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Stop! That! Train!

Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...

Straightman

Oh My God!! This movie had so much talking that it is unbelievable. The two lead characters can talk and talk and talk forever. Its not all bullshit talk or anything. In fact it seems very real life like, the way pauses are used or the language is used but it just tests your patience. You want something more meaningful to happen in the movie and it does but at os own pace when the viewer is already yawning away. 

The story is basically of two best friends David and Jack. They are very very close to each other. David likes sleeping with women and Jack is having some problems with his live-in girlfriend Rebecca. When she can't take it any more, she decides to move to California. This is when Jack and David decide to move in together. David wants Jack to get back to a normal life meeting women but Jack is struggling internally. He has been in closet and is now finally sleeping with men. One night he tells David about this who takes it very positively. Life goes on. David meets a couple of women who he cares about but the women don't and similarly Jack meets a guy with whom he wants to get serious with but the guy doesn't want to. All through thick and think the friends are together until finally when David decides to move to a different city to do something more meaningful with his life. 

So as you can read above, the story/screenplay is bare minimum. The film is more like improvisation where the director probably explains what the scene is about and the characters are asked to improvise however they can. As it is, the two men talk on and on and on. Scenes are too long and the drama goes from feeling fresh to feeling forced as each of the lead actors has to pile on dramatic moments. While the actors do not stink, they are not noticeably talented, either. I am sure there are better films out there about friendship between a straight and gay man. (2.5/10)

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