THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • FILM REVIEW | Kill Your Darlings

    ★★★★ | Kill Your Darlings

    The cinematic fascination with The Beat Generation continues regardless, following on the heals of Walter Salles’ take on Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’, which the critics were quick to dismiss when it recently had a limited release in US theatres. We now have this new movie which, set in the mid 1940’s, is essentially a prequel to the movement that was about to begin. It’s Lucian Carr’s story, a central figure in Allen Ginsberg’s coming out, and the wittiest member of their clique at university, who ended up killing his obsessed older ex-lover David Kammerer who just wouldn’t leave him alone.

    It’s a heady period in these young men’s rite of passage into adulthood when despite the war going on in Europe they could indulge in whatever extreme pleasure they wanted too. For the wealthy William Burroughs it was an endless stream of drugs, and he coasted through it perpetually stoned. Ginsberg had shaken off his New Jersey roots, and now at Columbia University could finally shed the responsibility of the demands of his mentally ill mother, and nurture his writing and explore his sexuality. He was fixated with the charming, flamboyant and excitable Carr who incessantly quoted chunks of Yeats and Rimbaud but yet relied on Kammerer to actually write all the essays needed to keep him from being expelled from college. Carr’s past history was gradually exposed as the story developed, and he was revealed as possible the most confused of this very challenged bunch of friends.

    Through Carr, Ginsberg met many of the people that would remain in his life and play a significant part one way or another, including Jack Kerouac, one of Carr’s best friends. (Strangely enough another person that he met… again via Carr… was Neal Cassidy who he developed a major crush on, but there is no mention of him at all.)

    Whilst the movie is ostensibly about the murder and the subsequent trial, it is essentially much more about how this bunch of friends gelled together as a group and how that time really set them on course for what lay ahead and would eventual earn them the label the Beat Generation. Carr does get arrested for the murder of his ex lover, and pleads that it was an ‘honour slaying’ i.e. that he was straight and Kammerer was a predatory homosexual. Both Burroughs and Kerouac were also arrested as they helped dispose of the body resulting in Burroughs being forced to move back home, and Kerouac being forced to marry his girlfriend in return for her family bailing him out. But before this all happened, Ginsberg finally lost his virginity to Carr.

    Newbie director/co-writer John Krokidas worked on this movie for 10 years before he got it to its premiere at Sundance this January. It’s a refreshing look at the loss of innocence… Ginsberg’s and Carr’s in particular as it is hard to imagine that Burroughs ever had it to lose… and a much more palatable movie than ‘Howl’ the slightly inaccessible and tad pretentious vehicle in 2010 for James Franco to try his hand at playing Ginsberg. It may in fact end up being the best ever made of this clique, but maybe that’s too premature a statement as there are probably still many more to come.

    I’m still reeling from the fact that the unknown Krokidas could manage to recruit such a first rate coterie of actors for his first movie… The clue maybe in the fact that Christine Vachon of Killer Films (Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven) is one of the producers. Daniel Radcliffe shakes off his Harry Potter mantle to show what a very impressive talent he really has. He also shakes off all his clothes to show that he can also make out with another man in a very convincing way. Ben Foster (The Messenger) was excellent as the very dry Burroughs, and equally wonderful was Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) as Kerouac, Michael C Hall (Dexter) as Kammerer and with a very small part, Elizabeth Olsen (Martha,Marcy,May & Marlene) as Eddie Parker, Kerouac’s girlfriend. There is an impressive list of supporting cast that included Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyra Sedgwick, David Rasche, John Cullum & David Cross.

    However it was young Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) playing the extrovert Carr with a career defining performance, stole every scene he was in.

    The movie will attract a great deal of attention because of the mere fact of seeing Mr. Radcliffe all grown up, but regardless of that, he is definitely worth watching even if like me you have never sat through a Harry Potter movie!

     

    Available on Apple or Amazon

  • ALBUM REVIEW | Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust

    ★★★★★ | Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust

    You know when you have a favourite artist, someone with a specific, unique sound, a person whose albums you buy, time and again because you love that sound? That pop/dance fusion that has you nodding your head as you listen on your way to work?

    Yeah, that! And then, they go and find a new sound, change things around, shift your expectations slightly left of field…
    That’s the latest self-funded offering from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Wanderlust. It has a folky appeal, an approach that isn’t formulaic, little in the way of dance tracks… and is proving hugely popular with her existing fans, and the legion of fans she won on her recent stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

    She’s credited her trips to the former eastern bloc as her influence on this album, along with working with Ed Harcourt on writing and producing this album – all equates to a lovely shake up. This lady’s not one to rest on her laurels, with a couple of rug rats under her belt (not literally) and an active social media presence, she’s willing to open up and dismiss that long held aloof image.

    Her distinctive voice is here – one of the few english singers who sing with a tangible english ac-cent, rather than the adopted US slant we know and love.

    Track Listing:
    Birth of an empire – towering and epic, its one to tingle your toes!
    Until the stars collide – beautiful instruments and her lilting voice all mixed in harmony
    Runaway Daydreamer – stripped back to basics and sheer perfection
    The Deer & The wolf – toe tapping without being cliched
    Young Blood – slow and sleek, her voice at its best
    Interlude – a showcase for her vocals in a new style
    13 Little Dolls – made me dance round the living room
    Wrong Side of the sun – a clean sound, great lyrics and a wonderful vocal
    Love is a camera – soaring instruments, almost cinematic
    Cry to the beat of the band – that hypnotic beat and the choir, amazing
    When the storm has blown over – again, no gimmicks, no remix, just her amazing voice on show

    All in all, this is a showcase for how her voice has grown over her career, and also a brave choice of work to put out there. Some may say its a vanity project, self-financed because it isn’t immedi-ately commercial, but its seems to be working. Sales have been good, and to be honest, its grown on me – wasn’t too sure on the first listen. This is one of the reasons for the delay in writing this, rather than immediately after the albums release – it is a grower. If I’d written this after one hear-ing, my rating and review would be very different.

    And thats a good thing – sometimes, being too hasty is a bad thing…

  • TV: Our Gay Marriage – The Musical

    The stage has been set, the celebrities are popping their faces in with words of support, the registrars are on hand and Jon Snow is singing his heart out in this big gay musical. Is it a celebration? Or does it another stereotyping slap in the face for gay equality? As always, Twitter tells all. Did you think it’s great TV?

     

    ‘love it, certainly making a statement to all who didn’t support #equalmarriage’

     

    ‘All wedding vows should be a musical from now on’

     

    ‘This is actually really poignant and touching’

     

    ‘Our gay wedding is just gorgeous’

     

    ‘Awesome awesome awesome.’

     

    I Don’t…

     

    ‘This makes Love Actually look like Schindler’s List’

     

    ‘Could of been a great idea… I just think it’s cheapened what saturday 29th was meant to stand for…’

     

    ‘Just further implanting the negative stereotype in homophobes minds. A pointless programme…’

     

    ‘The concept was good but a tad cheesy.’

     

    ‘I’m scared the government will overturn the equal marriage act after seeing Our Gay Wedding: The Musical’

     

    So what did you think?

  • FILM REVIEW | Floating Skyscapers

    ★★★★★ | Floating Skyscapers

    Polish writer/director Tomascz Wasilewski’s second feature film is a dark tragic love story that you immediately sense from the opening scenes that is doomed.

    Although it is Poland’s first ever gay movie, it is so much more a story about the search for one’s identity and about being accepted for one’s own true self and accepting others for who they are. Essentially it’s a movie about love. Love between a girl and a boy. Between boy and a boy. Between a mother and a son, and a father and a son. It is completely heartbreaking.

    Koba is a young man who has been training to be a champion swimmer for 15 years. He lives at home with his mother who makes somewhat unnatural and creepy demands on him, plus Sylwia his rather sullen girlfriend of two years. He is also in the closet and furtively seeks out brief sexual encounters with other male swimmers in the locker rooms after practice. And then one evening it all changes when one Sylwia drags him reluctantly along to an art opening and he meets Michel, and there is an immediate attraction between the two men.

    Michel is open about his sexuality although his wealthy family, with whom he still lives, are having difficulty with accepting it. The two men surreptitiously embark on a relationship which Sylwia suspects but will do nothing about beyond being hostile to Michel. Uncharacteristically Koba falls totally for his new lover and as a consequence much to the annoyance of all, he neglects both women in his life, and his training.

    When it finally reaches the point of no return and the men decide to leave the closet once and for all, Kuba is confronted by an embittered pregnant Sylwia, and the fervent demands of his mother that he abandons Michel completely and become a full time father and husband. This is however not the only tragedy that befalls them, and makes for such a bitterly sad ending.

    By using such austere and somewhat foreboding locations Wasilewski has heightened the darkness in this heavyhearted tale in a society that is still unceasingly hostile to most gay and lesbian people.

    Watching here in the US where the acceptance of LGBT rights is now racing along and is reflected in the recent Supreme Court rulings somehow makes this groundbreaking film seem even more poignant and pertinent.

    Recently I reviewed Out Loud the first ever film from Lebanon that dealt with gay issues, and also ‘In The Name of’ the 2nd ever-Polish gay movie (and this one won the coveted Teddy Award for Best Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year).

    Change is happening, and these excellent movies are both witnesses to the fact, but also more importantly, instruments of the change too.

    Unmissable.

    Floating Skyscapers is Out Now on Matchbox Films

    BUY ON AMAZON | BUY ON ITUNES

  • FILM REVIEW | Floating Skycrapers

    Polish writer/director Tomascz Wasilewski’s second feature film is a dark tragic love story that you immediately sense from the opening scenes that is doomed. ★★★★★

    Although it is Poland’s first ever gay movie, it is so much more a story about the search for one’s identity and about being accepted for one’s own true self and accepting others for who they are. Essentially it’s a movie about love. Love between a girl and a boy. Between boy and a boy. Between a mother and a son, and a father and a son. It is completely heartbreaking.

    Koba is a young man who has been training to be a champion swimmer for 15 years. He lives at home with his mother who makes somewhat unnatural and creepy demands on him, plus Sylwia his rather sullen girlfriend of two years. He is also in the closet and furtively seeks out brief sexual encounters with other male swimmers in the locker rooms after practice. And then one evening it all changes when one Sylwia drags him reluctantly along to an Art Opening and he meets Michel, and there is an immediate attraction between the two men.

    Michel is open about his sexuality although his wealthy family, with whom he still lives, are having difficulty with accepting it. The two men surreptitiously embark on a relationship which Sylwia suspects but will do nothing about beyond being hostile to Michel. Uncharacteristically Koba falls totally for his new lover and as a consequence much to the annoyance of all, he neglects both women in his life, and his training.

    When it finally reaches the point of no return and the men decide to leave the closet once and for all, Kuba is confronted by an embittered pregnant Sylwia, and the fervent demands of his mother that he abandons Michel completely and become a full-time father and husband. This is however not the only tragedy that befalls them, and makes for such a bitterly sad ending.

    By using such austere and somewhat foreboding locations Wasilewski has heightened the darkness in this heavyhearted tale in a society that is still unceasingly hostile to most gay and lesbian people.

    Watching here in the US where the acceptance of LGBT rights is now racing along and is reflected in the recent Supreme Court rulings somehow makes this groundbreaking film seem even more poignant and pertinent.

    Recently I reviewed ‘Out Loud’ the first ever film from Lebanon that dealt with gay issues, and also ‘In The Name of’ the 2nd ever-Polish gay movie (and this one won the coveted Teddy Award for Best Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year). Change is happening, and these excellent movies are both witnesses to the fact, but also more importantly, instruments of the change too.

    Unmissable.

    Buy Now on Amazon

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales, Shoreditch Town Hall

    ★★★★ | Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales, Shoreditch Town Hall

    This immersive retelling of some of Grimm’s best-loved fairy tales, alongside a couple of less well-known ones, is an extraordinary journey through a world that is both familiar and intriguing.

    The characters find themselves in the basement rooms of Shoreditch Town Hall many years after their tales took place. They have entertained themselves by retelling their stories and invite you to join them as they do so.

    We gather amongst mysterious hooded figures in the entrance hall before Red rushes through, urging the crowd to follow her as she leads us down into the bowels of East London. Each simply-decorated room has been magically transformed to evoke a sense of suspense and wonder, but the attention to detail doesn’t stop there.

    Between performance rooms, the corridors are decorated and secret doors hide uninhabited but furnished rooms, all of which lead the mind through many more of Grimm’s tales as if those characters are residents too. The stories themselves are told in a simple manner which allows the characters to live in our own imagination as brightly as those we see before us.

    The storytellers themselves are Ashley Alymann, Sabina Arthur, Rebecca Bainbridge, Annabel Betts, James Byng, Paul Clerkin, Lindsay Dukes and Simon Wegrzyn and there really isn’t a weak link amongst them. Each holds a particular charm in their storytelling manner and an incredible ability to lead you deep into your own imagination.

    However, there is one in particular who shines through as truly exceptional. Simon Wegrzyn plays a thoroughly captivating Wolf, with a look in his eyes that is altogether as dark and conniving as the character he inhabits. Later in the evening, his Hans-My-Hedgehog is a world away from the wicked Wolf, but every inch as captivating and performed with a delightfully humorous sensitivity.

    Hans My Hedgehog is a peculiar tale, and not one I had come across previously. Half-boy half-hedgehog, Hans is disowned by his father so rides his cockerel to the woods, where he lives in a tree playing bagpipes to pigs (as you do).

    Philip Wilson has adapted Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales: For Young And Old in a manner which remains true to the author’s collection whilst allowing the stories to exist in an entirely new form. Together with Tom Rogers (set and costume), Howard Hudson (lighting) and Richard Hammarton (sound), he has created a wonderful, wondrous world where fiction really does meet reality.

    To experience this magical fairytale world for yourself (and it really is worth doing so), head over to www.grimm-tales.co.uk and book yourself a trip to Shoreditch before 24 April.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dark Vanilla Jungle, Soho Theatre

    ★★★★★ | Dark Vanilla Jungle, Soho Theatre

    Andrea keeps getting asked if she’s ashamed.
    Ashamed of what she did to the soldier.
    Of what she did to the baby.
    But Andrea’s not ashamed at all.
    And she wants to tell you why…

    Dark Vanilla Jungle is a powerhouse of a play by award-winning playwright Philip Ridley and stars the amazing Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, One Man Two Guvnors).

    Andrea enters onto a bare stage and starts to interact with the audience telling them her story. Initially nervous and shy, she presents her tale with a naïve charm and gaucheness that is achingly funny but mildly alarming. As Andrea’s story progresses there are hints of what’s to come and her nervous shyness turns to an increasingly frenetic and angst-ridden tirade that is breath taking, heart breaking and lyrical. Ridley’s use of language and ability to tell a multi-layered story is pure genius, much like his previous works “Tender Napalm” and “The Fastest Clock in the Universe”. Ridley is a writer at his peak.

    It’s rare that theatre is this affecting and cathartic with the audience taken on a compelling roller-coaster journey that left them bemused, amused, horrified, shaken and perturbed. Viewing this play isn’t a light experience but nor is it one that feels turgid or heavy-handed, instead being fast paced and thrilling. Although dark themes lie at the heart of the play, there’s an uplifting quality to the frenetic pace too and Andrea’s horrific experiences become something that you accept and forgive, understanding just why she isn’t at all ashamed about what she did.

    A huge credit for the power of the piece lies with actress Gemma Whelan who gives a staggering performance that is a sight to behold. The audience are left wondering quite how one actress can give so much and feel exhausted for her.

    The Soho Theatre has proven once again that it is right at the heart of innovative new theatre after a string of recent hits. This is an absolutely brilliant experience not to be missed.
    Dark Vanilla Jungle is on at Soho Theatre until the 13th of April

    Book tickets here: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/dark-vanilla-jungle-2014/

  • A guy just offered sexual favours for views on Lady Gaga’s latest video

    Taking fandom to a new level a Lady Gaga fan is offering anal sex and cock sucking to ANYBODY, just as long as they watch Gaga’s new video G.U.Y for one hour.

    A 23 year-old is offering to suck cocks or ‘give up’ his ass in exchange for views on the new Lady Gaga video G.U.Y.

    The personal, which was title: PLEASE HELP LADY GAGA( AKA) MOTHER MONSTER – m4m – 23 (WEST HOLLYWOOD) was uploaded to Craigslist to help Gaga achieve a Vevo record of most views. The unnamed guy said that he would stay up ‘day and night’ to service as many guys as he could.

    The video currently has over 19million views on Vevo.

    The personal reads:
    ‘Hey guys..young 23 yo white 5’9 145 lean good looking versatile b hair ,hazel eyes.I’m willing to suck cocks or give my ass up in exchange for your views of lady gaga G.U.Y. video on you tube.This is how it works .You come in to my place I give you a link where you can view the video for at least one hour and it will reproduce several times ,so basically you will spend one hour in the computer then right after I can please you anyway you want as long as it is safe.We monsters are trying to break a VEVO record and it needs to happen within the next 12 hours. I will stay up all morning and day and do as many guys as I can in exchange for you to reproduce the video.I have posted my pictures so we minimize back and forth emails..please help and enjoy what i’m giving in exchange..hurry up time is up..mother monster rules..’

  • 12 Genius Moments In BBC’s W1A – Episode 2

    If you’ve not seen the BBC’s new show W1A – you simply must. It is BBC comedy at its best. Here are our favourite 12 quotes so far.

    Things are getting complicated for the Britain’s Tastiest Village production team. Having wooed and won Carol Vorderman as Clare Balding’s replacement to co-present with Alan Titchmarsh, they have discovered at the very last minute that Clare Balding is unexpectedly available and she is keen to do the show. The problem is that no-one has told Clare that they were moving on and she unhelpfully turns up for her first production meeting at the same time as Carol Vorderman is leaving.

    Lets nail this puppy to the floor

    Not being funny or anything…

    You totally are on Twitter – as of now you have 14,000 followers

    You’ve pre-tweeted this Ian, you’re totally ahead of trend

    No I don’t want that

    I AM Fletcher @ BBC, just got retweeted by Dannii Minogue

    Is that good?

    Good? It’s like instant penetration to the gay community… it’s Huge….

    You mentioned Carol Vorderman as well, you’ve practically hit gay oil here

    Enjoy your water and we’ll talk soon…

    Could you go down to reception and meet Clare Balding?

    Yeah

    You know who she is?

    oh yeah i know… Horses

    We’ve been retweeted by Enrique Iglesias…. Seven million people around the world – This has pre happened.

    Are we moving? Are we actually going anywhere?

    When Vorderman and Balding meet….

    all images BBC

  • London’s Manbar risks closure by Westminster City Council

    Manbar, the iconic independent gay bar on Charing Cross Road will be forced to close if it loses a costly legal battle with Westminster City Council early in April.

    The bar, which is on the site of 79CXR, the legendary dance bar, which ran for eighteen years before being sold to gay entrepreneur Chris Amos, opened as Manbar in 2012.

    Since opening, Manbar has surged in popularity serving over 3000 customers a week and provided a unique and truly authentic gay space in central London.

    Repeated complaints from one resident two floors above the bar led to a licensing review last summer in which Westminster Council banned regulated entertainment (the playing of music) until such time as improvements were made. Manbar has appealed and has continued to trade pending the appeal hearing which comes before Westminster Magistrates on Monday 7th April 2014.

    In the mean time, expert advice has led to extensive works being carried out to ensure that noise nuisance, however slight, does not take place. Council officials have been involved in measuring, testing and have written to Manbar stating, ‘we are satisfied with the Sound Limiter setting, the sound limiter model and the way in which the system is now set up.’ But to no avail. Senior officers at Westminster refuse to see sense and compromise, insisting on pursuing the appeal.

    So successful has Manbar been in solving the problem that council officials could not detect any noise in the complainant’s flat. They even turned off the resident’s fridge and laptop in an attempt to hear noise.

    Whilst Manbar have been advised that they should win, if they lose they face a legal bill of up to £60,000.

    Is this fair? Should one resident’s complaint – that he can hear noise if he turns his fridge off – lead Westminster, with its draconian powers and seemingly unlimited financial muscle, to pursue and persecute tiny Manbar?

    Chris Amos is seeking support both from the gay scene and the general public to help fight off Westminster City Council.

    Today the ‘SAVE MANBAR’ campaign is being launch. Full details at www.manbarsoho.com

    Members of the public can show their support on Twitter and Facebook.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW: Northern Ballet’s Cleopatra, Sheffield Lyceum

    After murdering her brother, Cleopatra takes the throne of Egypt, causing chaos in the Country she rules. Her dominance is reinforced by the arrival of Caesar who falls for her charms. But when Caesar is murdered, she seduces second in command, Mark Anthony, to maintain her power, despite the fact that he is married. But Cleopatra falls for him and their love becomes increasingly intense, leading to tragedy.

    Cleopatra is a show which is full of contrasts and opposites. The cast were in almost perfect synchronicity as they glided across the stage in a display of effortless grace; contrasting with the violent, dramatic and sexual imagery portrayed. The violence and drama were, in turn, counterbalanced by the sensual, erotic and sexual overtones and the themes of dominance, power and betrayal were at the opposite ends of the spectrum to the themes of love and passion.

    The set was uncomplicated allowing for a practical dance space and utilised projected images on the whitewashed buildings to great effect, nowhere more evident than when the set is seen to secrete thick red blood during one particular scene. The striking use of colour provided for a visually intriguing use of contrasts between the white set and the richly coloured costumes. Using a simple colour scheme with the majority of the cast uniformly dressed during the scenes, the pillar box red uniforms of the Roman soldiers and the deep burgundy flowing gowns of the Senate looked stunning against the pale background and enhanced the dramatic impact of the piece.

    The original score was written by Claude-Michal Schónberg, who is perhaps best known as one of the composers of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, was very much befitting the style and themes of the piece, being heavily influenced by the traditional sounds of the Middle East. The evocative music was a mixture of sensual, dramatic, regal and ceremonial and was strikingly played by the live orchestra. The score, set, imagery and lighting as a whole evoked an atmosphere of the heat, dust and humidity of the Middle East

    The cast were all faultless and performed with intensity and passion. The costumes, which proudly displayed the muscular torsos of the male cast added to the sexually charged and testosterone fuelled atmosphere of the piece which, in turn, contrasted with the femininity of the lead character and the handmaidens. Martha Leebolt excelled as Cleopatra, showing the character’s vindictiveness and vulnerabilities. Javier Torres provided a strong male lead as Mark Anthony and Kenneth Tindall displayed serpentine-like qualities as Wadjet, the God and protector of the Pharaohs.

    Overall, Cleopatra was a very enjoyable piece, allowing for an engrossing and visually stimulating exploration of violence and eroticism.

    Northern Ballet’s Cleopatra is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 29th March 2014. For tickets and information visit http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/cleopatra-14 or visit Northern Ballet’s website for details of this; and their upcoming productions at http://northernballet.com/?q=northern-ballet-home .

    Please note that the show contains some brief male nudity.