dirs. Various
Cinema 21Hollywood Theater
Fri Oct 14-Sun Oct 23
Now in its ninth year, the 2005 Lesbian and Gay Film Festival hits Cinema 21 at the Hollywood Theater this Friday with a vengeance. A big, gay vengeance. With over 20 films from all sorts of genres, plus parties at the downtown Adidas store and Crush, it's looking like a big year for the fest. Here are a few of the films we caught an advance peek at; for more, see our Film Shorts (pg 56-59), our Movie Times (pg 61), and the fest's site (www.plgff.org).
Adam & Steve (Fri Oct 14)—What happens when Steve (Malcolm Gets) realizes that the guy he embarrassed himself in front of back in 1987 (the event involved coke, laxative, and explosive diarrhea) was Adam (Craig Chester), the same guy he's been dating for the last year? Well, that's the question this heavy-handed romantic comedy asks—but do we really want to know the answer? Cliché-ridden and uninspired, Adam & Steve does have its moments, but they're few. Appearances by Parker Posey and the inexplicable, inexcusable Chris Kattan do nothing to help stir up this cheese fest—and don't even get me started on the gay cowboy dance routine. BRAD BUCKNER
Loggerheads (Sat Oct 15)—Based on a true story, Loggerheads weaves tales of homosexuality, AIDS, and Christianity in various small towns around North Carolina. (The title refers to an endangered species of sea turtle, but also serves as a too-easy metaphor for the various story threads.) Extremely low-key, Loggerheads feels like a TV movie of the week—but eventually tells a moving story, despite all its sappy contrivances. MIKE FILTZ
Côte d'Azur (Tues Oct 18)—The French are like The Simpsons: every time they go on vacation, something zany happens. In Côte d'Azur, a French family heads to the coast, and all hell breaks loose: the parents are convinced that their son is gay; their teenage daughter goes on a sexcapade; the wife has an affair; and her husband rediscovers his long-lost homosexuality. If anything, this movie proves two things: You can never make too many allusions to the sexual qualities of shellfish, and jerking off in the shower is a universal activity. MIKE FILTZ
Dorian Blues (Wed Oct 19)—Resembling a failed sitcom pilot more than a feature film, Dorian Blues is full of clichés (closeted teenager, overbearing dad, ineffective mom), and sloppy one-liners. Dorian (Michael McMillian) is a teen who is a textbook case of being a homo in the suburbs; following Dorian from coming out to his first serious relationship, Dorian Blues manages to be both extremely bad and sort of charming. If nothing else, it's a white-bread coming-of-age saga that'll elicit feelings of embarrassed recognition in some viewers. ALISON HALLETT
Where the Truth Lies (Wed Oct 19)—A whodunit featuring Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth as an unfunny comedy duo that broke up in the late '50s after a dead girl was found in their hotel suite. Alison Lohman plays a 1970s journalist who becomes embroiled in their drug, violence, and sex-filled story. Although the plot's implausibility verges on hilarious, Truth is an entertaining if confusing ride, and its depictions of the '50s and '70s are visions to drool over. MARJORIE SKINNER
Night Watch (Thurs Oct 20)—Gael García Bernal look-alike Victor (Gonzalo Heredia) is a hustler working the streets of Buenos Aires—selling some ass here, some dope there. He's just trying to make it through another night, but one night he keeps encountering old acquaintances and seeing things that maybe he shouldn't. A moody, slow-paced, slice of life with a twist, Night Watch is somewhat sad, slightly sexy, and kinda creepy. BRAD BUCKNER
