David Bowie & the Story of Ziggy Stardust (2012)

David Bowie & the Story of Ziggy Stardust (2012)

 

Director: James Hale
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK
Year: 2012
Duration: 60 min

Stars: Jarvis Cocker, David Bowie, Marc Almond, Rodney Bingenheimer, Trevor Bolder, John Cambridge

Both a visual flashback and a telling of the life and birth of the alter ego that was David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.

 

 

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is arguably the most important album in the mind-blowing career of David Bowie. Released in 1972, it's the record that set the mercurial musician on course to becoming one of the best-known pop stars on the planet. In just over a year, Bowie's messianic Martian invaded the minds of the nation's youth with a killer combination of extraterrestrial rock 'n' roll and outrageous sexuality, all delivered in high-heeled boots, multi-coloured dresses and extravagant make-up. In Bowie's own words, Ziggy was 'a cross between Nijinsky and Woolworths', but this unlikely culture clash worked - Ziggy turned Bowie into stardust.

This documentary tells the story of how Bowie arrived at one of the most iconic creations in the history of pop music. The songs, the hairstyles, the fashion and the theatrical stage presentation that merged together to turn David Bowie into the biggest craze since the Beatles. Ziggy's instant success gave the impression that he was the perfectly-planned pop star. But, as the film reveals, it had been a momentous struggle for David Bowie to hit on just the right formula that would take him to the top.

Narrated by fan Jarvis Cocker, it reveals Bowie's mission to the stars through the musicians and colleagues who helped him in his unwavering quest for fame - a musical voyage that led Bowie to doubt his true identity, eventually forcing the sudden demise of his alien alter ego, Ziggy.

 

Contributors include Trevor Bolder (bass player, Spiders from Mars), Woody Woodmansey (drummer, Spider from Mars), Mike Garson (Spiders' keyboardist), Suzi Ronson (Mick Ronson's widow, who gave Bowie that haircut), Ken Scott (producer), Elton John (contemporary and fan), Lindsay Kemp (Bowie's mime teacher), Leee Black Childers (worked for Mainman, Bowie's production company), Cherry Vanilla (Bowie's PA/press officer), George Underwood (Bowie's friend), Mick Rock (Ziggy's official photographer), Steve Harley, Marc Almond, Holly Johnson, Peter Hook, Jon Savage, Peter Doggett and Dylan Jones

Southside (2003)

Southside (2003)
AKA Cock & Bull Story

Director: Billy Hayes
Writers: Richard Crowe (play), Richard Zajdlic (play), Billy Hayes
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 106 min
Year: 2003

 

Stars: Brian Austin Green, Bret Roberts, Wendy Fowler, Greg Mullaver, John Prosky,Darin Heames

 

 

Billy Hayes' drama Cock & Bull Story concerns boxers struggling with their sexual instincts. Set in working-class New Jersey, the film stars Bret Roberts as Travis, a young fighter on the rise. Those close to him, especially his trainer Pascoe (Greg Mullavey), object to Travis hanging around best friend Jacko (Brian Austin Green). Perpetually the subject of rumors concerning his sexual orientation, Travis ends up unwittingly taking part in a gay bashing incident. Jacko begins hiding out from tough guy Dumiak (Darin Heames). Even though he has a girlfriend, Annie (Wendy Fowler), Travis admits that his style of boxing may have something to do with his hidden homosexual yearnings. Cock & Bull Story was screened at the 2003 San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Free Fall (2013)

Free Fall (2013)
"Freier Fall" (original title)

Director: Stephan Lacant
Writers: Stephan Lacant (screenplay), Karsten Dahlem (screenplay)
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Language: German
Duration: 100 min
Year: 2013


Stars: Hanno Koffler, Max Riemelt, Attila Borlan, Katharina Schüttler, Stephanie Schönfeld, Oliver Bröcker

Još jedna priča o ljubavi geja sa oženjenom muškarcem. U ovom njemačkom filmu obadvojica rade u policiji. Jedan se zove Marc i oženjen je Betinom sa kojom očekuje bebu, a drugi se zove Kay. Priču smo vidjeli nebrojeno puta, a mnogi od nas je i preživjeli više puta. Uglavnom uvjek se završi sa razlazom i patnjom. Od početnog oduševljenja zatečeni neposrednošću i iskrenošću "str8" prijatelja koja se toliko razlikuje od pederluka koji nas okružuje do suza i bijesa jer je žena ta koja najčešće pobijeđuje u uzaludnoj utakmici za srcem koje kuca za dvije strane.

Još kada ti kaže: "Ja nisam gay, nisam nikada ni bio, niti ću biti" onda je normalno da pobjesniš i osjetiš se ostavljeno, iskorišćeno i nekako bekorisno prazno.
Ali svaka priča ima dva kraja i sebično bi bilo sve posmatrati pederskim očima. Svaka ljubav i veza zahtijeva nešto čega se moramo odreći. Obično je to nešto na šta smo navikli ili neko ko nam je do tada mnogo značio. Ljubav nije krtola kako bi rekli naši stari i ne postoje jednostavna pravila kako se treba ponašati da bi nam se želje ispunile. A životna pravila koja nam nemeće porodica i okruženje u kojem smo odrasli definitivno nisu ona koja će nas usrećiti ukoliko ne poslušamo svoje srce.

German director Stephan Lacant employs gorgeous cinematography and well-drawn characters to craft this thoughtful and incredibly sexy meditation on bisexuality and adulterous temptation. Marc (Hanno Koffler) has a great family, a loving and supportive girlfriend with a bun in the oven, and a promising career lined up as a policeman.

Everything seems to be on the right track... until he meets Kay (Max Riemelt) during his police academy training. A sexy, young blonde officer with a devil-may-care attitude and a penchant for drug use, Marc finds Kay intriguing. The two begin jogging together in the woods. Their relationship begins innocently until Kay starts coming on to Marc aggressively. Kay kisses him and slides his hand down Marc's pants without asking for permission, but it's not entirely unwelcome.

As time goes by, Marc becomes more and more infatuated with his mysterious new admirer, and the two start having an intense secret affair. Pretty soon, though, Marc begins neglecting his pregnant girlfriend. He begins to feel crushed under the pressure of living a double life. His life is in free fall and Marc realizes that, try as he may, he can't make everyone happy - least of all, himself. Lead actors Koffler and Riemelt are masters at creating sexual tension. The early scenes between Marc and Kay have an almost palpable intensity - and their sex scenes are realistically cautious and excitedly awkward. If you're in the market for a sexy film about a naughty gay relationship, Free Fall won't let you down. (German with English subtitles)

-- Rob O'Neill

The 24th Day (2004)

The 24th Day (2004)

Director: Tony Piccirillo
Writer: Tony Piccirillo (play)
Genre: Drama, Thriller 
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 92 min
Year: 2004



Stars: James Marsden, Scott Speedman, Sofía Vergara, Barry Papick, Charles J. Corrado Jr., Jarvis W. George, Scott Roman

Tom (S. Speedman) je oženjen čovjek koji otkriva da nosi virus HIV-a. Uvjeren da je zaražen u slučajnom i jedinom odnosu s muškarcem koji je imao u životu, dovodi krivca svoje nesreće u stan i uzima ga za taoca.
Svoga će zatočenika, homoseksualca Dana (J. Marsden), pustiti ukoliko krvna pretraga bude negativna. Ukoliko se pak dokaže da je riječ o neodgovornom širitelju smrtonosne bolesti, opravdano bijesni domaćin će ga ubiti.

U glavnim ulogama otmičara i taoca, James Marsden i Scott Speedman, koji su nimalo lak posao obavili na besprijekoran način. Tridesetpetmilimetarska filmska verzija s uspjehom je prikazana među na specijaliziranom Outfestu u Los Angelosu i Tribeca festivalu u New Yorku.

Predpostavljam da o potrebi da se zaštitimo kada imamo seks sa nekim neznancem nema potrebe pričati. Pameten čovjek koji vodi računa o svom zdravlju neće rizikovati da dobije HIV ili neku drugu polnu bolest zbog seksa sa nekim zgodnim frajerom. Međutim putujući po evropskim metropolama primjetio sam trend da se sve više gejeva upušta u seks bez kondoma. Od kada su pronašli one koktele koji HIV virus drže pod kontrolom mnogi gejevi kao da su se umorili od stalne priče o prevenciji i kao da ih nije briga da li će pokupiti virus ili ne. Njihov izbor, ali mnogi ljudi, a posebno biseksualci mogu doći u opasnost ako se sretnu sa takvim neodgovornim gejevima. Naivni i neiskusni lako mogu upasti u zamku "dobrog sportskog izgleda". Mnogi od njih pomisle da je momak koji tako dobro izgleda i brine o tjelu sigurno zdrav. Velika zabluda!

The 24th Day is a 2004 film starring Scott Speedman and James Marsden. The film is based on a play of the same name, written by Tony Piccirillo, who also directed the film.
Tom (Scott Speedman) and Dan (James Marsden) meet in a bar and then proceed to Tom's apartment together. While there, Dan realizes that he had been in that same apartment before.

Five years earlier, Dan and Tom had a one night stand there. According to Tom, that encounter with Dan was his first and only homosexual experience. Some years later, Tom's wife is found to be HIV positive. Despondent after receiving this diagnosis from her doctor, Tom's wife drives through a red traffic light and is killed in an ensuing collision. Subsequent to these events, medical tests reveal that Tom is also HIV positive. Tom blames himself for passing HIV on to his wife and, in turn, he blames Dan for passing the virus on to him. Reasoning that Dan, ultimately, is to blame for his wife's death, Tom devises a plan to exact revenge. He holds Dan hostage, keeping him bound and gagged to a chair in his apartment. He draws blood from Dan in order to conduct a test to determine Dan's HIV status. If Dan's test results are positive for HIV, Tom vows to kill Dan. If the results are negative, Tom agrees to release Dan unharmed. In the end, Tom returns to the apartment and lets Dan go. As Dan is leaving, Tom asks him when he had last been tested. A few moments later, he reveals that Dan's test was, in fact, positive. He decided to let Dan go because he realized that his positive status was the result of his choices which he couldn't blame on anyone else. The screen fades with Dan standing in Tom's doorway, in shock, and Tom resigned to his fate.