Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Gay, Gayer, Gayest, and, uh, err, you tell me!
Gay subtext and the full on ambi-sexual call to arms, Shortbus, along with the mega comedy blitz Borat all on tap this week. Let's go!
Gay subtext and the full on ambi-sexual call to arms, Shortbus, along with the mega comedy blitz Borat all on tap this week. Let's go!
The by turns sweet and ribald 1997 British comedy, The Full Monty has got a new
feature packed ten year anniversary, 2-disc version from Fox Home Entertainment that’s
sure to please fans of the movie. The Fully Exposed Edition is a great improvement over
the previous release, with better quality visuals (and audio) and considering the
importance of music to the film that’s a big plus. Recognizing that, Fox has included
something called the “Music Machine” which is basically a jukebox of all the great dance
tunes in the film – from the irresistible “Moving on Up” to the retro classics like “You Sexy
Thing” and “Land of 1000 Dances.” This delightful comedy (the highest grossing in the
UK to date) focuses on six unemployed steel workers who form a low rent version of
Chippendales but go a step further by agreeing to include “the full Monty” aka full nudity.
As the crew practice their routines complications arise (including the coming out of one of
the lads) as significant others and fellow townsfolk begin to realize that these guys are
serious about what they’re doing and have to confront their own prejudices against such
“frivolity” and in some cases their sexual hang-ups.
The huge success of the film led to a slew of similar Brit-coms (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots,
etc.) and Fox has recognized the impact with this new 2-disc edition. The film (along with
commentary by director Peter Cattaneo and actor Mark Addy) is on the first disc, along
with the Music Machine songs feature, deleted footage, and an overview of the movie’s
publicity campaign. The second disc has no less than 10 featurettes that tell you pretty
much everything one could ever possibly want to know about the making of the film. As a
soundtrack aficionado, I loved best the two featurettes that focus on the music for the
film and another that takes an overview look at the revitalization of the British film
industry in the 90s. Fans of the musical version which came later will find much to love in
The Full Monty, which holds up nicely 10 years later.
Could there have been a better choice for James Bond than Daniel Craig? After all the
doubters and naysayers voiced their concerns, the proof was in the sensational reception
for Craig & Co. when Casino Royale was unleashed on the world last summer. Now
Sony Pictures have released a 2-disc version that offers a lot of nice bonus material.
Usually, the film companies make sure that movie critics get the Widescreen versions of
these home releases and naturally, that’s what I prefer. But once in awhile a Fullscreen
gets sent along (usually by mistake) and I have to say, even with an action title like this,
the movie was just as thrilling. Perhaps because, unlike many of the other Bond pictures,
this one was much more character driven, and is filled to the brim with close-ups of star
Craig. Though Craig is a terrific Bond and the picture is very good, it’s not perfect – it’s
still too long and Eva Green as Bond’s love interest is still an annoyance.
One only has to check out the entertaining “Bond Girls are Forever” documentary on the
2nd disc to ascertain that. The documentary, shot for television in conjunction with the
release of Die Another Day, is narrated by former Bond girl, Maryam d’Abo (from The Living
Daylights) and follows d’Abo around the globe as she catches up with many of the women
who have starred opposite one of the actors playing 007. From Ursula Andress to Halle
Berry, the majority of the women are here. This breezy, fun little doc has a nice reunion
feel (and many of the women are still stunners). The best sport, most insightful is Honor
Blackman who had the good (or bad) fortune to play Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. The disc
also includes a close-up on how the Casino Royale stunts were filmed and Chris Cornell’s
music video for the movie’s theme song – different from the slightly more pop version
with added strings and horns used for the main titles – is also included. Strangely, the
“pop version” wasn’t included on the film’s soundtrack. There’s also a featurette on the
casting frenzy after Pierce Brosnan decided not to return to the role and how the producers
finally settled on Craig. All in all a nice action packed package.
My number one GLBT film for 2006, Shortbus, is out on DVD from Velecity/Think Film.
The movie, an Altmanesque look at a group of sexually frustrated New Yorkers who meet
at the title salon for after hours fun was a sensation due to its hardcore content (all the
main characters engage in sex onscreen). Gay writer-director John Cameron Mitchell’s
follow up to Hedwig & the Angry Inch is passionate, thrilling and gloriously fun about sex as
I wrote in my original review of the film. This unrated edition of the DVD includes an
amiable director and cast commentary, a fascinating, in-depth look at the laborious
process of getting the film cast and shot, several deleted or extended scenes, and a short
featurette on shooting the sex room where all the characters eventually converge. This is
a MUST HAVE for the collection – a film that you’ll watch over and over again (and not just
for the opening scene!).
Everyone I know is saying the same thing about Borat, the improv comedy from the
maniacal comic character genius Sacha Baron Cohen. The movie, now out in a very
cleverly packaged DVD (it’s made to look like a bootleg) from Fox Home Entertainment,
was a sensation from the moment it premiered. Cohen, hitherto best known as the star
of HBO’s Ali G show (a British rapper wanna be interviewer), is a performer whose comedy
comes from his willingness to test the limits of the form. He’s one of those comedic
performers – Andy Kaufman was another – who obviously thrive on working without a net
and pushing the bar. In the film, Cohen plays Borat, a TV show host from the Slavic
country Kazakhstan, who travels to America with his rotund producer in order to make a
travelogue on the “U.S. and A.” The majority of the comedy comes from the real life
situations that the fearless Cohen steps into. Over and over again, Borat, a Jew baiting,
homophobe, racist, incorporates innocent bystanders into his prejudices, thus highlighting
the unbelievable ignorance of a lot of regular Americans – who also, apparently, just
happen to be unwitting, ignorant racists and homophobes. The humor arises from either
the ignorance or attempts by his unwitting supporting cast members to ignore his boorish
behavior at all costs.
Knowing that Borat’s portrayer Cohen is Jewish (much of the time he’s actually speaking in
Hebrew while pretending to be speaking the mother tongue of Kazakhstan) and far from
homophobic (one of his other characters, Bruno, is militantly gay in fact) drives home the
mouth dropping ignorance of his camera subjects. Fox has packed the disc with a lot of
really fun bonus features – including deleted scenes, actual TV news footage on the scene
where Borat sings the National Anthem at a rodeo, and a great feature on the Borat
phenomenon as it was released worldwide. At no point does Cohen appear on the disc or
comment, leaving Borat to speak for himself.
feature packed ten year anniversary, 2-disc version from Fox Home Entertainment that’s
sure to please fans of the movie. The Fully Exposed Edition is a great improvement over
the previous release, with better quality visuals (and audio) and considering the
importance of music to the film that’s a big plus. Recognizing that, Fox has included
something called the “Music Machine” which is basically a jukebox of all the great dance
tunes in the film – from the irresistible “Moving on Up” to the retro classics like “You Sexy
Thing” and “Land of 1000 Dances.” This delightful comedy (the highest grossing in the
UK to date) focuses on six unemployed steel workers who form a low rent version of
Chippendales but go a step further by agreeing to include “the full Monty” aka full nudity.
As the crew practice their routines complications arise (including the coming out of one of
the lads) as significant others and fellow townsfolk begin to realize that these guys are
serious about what they’re doing and have to confront their own prejudices against such
“frivolity” and in some cases their sexual hang-ups.
The huge success of the film led to a slew of similar Brit-coms (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots,
etc.) and Fox has recognized the impact with this new 2-disc edition. The film (along with
commentary by director Peter Cattaneo and actor Mark Addy) is on the first disc, along
with the Music Machine songs feature, deleted footage, and an overview of the movie’s
publicity campaign. The second disc has no less than 10 featurettes that tell you pretty
much everything one could ever possibly want to know about the making of the film. As a
soundtrack aficionado, I loved best the two featurettes that focus on the music for the
film and another that takes an overview look at the revitalization of the British film
industry in the 90s. Fans of the musical version which came later will find much to love in
The Full Monty, which holds up nicely 10 years later.
Could there have been a better choice for James Bond than Daniel Craig? After all the
doubters and naysayers voiced their concerns, the proof was in the sensational reception
for Craig & Co. when Casino Royale was unleashed on the world last summer. Now
Sony Pictures have released a 2-disc version that offers a lot of nice bonus material.
Usually, the film companies make sure that movie critics get the Widescreen versions of
these home releases and naturally, that’s what I prefer. But once in awhile a Fullscreen
gets sent along (usually by mistake) and I have to say, even with an action title like this,
the movie was just as thrilling. Perhaps because, unlike many of the other Bond pictures,
this one was much more character driven, and is filled to the brim with close-ups of star
Craig. Though Craig is a terrific Bond and the picture is very good, it’s not perfect – it’s
still too long and Eva Green as Bond’s love interest is still an annoyance.
One only has to check out the entertaining “Bond Girls are Forever” documentary on the
2nd disc to ascertain that. The documentary, shot for television in conjunction with the
release of Die Another Day, is narrated by former Bond girl, Maryam d’Abo (from The Living
Daylights) and follows d’Abo around the globe as she catches up with many of the women
who have starred opposite one of the actors playing 007. From Ursula Andress to Halle
Berry, the majority of the women are here. This breezy, fun little doc has a nice reunion
feel (and many of the women are still stunners). The best sport, most insightful is Honor
Blackman who had the good (or bad) fortune to play Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. The disc
also includes a close-up on how the Casino Royale stunts were filmed and Chris Cornell’s
music video for the movie’s theme song – different from the slightly more pop version
with added strings and horns used for the main titles – is also included. Strangely, the
“pop version” wasn’t included on the film’s soundtrack. There’s also a featurette on the
casting frenzy after Pierce Brosnan decided not to return to the role and how the producers
finally settled on Craig. All in all a nice action packed package.
My number one GLBT film for 2006, Shortbus, is out on DVD from Velecity/Think Film.
The movie, an Altmanesque look at a group of sexually frustrated New Yorkers who meet
at the title salon for after hours fun was a sensation due to its hardcore content (all the
main characters engage in sex onscreen). Gay writer-director John Cameron Mitchell’s
follow up to Hedwig & the Angry Inch is passionate, thrilling and gloriously fun about sex as
I wrote in my original review of the film. This unrated edition of the DVD includes an
amiable director and cast commentary, a fascinating, in-depth look at the laborious
process of getting the film cast and shot, several deleted or extended scenes, and a short
featurette on shooting the sex room where all the characters eventually converge. This is
a MUST HAVE for the collection – a film that you’ll watch over and over again (and not just
for the opening scene!).
Everyone I know is saying the same thing about Borat, the improv comedy from the
maniacal comic character genius Sacha Baron Cohen. The movie, now out in a very
cleverly packaged DVD (it’s made to look like a bootleg) from Fox Home Entertainment,
was a sensation from the moment it premiered. Cohen, hitherto best known as the star
of HBO’s Ali G show (a British rapper wanna be interviewer), is a performer whose comedy
comes from his willingness to test the limits of the form. He’s one of those comedic
performers – Andy Kaufman was another – who obviously thrive on working without a net
and pushing the bar. In the film, Cohen plays Borat, a TV show host from the Slavic
country Kazakhstan, who travels to America with his rotund producer in order to make a
travelogue on the “U.S. and A.” The majority of the comedy comes from the real life
situations that the fearless Cohen steps into. Over and over again, Borat, a Jew baiting,
homophobe, racist, incorporates innocent bystanders into his prejudices, thus highlighting
the unbelievable ignorance of a lot of regular Americans – who also, apparently, just
happen to be unwitting, ignorant racists and homophobes. The humor arises from either
the ignorance or attempts by his unwitting supporting cast members to ignore his boorish
behavior at all costs.
Knowing that Borat’s portrayer Cohen is Jewish (much of the time he’s actually speaking in
Hebrew while pretending to be speaking the mother tongue of Kazakhstan) and far from
homophobic (one of his other characters, Bruno, is militantly gay in fact) drives home the
mouth dropping ignorance of his camera subjects. Fox has packed the disc with a lot of
really fun bonus features – including deleted scenes, actual TV news footage on the scene
where Borat sings the National Anthem at a rodeo, and a great feature on the Borat
phenomenon as it was released worldwide. At no point does Cohen appear on the disc or
comment, leaving Borat to speak for himself.
