Locked Up (Gefangen)

Director(s): Jorg Andreas
Writer(s): Jorg Andreas, Peter Oehl
Starring: Marcel Schlutt, Mike Sale, Ralph Steel

Dennis is a middle class 20 something who lands in jail for credit card fraud. As the new person on the cell block he instantly falls onto the radar of Lutz, the cell block boss who seems to own everything and everyone. When Dennis catches the eye of Mike, Lutz's rival. Dennis' comfortable life of being protected, spirals into a crazy romance and an equally crazy living situation. As Mike and Dennis grow more attached to each other, the prison search for drug dealers intensifies. The pressure grows and Mike and Dennis turn to each other to have some semblance of the outside world.

At first, a good description for this film would the gay version of the Skinimax softcore movie that shows as much sex as it does narrative development. But then, you see a couple of men blatantly rubbing one out as if it was Falcon movie about porn stars in prison. Though porno-esque, the film still provides a vivid look at love in the prison system. Sure, its not as good as an Oz episode, but the the artistic attempt of creating a "normal" gay relationship in a place where violence and masculinity reigns supreme offers a refreshing look at gender roles. It also offers a brief look into topics of the prison system and interracial relationships. . . very brief.

Phoenix

Director(s): Michael D. Akers
Writer(s): Michael D. Akers, Sandon Berg
Producer(s): Sandon Berg, Israel, Ehrisman
Starring: Chad Bartley, Jeff Castle

When Californian-Resident Dylan is unsatisfied by the sporadic visits from his Arizonian boyfriend, Ken, he flies to Phoenix to surprise and relieve him from the stress of work. Dylan receives a startling surprise when he meets Demetrius, Ken's husband of 7 years. In the wake of Ken's eery disappearance from both California and Arizona, the two stilted lovers learn to get over Ken and end up developing a relationship of their own.

It was not the ultra low budget or awkward acting and chemistry that made this film a struggle to watch. It was mainly the characters. Dylan is a young guy that wants to commit to someone. When Ken disappears, he moves on to Demetrius as if Ken was just a distant memory. This is hard to deem as realistic when ten scenes prior (translating to about four days prior in the plot) he was stating his undying love for a man he sees 9 days a month. While this may be an homage to Antonioni's L'Avventura trilogy, it lacks the intrigue that Antonioni brings to cinema. I promised myself I wouldn't write for more than 5 minutes on this movie. . .I succeeded. I wrote only 4 minutes.

Third Man Out

Director(s): Ron Oliver
Writer(s): Mark Saltzman (Based on a Novel by Richard Stevenson)
Producer(s): Barry Krost, James Shavick, Kirk Shaw, Stacey Shaw, Randall Zalken
Starring: Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Jack Wetherall

Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) is perhaps the most dysfunctional private investigator known to Albany, New York. When he's not dodging punches from people he offends, he finds time to be a pretty good private investigator. When Strachey and husband Timmy (Sebastian Spence) realize they need more financing to fund their dilapidated suburban home, Strachey has no choice but to reluctantly help John Rutka (Jack Wetherall), author of a website known for outing well-known people. This gay gumshoe dives in the seedy world of closeted celebrities and political figures, all the while trying to forget his past dishonorable discharge from the military for being gay.

My friend Stephen and I seem to be a dying breed of gay man. While most crave the lusty, steamy sex scenes of most queer films, we tend to be the ones that focus on the small romantic gestures that speak volumes more than the moans, groans, or grunts emanating from beautiful men on the silver screen. Don't get me wrong, Chad Allen and Sebastian Spence are beautiful men, but they are also more lovey dovey than the rest of a gay couples unfolding their lives in a three act structure for all to see. Their chemistry and banter give insight to a solid, loving relationship that is more than just the sex. This is evident from the first scene where the two happen to meet at the hospital and have a polite exchange in the hospital hallway, respecting each others' reason for being there (work) but also thankful to see the other in what could be a hectic day on the job. Donald's job as a PI and Timmy's job as a political adviser seem to be at odds at times, but the two have a genuine compatibility that overshadows any plot line involving mobsters and guns trying to coverup lurid gay sex.

No nostalgic memories of past events or thought provoking analogies for the struggles of the gay community burst out for me to write about. Sure the film attempts to focus on the world of closeted men in power which contrasts to Donald and Timmy's open loving relationship. However, the film becomes more of a fun, crime novel adaptation before it implants issues of deeper acknowledgment. This is not a bad thing. . . sometimes people need to stop thinking and just enjoy a movie.

WTC View

Director(s): Brian Sloan
Writer(s): Brian Sloan
Producer(s): Robert Ahrens, Brian Sloan
Starring: Michael Urie

After placing an ad for a roommate on September 10, 2001, Eric (Michael Urie) is glad he neglected to mention the WTC View. What starts as a simple search for a roommate becomes an exploration of New Yorkers affected by the attack on the twin towers. While his best friend, Josie, and ex-boyfriend, Will, attempt to enlighten Eric on his post-9-11 trauma, Eric dives deeper into his search hoping that he can fill the void in his own life after the towers fell.

Wrong was I when I thought that watching this movie would be just another gay movie night. As a Californian through and through, issues in the East Coast always seem far away distant. To this day, the problems of politicians, crime and bad weather that plagues the Eastern side of the country seem as foreign as to me as the daily occurrences in Malawi. However, after watching this film, I revisited where I was when I found out about the dreadful news. Here I am. 3000 miles away and 6.5 years from the day the towers fell, but still as emotionally sensitive to the subject as if it happened last week. It is funny to think that a movie could make me resort to this emotional state. Having worked for the company that produced World Trade Center and dealt with the movie making of such a large motion picture, you would think that Nicolas Cage's portrayal of a heroic Port Authority Police Officer would have gotten me sobbing. Instead, it was an unknown actor's translation of a stage character to the screen that has been reliving the day and reminding me to love and live life to the fullest. Where were you?

East Side Story

Director(s): Carlos Portugal
Writer(s): Carlos Portugal, Charo Toledo
Producer(s): Mary Feuer, Carlos Portugal, Charo Toledo, Blanca Valdez
Starring: Rene Alvarado, Steve Callahan, Michael Cassady

As a kid I used to wonder how Castro became the gay center of San Francisco. Did a really old gay man just plant a flag to claim that specific hilly area of San Francisco as a homo-friendly environment? And after that man did such an act, did he invite all his friends to live in that area with him? Maybe he was related to the lesbian who started Key West or West Hollywood? As I grew older I learned about the financial power of the gay community. I learned about how areas like Castro, West Hollywood, and Hillcrest were once the lower income ends of major metropolitan cities. As the LGBT communities moved into these areas, they were slowly but surely transformed to the gay meccas that they are today.

East Side Story picks up on this trend. What happens when the gays move into East LA? A closeted Mexican-American man decides he's tired of living in the cultural security of his hegemonic community. His plans of leaving LA to follow his dreams of opening his own restaurant come to a halt when a gay couple moves across the street. When he finds himself attracted to one of the men, a comedy of errors ensues. As the film progresses, we find that Diego is torn between two identities. His gay identity and his cultural identity. This is quite common with queer people of color. As a gay man of color I can relate to Diego's dilemma. While it can be easy to separate your identities between different aspects of your being, it is hard to deal with multiple identities when they overlap or confront one another. I guess this is the burden that people of multiple identities face in their day to day lives.