THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • Popular gay bar says it might have to “call it a day” due to England’s Tier system

    Popular gay bar says it might have to “call it a day” due to England’s Tier system

    With England’s latest lockdown ending in just over a week many bars, and in particular many LGBT+ venues are really feeling the pinch. One gay bar in Birmingham has said it might be time to”call it a day”.

    One of the issues facing many bars, but in particular gay bars, is that many aren’t equipped to serve food – which is one of the requirements for pubs to be able to open in at least two Tiers of the Government’s system. Bars which solely sell drink are unable to open in Tier 2 and Tier 3. Only bars which sell “substantial” food can open in Tier 2 and can only operate as takeouts in Tier 3.

    With most of the country expected to be entered into Tier 2 or 3 when Boris Johnson announces the Tier system in the next few days, the Equator bar in Birmingham announced that it might have to close forever, adding “Equator bar is not a restaurant so will not be allowed to open in Tier 2” and added, “Maybe time to call it a day”.

    If the Equator Bar, which has been operating for over 15 years, does close it will be the second bar in Birmingham to have fallen victim to the economic woes faced by the hospitality industry due to the Government’s handling of the current Coronavirus pandemic.

    Numerous fans took to the bar’s Facebook page to share their sorrow that the bar may be forced to close.

    Speaking to THEGAYUK.com the owner said, “It’s devastating that customers cannot come to their local community bar. We haven’t had a single case that I know of…

    “I’ve been here 18 years and not sure how much longer we can stay closed with no help from the gov”.

    Give Equator Bar a follow on their Facebook page to keep up to date with them.

    Not the first victim of the devastating Tier system

    The Tier system used in England has brought economic hardship for many businesses, but in particular for social-based businesses like pubs and bars.

    Nightclubs have not been able to open since March.

    In Tier 2, which most of England is expected to enter come the 2nd of December does not allow for household mixing, meaning that friends and family from different households are unable to meet in public, including in pubs and restaurants. In Tier 3 all bars and restaurants must close and are only permitted to operate as a food takeaway.

    Bars and pubs across England have spent huge sums of money on becoming “COVID-secure” and have restricted their capacities in order to aid with social distancing, adding extra pressure on their bottom lines.

    Writing about the latest announcement from Boris Johnson, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London tweeted, “We are all stuck in the worst possible purgatory with the worst possible ruler”

    2020 has seen numerous gay bar closures. Earlier in the year, Birmingham’s Eden Bar was forced to close due to devastating restraints placed on the pub industry. Also in the West Midlands, Midland Zone magazine also fell victim to the economic downturn.

    gay Bar Broadway to close forever due to Covid

    Nottingham’s only LGBT+ club, Propaganda closed in May and in Brighton, two venues have already shuttered. This month The Broadway closed and earlier in the year Legends fell into administration, before being reopened by new owners.

    Birmingham has one of the largest gay scenes outside of London and is home to a number of LGBT+ venues.

  • Lost LGBT Scene | Holland Park Sauna

    Lost LGBT Scene | Holland Park Sauna

    We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.

    We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.

    Holland Park Sauna

    A memory from a user:

    A sauna right in the middle of the shopping centre (not the Westfield creation), in you went, across to the changing rooms and off you went but this was the time before sex was possible in open as some horrid little man would patrol but, you always found action.

    The showers, the jacuzzi, the saunas and the “rest” area upstairs that were a load of single beds laid out like a dormitory. 

    I remember I had my nipple pierced which was unusual at the time, this proved very popular. On leaving you would rejoin the shoppers or pop into Safeway or if you were still up for more, Silks club was next door. Very handy. 

    Opened: Can you help? Click here to update this listing

    Closed: Can you help? Click here to update this listing

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  • FILM REVIEW | Bare – For fans of male nudity – and dance

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    In the new documentary film Bare, these men are whittled down to eleven who rehearse and perform the premiere of Belgian choreographer Thierry Smit’s new dance piece ‘Anima Ardens.’ Director Aleksandr M. Vinogradov’s captures the auditions, and rehearsals, in this documentary that is both revealing, sexy and fun. Filmed in Brussels, the men, all presumably professional dancers, jump at the chance of working with Smits, a well-known choreographer who set up his own company in 1990, and who has created over 30 dance performances. His dance pieces are contemporary, with fusions of pop, queer and often provocative aesthetics included.

    The eleven men have no problem getting naked. One, during the early stages of the audition, raises the question as to why the camera is in the room. The explanation is that a documentary will be made about this process answers the question, and the show goes on. However we really don’t get to know any of the dancers individually, and Smits, front and centre, also remains an enigma. But combining Smits with the dancers in their daily struggle to get the dance moves correct, with Smits not quite knowing exactly what he is looking for, brings mystery and drama into play.

    All the dancers are very sexy, of course especially when naked, but after a bit, the nudity becomes almost invisible (but not quite) and it’s the performance piece they are rehearsing that takes centre stage because it’s unconventional. All the dancers appear to be very comfortable with each other, and near the end, they are all very playful in the showers as they clean up after a day of rehearsal. And Bare cleverly ends as the first performance of ‘Anima Ardens’ begins. Lucky for us, just a quick Google search will lead you to see the actual dance piece in its entirety. 

    Bare is indeed bare; it’s sexy, raw and in your face.

    Bare held its world premiere at Hot Docs and has also been featured at Cinema Diverse, Doc NYC and DocEdge.

    Look for it hopefully at UK film festivals in 2021.

  • FILM REVIEW | Dating Amber – Growing up gay is not easy

    FILM REVIEW | Dating Amber – Growing up gay is not easy

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Fionn O’Shea and Lola Petticrew are just about perfect as a young couple who pretend to fall in love in1995 Ireland in the new film Dating Amber.

    But they are not an actual couple. You see Eddie (O’Shea) is Gay (though he won’t admit it), and Amber (Petticrew) is a Lesbian, and both are on the cusp of finishing their last year of high school. Amber, who lives with her widowed mother in a trailer park, has dreams of moving to London after she graduates. Eddie, meanwhile, plans to go into the military to follow in his father’s footsteps. But to survive their final year at school, and to ward off name-calling and bullying from their fellow students, they decide to pretend to be a couple (this is after a failed attempt on Eddie’s part to woo a blond girl, though he fails to grab her boob during a groping session).

    Eddie and Amber go through their charade and actually make a perfect couple; Eddie is shy, very cute and adorable, while Amber is aggressive, knows what she wants, and has all the best lines. However, after a night out to a gay bar in Dublin where Amber meets someone, and Eddie still not quite ready to accept that he’s gay, the pressure is on for him to take charge of his life, to appease his father (Barry Ward) and very understanding and knowing mother (Sharon Horgan), alongside his know-it-all younger brother (Evan O’Connor). 

    This coming-of-age comedy is a poignant, honest and funny look at the highs and lows of teenage life while growing up in a conservative environment where young people who are different don’t seem to fit in. Both leads are just absolutely perfect, the feel of mid-90s Ireland comes through the screen, and the funny script makes Dating Amber the one of best romantic comedy and growing up films of the year.

    Now available on Demand and Digital

  • FILM REVIEW | Proxima – Will melt your heart

    FILM REVIEW | Proxima – Will melt your heart

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Eva Green is superb as a divorced single mother who is an astronaut chosen to go into space in the excellent Proxima.

    Sarah (Green) is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne and lives alone with her seven-year-old daughter Stella (Zélie Boulant), and still friendly with her ex-husband Thomas (Lars Eidinger).  

    Being the only woman in the space program, Sarah is chosen to be part of the crew for a year-long space mission called ‘Proxima.’ While she is honoured and privileged to be chosen, she must weigh the fact that this will take her away from her delicate daughter for a year, and this also means putting Sarah in the middle of a male-only mission where there is very little sympathy for her being a woman and a mother. She has to put up with misogynistic banter, and fellow crew members who need to more time to get used to going up into space with a woman. Even the captain Mike (a very good Matt Dillon) doesn’t immediately take a liking to her. But Sarah slowly earns the respect of the crew and slowly prepares Stella for her departure. But second thoughts enter Sarah’s head, and right up to the last minute she has her doubts.

    Proxima premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and proceeded to run the festival circuit where it won the Special Jury Prize at San Sebastian Film Festival. Vertical Entertainment has released the film on digital and VOD platforms. Green (last seen in Dumbo) is absolutely fantastic and her performance puts her in awards contentions.

    Dillon, who last made screen waves, and controversy, in the 2018 film The House That Jack Built, shines as the team leader, and he’s good-looking as ever. Proxima is a film that will bring tears to your eyes and will melt your heart.

    Order PROXIMA from Amazon out on DVD/BluRay and Digital 23rd November

  • The erections joke are strong as Viagra maker says it has a COVID vaccine

    The erections joke are strong as Viagra maker says it has a COVID vaccine

    The pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and BioNTech has announced that it has developed a vaccine it says is 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 and the jokes are in.

    The firm said in a statement, “Pfizer and BioNTech said the vaccine was “found to be more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants without evidence of prior Sars-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis”

    Although it’s not publicly available yet, the new vaccine, which could be used in the global fight against COVID-19 is apparently “90% effective” according to numerous media outlets, including The Guardian.

    Pfizer the vaccine’s maker, also makes the erection pill, Viagra.

    Of course, it didn’t take too long for Twitter to climax with boner jokes, with Piers Morgan, leading the way saying,

    https://twitter.com/tonysheps/status/1325787888332713984
    https://twitter.com/SazzTwtz/status/1325785278204801024

  • Does Hollywood have a problem with gay nudity?

    Does Hollywood have a problem with gay nudity?

    A new survey has shown that only 5% of nude scenes featured LGBT+ characters. Out of 27 hours of footage that was studied, that equates to just 42 minutes and 45 seconds of on-screen nude time.

    When broken down further it appeared that just under 7% of male nudity is by a gay or bi male character and just 4% for gay, bi or lesbian women. It also is worth noting that in the vast majority of cases, the LGBT+ character was played by a heterosexual actor.

    The rest of the nudity discovered (95%) was reserved for heterosexual characters.

    The study, which was conducted by Bingo Sites, defined nudity as showing their ‘buttocks’, ‘breasts’, or ‘genitals.

    Which actors have appeared in the most scenes nude as a LGBTQ+ character?

    Call Me By Your Name (2017) star, Timothée Chalamet tops our nudity ranking of male actors. Of all nude scenes Timothée has appeared in, he has been a gay character in 66.7% of them. 

    Males

    Actor% of Gay Scenes
    Timothée Chalamet66.7%
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt50%
    Guillermo Pfening50%
    Steve Howey50%
    Mark Ruffalo27.3%
    Colin Farrell20%
    Ewan McGregor16.7%
    Keanu Reeves16.7%
    Antonio Banderas5.9%

    Females

    Of all of Kate Mara’s nude scenes across her filmographies, she has been an LGBT+ character in all of them.

    Actress% of LGBTQ Scenes
    Kate Mara100%
    Ellen Page50%
    Stana Katic50%
    Hilary Swank36.4%
    Laia Costa16.7%
    Lindsay Lohan16.7%
    Elizabeth Berkley9.1%
    Salma Hayek7.1%
    Christina Ricci6.3%
    Charlize Theron3.7%

  • MUSIC REVIEW | DISCO – Unashamed, Pure Unadulterated Joy from start to finish!

    MUSIC REVIEW | DISCO – Unashamed, Pure Unadulterated Joy from start to finish!

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Kylie Minogue has always been an enigma. From her PWL days to the Deconstruction Indie-Kylie era, right through to 2018’s country-themed “Golden”. The pop-stalwart has always endeared the public with her creative talents and in a world when we are unable to go to the local discothèque and dance until dawn; it seems odd for the undisputed Queen of Pop to release a collection of dancefloor bangers, but in these times it has been more than welcome.

    Kylie is no stranger to the dancefloor, it’s been a recurring theme over the last 20 years of her career, but DISCO is the first time that she’s really gone balls to the wall hi-NRG. DISCO is relentless. From the slinky smooth staccato keys of “Magic” and the unifying message of DISCO’s lead single; “Say Something”; where Minogue asks; “Can we all be as one again”. DISCO proves that the only place we need to be when we’re allowed is the dancefloor and DISCO drips with future dancefloor bangers.

    Looking back on the various stages of disco, and reinventing in them for today, DISCO is the perfect tonic to these troubled times.  Songs like “Dance Floor Darling” fuses the eighties inspired power chords and an incredibly modern, fresh production, and a “Your Disco Needs You”-inspired spoken word section. The vocoder gets some use on “Supernova”; a relentless nod back to her Light Years album, coupled with some Moroder inspired beats. The albums closer “Celebrate You” is life-affirming, arms up in the air concert closer in the making, and when the time comes for Minogue to tour the album we are going to be in for a real treat. Other highlights of the record include the Donna Summer inspired “Where Does the DJ Go?” and the ABBA influenced “Last Chance” with a chorus that resembles “Voulez-Vous”.

    Whilst nothing on the album reaches the high camp, dizzying heights of “Your Disco Needs You”, DISCO has some brilliant songs. Lyrically it sometimes veers off into parody, however, it’s forgiven because everything comes across as so joyous and warm. You cannot help but smile when listening to this record, and this is the perfect tonic for what looks like it might be a long and dark winter. You can say what you want about Kylie, but DISCO cements her as the queen of the Disco and she has returned to wrap her arms around every one of us.

    Available to buy or steam now

  • FILM REVIEW | Oliver Sacks: His Own Life – A life well-lived

    FILM REVIEW | Oliver Sacks: His Own Life – A life well-lived

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    The late Oliver Sacks was a very fascinating man. Learn more about him in the upcoming documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life.

    Sacks was not just a scientist and neurologist, he also wrote dozens and dozens of books including best sellers, was a master in his field, greatly respected, became a celebrity later in life, and he was also gay. 

    Sacks grew up in an upper-middle-class family in Cricklewood, London. Both his parents were doctors – so it was almost a natural that he’d be a doctor. But it wasn’t until his older brother Michael was diagnosed schizophrenic, an illness that affected the whole family but Oliver more so, that Sacks future was sealed. Going to medical school in Oxford, then to America where he took up residency in San Francisco is when his true self came out – a man with a motorbike dressed in head to toe leather. But while he was taking care of patients with severe neurological issues (stunning footage shows him with patients with neurological diseases and oddities) – Sacks never really found love or romance. His mother vehemently objected to his homosexuality but she also turned into a champion of his while he spent a summer writing a book at his childhood home. But her death affected him greatly, and after he turned 40 he remained celibate for the next 35 years. 

    Quite a bit of footage of Sacks is of him in his West Village apartment surrounded by staff, friends, etc. His personality comes through in these moments like a bright red sunset – with his charming laugh, unique British accent and sparkle in his eye that will win you over. He won Bill Hayes over – at age 75 Sacks and Hayes (20 years younger) remained together until Sacks death in 2015 at the age of 83. It’s a happy relationship to the end of an amazing life led by a man who changed medical science and at the same time opened our eyes to it. Director Ric Burns really captures the life and times of Sacks, especially of his final years of being with Hayes.

    Now playing on https://filmforum.org/virtual-cinema/ and https://kinomarquee.com

  • You have to watch Royal Vauxhall Tavern’s hilarious “in house safety video”

    You have to watch Royal Vauxhall Tavern’s hilarious “in house safety video”

    The Royal Vauxhall Tavern has created an “in house” safety video which will play before all its shows, very much like an inflight safety video, instructing patrons on how to keep safe during these COVID times.

    The video stars Myra Dubois and she gently reminds customers that they must sign in or use the track and trace app, check all coats and bags to make sure that the floors are kept clutter-free and ordering drinks from the official RVT app.

    She also asks customers not to cheer or sing along to the show and to “follow the rules”.

    Lastly there’s a reminder that last orders are at 9.30 PM and that the bar must close at 10 PM.

  • FILM REVIEW | Dedalus – startling and memorable

    FILM REVIEW | Dedalus – startling and memorable

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Dedalus is a fictional triptych portraying community, love, and loss.

    It’s a film that deals with homosexuality and age, with three very different storylines. And while one of them is a bit confusing, it’s a very good piece of work by a first-time director.

    A goodlooking young man (newcomer Alexander Horner, a natural) is a bit lost in life, always struggling to make ends meet, going from couch to couch. But he knows what he likes – he enjoys the ‘company’ of older men. He also needs food and shelter during a cold winter in New York City. He is also sexually attracted to older men. And even though a young woman takes him in, nothing satiates his quest for love then older gay client. He meets a succession of them, most of them wealthy, and lonely. They all, of course, take a fancy to him. But he falls for an anxious lawyer (Thomas Jay Ryan) and can foresee a relationship with him, but the lawyer has other things in mind. This second of the three stories in this film is the most hard-hitting and unforgettable.

    Directed by Jonah Greenstein, an independent filmmaker, the other two stories deal with a fathers mortality which compels him to leave his home in Los Angeles and move in with his daughter, and the other story takes place in rural Iowa, a grocery cashier watches helplessly as classmates conceal their act of sexual violence against his teenaged step-sister. 

    All gorgeously directed by Jonah Greenstein, an independent filmmaker. He’s worked with some big names (Rami Malek, Michelle Wiiliams, documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras), but it’s this debut, which laces loneliness. beauty and mystery, to create a film that is both startling and memorable.

    Now on on Streaming Platforms including Apple TV, Amazon Prime, OVID.tv & Kanopy