Zack is no longer affectionate towards her.

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Gay Culture has a series of movies that are considered cult classics. Many of these movies become mainstream hits as well, which is not only excellent for gay culture, but also for tolerance and understanding as a whole. One movie that does this is The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This Australian gem of a film quickly garnered international attention and the enjoyment rivals that of another queer-friendly cult favorite, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

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.

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James Vasquez wrote and starred in 29th and Gay where he plays the lead character. James plays James, a sweet gay guy who just wants a couple of reasonable things in his life. He wants his acting career to take off and he wants to find love. Not unreasonable requests, but for a gay man these two things sometimes seem impossible. James gets through life with the help of family and friends. He has a mother so supportive she buys him things for presents that no mother should buy even a straight son and he has a lovable super-gay best friend, Brandon (David McBean), and the standard accessory fag-hag, Roxy (Nicole Marcks).

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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Written by Dom and Ash - Visit Website
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