THEGAYUK

Author: Chris Jones

  • PHONE REVIEW | Nokia Lumia 1020

    At the moment, it seems like you cant open Metro or Evening Standard without seeing an ad for the new Lumia 1020…being billed as the photographers phone.

    Given the chance to test drive one was too good a chance to miss and most unlike me, I waited patiently for it to drop through my letterbox.

    To cut to the chase, I wasn’t disappointed – at least with the camera aspect. I’m no fan of any phone other than my precious iPhone. I love the OS, the interface, the size, its so simple and intuitive. So, I struggled with this handset as a Windows phone. I am not keen on the interface, the way it works, etc is not my cup of tea at all – but can see how it appeals to some.

    I actually grew to love the bright yellow casing and the massive screen – coming in at around 130mm high and 71mm wide. It weighs a mere 158 grams and feels good to handle. The matt case (available in yellow and black) is good to hold – vital in any camera… or phone.

    And there lies my issue. There is nothing amazing here in terms of a phone but it is one hell of a camera. This is a true case of a brilliant camera with a phone attached. It has a unique cushioning system around the camera that has suspended optics so you can take blur free photos and stable videos. You can hear this in action as its ball-baring based.

    All the usual phone functions are here, messaging, email, games, music, social networking and on occasion even phone calls…but it’s an amazing camera.

    This is a 41 mega pixel camera – there are stand alone cameras out there that don’t have that many pixels! It has a Xenon flash that illuminates for days and a screen that shows you the results instantly and at a decent size.

    There are numerous additions on this phone, including panorama mode, creative studio that allows you to edit on the go, smart cam that allows you to shoot sequences simply and easily, and a good, old fashioned basic camera, but with one hell of a massive screen.

    What camera on the market today has a screen of this size? Regardless of the extras or the phone options, the screen alone is a deal sealer! How many times have you taken an image but cant see it on your teeny tiny screen and its not until you finally manage to download to your computer that you realise how crap they are? And by then its too late to take another, but with this little beauty…

    I have several cameras including a Canon DSLR and a handy little pocket seized Leica but this camera/phone is wonderful. It has one hell of a camera, simply taking beautiful images with the added advantage of having a camera included. You can snap, edit, upload and share in one easy piece of tech.

    I may not be a convert to Windows phones (it needs so much work on its interface) but I can forgive that because of the possibilities this camera offers….

    Buy one, now!

    Available from: Three, O2, Vodafone, EE, Phones 4U, Carphone Warehouse
    RRP: £549.99

  • TECH REVIEW | Kobo Aura

    E-readers… where do you stand on them? I’m more a tablet man myself and prefer the variety of use that they offer. I like that I can watch a film, listen to music or read/listen to a book on my tablet. I can write articles, draw images, edit photos…..anything you can buy an app for. I simply didn’t see the point in a device that has few, and sometimes a single use.

    However, having been given the chance to test drive the new Kobo model, the Aura, I’m almost a convert.

    This compact e-reader is so cute. The design is simple and very elegant with intuitive, almost Apple-esque controls. Its light, weighing in at a mere174 grams, measuring a mere 15 cms by 11 1/2 cms – ideal for reading in bed or on the daily commute.

    It comes with 4GB of internal memory that will hold an entire library, with a battery life that will almost allow you to read an entire library before it needs a charge. The market for e-readers has grown, with electronic books being listed on the bestsellers charts – similar to how downloads are now shown in music charts. Times change and the much declared death of paper based books hasn’t happened as people seem to be happy to buy both types of media.

    There is much made of comparing models – this one does this, its better than that…..but if you’re in the market for one of these, I’d simply suggest that you think long and hard about what you want one for and then compare like for like.

    This one has an expandable memory, so a micro-SD will give you up to 32GB. This is needed as you are able to send Pocket articles to your reader from a browser or smartphone. Its a little like Pinterest for your reader.

    You can go Beyond The Book by linking you to the web contact that explains key facts in the text – think Wikipedia in your reader. I tried it out with The Hobbit – all those dwarf names confused me, so being able to click them and see who is who was a boon!

    The other bonus of this reader is that it isn’t tied to a specific retailer or format. This little box of tricks supports ePub, PDF, JPEG and DRM, amongst others. Although mine was set up ready for reviewing, it takes no time to set up – another Apple-esque feature.

    Kobo has embraced could computing too – your books can be retrieved and read anywhere, bookmarks and settings are synched seamlessly and can be picked up on your other devices.

    I could be classed as a convert. I can see me purchasing something like this simply to read on journeys, read in bed at night or simply use to store and retrieve documents on the go. I still love my tablet and laptop (both Apple, I’ll readily admit) but this sleek little box is ideal to just pop in a pocket or bag and take with you. No bulk, no fuss….just your favourite reads.

    Order a Kobo Aura

  • OPINION | The Hairy Grey Gay

    So, here’s the deal…..you’re ageing, bits aren’t working the way they used to and then nature plays the cruellest of jokes on you – you go bald on top only to have hair grow “elsewhere”!

    As your thatch thins, your ears suddenly become playgrounds for what can only be described as industrial strength pubic hair! As if that wasn’t bad enough, you start to notice the odd (very odd) hair on your shoulder, sprouting on your neck well below your beard line, even on your ear lobe! Ok, that last one may be just me but you get the picture. I can’t be the only one with feet like an ageing Hobbit?

    So why is it we grow bald in some places and still grow hair in others? And how much does it affect our confidence as we age – already a dodgy area even if you’re not gay!

    The whole area of us growing hair is a strange subject – we’re born with some, it can change colour as we grow, it appears in places during puberty that we never had it before, it then disappears from some areas as we age and also changes colour again! Talk about keeping us entertained!

    I did a quick straw poll amongst my twitter lovelies and it appears that the majority of us “folic-ally challenged” individuals are FINE with being somewhat thin on top. Luckily fashions change and we are no longer seen as thugs or skinheads if we shave our heads.

    One of my favourite signs in Manchester of recent times offered scalp pigmentation as an option to losing your hair. This reminds me of the old “hair in a can” stuff that used to be available – and maybe still is?

    It sounds like someone comes along with a can of whatever colour your remaining hair is and either sprays your head or slaps some paint on it! It smacks of desperation, but that’s my own opinion, maybe I’d feel differently if I wasn’t happy with the bald look!

    Recent fashions have encouraged beards, moustaches, shaved heads, the most severe partings possible (even shaving them in) so it seems anything goes and for all ages too. No need to feel left out of the fashion loop if you’re 39 and 12 months…..however, maybe ask Santa for one of those lovely nasal hair trimmers – they work wonders and can take care of those tricky little buggers growing in your ears, nose or elsewhere…

     

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • MUSIC REVIEW | 12 Inches of Pure Pleasure, 12″ 80s Club Classics

    You never forget your first. The first time you have 12 inches of pure pleasure in your sweaty little hand, black and perfect, prone to warping, nice sleeve design and the closest thing to a remix we got back in the 80’s! Of course I’m talking about 12 inch discs.

    When the opportunity came along to re-live my lost youth by reviewing this CD collection, I grabbed it so fast, my response could probably be seen from space. I’m old enough to remember buying the New Order Blue Monday 12 inch – the original one! I can remember when they first started to appear in the shops, the novelty value, something that used to be 3 minutes long now lasted 10 minutes or longer.

    When I received this selection to review, I honestly expected a few good tunes and a lot of fillers – but not the case at all. This 3 CD selection is wall to wall classics, designed to get you shaking your butt or tapping your toe…

    The first CD contains such classics as “I Feel For You” by the fabulous Chaka Khan and “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash” by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. If you were out and about clubbing in the 80’s, you’ll remember these tracks. To finish off, the final track is “Just Be Good To Me” by the SOS Band – classic is an overused word, but not here. Take a listen and then list the tracks that have sampled it. It also contains classics from Gwen Guthrie and Teena Marie, before moving on.

    Soul II Soul (featuring Caron Wheeler) kick off CD 2 with the seminal “Back To Life”, one of those tracks that never dates, washes over you and makes you feel good. I remember being obsessed with Loose Ends, so was delighted to find “Hanging On A String (extended dance mix)” on here – I owned this track on vinyl and wore it out playing it, sexy, sultry and soulful. Other artists on this CD include Thelma Huston, Alexander O’Neal and Cameo – see what I mean about no fillers?

    The final CD moves it up a notch – if that’s even possible. Inner City, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Bomb The Bass and S’Express are the highlights for me. But as with everything, music is intensely personal and these are my favourites. I’ll admit that these had my shaking my not-so-little-bootie around the living room, re-living some memories (making out to Loose Ends for example) and loving that fact that these tracks have hardly dated, some more than others…

    Treat your feet, buy this set and enjoy…..

    Buy now on Amazon

  • FILM REVIEW | I Do

    I followed the twitter feed on this movie well before it finally arrived on my doorstep to review. David W Ross, the star and force behind the movie, has an engaging twitter presence – playing on his good looks and obvious talent, and witty banter.

    David is a former member of ’90’s boyband Bad Boys Inc and no stranger to the spotlight. Here, he takes on the role of a Brit abroad in New York, living an almost ideal life with his brother, American sister-in-law and a good job/loft/sex life – basically, the good life.

    This is shattered, and I’m not going into details as its one of the films best and most unexpected moments. The film then goes on to investigate what happens when your life is torn apart, only to have it further complicated by eminent deportation. It reviews the bureaucracy surrounding green cards, sham marriages and real love. What happens when your best lesbian friend agrees to marry you so you can stay in the country and shoulder your supposed responsibilities, only to turn jealous when you find true love in the shape of a gorgeous spanish architect?

    The film isn’t a gritty docu-drama, it’s far to good looking for that, it doesn’t do a warts an all expose of sham marriages for green cards, it’s too engaging for that – David has managed to do a balancing act of making a film that highlights issues but is still a bloody good story, and cinematic too.

    The film captures New York and makes it almost another character, the people, the streets, the apartments… for those of us this side of the pond, it all feels familiar enough but we can empathise with the “Englishman in New York” syndrome.

     

    BUY ON AMAZON | BUY ON iTunes

  • INTERVIEW | David W. Ross

    With the release of his brand new film ‘I Do’ on Peccapics this week, we hunker down with the incredibly sexy Mr David W. Ross to talk Hollywood, Boybands and Gay Marriage

    The entire film feels very personal – how much is based on fact and/or personal experience?
    I love that you thought that. I really wanted to have a sense of a fly-on-the-wall and a personal feel to it. Well, I became a photographer for the film. So that’s life imitating art. Mano is based on a guy I fell in love with in America but couldn’t get his work permit so had to move back to the UK. It’s the reason I wrote the film. And Sam, played by my dear friend and awesome actor Mickey Cottrell, is based on a friend I had living in LA. I lived with a lady who was quite eccentric and used to be Avedon’s assistant in the 60s in New York. But overall I was so outraged by the lack of marriage and immigration rights, and saw first hand through shooting rallies in California how families were being effected, that I wanted to tell a story that would move people to some sort of action.

    The casting is superb – Alicia Witt is ideal as Mya, and Maurice Compte is perfect as Mano – how did you go about casting this piece?
    I was lucky enough to get my script to Alicia Witt and Jamie-Lynn Sigler who signed on rather quickly. Then our amazing casting directors did the rest. We had a couple of days of sessions that I sat in on. I read with everyone. And the casting directors also sent us tapes. One was from Maurice and I knew right away that he was Mano. I think the casting directors knew that I DO is not really a gay film and got some amazing people. Casting makes all the difference. Who knew someone like Grant Bowler would come on board!

    Funding: how did you fund the film?
    I was in the normal Hollywood holding pattern for about two years. I had the script but couldn’t get money before the star and the star before the money. One day I got an email from a film maker friend asking for me to check out their project on Kickstarter and donate to their film. I had no idea what crowd funding was but but very quickly realized I could raise money for the film. I started a campaign on February 14th and the next three months were an amazing whirlwind of hard work, very little sleep and a lots of fun. I surpassed my goal of $50,000 and was able to secure more funding from private investors. I did another Indiegogo for finishing funds and again supposed my goal of $25,000. I’ve been so lucky to have such an amazing amount of supporters from all around the world, for this film.

    Social Media: I follow you on Twitter, and remember you’re tweets relating to the film. I’m curious how you feel about social media and the part it can play?
    So you’ve seen my crazy antics!? I love twitter. I’m still blown away by how amazing everyone is and how powerful it can be. I think it’s incredibly useful for getting ideas out there and for indie artists I think it may be the new way to fund projects. I love that I can be having a conversation with someone on there that I’ve never met and we’ve got something in common to talk about. Plus it really shows what a bunch of like minded people can achieve. Social media is the only reason I DO got made at this point and for that I will be eternally grateful.

    Boy band member – hope or hindrance?
    I think that’s changed over the years but I think now it’s all good. I didn’t want to be defined by it for years and really struggled with coming to terms with how I was viewed in the public eye. But these days I’ve lightened up and look at it as a great time of my life where I did something some would call extraordinary and in America they all think it’s incredibly cool, which I find amusing. I think making I DO, from writing to producing it, has really solidified something inside myself about who I am as an artist. I’m glad to be in film but I miss performing and touring. Too much fun.

    And finally – what’s next?
    I’m working on a new script that I intend to direct and also play a small part. I have Helen Mirren as my muse. She’s plastered all over my desktop right now. And the intention is to make it in the UK so I get to come back for a while. I miss drinking beers outside the pub and Sunday roasts with friends.

    I Do is available from Amazon UK on 28th October (available to pre-order now)

    BUY FROM AMAZON NOW

  • FILM REVIEW | Leave It On The Floor

    If, like me, you’re a sucker for a musical about voguing set in LA, with a mainly unknown cast and containing some catchy tunes you’ve never heard of – this is the movie for you!

    The music is original, with the tittle track being one of the strongest – but wait till you hear the ode to JT, Justin’s Gonna Call… .made me smile! This film also wins the award for most original use of a bowling alley, and a fake pregnancy…. by a man…

    It has laughs, drama, dancing, tight vests, jaunty hats and fierce Gaga-esque outfits…

    Treat yourself – I defy you to not be tapping your toes at least to one or two of these little numbers. As with most musicals, its difficult to engage with the characters, they can seem quite superficial or two-dimensional, but that doesn’t stop this being a celebratory movie about being yourself and being, for want of a better line, born this way…

    The film is written by Glenn Gaylord, who also directed the movie “I Do“, which I’ll be reviewing nearer its DVD release date later this month.

    Available to buy / view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime | iTunes

  • TECH REVIEW | Netflix

    If, like me, you felt that the arrival of digital TV channels was like all your Christmases come at once, then you probably grew up in my era. Three main channels, all closing down before midnight, then joined by a fourth….and the rest is history.

    Except, these free to view (see what i did there?) are still dependant on an aerial for reception, and, as our friendly local TV guy told us, we have the wrong kind of leaves on the trees that form part of our boundary and for part of the year, Freeview becomes Noview….

    Until now that is. Given the chance to test Netflix for TheGayUK, and report back on its content, I nearly bit the hand that feeds me DVD’s and books to review!

    Now, I’m no tech nerd, nor am I a net novice but accessing Netflix is so damn easy, and with the onslaught of tablets and smart phones, it’s truly portable too.

    But first, a spot of history…

    Netflix is American and was established in 1997 to initially provide DVDs by mail much like LoveFilm. It has since grown and moved into streaming TV via the net and as of earlier this year, had around 36 million subscribers – because this is the genius bit, its subscription only. Not only does it stream older series, and not just US ones but Brit ones too, it also commissions its own. It’s responsible for the resurrection of Arrested Development for a final series, it commissions original series like Hemlock Grove and House of Cards. It’s won Emmys stateside for this last series….so it’s not just a simple streaming or rental service.

    I know, I know….some of these deals rip you off, but having tried this for around a month, I truly feel that this service doesn’t “diddle” its customer base. But it does depend what you want. For instance, some of the series it streams aren’t the most up to date ones and there are series you’d think it would carry that it doesn’t. But, for me, if you’re bored with the usual X-factors-got-a-Voice-no-talent show or hooked on re-runs, then this service is amazing. If you love old movies or schlock horrors, you’ll love this….

    For instance, the entire back catalogue of Buffy? Really? OMG?! Warehouse 13? Yes please! Gossip Girl? As if…

    And there are several films and documentaries that cover gay related issues. I’ll cover details of these at a later date.

    For now, I have to say, I’m a fan…

    It was easy to create my account once I had my activation key, and then download the app for both my iPad and iPhone to watch on the move via my mobile wifi… at home, I can watch something downstairs via Apple TV, whilst the boyfriend watches White Collar upstairs (apparently it’s got good story lines and not just the gorgeous Matt Bomer? Who knew?)

    So, if you want the latest movies or series, maybe look elsewhere for now, but if you want some old fashioned class with a mix of originality, then give Netflix a go….it has a reasonable monthly charge, free first month….and did I mention Matt Bomer?

  • FILM REVIEW | The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mum

    ★★★★★ | The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mum

    I rarely gush, especially when sober, but fasten your seat belts – I’m about to.

    I’ve just been fortunate enough to spend 1 and 1/2 hours in the company of some of the most wonderful talents around, including Dolly Parton.

    The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mum is one of those rare things, a film that manages to be both funny and serious, mixing the genres of road movie and coming of age – with Dolly Parton added into the mix (did I mention that already?)

    The story is simple:

    Eleven year old Elizabeth has a solid, simple life. That is until a run-of-the-mill school assignment alters her life, and the lives of the people around her forever. She’s struggling to cope with the usual pre-teen issues – boobs and periods, mean girls and then suddenly added to this, the fact she was adopted.

    She puts 2 and 2 together to get 3, and sets off to meet what she assumes to be her real mom, Dolly Parton, at a concert over the border in the US.

    What follows is a cross country chase (although with Elizabeth on her Chopper bike, this isn’t Fast or Furious!) when her adoptive mother overcomes her issues about her perfect life to re-ignite her relationship with her daughter – genetic or not.

    The film perfectly captures the feel and colour of 1976, the music of Dolly is used throughout and although she doesn’t actually appear in this indie flick, her presence is everywhere, including new versions of old classics by the likes of Nelly Fertado and Martha Wainwright.

    I won’t spoil this any more for you, but treat yourself. Pour a Cinzano and lemonade, don your best flares and fly away collar shirt and treat yourself to some pure escapism.

    Director Tara Johns makes a brilliant first feature, having penned the film also. The film succeeds because it feels personal, it feels real, and, most of all, it engages you and makes you feel good.

    I’d give the film 6 out of 5 if it were possible.

    Buy On Amazon | Buy or Watch On iTunes

  • INTERVIEW | Michael John

    Chris Jones, catches up with author Michael John, whose book Older, Younger aims to take a look at one of last taboos in the gay community – Older guys who date younger men.

    Your new book deals with the subject of age, mixed with sex and soft drug use. How much of this is based on real life, and how much is fiction?

    Most of Older, Younger is based on real life. The Alan Reid character is modelled on a retired teacher I knew in the Merseyside area, who smoked weed and had all these strapping younger guys coming around to his house and doing odd jobs for him. He was a charming guy and I tried to capture that in the character. Terry is based on a good-looking young guy from Leeds I met in Gran Canaria, and George is an amalgam of several older gay men I’ve known. The contents of the book are based on anecdotes that I’ve been told, or things that have happened to me, or that I’ve observed.

     

    Why set it in a holiday resort?

    It’s set in Playa Del Ingles because it’s a place that has an extremely mixed-age, inclusive gay scene, with bars and clubs where older gay men as well as younger ones can enjoy themselves. There are other places like that in the world, but Playa combines it all in a particularly vibrant way.

     

    You use a mix of real time and flashback – why?

    It seemed important to reflect where the characters were coming from more deeply than I could have done if I’d just described what happened in Gran Canaria. I want them to have depth, so the reader feels as if they know them. So much of people’s characters is moulded by formative experiences, so without reflecting those I felt things could have become two-dimensional.

     

    Do you feel that this area of gay fiction, the age gap, is underrepresented?

    The age gap between lovers is often explored, but usually from the point of view of the older person admiring the younger. What is not represented are those of us who find older people attractive. This is a shame because it contributes to a situation where older gays feel excluded, or over the hill – or no longer see themselves as sexually desirable. Most people have something sexy about them, and this kind of fiction can give readers a sense of the possibilities that might exist for them, if they dare to explore.

     

    What do you feel can be done to bring more acceptance to age difference attraction?

    That’s a tough question! There are always going to be people who look at a young person who’s in love with someone significantly older and say “they’re doing it for the money”, or some other such comment. But I suppose the main thing is to try to foster open-minded, inclusive attitudes in the gay scene. We are all getting older, we will all get old… we need to move away from the idea that to be attractive you’ve got to be a young Adonis type. Everyone’s got something that makes them attractive!

     

    What influences you? Any other authors?

    I’m influenced by all sorts of things: books include Dancer From The Dance by Andrew Holleran, Faggots by Larry Kramer, and City of Night by John Rechy… but I read a lot of straight fiction too, and watch a huge number of films. To be honest I think the most important thing for a writer is just to observe other people and watch what they do, listen to what they say… try to imagine what’s going on for them emotionally. These are the kind of things that will give you ideas.

     

    Any plans for a possible follow-up?

    Yes, I’m definitely going to write a sequel to Older, Younger. Since I’ve written it a lot of people have told me they want to know what happens to Alan, George and Terry after their holiday – and I have a lot of ideas about where things will go.

     

    Any advice for would be writers out there?

    Enjoy your writing, and keep working on it and trying to make it live. Try not to get too downhearted if you can’t get an agent or a publisher. Very few people land the kind of big book deals that you read about in the media, but it doesn’t necessarily mean than your work is inferior, or that you haven’t got something important to say.

     

    Why self-publish?

    I submitted Older, Younger to several agents and publishing houses, but the consensus seemed to be that it was too much of a niche subject, that wouldn’t generate the kind of revenues they wanted. But most people who read the book, even the ones who turned it down, seemed to respond positively to it – so when I heard about ebook publishing I thought: why not? It’s a story which I felt was worth getting out into the world.

  • BOOK REVIEW | Older, Younger, By Michael John

    This book, by Michael John, aims to look at the one last taboo in gay life. We’ve had piercings, fisting, anal, bare back, you name it, its been discussed – but the one thing still guaranteed to make us stare is a young man with an older companion.

    We all think the obvious – its done for the money, he’s trade, he’s desperate, etc, etc… but what about the fact that for some, it’s a physical attraction, no different from liking ginger hair or beards.

    Although fictional, the book takes place in a real place, uses real experiences and helps you appreciate the genre more. It has a good plot line, keeps moving you through the story, gives you characters you like and laugh with, not at.

    The story follows Terry, a handsome young man from northern England who has a secret: he is sexually attracted only to much older men. Several times a year, he takes trips to Gran Canaria where he can indulge his unconventional passion. But on one of these trips he meets Alan Reid, the father of his ex-girlfriend – a man he’s always secretly desired. Alan, and his companion George are taking the chance to grow old disgracefully. Older Younger explores the nature of attraction between the generations, using the backdrop of this holiday island as a natural foil for temporary relationships and taboos.

    All in all, the book is a good read, and I for one cant wait for the follow up…

    You can buy the book from Amazon