timleemail Reviews

Blood and Lace (1971)

Scarred for life!

[11 May 2001]

This is one of three movies on the late Saturday show that totally scared me as a child. The other two being the vampire flicks Vampire Circus and Let's Scare Jessica to Death. Sadly, none of the three are readily available on video. Hopefully they all will make their way to DVD eventually and i can relive my childhood fears through them.

Besides featuring Mel from Alice, this film is unusual for it's level of gore and sadism shown on television (but hey, it was the 70's!). Like Vampire Circus, it fueled my childhood fascination with children in peril as the orphans (inmates) were slaughtered for trying to escape.

SOMEONE PLEASE PUT THIS ON DVD! It's a good creepy 70's sicky!

Lilies (1996)

A haunting poetic tragic doomed love affair

[9/10 · 14 February 2001]

After a spate of disappointing gay films in the mid 90's, Lilies appeared from Canada as a fresh bouquet presenting a refreshing change of pace. Improving upon the play its based on, Lilies uses various cinematic conventions to its advantage, with cuts between prison re-enactments and the actual events given seamlessly and often artisticly breathtaking. The use of cross gender casting (this is an all male film) is humorous to a degree, but never in a mocking drag queen tone. We come to believe these men are really women. And the coming of age love story at the center of the plot, done to death by so many other films, is achingly tender.

It was once said that gay work has to have someone die in it and this film is no exception. But the deaths portrayed here and the long hidden betrayal finally revealed are handled quite effectively. The artifice involved only adds an extra layer of beauty upon the story. A remarkable acheivement.

Fearless (1993)

Existentialism at its finest

[10/10 · 14 February 2001]

Fearless is, in my opinion, the best film of the 1990's. The first time I saw it, I literally could not breathe during the climactic plane crash sequence. Upon repeated viewings, I always find something new to ponder about life, death and relationships. Heady stuff, but handled with a sensitivity rarely seen in a Hollywood film. The acting is all around superb (Bridges, Perez and Roselini have never been better!) and the use of music throughout is perfectly inspired, from Goreki to U2. I cannot think of a better film of the past decade.

I've always been interested in the idea of "what happens next" after a major crisis or disaster (I'm still waiting for a film to show the after effects of a horror movie slaughter effectively. Wait, Halloween h20 did that!) Before I digress further, let me say that Fearless may be an acquired taste for some but if you are patient with it, it will unfold for you lie a flower in bloom.

Longtime Companion (1989)

A milestone of gay cinema

[9/10 · 14 February 2001]

A landmark film, not only in that it is the first film to deal with the AIDS crisis, but also in its portrayal of gay men and their friends. Sitting on the cusp between earlier depictions of gays as murderous or suicidal and later caricatures of funny, sexless "best friends", the men shown here are very real and very honest in their decade long struggle with death and illness. I defy you to watch Bruce Davison's heartbreaking farewell speech and not be choked up on some level of emotion. And Mary Louise Parker add a special touche. This movie has arguably the greatest final scene in gay cinema.

Parting Glances (1986)

The best gay film of all time

[10/10 · 14 February 2001]

This is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Concerning the last 24 hours of a couple's relationship before one leaves for a job in Africa, Parting Glances offers a simple slice of life look at New Yorkers in the mid 80's. What makes it truly remarkable is its use of realism to convey the complexities of various relationships. Steve Buscemi claims this early work in his career is his best performance ever and I don't disagree. Kathy Kinney as the most realistic fag hag ever put on film (besides Mary Louise Parker in Longtime Companion) adds layers of meaning.

The stairwell scene Buscemi and another actor ranks as my favorite individual scene in any movie as well when it shows the differences of age and experience between young and older gay men. The film seems simple upon first viewing but watch it again top fully catch all the nuances of character and situations. A classic!

Parting Glances (1986)

The best gay film of all time

[10/10 · 14 February 2001]

This is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Concerning the last 24 hours of a couple's relationship before one leaves for a job in Africa, Parting Glances offers a simple slice of life look at New Yorkers in the mid 80's. What makes it truly remarkable is its use of realism to convey the complexities of various relationships. Steve Buscemi claims this early work in his career is his best performance ever and I don't disagree. Kathy Kinney as the most realistic fag hag ever put on film (besides Mary Louise Parker in Longtime Companion) adds layers of meaning.

The stairwell scene Buscemi and another actor ranks as my favorite individual scene in any movie as well when it shows the differences of age and experience between young and older gay men. The film seems simple upon first viewing but watch it again top fully catch all the nuances of character and situations. A classic!