THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • FILM REVIEW | Fragments

    A series of spectacular experimental short films which explore memory and gay culture. Art lovers prepare to be amazed…

    1. Kiss ★★★★

    A superb silent composition consisting of a single couple in frame, kissing. The black and white film has an air of romanticism and sexual lust about it. Following on from this, the same clips are played, but this time in colour and with the sound of kissing. This was a less attractive portrayal. An excellent arrangement of film and artistic questioning.

    2. Birthplace ★★★

    A spoken memory about growing up in a strong family unit which radiated out into the village culture. This is juxtaposed with a grainy Super 8 film full of exaggerated hue. Nostalgic and heartfelt.

    3. Things Art Different Now ★★★

    A film with a kind of painterly image quality. Single face shots are placed into context through a memory of persecution and the painful sadness of friends dying. A ghostly reflection on the AIDs epidemic.

    4. Happy ★★★★★

    This short displays a lyrical based approach with strong conceptual integrity. There is a continual flux of beliefs and desires through this duality of religious speech versus popular culture icons, such as Judy Garland. Outstanding and poignant dichotomy. The one to watch!

    5. Postface  ★★★★

    An exploration into the life of Montgomery Cliff, where an accident left him in pieces. The film work replicated this idea through a fragmented pausing and playing of film; a very experimental approach. It is suggestive of the consequences of his accident. Although this type of work probably will not be understood by the majority of people, it certainly comes highly commended for all the experimental art film lovers out there.

    6. I’m Leaving on Wednesday ★★★

    This looks at love and memory of this love though a footage style of filming. The passion when eyes lock together, the closeness, the feeling, the companionship. A gentle film.

    7. Pop! ★★

    This short film is like a collaged composition; a mash up between film, words, music and artistic overlay. Slightly confusing and ambiguous.

    8. How To Talk To Kids ★

    With a miminal music overlay, reminiscent of Sigur Ros, this film wasn’t as well executed as it could have been. Forgettable.

    9. Like Rats Leaving A Sinking Ship ★

    Poetic in expression, but incoherent in storyline. However, this incoherence perhaps adds to its beauty.

  • FILM REVIEW | Keep The Lights On

    ★★★★ | Keep The Lights On

    Keep the Lights On is a powerfully charged plot following two men from New York City, Erik (Thure Lindhardt) and Paul (Zachary Booth), through an emotional wave of events.

    Their initial casual sex encounter forms a beautiful relationship which is explosive, climatic and heart-warming, creating a dichotomy of emotive highs and agonising lows. These fundamental parallels are significant, questioning how one can think they know someone, but at the same time know so little about their drive and purpose. But what are the implications of having casual sex with a stranger?

    The movie is set across a period of time, as the storyline gradually increases in momentum. The main couple are easy to relate to, joyfully expressing those heart warming feelings of being in the early stages of a relationship – the closeness, the ecstasy, the contentment. But along with the greatness of any relationship comes the sadness. The film explores the difficulties and strains of alcohol and drug abuse, but how much can a partner support and guide before they can take no more?

    The film work is a mature and honest investigation into a couples intimate bond. It doesn’t try to make a point of this being a gay relationship, which is usually my biggest criticism. It is simply a love story full of anguish and confusion like any other. With poignant shots throughout the movie and set to a stunning soundtrack, it has to be placed right at the top of the must see movie category.

  • BOOK REVIEW | Fanny And Stella

    ★★★★★ | Fanny And Stella

    28th April 1870: The flamboyantly dressed Miss Fanny Park and Miss Stella Boulton are causing a stir in the Strand Theatre.

    All eyes are riveted upon the two young ladies as they look down on the stalls, calling out to, flirting with and ogling the fine gentlemen below. Moments later they are led away by the police. What followed was a huge scandal that shocked and titillated Victorian England in equal measure.

    Fanny and Stella – two very alluring ladies-about-town – were not ordinary young women. They were actually young men who liked to dress as women: Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park, a bank clerk and solicitor respectively, part-time actresses and part-time prostitutes. Stella was the most beautiful female impersonator of her day, Fanny her sturdier and plainer companion. When the Metropolitan Police launched a secret campaign to bring about their downfall, they were arrested and subjected to a sensational show trial in Westminster Hall and if found guilty, they faced life imprisonment.

    As the trial of ‘the Young Men in Women’s Clothes’ unfolded, Fanny and Stella’s extraordinary lives as wives and daughters, actresses and whores were revealed to an incredulous public. The revelations shocked a nation of Victorians as the seamy underbelly of a hypocritical society was exposed with a cast of prostitutes, brothel keepers and transvestites gaining prominence along with a bevy of respectable aristocrats, businessmen and ambassadors who were implicated in the scandal.

    McKenna has meticulously researched the subject of the two unfortunate young men for this informative but also entertaining and gripping book. The story is both titillating and amusing as the trial unfolds revealing the antics of the two young men and their consorts. The language used by the Victorians in describing homosexuality and various sexual practices is enough to make you choke with laughter on your Earl Grey and have you lurching towards your chaise longue as you frantically reach for your smelling salts.

    Ultimately, the story made me reel in horror too, not because of Fanny and Stella’s behaviour but more because of the way they were treated by society. Imagine being holed up in prison with the threat of life imprisonment, no face powder and having your anus examined repeatedly for signs of sodomy? I’m sure Danny La Rue never had to go through that.

    McKenna presents us with an account that is fast paced and informative but also hugely entertaining to read as the very human story of the two men unfolds in all its grisly detail. Whether you’re a history fanatic intrigued by Victorian double standards or not, this book is sure to amuse, shock and beguile you. Well worth a read.

     

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | BalletBoyz: The Talent 2013

    ★★★★

    The BalletBoyz have been going from strength to strength since they were formed by Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt in 2001 following their breakaway from the Royal Ballet. The original remit was to make ballet more accessible and to bring challenging new works to theatres where dance was rarely seen.

    The company have certainly more than achieved their original goal and the diversity of the audience and the overwhelming cheers and applause at the end of the evening certainly prove that their latest show is a popular hit.

    The company of ten young male dancers are from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of experience and differing skill sets. There’s a boyish French dancer who looks like he’s stepped straight from a Euro twink porn film, a beefy French dancer who would fit in easily in a Triga DVD and an assorted company of hot British boys showing off their biceps, tattoos and toned physiques. One thing they all have in common is their hard abs and rippling musculature which is particularly evident in the first piece, ‘Serpent’, choreographed by Liam Scarlett. The company are all topless dressed in skin tight Lycra which reveals every taut curve and shows off their amazing buttocks to full effect.

    The dances? I almost forgot about those. I was too busy with lechery. The two contrasting pieces are both beautifully choreographed with the challenge of using only male dancers being met fully. ‘Serpent’ uses the dancers to full effect in a fluid display of masculinity, whilst ‘Fallen’ (choreographed by Russell Maliphant) is a more brutal and altogether harder piece which utilises their gymnastic skills, mixed in with ballet and contemporary dance moves. The lighting and music combine to showcase the two pieces and add to the atmosphere.

    The show is definitely very accessible and easy on the eye. The audience in Leicester seemed to be having a fantastic time, judging by the riotous applause at the end of the evening. Whether you love dance, are new to dance or just like to sit and watch a troupe of ten young showing off their buff torsos, the show is well worth checking out.

    The show continues from the 21st of March at The Cambridge Arts Theatre

    Check out the rest of the dates (and the dancers) here:http://www.balletboyz.com

  • FEATURE: The Facial Spring Clean – Part 1: Scrubs and Washes

    FEATURE: The Facial Spring Clean – Part 1: Scrubs and Washes

    With the bulbs rising and the days getting longer you know that Winter is leaving us and making way for a fresher looking Spring. Well, as you all rush out to buy your yellow dusters to give the house a good clean, you may wish to give thought to treating yourself to a facial Spring clean as well. We’ve been looking into the hot products this Spring to help scrub, wash and moisturise those Winter faces away.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In Night Time

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In Night Time

    Based in the incredibly successful 2003 novel by Mark Haddon, the stage play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has transferred from the National to the Apollo Theatre in the West End.

    The play tells the story of 15-year-old schoolboy Christopher Boone and his quest to solve the mystery of who murdered a dog in his neighbourhood. During his investigation, he discovers secrets and embarks on an adventure where he is forced to leave his comfort zone and ultimately, grow from a boy into a young man.
    Christopher shows signs of an unidentified “behavioural problem” with characteristics normally associated with Asperger’s syndrome or autism. Often, he struggles to communicate with those around him and his frustration can be felt throughout the play. The actor Luke Treadaway, best known for War Horse at the National, who gives Christopher a depth of character rarely seen on the stage today. I expect he is a shoe in to win an Olivier Award for his performance. By the end of the play, you forget he is an actor playing a part and it is hard to imagine Treadaway without a “behavioural problem” of his own- he is incredibly convincing and strangely attractive in the role. A friend who joined me at the theatre swooned when at one point Treadaway took off his shirt. The rest of the cast do a very good job in supporting roles, especially Nicola Walker and Paul Ritter who play his frustrated parents.

     

    Perhaps the only thing that upstages Treadaway’s performance is the incredible set design by Bunny Christie, which mirrors Christopher’s genius mind. The set lights up at various times in the play and can comfortably look like the inside of a bedsit in Willesden as it does deep space.
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a satisfying trip to the West End. It combines a compelling story, with a stunning set and equally inspired performances from the cast. All theatre should be this engaging.
    Five stars
    Playing at the Apollo Theatre until 4 January 2014

    Tickets at www.nimaxtheatres.com

    Running time 2 hrs 30 mins

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Great Gatsby, Northern Ballet

    The Great Gatsby seems to be flavour of the month with recent stage adaptations, live book readings; the upcoming film and now the highly acclaimed Northern Ballet have presented a stunning dance interpretation of the famous novel.

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  • FILM REVIEW | R/Evolve

    ★★ | R/Evolve

    Lucas and Lincoln tackle the pains and joys of proposed marriage, of which gay marriage is the defining cultural indifference of the age.

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  • MUSIC REVIEW | Luv Bomb

    Australian Pop Princess Bowie Jane returns with new single Luv Bomb.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap, National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap, National Tour

    ★★★★ | The Mousetrap 

    I have to confess something. I love a good Agatha Christie. There’s something about those comfortable characters, nostalgic settings and contorted plots which always thrills me.

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  • WATCH REVIEW | Nite Watches

    WATCH REVIEW | Nite Watches

    If you like the solid feel of cool metal against the wrist and a sleek sophisticated design, then Nite watches are for you.

    Nite Watches Review

    The all black MX10 400T with deep orange numerics give the watch a seductive and sharp appearance. You can see why it’s worn by military, adventurers and extreme sports people, with its masculine and rugged style.

    The extra secure double lock strap will allow you to perform any strenuous activity without the fear of it coming loose. The crystal face has a triple anti-reflective coating plus the hands and numerics illuminate in darkness, making this watch readable whether you be on a sunny mountain top or coming out of a night club at 3am, (depending on levels of alcohol!)

    With a swiss movement and 4 years battery life, this watch has been built its best so you can perform your best everyday. I just wish there were a few more mountains around London to test the watch on and feel all man.

    Available from www.nitewatches.co.uk for £199.