Iron Ladies 2 (Satree Lex 2)

Director(s): Youngyooth Thongkonthun
Writer(s): Youngyooth Thongkonthun
Producer(s): Jira Maligool, Prasert Vivattanananpong
Starring: Girorgio Maiocchi, Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi

After winning big at the National Championships, a predominantly homosexual volleyball team known as the Iron Ladies split up when Nong, one of their teammates, joins up with Prasert, a morally questionable promoter bent on copying the Iron Ladies' previous success. A chance meeting in China, however, finds the team questioning a possible reunion, particularly after Nong learns of Prasert's plans to offer the team captaincy to Muangman, a notorious homophobe.

Once again the Iron Ladies are hitting the courts, and once again they are hitting the hearts of viewers everywhere. This time, they hit the court against a team that is a carbon copy of themselves. This film truly raises the issue of gentrification and the commerciality of the queer community, whether it is intended or not. In the first film, we see how an underdog team can become a hot commodity. in the second film, we see how being abnormal, in this case queer, can become popular. After the Queer Eye phenomenon, it seems that having a gay best friend or knowing someone gay was the coolest thing. While sure, gay visibility became huge! Along with the gay popularity that gays are good at everything in life. Art, fashion, furniture, decoration, cooking, etc. In addition, i love getting to know backstories of characters and this film goes over how such a caring group of friends was created. It reminds me of the way I met all of my friends and how the bond i've formed with them was developed through the years. Me being sentimental again, i know. You can probably tell, I miss my friends.

Iron Ladies (Satree Lex)

Director(s): Youngyooth Thongkonthun
Writer(s:): Visuttchai Boonyakarnjawa, Jira Maligool, Youngyooth Thongkonthun
Producer(s): Youngyooth Thongkonthun
Starring: Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi, Sahaphap Tor

Iron Ladies is an exuberant comedy about the journey of a volleyball team composed largely of transsexuals, drag queens, and effeminate gay men to the 1996 Thai male championships. Positioned at the team's spiritual core are best friends Mon and Jun, the former of whom is a jaded transvestite, and the latter is a flamboyant drag queen with uncharacteristically supportive parents. When the provincial governor hires a butch female coach to amass a "dream team" for the national volleyball competitions, Mon and Jun are chosen for the lineup. Their selection outrages their testosterone-addled teammates, who, with the exception of one player, quit in protest. Desperate, the coach asks Mon to recruit new teammates, and in short order he summons a transsexual stage performer, a muscular army sergeant cum makeup artist, a closeted gay boy, and transvestite triplets April, May, and June. Conflict ensues, lessons are learned, team spirit is strengthened, and eyebrows are plucked.

What surprises me the most about this film is that while Thailand is worlds behind in modernity compared the metropolitan US, their acceptance of queer life is surprisingly better. The last four Thai films i've seen have been not only pro-gay, but also pro-transgender, a hurdle that the U.S. has not gotten past. the comedic elements of the film rarely fall upon gay stereotypes and rely more on the quirkiness of the characters. At the heart of this film is a strong motif of friendship and the love of the game. The group of rag-tag players forms an elite team that not only wins the national championship, but also changes a nation's perspective on sports. Even Beautiful Boxer did not have that impact.

In the end, this film has pizazz and will always remain one of my favorites in the gay pantheon of queer cinema. It has sentiment, vigor, plot, characters, and of course laugh out loud moments that keep you smiling scene after scene. A masterful film from Thailand that I wish America will one day emulate.

The Velocity of Gary

Director(s): Dan Ireland
Writer(s): James Still
Producer(s): Kathryn Arnold, Carl Colpaert, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dan Ireland, Dan Lupovitz, Joe Simon, James Still, Ellen S. Wander
Starring: Vincent D'Onofrio, Thomas Jane, Selma Hayek

Gary is in love with Valentino, The only problem: so is Mary Carmen. The three have an odd relationship that seem dysfunctional to most, however to the three of them, they live perfectly content in their world of love and happiness. When Valentino gets an AIDS-related illness, the bonds of the three New Yorkers is tested. As Gary relives his years in NY, he can't separate the New York experience from Mary Carmen and Valentino.

Once again we find a unique relationship between queer theatre and queer cinema. What was once a stage show, has now become a film that seemingly launched the careers of three notable film actors. Salma Hayek gives a memorable performance with numerous film quotes that are likely in mass circulation today. Her performance as a needy and yet wanted Mary Carmen is wonderfully done. She adds depth to a character that is all over the place, something that seems impossible to do.

Thomas Jane, before all of his sexiness, plays a young hustler just trying to make it in the city on his own. His performance lends the sexiness to the film, captivating any gay viewer by his good looks and chiseled body. Even today, years later, his sexiness still exudes from his smoldering looks. While noted for his sexiness, he also does an excellent job playing a troubled person struggling with his emotions and the chip on his shoulder.

All in all, this film has the theme of the creation of a surrogate family, a theme present in numerous queer films. My friend, Stephen, has a theory that gays create a surrogate family, a group of friends that they can call upon and act as their real family. While purposes for creating this second family are at the discretion of the person at hand, the end result is always teh same. A close, knit group of friends that remain tight, through time and distance. Once again, i become nostalgic for my friends. They may be scattered across the country and the world, but i love them regardless and view them as a family that I can call upon if things get tough.

Straight-Jacket

Director(s): Richard Day
Writer(s): Richard Day
Producer(s): Andrew Trosmans, Michael Warwick
Starring: Matt Letscher, Carrie Preston, Adam Greer

Guy Stone is just like Rock Hudson: the leading Hollywood heartthrob at his time, the most documented person in the press, and of course the biggest closet case in all of entertainment. With the help of his butch female agent, Jerry, Guy's indecent promiscuity has been cleverly hidden. All shifts when a gay bar is raided by the police and Guy is captured on film. To land the part of Ben Hur in an upcoming film, Guy has to marry a longtime adoring fan and live a straight and narrow path for at least one year. Coincidentally, this is about the same time that Adam meets Rick, a writer rewriting a film Guy is starring in. The two get off to a rocky start but eventually develop deep feelings for one another. And just like that, Guy's posh and comfortable lifestyle becomes an tangled circus in deep need of untangling.

Living and working in the Hollywood Film industry, you become privy to numerous gossip about sham marriages. It seems that sham marriages between stars have been around as long as the industry itself. This film light-heartedly brings this concept to attention. It focuses on what some people do to keep their spot in the limelight. It also brings to question what some people would do to avoid being who they really are. In the case of this film, people will purposefully agree to a sham marriage in which their counterpart is completely clueless. I find it interesting that major celebrities are choosing to remain in the closet, even if that means stifling who they are and what they stand for. As actors, their careers are based on creative expression and living life outside of the normal hubbub of life. Yet by stifling themselves, they are conforming to the common man. Of the three major celebrities I know of, their commitment to remaining in the closet has been a lifetime ordeal that could easily have ended if they came out. Yet they remain to live a lie for the sake of being loved. I know, it is kinda a heavy topic, but these are just the ramblings rolling in my head at the moment.

Love Life

Director(s):Damion Dietz
Writer(s): Damion Dietz
Producer(s): Damion Dietz
Starring: Stephen D. Gill, Stephanie Kirchen

Joe and Mary have an arranged marriage. To the outside world, they look like the average straight couple. Within their walls they are two gay people making a life together for the sake of their families. When Joe meets a guy that is worth leaving the relationship for, Mary becomes protective and overbearing. Even while her own love life seems to bloom with a female friend visiting from out of town, she can't seem to be happy for Joe. Finally, Joe threatens to leave and Mary accepts that he needs to live his own life.

Yeah. That's the plot. I know. Very simple and rather anti-climatic. And the weird part of the movie is that whenever is Joe is having sex with Thomas, Mary is having sex with her female friend. Its as if there is a designated sex time for everyone. "oops its 1:30pm, its time for sex. Hurry, we're gonna be late". That's all I got for this film.

2 Minutes Later

Director(s): Robert Gaston
Writer(s): Robert Gaston
Producer(s): Megan Mascena Gasper, Robert Gaston, Lindsay Grow, Farrel Lever
Starring: Michael Molina, Jessica Graham

When lesbian detective Abigail Marks teams up with gay guy Michael Dalmar to solve the disappearance of his twin, Kyle Dalmar, a famed portrait photographer, their investigation leads them into the Kyle's risqué world. With Michael posing as Kyle, the pair uncover assistants who have designs on their bosses, clients who have an interest in detectives, and killers who want them stopped. Navigating between identity and duplicity, Abigail and Michael discover that photos never lie, and two minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

Similar in plot to Blow-Up, this film takes an interesting stance on the relationship between reality and the captured in photography.I feel like this film is a great balance of gay sex, plot, and action. Sure there are aspects missing in the film, but when you have a super hot sex scene between two guys in an ultra modern red-lit bedroom, all those inconsistencies can be set aside. And fret not lesbians, you have a sex scene in this film too! Aside from the scantily clad men, this film offers more than just sex scenes. It provides a temporary step into a dark world where fantasy and reality are blurred. This has been a nice change from the almost senior theses that have been in my pile recently. Production quality was pretty high and the lighting at times was pretty experimental, which I love.

Amidst the dark world, there was time to develop a brief. . . and I mean brief romance that ends abruptly when one of them is shot. I liked the fact that the plot avoided any sort of in depth romantic development. It seems that gay flicks always have to involved romance. Seeing an underdeveloped and unspecified romantic interest, keeps the focus on the mission at hand: finding the killer who is out there. I definitely like this film and would watch it over again. Perhaps even go as far as to purchase it. With an ending that promises a sequel, I'm sure we'll see more of this queer duo that fights crime.

Issues 101

Director(s): John Lincoln
Writer(s): John Lincoln
Producer(s): John Lincoln, Kenneth Schuyler
Starring: Michael Rozman, Dennis W. Rittenhouse Jr., Jeff Sublett, Kelly Clarkson

Joe, a new freshman to an LA-Based college, finds himself in a predicament when he finds himself pledging a fraternity in which his "Big Brother" also serves as the object of his affection. Big Brother Christian, self-described as "straight with issues" tries to divert Joe's attention from himself by pairing Joe with his gay real brother, Michael. But when Michael and Joe hit it off and seem to be developing a loving relationship, a one-night tryst between Joe and Christian that was videotaped rears its ugly head. Coincidentally, Joe is also running for Associate Students President and risks losing the election if his homosexuality is plastered around campus.

I wish every movie can have a four second cameo by Kelly Clarkson. Actually, I take that back. Could you imagine Kelly Clarkson in The Dark Knight? Me neither. I can honestly say that Kelly Clarkson was the highlight of the film. While this film is nice in theory and on paper, the translation to screen makes it a complete mess. While other major fraternity plot based films focus on the hazing and ritual in a subtle manner evoking a homoerotic tension and mystery, this film has blatant oral sex hazing between the frat bros and their "Younger Brothers". Shot with primary florescent lighting and really bad set design (really bad!), watching this film is rough on the eyes. The plot is loose and rather lackluster with no real problem. The only major crisis is between Joe and Michael when a sexual encounter in Joe's past is brought to question, and even then I was yelling at the TV for making such a big issues about something stupid. That's all i got on this film.

Naked Fame

Director(s): Christopher Long
Editor(s): J.D. Disalvatore, Laura C. Murray
Producer(s): Christopher Long
Starring: Colton Ford, Blake Harper

Colton Ford has been known for his hardcore porn movies. But now Colton wants to fulfill his life long dream of putting out a dance music record. With the help of an ex-porn star-turned-music producer, Mark, and his much more popular porn star boyfriend, Blake Harper, Colton finds out how difficult it is to get into the music industry. This documentary follows the life of those who struggle to leave the adult entertainment world and the fears that come along with it.

What surprised me the most about this film was that I was spot on in my prediction of how I would like it. I walked into watching this movie expecting a handful of pretty people complaining how hard their life was, when in all actuality the obstacles they face were somewhat self-inflicted. And Tada! That's what it was. I'm not saying that Colton and Blake have an easy life, i'm just saying that their life in comparison to lets say a refugee from Tibet or Darfur is pretty simple. The main crisis of the film is not Colton's attempt for a music career. The main crisis is the number of adult entertainers who choose to leave the industry but lack either skill, drive, or the courage to do so. For people who have made their money on adult films and shows, the thought of leaving that life for a "normal" life is an enormous step to take. But in the end, the act of walking away and living in the "real" world is as easy as letting go of your slightly above average lifestyle so that you can pay bills like the rest of us.

What I was surprised to find is a seemingly loving relations between Colton and Blake. (I use their stage names in this blog as to not perpetuate the invasion of privacy they feel on a nightly basis). Often these two men, one a licensed nurse, are treated as nothing but a piece of flesh. Their relationship, their emotions, and their personal life are not respected in the least bit. The scene in which Blake Harper breaks down after a particularly invasive moment in a gay club is probably the most poignant part of the film...in close second, when these boys randomly help a gay stranger on the streets of NY who seems to be ODing on GHB. While not a funny situation in the least bit, i couldn't help but laughing as the sleazy music producer, Mark, is yelling into his cell phone at the police operator stating "he is on GHB... I'm very familiar with the drug because my friend is a nurse and he told me so." Sure Mark. . . the nurse told you so. While not the best documentary, the attempt at documenting an interesting subject is noted and appreciated.

Under One Roof

Director(s): Todd Wilson
Writer(s): David Lewis
Producer(s): Chris Chung, Brian Veskosky
Starring: Jay Wong, James Marks, Sandra Lee

Daniel Chang is a closeted first-generation Chinese-American who strives to be the perfect Chinese son for his mother and grandmother in his father's absence. When his mother rents the downstairs apartment to Robert, a hunky midwestern post college man, sparks seem to fly almost instantly. Thankful for the flight of stairs that separates them, Daniel is able to focus on his career and being the best son his mother has ever seen. And then fate brought him a broken sewage pipe in the apartment downstairs, forcing Robert to move into Daniel's room. Without the distance, the two hopelessly fall in love but struggle to keep their love under wraps in a traditional Chinese household.

This is very much a senior thesis film, but lacks the inconsistent or hold laden plot. Filmmaker, Todd Wilson, does an excellent job of creating a cohesive narrative while still giving the necessary eye-candy to entice gay male viewers. Similar in story and structure to the lesbian film, Saving Face, this film conveys the struggle of first-generation minorities pulled between the often archaic traditional values instilled by parents and elders and the modernity of living in the US. IN this film's particular case, the comedic elements add a sense of levity to an otherwise serious topic. This is definitely a keeper of a film and one that I would consider purchasing as a guilty pleasure...and to see actor James Mark in all of his adorable splendor.

Trick

Director(s): Jim Fall
Writer(s): Jason Schafer
Producer(s): Eric d'Arbeloff, Jim Fall, Ross Katz
Starring: Christian Campbell, John Paul Pitoc, Tori Spelling

Gabriel is a struggling musical writer who happens to meet the man of his dreams, a go-go boy named Mark. The unlikely pair hit it off and try desperately to find a place to be alone. With a sex-a-holic roommate, an overbearing best friend, and a mess of friends with issues of their own, it seems like Gabriel's night of bliss is just a pipe dream. But when the night provides Gabriel and Mark to truly get to know each other, it becomes one of the best nights in this one man's life.

What can I say about Trick? It has to be one of my favorite cutesy gay films. I recently rewatched this film the other day with my friend, Stephen. Now I'm used to analyzing film on a film theory and film studies viewpoint. This allows me to view a film as a snooty, pretentious critic to see if a film is truly an effective composite of film theory, production, and emotion worth writing and talking about. But one very effective way to tell whether a film is good is to watch the way Stephen reacts to a movie. This particular morning, we watched two flicks. The first was Trick, which kept him engrossed and reaching for the remote to pause every time he had to leave the room. In short, he liked it. The second however must have fallen short of his expectations because in less than ten minutes he pulled out his laptop and started multi-tasking. If anything this is a reflection of how Trick is a movie that many can relate to. In all of my pretentious analysis, I can easily look beyond a film to see if it is actually enjoyable to viewers. this film however draw average viewers and film analyzers alike.

I have to say that Tori Spelling's character was the most comedic part of the film. She easily falls into the role of a ditzy struggling actor dealing with her own issues of living in NYC. In close second we have the numerous scenes of half-nude Jean Paul Pitoc who slowly reveals his emotional side. And finally we have an adorable Christian Campbell playing a character that is adorably dopey. The trio form a unique dialogue triangle in many scenes that provide hilarious awkward moments and laugh out loud one-liners. So for those looking for a good escape from reality, this film is definitely worth checking out.

'Brideshead Revisited'

Weekly & Daily Variety
Reviews
'Brideshead Revisited'
Waugh's Brit-Lit Classic is to the Manor Reborn
By: Dennis Harvey

A finely wrought, Merchant-Ivory-style Brit-lit adaptation rather curiously unloaded by Miramax smack amid Stateside summer tentpole season -- just before fall fest season and the unveiling of awards contenders -- "Brideshead Revisited" offers lush and compelling drama drawn from Evelyn Waugh's beloved novel. Purists may blanch at the screenplay's changes to the source material's narrative fine points, but its spirit survives intact. Fond memories of the 1981 BBC miniseries likely will only help prod curious fans into theaters, suggesting respectable B.O. on both sides of the Atlantic.
Scenarists Andrew Davies and Jeremy Brock (like director Julian Jarrold, all veteran adapters of literary and historical tales for film and TV) have created a few bold shortcuts that will invariably distress folks who justifiably view the BBC mini as one of the truest page-to-screen transfers ever. But then, it had 11 hours in which to reproduce every nuance. And this version's changes, in the end, serve to communicate the novel's complexities within a viable, theatrical-friendly format without ever appearing to rush or coarsen its general arc. (Still, one wouldn't guess this from the film's trailer, which strains to make it look like a pulse-pounding intrigue in period duds, a la "Vanity Fair" or "The Scarlet Letter.")

Allowing auds sufficient retro-aristo-lifestyle sumptuousness for their dollar, yet exhibiting admirable, intelligent directorial restraint, this "Brideshead" is mainstream arthouse fare par excellence. Tale is framed, as in the novel, by the stationing of Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) as a WWII British Army officer in a lavish country estate-turned-temporary military base -- a location he's visited before under very different circumstances.

Bulk of the narrative is set earlier, in the 1920s, as middle-class Charles commences studies at Oxford and falls into the company of fellow student Lord Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), whose impulsive hedonism and affectionate nature charm him. When Sebastian shows Charles the extraordinary ancestral grounds he grew up in, the latter is further seduced by such sheer magnificence.

But as Sebastian is too well mannered to say outright, Brideshead Castle is, for him, a prison of instilled guilt, to be escaped by any means possible -- which, in his case, turns out to be alcohol. With Sebastian's coolly alluring sister Julia (Hayley Atwell) also in residence, the fun comes to a sharp end with the dreaded arrival of their mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson) -- a devout, most bitterly husband-abandoned Catholic.

In the hope that the visitor's solidity might steady her son, Lady Marchmain encourages him to accompany the sibs on a trip to visit their father, Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon), and his mistress, Cara (Greta Scacchi), in Venice. This is another idyllic time, though the growing attraction between Charles and Julia deals Sebastian a crushing blow that sends him sliding further into alcoholism.

As the years move onward, Sebastian, Charles and Julia drift far from one another, yet remain bound by conflicted secular yearnings and sacred guilt.

While the film offers the closest thing to a gay love story in mainstream cinema since "Brokeback Mountain," it wouldn't be quite right to call the Charles-Sebastian dynamic homoerotic: True to the novel, what Cara terms a "romantic friendship" is tangible more as true love than as mere sexual attraction, no matter that Sebastian suffers the stigma of feeling both.

Unfolding at a pace that never feels rushed despite the compacted runtime, pic clearly portrays the Flyte offspring as forever crippled by the sense of sin imbued in them by their mother. Yet what plays for some time as a fairly harsh condemnation of oppressive religious morality finally becomes a poignant acknowledgement of faith, encapsulating Charles' new attitude toward it in a beautifully low-key close.

Goode provides a fine center of gravity as the middle-class tourist in heady but toxic upper-class realms. Thompson superbly etches a complex, eventually tragic portrait in her relatively few scenes.

Whishaw and Atwell are fine, but leave perhaps a slightly less distinctive stamp on their roles than the series' Anthony Andrews and Diana Quick, respectively.

Without tipping into excess eye candy, the design contribs are all one could wish for, handsomely captured in Jess Hall's widescreen lensing. Adrian Johnson's graceful score is another notable plus in a package that, in every department, approaches the material with understated respect rather than stylistic flash.

Reportedly, Paul Bettany, Jude Law and Jennifer Connelly were attached until helmer David Yates was poached for last year's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." One can say, in this case, that settling for the B team turned out well.

'Brideshead Revisited'

The Hollywood Reporter
Reviews: Film
'Brideshead Revisited'
By; Michael Rechtshaffen

Opens: Friday, July 25 (Miramax).

The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning subject of the acclaimed 11-part 1981 miniseries starring Jeremy Irons, Evelyn Waugh's acclaimed examination of class, Catholicism and the pursuit of individualism has now been turned into a stand-alone feature by the director of "Becoming Jane."

So, is "Brideshead" worth revisiting?

On the affirmative side, a solid cast and striking production values definitely add Merchant Ivory-worthy luster.

But in distilling the 330-page novel into a two-hour film, director Julian Jarrold, along with screenwriters Andrew Davies ("Bridget Jones's Diary") and Jeremy Brock ("The Last King of Scotland"), have taken some liberties with the material that will likely upset purists and leave others feeling merely unsatisfied.

Although it has its involving moments, the watered-down Waugh fails to make any kind of lasting connection, giving this midsummer counterprogramr just a moderate shot of scoring with the Brit Lit crowd.

At least on the surface, Matthew Goode ("Match Point") makes for a convincing Charles Ryder, the highly impressionable middle-class atheist who gets in tight with the aristocratic and very Catholic Marchmain family -- first through his close friendship with the swishy Sebastian (Ben Whishaw) and then via a considerably more passionate arrangement with his spirited sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell).

Maybe it's because Ryder is such a reactive character through so much of the film that when he makes the transition from passive observer to decisive man of action in the third act, it proves to be an unconvincing transformation.

There's still something hollow at the core of Goode's performance and the film as a whole that makes it hard to embrace.

Whishaw and Atwell fare better in their corners of this curious triangle, though this edition of "Brideshead Revisited" belongs to Emma Thompson, who, as the Marchmain's coolly controlling matriarch, capably manages to combine a staunch religious morality with a tangible charm and trace of vulnerability.

She instills the heart and soul that the rest of this production seems to have lost somewhere along the way to the big screen.

'World' on top at Outfest

The Hollywood Reporter
Inside Track
'World' on top at Outfest
By: Gregg Kilday

Thomas Gustafson's "Were the World Mine," which recounts an all-boys high school production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," was named outstanding U.S. dramatic feature at Outfest, which handed out its awards Sunday night. "World" also played as the awards night feature at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.

The fest, which formally closes Monday night, also honored Lucia Puenzo's "XXY" as best international dramatic feature. Daryl Wein's "Sex Postitive" took the documentary award. Tye Olson was chosen best actor in a feature for "Watercolors"; Nicole Bilderback was best actress for "The New Twenty."

James Bolton earned the screenwriting award for "Dream Boy."

Madeleine Olnek's "Countertransference" was named best dramatic short; Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega's "La Corona" (The Crown) was hailed as best documentary short.

David Assmann's "Football Under Cover" received the Freedom Award.

Dave O'Brien was recognized with the Emerging Talent Award for "Equality U."

Matt Wolf took the prize for Artistic Achievement for "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell."

Audience awards went to David Oliveras, "Watercolors," first dramatic feature; Andrew Fleming, "Hamlet 2," dramatic feature; Carolyn Coal, "A Place to Live," documentary feature; Lee Sung-eun, "I'm Jin-Young," dramatic short; Micheli and Vega, "La Corna," documentary short; and "Hamlet 2," soundtrack.

ABC, FX Top GLAAD Report

The Hollywood Reporter
ABC, FX Top GLAAD Report
by: James Hibberd

FX was named the most responsible channel in the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's first-ever ranking of cable networks. ABC again was given the best grade among broadcasters, and Fox was ranked the worst.

The second annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index examined 4,911 hours of primetime programming on the five major networks, plus 1,241 hours of original programming on 10 of the most-watched cable networks. The index sought to gauge the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on television. Eight of the networks were given passing grades.

ABC -- led by "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty" -- was given a grade of "good," with the highest score among broadcasters. The report said 24% of ABC's programming hours was considered inclusive. The report praised "Brothers & Sisters" in particular for portraying the first gay marriage on television.

The CW, driven by "America's Next Top Model," was a close second (21%). The report said the scores of ABC and the CW significantly increased this year and added that the CW was the most ethnically diverse broadcast network.

CBS was rated "adequate" (9%), and NBC (6%) and Fox (4%) were both labeled "failing," with their scores decreasing slightly this year. The report added that the quality of gay characters on NBC increased across several shows, but its score dropped overall because of the departure of Laura Innes' lesbian character, Kerry Weaver, from "ER."

"Time and again we see that what people watch on TV shapes how they view and treat the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around them," GLAAD president Neil Giuliano said. "ABC and FX are leading the way when it comes to telling our stories, showing other networks that including images of our community can go hand in hand with critical and commercial success."

Among the cable networks evaluated, FX (45%) came out on top, mainly thanks to "Nip/Tuck." HBO (26%) and Showtime (32%) also were considered "good," with HBO also called the most ethnically diverse cable network. Lifetime (10%) and MTV (16%) were "adequate." A&E (4%), Spike (10%), TBS (7%), USA Network (4%) and TNT (1%) were all ranked "failing."

None of the evaluated networks earned the survey's top ranking of "excellent."

The report also noted that most of the hours that counted for networks were thanks to portraying gay men.

"If television viewers -- both gay and straight -- understand the LGBT community to be a group comprised almost exclusively of white gay men, we have a serious problem," Giuliano wrote.

Soul Maid

Director(s): Jeffrey Maccubbin, Jeffrey Thomas McHale, Dan Mohr, Josef Steiff
Writer(s):Josef Steiff
Producer(s): Dennis Belogorsky, David J. Evans, Jason Stephens
Starring: Joe Schenck, Tom Bailey, Becca Connolly

Moses is a gay male who makes a living by cleaning houses in his underwear. He also suffers from seizures affecting his front lobe that cause him to have religious visions. When he finally meets David, the man of his dreams, his visions uncover themselves as a possession by Glententica, an evil sorceress whose goal in life is to convert gay men to straight. David, a devout atheist and computer nerd, doesn't believe in all the hocus pocus until Moses is converted into a straight guy himself. Faced with the crisis of losing his love forever, David turns to god and Moses' roommate, Ruth, to save Moses from being straight forever.

Okay, so what started as a terrible movie turned into something really cute in the last 30 minutes. Sure the first 90 minutes were excruciating, but the last 30 were enough to make you feel like a romance-less schlump. I feel the major problem with this film is that it had four directors probably directing the cast and crew in four different ways. Whichever director directed the last part of this film, has my heart forever. It combined the love, angst, and nervousness of dating into one touching scene with perhaps the cutest re-meet-cute i've ever seen in my life. I know i'm gushing. Back to my critical self. Sure this isn't a film that I would buy and watch over and over again. But it is a film that I wouldn't mind watching if the opportunity presented itself. Check it out. . . and let me know what you think.

But, I'm a Cheerleader

Director(s): Jamie Babbit
Writer(s): Jamie Babbit, Brian Wayne Peterson
Producer(s): Leanna Creel, Andrea Sperling
Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, RuPaul, Eddie Cibrian

Megan is your average suburban girl. She is a straight A student, a proper Christian girl, a cheerleader. . . and a Lesbian. After her parents surprise her with an intervention to confront her with her homosexuality, she is enrolled in an aversion therapy camp for LGBT teens. She instantly clashes with Graham, the rich girl forced to attend campy by her parents. When the two are forced to be partners for a training exercise, sparks begin to fly and an illicit love affair blooms amidst the daily teachings of how to be straight.

The lesbians did it again! They made a great movie! This is one of those TBS movies, if TBS would play gay movies. It's the type you can watch over and over again. If broad comedy is not your thing, this is probably not the movie for you. RuPaul and Eddie Cibrian not only provide a growing level of sexual tension, they also provide erotically charged comedic moments. With an odd ball cast playing a multitude of characters, this film is probably the best gay time-pass movie out there.

Edward II

Director(s): Derek Jarman
Writer(s): Ken Butler, Derek Jarman, Stephen McBride
Producer(s): Steve Clark-Hall, Antony Root
Starring: Steve Waddington, Andrew Tiernan, Tilda Swinton

Based on the 16th-Century stageplay about the scandal and death surrounding one of England's infamous monarchs, Derek Jarman's film paints a dark picture of the politics and corruption throughout royal history. King Edward II, England's most notable gay king, summons for his lover Gaveston to reside with him now that his father has died. As Gaveston makes an impression on King Edward and the royal castle, Queen Isabella, Edward's wife, plots their separation by murder and death. Set as a modern day interpretation in set design and attire to Shakespearean dialogue, this film is reminiscent of the likes of "Caligula" and "Sebastiane".

While the film loses its luster halfway through, it provides for moderate entertainment value through out its complete duration. What we find here is a very artist representation of a true life story masked by politics and royal cover-up. While historically Edward II was gay, his predilections for the male company was something that was never fully explored by scholars. Jarman's imagination uproots the few simple facts and forms them into a soap opera-esque stage play parallel to the work for the The Great Bard himself.

What is great to see is the notable effort the actors make at paying homage to the stageplay version of this story while completely following the artist and individualistic direction of Jarman. While most classically trained actors would shy away wearing cocktail dresses while playing a historical queen, actors like Tilda Swinton, embrace the challenge of juxtaposing two contrasting art forms to form a unique vision. If translated to an American director, the works of Jim Jarmusch would come to mind. . . well at least in "Dead Man".