Make the Yuletide Gay

Starring: Adamo Ruggiero, Hallee Hirsch, Keith Jordan

Make the Yuletide Gay is a 2009 American romantic comedy film about a gay college student who is out at school, but is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation to his parents. 

Rob Williams is a genius! This movie was so funny I laughed so much by the end I had a migraine!  It was just what I needed to beat my Christmas blahs. After being bombarded by the same, old, boring movies about Christmas on tv, it was great to finally watch one that had nothing to do with angels, or Santa, or bells, or evil corporations being taken down after the lead male got the Christmas spirit and grows a conscience. 

I have to admit I went into this movie not knowing Adamo Ruggiero (From Degrassi) was in it and was VERY surprised to see him. He plays Nathan, boyfriend to Keith Jordan's character Olaf "Gun" Gununderson. The two are desperately in love and while they hold hands and make out in public at school, at home Gun is a different person. At home, he tries so hard to be straight. He even changed the way he dresses, from elegantly, to bum-ie to keep up the charade.

Nathan, well, while his parents know, they are trying desperately not to acknowledge it. The treat Nathan like he's a stranger and is always going off on one trip or another. The last straw comes when they ditched him for a cruise rather than spending Christmas with him. 

I love this  movie.

While this movie was hilarious and brilliant and stellar - I couldn't help thinking of the boys and girls out there who are scared to come out to their parents. It is never easy and if you want a little help or advice, check out the It Gets Better  campaign or the Trevor Project.  Because no one should have to go through these things alone. 

Oh and this movie has a happy ending so it's right up the alley for Christmas!

Gossip Girl -Series Finale

Cast

Privileged teenagers attend an elite private school in New York City. Based on Alloy Entertainment's book series.

Before this year, I never wanted to watch this show. I mean come on, another tv show about kids with too much money on their hands and no idea what to do with it all. I have enough crap in my life and I didn't need to watch theirs every week.

But here in Canada it's hard because most of the time TV is the most boring thing around especially when their's a storm outside and the meteorologists are saying we should try staying inside. So I turned to MUCHMUSIC and there it was. A whole day of GOSSIP GIRL on with nothing else on the other tons of station we pay for that are completely useless.  So, I grabbed a chocolate bar and started in on it. I realized this show had Josh Scwartz, the guy who gave us THE OC so I was like....this has to be epic!!

When the day was over I was a season through the series and was intrigued. Then I started catching up at friend's place through their DVD and eventually I was completely caught up. 

So I am enjoying it. I especially loved me some Chuck Bass and the nerd of course I had to root for the nerd. But this show had the potential going out in style! I was pumped for the final episode. Everyone was so tight lipped about it that I was thinking "omg! This is going to be off the CHAIN!"

Then I sat there watching it. I noticed I began watching the clock thinking "It's 24 minutes in and  I'm not impressed." To me, it was like the writers realized it was their final rodeo and just gave up. Sure, it was pretty someone ended up dead, Gossip girl was revealed and the fashion was amazing but everything else was disappointing. The story just stopped and then they go 5 years in and everything was just like it was before - them getting everything they wanted. I was so let down by this ending. I expected more. More drama, more betrayal, more...more...MORE. I know they were trying to tie it all up in a nice little bow but they failed and they did so miserably.  With the whole build up to the series finale, I wanted more fireworks and more writing but I just didn't get it.

And then the true end came with the wealthy kids standing around and some outsider guy walking buy with the wealthy kids giving him dirty looks. 

With that ending I couldn't help thinking - "dear god! Haven't we suffered enough?"

Arizona Sky (LGBT)

**Note: Movie is LGBT Themed**

Starring: Eric Dean, Jayme McCabe, Patricia Place, Evan Cuthbert, Brent King, Emerson SMith, Bernadette Murray

As teenagers, Jake (Eric Dean) and Kyle (Jayme McCabe) were best friends who crossed that line in the realm of lovers. But they lived in a small town, cowboy country, so their fear of what would happen if they made it public drove a kind of invisible wall between them. Then Jake's father got a new job and moves Jake away, leaving Kyle behind. Though they promised to keep in touch, life gets in the way; from Jake's rise in the film industry to Kyle's absent father and ailing mother. Years later, burnt out and having panic attacks, Jake runs home with his new best friend, a straight womanizer. Once again, Kyle and Jake is pressed together, sparks are still there and Kyle must now come to terms with who and what he is or lose Jake again.

This movie started out a little slow. I think there was way too much dialogue. But there is a great movie beneath it all. Jake's life in the big city is one of too much work, heart pains and a best friend who carries a different woman home every night. I felt Jake's angst, his anger at what his life has become. I felt as though he was trapped in this lifestyle, the movies and the work, with no way to save himself.

Jayme is a good kind--a true cowboy down to helping out the townspeople and his beloved aunt (Patricia Place). Though he doesn't recognize Jake when he first sees him the moment he realises who Jake was the sparks came flying back. We find out all the hurt and trials he's had to face alone over the years with the passing of his mother, his dead beat father showing up at her funeral, all her medical bills, having to sell the family house and still be in debt, plus fighting his attraction to men. You feel his pain and his utter confusion and the war waging inside him.

Though the dialogues got a little long at times I couldn't help feeling something for these characters.

My issue, my main issue, with ARIZONA SKY  is that it had no in betweens. I guess what I'm saying was it would have been better if it had a few town's people, show a bar scene, maybe show a memory or two but this movie was a small production so it can be overlooked.

All in all this movie is enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it. My only warning is go into it with an open mind and you will definitely enjoy it.

Cinder Fella - Toderick Hall **LGBT Content**

Starring: Toderick Hall, Janice Dickenson, Janice Dickinson, Shangela and Willam from "Rupaul's Drag Race," Lance Bass and Daniel Franzese.

"Do you ever feel, like a crusty mess?"

This isn't really a movie, movie persay but I watched it and laughed untilI cried. CINDERFELLA is a short film spoofing Cinderalla. With characters such as Prince Charming, Pinnochio, Aladin, Jasmine and others, this short film was a delight. They used did spoofs off songs such as Fire Works by Katie Perry, "I Kissed a Girl, I've Been Every Where by Rihana, Tun up the Music by Chris Brown and remix them with classic Cinderella musical songs and you get a wise, funny, elegant short film.

With Toderick Hall playing Cinderfella, Janice Dickenson as the Evil Step Mother, the music was on point and all around high spirited. The fairy god mother was hilarious! She had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. The comedy was spot on and who knew Janice Dickenson could act? Lance Bass wasn't in there for much of the movie but he didn't need to be to be memorable. Toderick Hall is an American Idol Alum and I had almost forgotten just how good this kidw as.

But all joking aside, this short film is one more notch in the LGBT communities hat in a step toward educating the public and making LGBT marriage and equal right fights a little bit easier. This film is a positive thing in the battle but they didn't beat you over the head with it.

Watch this short film. It'll only take about ten minutes of your time and you won't regret it. The comedy alone will have you watching more than once.

"Do you ever feel, like a toilet bowl. That fat man came and sat on you and flushed your soul!"

big EDEN (LGBT)

**Note: This movie is LGBT** 

Starring: Eric Schweig, Tim DeKay, Louise Fletcher, George Coe, Arye Gross. Oneal Compton

Henry Hart (Arye Gross) is a big city artist. He has his first opening in a gallery and his assistant/manager (which makes no sense but they didn't explain what she is to him) but she seems to be his best friend in the city. He is having a bad go of it because he works too much. The stress of the opening, no fun and his grand father's stroke. This sends him spiralling and running back to the Big Eden, the small, seaside, moutain town he was brought up in by his grand parents.  There he is plunged back into an old relationship that is quite unhealthy and a budding attraction to him by the quite, unassuming, Pike (Eric Schweig).

How do I review this movie without giving it away??

So this movie, had me up way past my bedtime watching. And when it was finished, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's a romantic comedy that just rings true. The love story was unbelievable and the toxicity of the relationship between Henry and his teenager love, Dean (Tim DeKay) was so raw. Dean was married-to a woman- with two boys but still Henry, after years of therapy to get over him, pines and hopes for something more with Dean. It broke my heart when Henry takes a chance and kisses Dean and Dean just completely breaks down. When Henry finally realizes what's happening with Dean--it was like the earth shattered beneath him and I felt it.

Then there's Pike - the lovable Native who is so in love with Henry that each time he sees Henry he gets sweaty, silent and just frustrated with himself. He secretly helps Henry by bringing food from the local gossip for Sam (George Coe) who had a stroke. But Pike has a secret that is so sweet and so endearing it just shows you just how in love he is. His friend, Jim (Oneal Compton) has is back and dears to breach the subject of homosexuality in his own, cute, round-about way. Before this movie I didn't know who Eric Schweig was but he is such an amazing talent. I would really love to see him in more stuff.

Then add the townsfolk--the men who rally around Pike to push for his happiness. They added such authenticity to this movie. Half they time they had be either laughing till it hurt or crying. The town's gossip who always seem to be trying to match-make the young people of the town and Grace (Louis Fletcher) just made for a superb movie.

big EDEN is such a splendid movie. It shows that love can happen whenever and where ever. It also taught that love is love no matter who its between - be it two men or a man or a woman or two women. This movie was a welcoming breath of fresh air and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

And yes...if you're into LGBT movies definitely see this one.



Making Love (LGBT)

Starring: Michael Ontkean, Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin, Terry Kuiser, Wendy Hiller, Arthur Hill, Nancy Olson, John Dukakis

**warning: This movie is about a Gay love triangle.**

**Small spoilers**

Blurb: It tells the story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality and the love triangle that develops around him, his wife and another man. It stars Kate Jackson,

MAKING LOVE is the kind of movie I wouldn't have watched if I'd seen the commercial on television. It's a rather old one--from about the 1980's. The graphics were bad but I guess it's because it is a rather old movie. Anyways, moving along. The idea from the story is fresh and speaks to today's age where the LGBT community is fighting for positive recognition and equal rights. The movie follows Zach (Michael Ontkean) who is a successful and brilliant doctor, married (his wife played by Kate Jackson) to Claire, a successful television exec. They just bought a house and is planning on having a son so they could name him Rupert, after the poet. But things start rapidly going sideways when Zach starts giving into his feelings for other men. It started out by watching a gay couple on a motor bike beside his car down to the night he almost took home a male prostitute.

Then he meets Bart (Harry Hamlin) a playboy writer who lives an almost hedonistic lifestyle. They hook up and Zach wants more than one night but Bart is not having it.

The story spirals out of control beautifully, for Zach has to tell his wife and try and deal with these new feelings and coming of age as a gay man.

The story was wonderfully penned with a lot of secondary characters to make the story believable. From the gay playboys to an old woman who regiles the Zach and his wife of stories of love and intrigue and magic from her younger years. The story was told in such a way that left me, as a writer, so enthralled and pulled in, when it ended I was out of breath.

Amazing movie, way ahead of its time. If you would like a great movie with some substance then watch this movie. The only down side is, and it's not a very big one, though the movie is told by two narrators, Claire and Bart, we don't see what happens to Bart in the end. I really wish they'd showed us how his life grew or fell apart from pushing away Zach's love.

SALT

 

Click here for a full Cast list

A CIA agent goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.

That's basically it in a nutshell. The first time I saw the trailer for this movie I thought...um...no...other than WANTED and GIA I wasn't/isn't a big Angelina Jolie fan. I'm not sure what it is about her as an actress. As a humanitarian and all around good person (from what we can see) I am a big fan. Anyways, this movie was a little, I don't know...slow for me. At times I'm watching it and biting my nails to see what's going to happen next. And just when I'm sitting on the edge of my seat. Then just when I'm leaning in to see the big reveal, WHAM! It slows down and drags for 5-10 minutes.

The action sequences in this movie are manic and come with in your face kick-butt-atude. But, yes my friends, there is a but, some of them made me sit back and scratch my head. Where these scenes are supposed to be amazing and just have you screaming in enjoyment, some of them made me wonder simply...why? One scene had her jumping from moving vehicle to moving vehicle just went on for way too long and lost all sense of importance to the movie.

The final reveal was amazing and even I don't see that coming. That was one of the finer points to this movie. But the ending left me empty. It didn't tie up the whole movie like an ending should and I know they are not planning a part 2 so what gives?

I do however have to mention Liev Schreiber is in this movie and he's his usual creepy self. While I adore Liev, I didn't completely enjoy his prescence but it was better than most of his other ones.

This movie isn't a complete wash. It is watchable and can be enjoyed.