Watch Out Review

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(More customer reviews)There's been a lot of buzz about this actor Matt Riddlehoover (one very easy on the eye man) and this director Steve Balderson. I had to check it out for myself. The disc contains some 4+ hours of material. The film - with and without commentary - plus over an hour of bonus video blogs. I've seen a lot of movies, but nothing quite like this. I'm still trying to absorb what I saw and heard. This is a keeper to watch again and again and well worth the price of admission. Act 1 is way-over-the-top-bizzaro-titillating comedy. I kept thinking - where is all this leading? Act 2 take an unexpectedly darker turn until the end. There's ample nudity - OK, more than ample. Someone ask Matt Riddlehoover if he did his own "stunts" and he said "why, yes I did." I'd say this film is a must see to believe, but that's just my opinion. I'll be waiting for Part 2!
Sidenote: click on Steve Balderson's name.

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Matt Riddlehoover gives an extraordinary, bravura performance as Jonathan Barrows, * a man who falls in love with himself, literally. Barrows is attracted to his own body, carries out an erotic relationship with a blow-up doll that resembles him, and takes pleasure in rejecting the advances of his many admirers. He descends into a world of carnivorous priests and Prozac-popping Polish prostitutes and eventually assassinates the world's most popular pop-diva. You strange creatures, Barrows declares, you are nothing more to Me than a meal at the fast-food restaurant of life. But who will end up being devoured? Based on the best-selling novel by Dr. Joseph Suglia, WATCH OUT is extraordinary, a film which settles down into your consciousness and is still there days later. Most directors would not have the balls to show this... The combination of Steve s direction and Riddlehoover s performance... It s masterful film-making. It leaves you in awe. * *(MJ Simpson, UK)

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Viva Pedro - The Almodovar Collection (Talk to Her/ Bad Education/ All about My Mother/ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown/ Live Flesh/ Flower of My Secret / Matador / Law of Desire) (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)Certainly one of the most lauded of international filmmakers, Pedro Almodovar's films can be notoriously hard to come by on the US market. Generally after an initial release, they have gone out of print and have disappeared from mainstream buying outlets. It seems strange, Almodovar is easily one of the best known and most acclaimed Spanish filmmakers in history. Having been recognized worldwide, been honored by the Oscars, and having worked with stars that have crossed into the English language film world such as Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz--you would think that his films would be more readily available. So, it is with delight that I welcome "Viva Pedro"--a collection of 8 films that show the colorful and dynamic world that is Pedro Almodovar. And while not a complete showcase of his larger work--I lament the exclusion of "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down"--there is much to rejoice. This set is great for lovers of Almodovar, and priced right for new viewers who wish to get some very significant films at a reasonable cost.
Starting with films from the late 80s, Almodovar uses colorful imagery and melodramatic acting to create some very personal films about love, desire and sex. Often done in an over-the-top, almost soap opera style, these films are instantly recognizable due to Almodovar's distinctive visual flair. All three films from the 80s showcase a young Banderas. "Matador" is a sly black comedy featuring an ex-bullfighter who ties death and killing with sexual excitement. "Law of Desire" is a seriocomic look at sexual desire and obsession that crosses various gender lines. And "Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" was Almodovar's international breakthrough (and Oscar nominee for Foreign Film) that manages to be a madcap and outrageous comedy and an insightful character study.
The middle films include "The Flower of my Secret"--perhaps my least favorite in the set--about a novelist who wishes to change her life at any cost. "Live Flesh" features Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz in a complex story of how violence and sacrifice can link people together. Both films are interesting, if not altogether successful.
And the last three films of the set showcase a more mature side of Almodovar. The Oscar winning "All About My Mother" starts with a son's tragic death, and takes the wonderful Cecilia Roth on a spiritual journey that redefines life and her place in it. "Talk To Her" tells the story of two men who bond while their girlfriends lie in comas--this won Almodovar an Academy Award for Screenwriting and a Directing nod, as well. And "Bad Education," with Gael Garcia Bernal, is an homage to Hitchcock examining the results of religious upbringing and sexual abuse.
Of course, anyone who knows Almodovar knows that these brief descriptions do nothing to highlight the complexity of these films. All of the films develop interesting characterizations and the way the various characters interact, combat, and collide is a showcase for the genius that is Almodovar's writing. Wildly funny, wickedly tragic, confrontationally sexual--Almodovar is an adult filmmaker working at the top of his game. Please treat yourself. Not every film is perfect, but this set in an excellent primer to the important work of a major writer and director. It's not to be missed. KGHarris, 01/07.

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Were the World Mine (Standard Cover) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The premise of Were the World Mine is romantic comedy trope: character A yearns for the love and affection of unattainable character B, then though a series of hi-jinks, true love wins in the end. That is about where the comparison ends as everything else is turned on its ear in Tom Gustafson's big screen adaptation of his own short film Fairies.
The film's tagline, `If you could make someone love you, would you?' Is honestly, unexpectedly answered, "Yeah. Obviously."
The first twist to the romantic comedy trope is that the lead couple is two young men. In the film our put-upon hero Timothy (Tanner Cohen), is cast as Puck in his senior production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. During rehearsal, he happens on the recipe to recreate the flower, here called a pansy in a nice play on words, which Puck uses on Shakespeare's lovers. Timothy/Puck uses the pansy first on his unrequited crush Jonathon (Nathaniel David Becker), then on his classmates, and then the town, allowing everyone to see the world through his eyes. By the end of the film, as in Shakespeare's play, all is peace.
Of course, Timothy is hardly the usual trodden-down gay lead. This is not some Cinderella story with the homely, or even 'Hollywood Ugly' lead forlornly in love with someone quite beyond him; Timothy is a pretty boy himself. The object of his affection, Jonathon is not the typical, unattainable ideal man either. We are shown in subtle ways that he is just as interested in Timothy, as Timothy is in him. Oh, were things only a bit different, eh? Enter the pansy.
This is not an adaptation of Midsummer Night's Dream, but it does have plot points tacked on from that play. Helen Fielding did the same thing tacking on Jane Austen's plot from Pride and Prejudice to the novel Bridget Jones's Diary. Timothy at various points may is Puck, Oberon, Bottom and Helena. Perhaps that is the perfect descriptive combination for a young gay man, part fairy, imp, fool, and unrequited lover.
The musical fantasy sequences are not really fantasy, they are a part of the plot; magic spells that movie the story along.
The music and lyrics are inspired. Shakespeare interpolated and set to music, may hardly be revolutionary, but it is still quite fun and infectious. I find myself listening to the soundtrack repeatedly. Tanner Cohen is wonderful and has a slight sibilant 'S' that is quite endearing.
Tom Gustafson is definitely a director and writer to watch, he spins a fun, engaging yarn with genuine moments of poignancy. Some of the imagery in the film is iconic and arresting. It is hardy without flaws, but the the music and the performances buoy you along over those flaws. Cohen and Becker are especially good. I would not change a frame.

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Armed with a magical love potion and empowered by dazzling musical fantasies, struggling teen Timothy (dreamy Tanner Cohen, As the World Turns) turns his narrow-minded town gay and captures Jonathon (buff Nathaniel David Becker), the rugby jock of his dreams.Also starring Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks), Broadway star Judy McLane (Mamma Mia), Zelda Willaims (House of D and daughter of Robin Williams), and Jill Larson (Opal on All My Children), Were the World Mine uses vibrant imagery, a first-rate cast, and innovative music to push modern gay cinema and musical film beyond expectation.Director/writer/producer Tom Gustafson brings us his feature directorial debut in Were The World Mine. This critically acclaimed, multi-award winning film about the truth of love was inspired by his award-winning musical short Fairies, which has screened in over 75 International film festivals. " It made my heart soar." - indieWIRE

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The Times of Harvey Milk (20th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was one of the millions who probably heard of Harvey Milk at some point in my life, but never connected any dots to his life. Then one summer day, while housesitting, I found an old VHS tape of this documentary called "The Times of Harvey Milk". Not having anything better to do, I popped it in the VCR and sat back to watch. Two hours later, my life, perspectives, and outlooks were dramatically transformed by meeting Supervisor Harvey Milk. So it is with great excitement that this monumental film which pays tribute to a monumental time finally comes to DVD, and warrants my attention for my 200th review.
"The Times of Harvey Milk" is a transformative documentary both in style and information, created by visionary filmmakers Rob Epstein and Richard Schmiechen. The film not only covers the life of Milk, but the times which surrounded him that allows for a broader, more in-depth story. From the opening moments of the film, we learn of Harvey's untimely death, so as not to aggrandize it. Through personal interviews, newsreel coverage, and personal film shot at certain events, everything is brought to a real, intense focus. You feel as if you are watching the events unfold as San Franscians must have done in the late 1970's.
The shining stars of the film are the personal interviews given by people who knew Harvey best. Tom Ammiano, friend of Harvey, gives the film a sense of outrage of the assassinations. Jim Elliot gives a heartwarming straight man, unionist perspective to show us Harvey's universality. Henry Der allows us to see Harvey's political side. Jannine Yeoman's covering of the Milk campaign and post -assassination trial gives a sense of immediacy and urgency to the story, and a more professional viewpoint. Bill Kraus, a gay activist, soon to die of AIDS, provided a sense of Milk's activism.
A couple of interviewee struck me personally. First, lesbian activist Sally Gearheart's testimony of her work with Milk on the Proposition 6 campaign is very compelling, but her comments on the candlelight vigil and riots following the verdict are particularly poignant. Anne Kronenberg, who served as Milk's campaign manager, provides the zeal and optimism of the youth who surrounded and supported Milk in his efforts. Last comes Tory Hartmann, who's warmth on the screen is only seconded by her connection with Harvey. She provides an emotional recollection of the candlelight march that will leave you in tears.
Coming to DVD, this film looks rich and new, due to UCLA and its preservation processes. In addition to the film, the DVD brings you a second disk loaded with special features, from interviews with the film makers, to an 25th anniversary update of the Milk legacy by those who knew him best. I was particularly touched watching the "Alternate ending" section, in which Jim Elliot discloses, after describing his own journey as a straight man accepting homosexual Harvey Milk, learns his own daughter is also a lesbian, and that it was all okay, thereby completing validating Milk's thoughts on coming out.
Not enough words can be said about "The Times of Harvey Milk", a visionary, compelling documentary that should be shown, shared with everyone across this country. Milk's legacy is not only for his homosexual brothers and sisters; it is a legacy for all of us. His legacy is that of tolerance towards all, peaceful protest, fighting for what you believe in, and above all else, just having the best time of your life.

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Shelter (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm previewing "Shelter" for the Brisbane Queer Film Festival where it screens on Saturday 24th May 2008. "Shelter" shines as a film with huge heart, and one that's been made with equal care by the actors and all of the film-makers.
It's not at all like the angst-ridden abomination of a gay surf flick "Tan Lines". In "Shelter" surfing is simply a fact of life element - it's not used or abused as a device.
"Shelter" is a beautifully edited, spectacular looking and luscious sounding film which is definitely character driven. Each of the main characters is carefully developed so that we quite soon decide that we really do care about Zach, his young nephew Cody and Zach's love interest, Shaun. We want things to work out for them.
We understand that Zach is in a bind - he's allowed himself to be the physical and emotional anchor for a progressively more dysfunctional family, but we know that he deserves much better life options. The writer and director of Shelter has done a fantastic job - not a look or word is wasted, and yet the whole pace of the film is very relaxed.
"Shelter" deserves every accolade that any individual or Festival might care to bestow.
Straight audiences must find "Shelter" to be equally rewarding. The film's theme is, after all, about love, honour and commitment. What could be more wholesome than that?

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Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach spends his days working a dead end job and helping his needy sister care for her son. In his free time he surfs, draws and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe, who lives on the wealthy side of town. When Gabe's older brother, Shaun, returns home, he is drawn to Zach's selflessness and talent. Zach falls in love with Shaun while struggling to reconcile his own desires with the needs of his family.

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Hot Nude Yoga with Aaron Star Double Box Set - HNY & Coming Out in Hawaii 8 DVD's For Gay Men Review

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(More customer reviews)I would like to recommend this dvd set to all gay or straight men who wants to find out there true identity through yoga. In wonderful places, such you can only find in Hawaii, there are nice and beautiful men doing yoga nude. No, it's not sex, it's real, it's very serious, and all the men are very much involved doing the asanas (postures) with much concentration. Being nude helps men of all ages to really get together in wonderful moments of pure sensuality and pleasure. I've been to Aaron's HNY retreats in London or in Paris and may I tell you that those moments are unforgettable!

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Ready to take the plunge into Hot Nude Yoga? Presenting bothof Aaron Star's four DVD Hot Nude Yoga Box Sets, Coming Out In Hawaii & HNYsold together at one cost saving price.Included are both not for saleindividually DVD's Tantra and Art of Touch.

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