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posted by zavi
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After Stonewall: A documentary about queer history from the Stonewall riots era through the new millennium. It features news footage and personal interviews and is a must-see for all queer youth.
Country: USA, 1999
Original Language: English
Rating: 4.5/5
Zavi thinks: Fun to watch, insightful, and available on Netflix instant watch – what more could I ask for in a documentary? This one is definitely not just for the classroom; it’s enjoyable enough to just watch at home for the fun of it.
Panda thinks: Just watched this for the first time tonight! For someone who considers themselves decently well versed in US queer rights history, I was blown away by the amount of new information presented to me by this documentary. Lots of really amazing professional and amateur news footage–really gripping stuff. It is essentially a very straightforward, condensed history of the modern US queer rights movement. This is the sort of film that should be shown in public school history …
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posted by zavi
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Milk: A fairly factual account of the personal life and rise to political power of LGBTQ rights advocate Harvey Milk.
Country: USA, 2008
Original Language: English
Rating: 4/5
Zavi thinks: Watching this film allows one to not only get a good overview of the facts and history surrounding Milk’s life, but also of the social and political climate of that era. It really draws you into the struggles of the ’70s and ’80s for queers to obtain basic civil rights and be seen as valuable members of society.
Panda thinks: This was a movie that was waiting to be made for a long time. With all history movies, the story essentially already exists, it’s just a matter of putting it on to film. Some films of this manner are only worth watching for their historical value, but “Milk” is a masterpiece of storytelling as well. Sean Penn is an amazing Harvey Milk. This film could just as easily be shown in an American politics or history class as it could in …
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posted by zavi
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Sordid Lives: When forced to return to his small Texas hometown for a funeral, a young gay man must finally come out to his family, and the family as a whole must deal with its many secrets.
Country: USA, 2000
Original Language: English
Rating: 4/5
Zavi thinks: It takes a few minutes for this film to get rolling, but once it does, its complex layers of dry humor make it absolutely hilarious. Billed as a “black comedy about white trash,” this film perfectly captures the unique nuances of being in a large Southern family, from the idea that ‘a-statement-isn’t-judgmental-if-you-say-bless-their-heart-at-the-end’ to the concept that ‘even-though-everyone-knows-we-just-don’t-talk-about-it’. This movie isn’t just for the Southern niche, however. Anyone who has ever left a small hometown for a larger city and experienced the challenge of coming home as a different person will relate to it. This movie is endearing, silly and weird all at once and is great for group movie nights.
Panda thinks: I wasn’t sure what to think of this film when I first saw it …
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posted by zavi
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Brokeback Mountain: Beautiful and tragic tale of two ranch hands who meet and fall in love as young men, but are forced by society to live out their days as heterosexual males, hiding their relationship from everyone around them.
Country: USA/Canada, 2005
Original Language: English
Rating: 5/5
Zavi thinks: For those who think that homosexuality can be “cured” or “suppressed,” this is a cautionary tale. For these two men, the suppression of their love for one another only leads to hardship for themselves and all of their loved ones. This story is only one of the many untold queer tales about the heartache that can result from suppressing one’s true desires.
Panda thinks: This movie means a lot to me on a variety of different levels. When I was younger, living in a small town, this film was the first openly queer movie ever made available to me on a mainstream level. I remember watching the trailer over and …
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posted by zavi
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Were the World Mine: Through studying “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a gay high school student discovers the power to open the hearts and minds of his classmates and community.
Country: USA, 2008
Original Language: English
Rating: 5/5
Zavi thinks: Completely destroying the notion that low budget equals low quality, this film is visually stunning. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of musicals (like me, for example), the sheer musical talent of all of performers will draw you in. Suitable for anyone who enjoys beautiful performances and very, very gay films.
Panda thinks: I first found out about this movie when I read a review of the short film that inspired it. I was very excited to see the full version, and while it was not at all what I expected, it turned out to be a real treat. The music is great and the movie is visually stunning for such an indie flick. As Zavi mentioned, this film is remarkably gay. And like most musicals it contains a certain level of “cheese”. …
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