Boy Crush (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This new anthology of gay male short films, from Wolfe Video, is better than most. As usual, I'll review each short individually, and the overall number of stars is simply an average:
* "Summer" (UK 2006) explores the common theme of unrequited love between a gay teenager and his best friend, who is straight. Sweet, give it 4 stars out of 5.
* "Night Swimming" (USA 2005) has a similar plot to the short above, but carries the gay boy's crush on the straight best friend a bit further, on an unplanned night together after the latter's vehicle breaks down en route to a concert, stranding them in the woods. The togetherness encourages the gay boy (Otter) to test the waters and see if his friend/idol (Darby) feels the same way. Realistic and emotional, give it five stars out of five.
* "Running Without Sound" (USA 2004) spotlights Sean, a gay deaf teen boy whose passion is cross country running. Already somewhat shy due to his inability to hear or speak, Sean has to rely on visual signs from his friends, which become more complicated when he develops a crush on a teammate. Sweet and creative short film; wish it had more time to develop the story. Four stars out of five.
* Small town, shy German teen Tom is considering being "Out Now" (Germany (20 min.) to his classmates, who already torment him as a sissy and outsider. He discusses his feelings with a boy he meets on the internet, including the fact that he has a crush on another boy who works at a nearby snack shop. A night out at a disco frequented by his classmates results in a revelation and a new resolve for the young man. In German with subtitles (Which unfortunately aren't that easy to read, since they often flash on the screen too briefly or are shown as white on a light background, rendering them near invisible). Three stars out of five.
* "The Bridge" (Australia 2006) - A young gay male couple leave their Russian homeland to escape homophobia, and relocate to Sydney Australia, awaiting approval to immigrate there. Their thoughts and emotions before (and after) the immigration decision is made are the subject of this intense, emotional film. Four stars out of five.
* "Hitchcocked" (USA 2006) is a sexy but somewhat scary story about two guys who meet on the internet for sex, with a very clever twist ending. Tempted to give it an extra star just for the title, but we'll stick with four stars out of five.
* "Oedipus N+1" (France 2003), likely boasting a production budget higher than the other six films put together, tells a creative and intriguing sci-fi story set in the distant future, when "The Circle" - the elite rich and educated part of the population - have essentially taken over control of the world, and push for conformity with its ideals and values. Thomas, a gay man, awakens to find out that he had died and, paid for my his mother, he has been cloned to live again ... but Mom wants a bigger say in that life, this time around. Impressive and generally well-acted, though a bit confusing as a 26 minute short. In French with English subtitles. I give it five stars out of five.
There are no DVD special features, other than trailers for other Wolfe releases.

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Summer (10 min.) Great BritainDirected by Hong Khaou What are you going to wish for? This intricately crafted short delicately explores the ache of unrequited love as Leung (Peter Peralta) reveals his true feelings for his beefy straight pal Will (Jay Brown).Night Swimming (19 min.) USADirected by Daniel FalconeThis terrific bittersweet teen drama depicts that perennial gay dilemma: falling for straight boys. Young Otter idolizes his alpha-male buddy Darby who just might have similar feelings for him. This exquisitely crafted story unfolds on a road-trip to New York City.Running Without Sound (13 min.) USADirected by Judd KingA deaf teen with a crush on his pal grapples with confusing emotions and tensions with his fellow cross-country runner team-mates in this finely crafted gay jock story.Out Now (20 min.) GermanyDirected by Sven J. MattenSmall town shy teen Tom is tormented by his high school classmates while he pines over the blond boy at the candy kiosk. German, with English subtitlesThe Bridge (8 min.) AustraliaDirected by George BarbakadzeA forboding dramatic snapshot of a bi-national gay couple who just want to be together in Sydney.Hitchcocked (8 min.) USADirected by David M YoungThis smart, sexy, scary short gives new meaning to the term: shower scene. Oedipus N+1 (26 min.) FranceDirected by Eric RognardKnockout French phenom Jalil Lespert (Tell No One, De Sade) stars as Thomas, a gay man who dies and then awakens as a clone in a terrifying sci-fi future (shades of Gattaca) only to have his mother deny him access to his boyfriend as she attempts to cure his sexual preference. French, with English subtitles

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Little Manhattan (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the genuine surprises to be released in 2005 was Little Manhattan, a charming, precious (without overdoing it) Woody Allen-esque ode to New York City for the elementary school set. It asks that age old question do girls mature faster than boys and proceeds to tell the story of a relationship between a boy and girl from the his point-of-view. The film was given very limited release in theatres and is now out on DVD where it will hopefully find a wider audience.
Most of the action takes place on the Upper West Side and for anyone who's lived there they will recognize familiar landmarks like the Beacon Theater, the Planetarium and Riverside Park. A lot of credit goes to filmmakers Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett for staying true to the geography of the city and shooting entirely on location as they provide a wonderful travelogue of the lesser known side of Broadway.
Little Manhattan doesn't sugarcoat the messiness of relationships and the sometimes bittersweet nature of love no matter what the age. Even when things don't work out, hopefully you learn from the experience and are a better person for having gone through it. Most kid's movies are either too cutesy or try too hard to make them little J.D. Salinger-esque adults. This film gets it just right, treading the line between both, never having too much of one and always maintaining a balance.
There is an audio commentary by director Mark Levin and screenwriter Jennifer Flackett. They consciously wrote their movie in a way that it had to be shot in New York City and could not be doubled in Toronto as is commonly done. Levin and Flackett acknowledge Woody Allen as an obvious influence on their movie, citing Annie Hall specifically, and also When Harry Met Sally. This is a pleasant track as they take us through various aspects of their feature film debut.
There are four deleted scenes with optional commentary by Levin and Flackett. In a nice scene, Gabe has a vision of people on the street spontaneously breaking into a song and dance number that should have stayed in.
"Helmet Interview." Levin and Flackett ran into interference from the studio that feared a backlash from Gabe riding around on his scooter without a helmet and so to appease them, they filmed all the scooter scenes with and without the helmet and this extra presents the helmet footage.
"Sheep Meadow Segment" takes us through the sequence where sheep magically appear in Central Park. Using live sheep proved problematic so they used CGI to create a herd that they could control. This featurette shows the various stages of the sequence.
"From Scout to Screen" takes us through the scouting of locations for several sequences to the final cut that is in the film.
Finally, there is the theatrical trailer.

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Little Manhattan is a feel-good comedy that's perfect for kids and adults alike. In a city known for excitement, two young friends are about to embark on the greatest adventure of all. Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (newcomer Charlie Ray) have known each other nearly all of their lives, but when they come face-to-face in a karate class, they see each other in a whole new light. Filled with all the magical, marvelous?and maddening?moments of first love, this charming film is fun for the whole family!

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Before Sunrise (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I heard the story line for Before Sunrise, a slacker American played by Ethan Hawke falls in love in Europe with Julie Delpy, I rolled my eyes. But this is a thoughftul and compelling movie that broke down my skeptical and cynical wall. First, the movie takes us through the awkward stages of two people going from being perfect strangers to removing their own walls and falling in love in a way that is never sappy. Using this falling-in-love motif, the director/writer Richard Linklater addresses several profound themes: the nature of time, the conflict between cynicism and romance, the obsession with death, the shortcomings of "adulthood." The dialogue between Hawke and Delpy is philosophical but never too abstract; it seems to stem from their well-drawn characters. I suppose there's a parallel between the breaking down of my own cynicism and the characters'. They have been hurt by life, have put up their walls, and, through their discussions, they have gradually removed those walls so that by the movie's end you think it's a crime if they don't fall in love and live happily ever after. But the movie is more complex than a happy ending. The movie forces you to ask if their love would survive if removed from the brief ecstasy of their single day (and night) together. Is the brevity the cause of their ecstasy? Would a life of marriage disintigrate into the mundane? The characters struggle with these questions in what is my favorite romantic movie.

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A heartbroken young Texas journalist meets a beautiful French student on a train bound for Paris, and invites her to share his last night in Vienna.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: RRelease Date: 6-NOV-2001Media Type: DVD

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Run, Fatboy, Run (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I too think, that the title "Run Fat Boy Run" is quite amusing and very apropriate for the film. Let me, in response to another reviewers question "who would pay money to see a fat boy run?" ask: who wouldn't?
The story is neither original nor complicated. At their wedding, Simon Pegg's character gets cold feet and takes off without explanation, leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind. 5 years down the line he, now a fat, pathtic looser without the mone to pay the rent, realises that he actually left the love of his life behind that day. She has found a rich, handsome, athletic American played very well by Hank Azaria, and has no need for her former fiance. So to win her back, Pegg must compete against his American competitor in a marathon race. Chaos and hilarity ensues.
Simon Pegg, who is nothing short of a comic genius, plays the gormless loser so joyously well, and adds to it his incredible sense of physical comedy. His American rival is in turn played expertly by Mr. Azaria, who somehow manages to portray a character that at the same time is absolutely charming, wonderful, and thoroughly unlikeable. The always funny Dylan Moran adds his own interesting personae to the character Gordon, the best friend of Peggs character. Also a guest visit from Little Britains David Walliams, makes for a nice little surprise.
I'm not the biggest fan of director David Schwimmer, but I must admit that he's done a decent job with this one. The score, scenery, production, and all the rest of it is also done quite well.
So in conclusion I'll say, that while "Run Fat Boy Run" is not in any way original or spellbinding, it does provide some solid laughs and is never boring. Definitely recommendable.

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RUN, FATBOY, RUN - DVD Movie

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