gay

Review: ‘Pray Away’ – Conversion Therapy documentary from Netflix, Ryan Murphy & Jason Blum.

Posted on by indiemacuser

Pray Away is the new debut feature documentary from Kristine Stolakis.

Blumhouse Television executive produced the feature; partnering with Ryan Murphy before bringing the film to Netflix. The film was produced by Stolakis with Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Mary Lisio, Amanda Spain, Daniel J. Chalfen, Jim Butterworth, Katy Drake Bettner, Johnny Symons, Julie Parker Benello, Patty Quillin, Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman, Regina K. Scully and Alexis Martin Woodal.

In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalised as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organisation in the world.

But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to power, persistent influence, and the profound harm it causes.

Continue reading →

50 Years Legal (2017): DVD Review

Posted on by indiemacuser

Directed and written by Simon Napier-Bell, created to coincide with the 50 anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, this is an engaging but informative journey through LGBT history in UK since 1967 and how changes in politics and social attitudes, for better or worse, have evolved over the subsequent decades.

Originally aired on SKY TV last year this insightful documentary is being released on DVD & VOD on 19th May 2018 by Pecadillo Pictures.

Continue reading →

Horror and the LGBT community

Posted on by indiemacuser

Written by Lewis Mainwaring (Horror fan, writer & LGBT activist)

Forbidden passion and dark, dangerous desires are often central themes in classic Gothic stories which has gone on to form the groundwork of popular Gothic/Horror cinema.

dracula

Therefore it doesn’t take much reasoning to discover why many of the LGBT community, who are often taught that their sexuality is wrong and does not fit society’s view – connect to gothic cinema often on an emotional level; relating and sympathising with the ‘monster’ who has been shunned from society. Whilst harbouring the necessity of secrecy, the persistence of a forbidden passion, and the fear of discovery. Continue reading →

Review: The Summer House (2014)

Posted on by indiemacuser

In German with English Subtitles.

From writer/director Curtis Burz; The Summer House is a story about friendship and family but is far more taboo than those normally told on screen and it’s both gripping and intriguing in the way that many European drama’s can be with just a touch of grit to it’s realism.

The film stars Sten Jacobs, Anna Altmann and Jaspar Fuld.

The Larsens are a picture perfect family from the German upper-middle class. They have everything that means comfort and should mean happiness. Business success, a stylish, light-flooded home and a full scholarship for their daughter to study in England. However, the head of the family, Markus (Sten Jacobs), an architect, lives a secret, bisexual double life as his wife Christine (Anna Altmann) and their eleven-year-old daughter Elisabeth (Nina Splettstößer) drown in unendurable loneliness. Markus realizes that he has a strong yearning for one of his daughter’s school friends, Johannes, 12, also the son of his tax penalty-bedeviled business partner, Christopher (Stephan Bürgi).

thesummerhouse Continue reading →

Review: Futuro Beach (2014)

Posted on by indiemacuser
From Brazilian writer/director KARIM AÏNOUZ this production was split between Brazil and Germany. Brought to the UK by distributor Peccadillo Pictures; know for their support of Gay/LGBT cinema.

Note: The film is in a mix of Portuguese & German with English subtitles.

The film stars Wagner Moura, Clemens Schick and Jesuita Barbosa

“Donato (Wagner Moura) works as a lifeguard at the spectacular but treacherous Praia do Futuro C016_C001_0927UCbeach in Brazil; Konrad (Clemens Schick) is an ex-military thrill-seeker from Germany vacationing with a friend. After Donato saves Konrad from drowning, but fails to save his other friend, initial sexual sparks give way to a deeper, emotional connection. Donato decides to leave everything behind, including his ailing mother and younger brother, Ayrton, to travel back to Berlin with Konrad.”

Continue reading →