Judas Kiss

Apart from Netflix being one of the few reasons I haven't gone insane at school/why I end up staying up until 3AM working every night, it also has the added bonus of having a decent LGBT movie section. One of my favorite movies, Latter Days, is available to stream on Netflix but recently another movie popped up: Judas Kiss.



I remember watching the trailer for Judas Kiss a few months back and ended really wanting to see it, but as it wasn't out yet/was going to be DVD only, I let it drift into the recesses of my mind. Well, last night I stumbled across it while mindless browsing for something to watch before bed. The movie stars Charlie David, Richard Harmon, and Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan which 99% of gay guys know for other reasons). It's a small independent film so I wasn't expecting anything too spectacular but by the end, I was pleasantly surprised. The tag line of the movie is "If you had a second chance, would you grab it?" which is what the main story of the film revolves around. Not giving away too much of the plot, Zach, played by Charlie David, is a 30-something filmmaker who is asked to judge a student film-festival where he meets Danny Reyes, played by Richard Harmon, a student who submitted the film "Judas Kiss". The twist is, Zach's real name is Danny Reyes who also submitted the film "Judas Kiss" 15 years prior and won; it's implied that the two are the same person at two different points in life. Zach's goal is then to try and stop his college self from winning the festival as his life went to crap after the win.



I know my summary might sound very messy and unappealing, but the film contains too many details to encapsulate in a short paragraph. What you need to know is that while not quite the spectacular-level achievement of Shelter, my favorite LGBT movie and one that is also in full on Youtube, it's still very good. Harmon does a great job in this movie, showing a great ability to portray the dark as well as light, sympathy-tugging sides of Danny. Corrigan also does a good job as he convincingly plays the likable and adorable Chris who has a crush on Danny. It is kind of funny to see him in this kind of role but from my non-expert view, he could and should branch out into mainstream media more. So, the good actors, surprisingly smooth integration of storylines, enjoyably hot selection of scenes, and not at all overwhelming drama make this a movie I would definitely recommend watching if you're looking for a LGBT themed film. As I said, it's on Netflix if you have an account and I wouldn't be surprised if it's also elsewhere on the web.

You can find more information on www.judaskissmovie.com

JP

Playing Straight

So apart from telling my mom a few years ago, I have yet to come out to my family, and once again this year at Thanksgiving, I got a wonderful reminder of this from my cousins J and N. These two guys, my elders by about 10 years, are the two golden boys of the family (with me being the admitted rising third in family lore). They have made names of themselves at their jobs, make shit tons of money ($100K+ each) but still have not punched out any kids yet. Luckily, my aunts still think I'm young enough to not have to pester about getting a girlfriend but I can feel it coming like Lindsey Lohan can feel her next parole violation coming. Back on point though, Thanksgiving is the one time of year I get to hear J and N talk girls non stop for about 4 hours straight while I eat and awkwardly get pulled into conversation. This year however, I got pulled into conversation more than I was expecting, and I learned quite a few things about myself by bluffing my way through all the questions.

My kind of girl apparently...don't hate, Mila is hot as hell. (but more on that in a bit)

Here's a recap with all the fantastic terminology intact:

-I like girls for their legs rather than their ass or tits, but if I had to choose a second, I would take tits

-I much prefer brunettes but blonds aren't out of the question (mostly true in real life)

-I like preppy girls. not slutty and totally bangable Eastern European chicks

-I lost my virginity to a brunette (false, dirty blond) girl (false, boy) who was shorter than me (false, taller), had medium tits (N/A), was skinnier than me (false, but I'm on the skinny side), and was a "7" (I'll say True).

-I occasionally like sluts (I can be a slut myself at times)

-Mila Kunis is my type of Hollywood girl (She is hot a fuck though, I won't deny that one bit)


So yeah, fun stuff. I never knew I liked all these things but apparently I do. Granted I did have plenty of opportunities to say I was gay (including J saying how being gay is just fine in his books once during conversation) but I'd rather save that for another day. My cousins must have the worst gaydar ever.

I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you're from the states. I'll catch  on more stuff soon, but right now my priority is to punch out a paper for that Personal Identity class that I love hate with the deepest passions of my heart. Before I go though, can I say the movie Immortals is SICK. Me and a few of my Friends had a bros night out and saw the movie and it was so cool. Yeah, the ratings sucked but I can't say no to 1. Movies with a basis in Greek mythology, 2. violence and gore, 3. epic battle scenes, and 4. Kellan Lutz and Henry Cavill ('nuff said). If you're into movies like that like I am, I highly recommend it.

Yes.

Also, another really hot guy, Grant Gustin, the guy who plays Sebastian, the new gay guy after Blaine on Glee is so freaking pretty it hurts. He needs more airtime. now.

Double yes.

Alright guys, enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'll try and get a full update on what's been going on in my life soonish. I promise.

All the best,

JP

Harry Potter and the Apathetic Teenager

Am I being blasphemous if I say that I am apathetic about the release of the final Harry Potter movie? People have been saying that it's the end of an era, that this is symbolic of the end of our childhoods in cinematic form, but I don't see it that way. Sure, the Harry Potter movies are pretty good, and they have definitely come a long way since HP and the Sorcerer's Stone came out so many years ago, seeing the debut of little Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as well as the now surprisingly good looking Matthew Lewis (aka Neville Longbottom).


lolz, whut?

 Nevertheless, I did grow up with the magical world of the boy wizard. Yes, I read the books (albeit with gratuitous amounts of page skipping and skimming at times), saw all the movies, and even had a dementor costume during my year as a sevie in middle school (lame, I know), but however exciting it was, I never became the fanboy that so many became. Sure, it was cool and in the future Harry Potter will probably be remembered as the apex of literary achievement for my generation but it never caught my attention as much as say my favorite work of all time 1984 by Orwell did. It's not like I don't have a thing for references to mythical creatures, fantasy works, or Rowling's deft use of imagery and syntax to paint brilliant images and scenes of a world I sometimes wish were real, Harry Potter just never "clicked" with me.

When I say "clicked" I mean that feeling you get when you know that something will be integral in shaping who you are and something you will remember for the very rest of your life. While the second part of that statement is probably true, the first one isn't. I got my first Harry Potter book as a gift from a family friend as a Christmas gift. I remember very clearly that it was the biggest book I'd ever received up to that point, it was intimidating and judging by the odd cover of a boy with a scar on his forehead riding a broom, I wasn't too enthralled or eager to sit down and just read; granted, very few books have been able to do that. Eventually I did start reading it, and it was interesting and fun in its on way but I don't remember ever staying up late or wanting to read one more chapter more than I intended to.

As I worked through the other books, things didn't really change; it really wasn't until the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did the thrill of reading the series hit me. Maybe it's because my tastes have matured or evolved. Instead of the books, I indulged myself in the movies which served me well enough in enjoying the story. Harry Potter turned out to be one of the few movie franchises where the films were as good as the books if not occasionally better; the same can't be said of other book adaptations (aka Twilight).

Back to point, I just spent about $20 for IMAX tickets to see Deathly Hallows part 2 on Saturday. Am I excited? Yes, I am, but am I wetting my pants and doing back flips in anticipation? not quite. It looks to be a good movie and I'm actually really excited to see the final battle scene; I really want to know how the CGI artists rendered what is supposed to be one truly epic battle with all the fiery, dazzling lights goodness the book made it seem like it would be.

Sure, there isn't the ablicious droolability of Thor or the hilarious genius of Bridesmaids (total chickflick but I almost died laughing) but maybe this final Harry Potter movie has some magic to be seen.

Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised with how the movie turns out.

All the best,

JP

Shelter

After living in a dorm with 400 other people, I’ve really come to appreciate the quiet and solitude that spending time alone late at night provides. I’m free from the distractions of life and bustle of work and can let my mind wander wherever it will. I really enjoy having quiet movie nights by myself especially; the ability to turn off the lights, light a candle and have a bowl of grapes by my side as I gaze at my laptop screen really makes me content with life, even if things around me aren't quite as beautiful.

I’ve been trying to avoid the everyday blockbuster type film and focus more on independent features. I’ve expressed my love for well made gay themed flicks like Were the World Mine and Latter Days, but I think I’ve found one more film that ranks right up there with these and my all time favorites of Pan’s Labyrinth and 12 Angry Men. Shelter (2007) is a movie that never got full theatrical release as many gay themed movies I’ve watched haven’t either. Starring Trevor Wright as Zach and Brad Rowe as Shaun, the movie follows the life of Zach, a 22 y/o aspiring artist as he tries to figure out his plans for the future while taking care of his nephew Cody and sister all while coming to terms with his homosexuality.

Wright does a superb job of portraying his character as both believable and dynamic with a very good performance. His ability to convey the deep emotions and inner struggles his character faces is done so deftly one could feel as if this wasn’t a movie but stock footage shot in an actual home. Complementing Wright is Rowe’s excellent job of being a guiding figure in such a turbulent period in Zach’s life.

The movie itself runs very smoothly, mixing the two stories of Zach’s aspirations to become an artist and his own search for love and who he really is. At only 88 minutes long, it’s a great movie to watch if you have an evening to spare or just need a break; plus, the story moves along relatively quickly so you’ll never be caught waiting for the next exciting part or mini-climax. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot but I’m sure there are parts where you could easily identify with one or more of the characters like I did when I watched.

Here’s the trailer:


On the home front things are going pretty well,

I’ve turned in my papers and I’m officially on winter break. Today I took Ms. X and her friend along M St. and later got cupcakes with M in RTC. Tomorrow I’m getting breakfast with C and afterwards visiting my high school to say “hi” to some teachers and some seniors who I’m close friends with. After that I need to do some Christmas shopping and maybe some clothes shopping while I’m at it. That's a lot on my plate so we’ll see how that pans out.

J'ai trouvé des joies dans les trucs simples en vie, et ca me sourie.

All the best,

JP

Latter Days

I just watched the movie Latter Days and my eyes are still watery from the ending. It was such a brilliant movie that made me that blew away all my expectations for what this small independant film was going to be. (Caution, possible spoilers ahead!)

I've watched a few gay-oriented flicks before (Eating out series, Were the World Mine etc) and with the exception of one, most of them have been only "meh" in terms of quality. I mean, the movies themselves, or more specifically the actors, were all pretty to look at but they were all cinematic fluff on the inside, the movie equivalent of a marshmallow peep (completely stole that from the movie haha). This movie was different though, it actually had depth, the characters believable if you gave them time to develop, and there were just enough surprises to keep me hooked.

Aaron (played by Steve Sandvoss), a closeted Mormon missionary who recently moved to Los Angeles as part of a mission, was delightfully innocent and cute but also complex and deep. Finding himself falling for the party boy next door, he begins on a journey of discovering himself which takes him on a roller coaster ride of happiness, deep despair and even to the verge of death. His struggle to accept his sexuality and the fallout he endured after he was caught kissing Christian (played by Wes Ramsey who I will discuss later) was absolutely heartbreaking. Sandvoss came across as very natural and authentic in his controversial role which itself deserves recognition.

In contrast to Aaron, Christian (Wes Ramsey), is your stereotypical SoCal gay party boy, he's gorgeous and decidedly shallow and free spirited at the start of the film but you soon realize that he is actually much more than that. He only realizes that he is more than what his outward persona shows after meeting Aaron. As he finds himself falling for Aaron, he realizes that he himself had never felt this way for someone else his entire life. Following the fallout of being caught with Aaron, he goes on a frantic search for the love who he believes could be his one-in-a-million. Much like Sandvoss in his role as Aaron, Wes Ramsey does an excellent job of being so natural in his role, you really see him take on the persona of Christian and give the level of performance that few movies, major and independent, I have ever seen.

Latter Days takes cues from many movies of the past and also classic formulas for what a good story should be. The two semi-star crossed lovers Aaron and Christian mirror Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and the familial animosity furthers this similarity. The chemistry between the two characters is laudable, something sorely missing from many a modern day romantic drama. Unlike Shakespeare's famous play however, the movie itself has a happy ending; more comedy than tragedy in the Elizabethan sense, meaning things end well rather than poorly, though in many points of the film, it really does seem that the movie very well could be on the verge of being a tragedy. I credit this to director C. Jay Cox's excellent story writing which is actually based on his own experiences as a closeted Mormon who eventually came out and was excommunicated from the church. While not autobiographical, I feel that it was the influence of his own experiences which made the film so believable.

It's important to recognize the film is not a stab at the Mormon church, rather it's just a very well made film on a very touchy subject, the fact that the film even made it into light surprises me. Made on a shoestring budget of less than a million dollars, it comes across as something much more. The other characters, including the motherly restaurateur Lila (Jacqueline Bisset), Christian's singer-songwriter roommate Julie (Rebekah Johnson), and homophobic fellow missionary Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) all play a very important supporting role in making the movie into the emotional piece of work it is.

I strongly recommend seeing this movie if you haven't already. It doesn't matter if you're gay, straight or bi, this well crafted romance is a standout in what is an otherwise lacklustre field of gay-oriented films. Few movies have left such a strong impression on me as this has and this is the only film in recent memory to have elicited a tear from my normally steadfast eye.

The film can be found for free online, through youtube, or on DVD.

All the best,

JP